Group photo at Spencer, NC shops. How do we get young people interested in railroad history?

Fri Jun 1 12:00:36 EDT 2018

Greetings,

I have been asking my railroad friends for years for suggestions on how to get young people interested in railroad history. After reading the Q&A part of this question it hit me. We as older adults need to take the wheel so to speak. Are we to blame as parents for using Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers as our baby sitters when our kids were growing up? My son takes his kids to pro baseball games and football games because my wife and I took him and his sister when they were young. Some parents may have taken their children hiking or fishing instead. Well, I think you see where I'm coming from. As Ken Miller stated kids love to see the 611 blasting by or puffing into Roanoke during an excursion! Those kids didn't drive themselves to see the 611. You, their parents and/or their grandparents did! I've told my wife for years that the only difference between a kid and an adult is their age! I'm usually upset at someone when I say that but it holds true in everyday life. Ha! We as parents or grandparents need to bring excitement to these moments for our young people. Then when these young people grow up they will be more likely to become members of a historical group of some type that kindles good childhood memories. I hear many of you saying that you and your historical society friends may have not been exposed to railroading with prototype trains, excursion trains, by going to museums or model train shows. I will bet that what you do have in common with your railroad friends is that you had a member of your family work for the railroad in the last century. My dad was a N&W RWY. signal maintainer. I guess it was over twenty years ago when my good friend Grace Helmer with the Roanoke Chapter, NRHS handed out a questionnaire during one of our Roanoke Chapter meetings. The purpose of the questionnaire was to have people make suggestions on how to increase chapter membership and what things they wanted changed in our NRHS chapter. Sound familiar? Grace was a smart cookie. She went one step farther. Her last question was "What are you personally willing to do to correct the situation?" A blunt version of "Are you part of the problem or the solution?" Grace was asking all of us for a "commitment"! Man, that's a scary word now a days!  {Hint, it was a scary word back then also!} Wrapping up I will ask you to take a young person to a railroad event, a N&WHS Archives Work Session, a Roanoke Chapter, NRHS siding restoration, etc. Ask them to put their phones etc. away except for taking photos. Encourage one on one conversations. I want to thank both the N&WHS and the Roanoke Chapter, NRHS for setting up as vendors each year at our annual Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS Lynchburg Rail Day Model Train and Railroadiana Show. Our show is kid and family oriented and this August we will be celebrating our 40th. year! Remember those kids will grow up to be big kids one day! We all need to be there with them during their journey!

All the best,

Norris

Norris Deyerle

Blue Ridge Chapter, National Railway Historical Society Chairman of Virginia's Rail Heritage Region Partners and

Lynchburg Rail Day 2018 Model Train Show Coordinator - Train Show Date: Saturday August 11, 2018

Home: 744 Chinook Place

Lynchburg, Virginia 24502-4908

Cell: 434-851-0151

________________________________
From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> on behalf of NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018 4:33 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: Group photo at Spencer, NC shops

Wel, this is the topic, at least in both rail history groups that I am part of the BOD.

Since one of our folks is very involved with Railcamp, it has been a solid sell out for the last number of years, but limited on size due to costs, and personnel involved. But it is well attended. Roanoke Chapter NRHS has sponsored attendees for the last several years and once again has a camper there this year. The Chapter does provide a gratis membership to that young person, but we’ve only had one that has actually maintained their presence.

Interestingly enough, when you go out to see 611 run the last three years, young people were all over the place. Most had cameras that were not inexpensive. So, the interest in steam seems to continue. But, these younger people are not joining established groups, they go on facebook, snapchat or whatever might be the social media of the day is. Modeling seems to be still an activity for younger folks, at least as best I can see.

There needs to be some solid answers to that question, what can groups like ours do to attract younger people?

All suggestions welcome.

Ken Miller

> On May 31, 2018, at 3:03 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>
> What might be some solutions to the aging of railroad society memberships?  Scranton Railcamp takes in only a few kids per summer.  National Train Day does not seem to add much to society memberships.
>
> J. Kelling
>
> On Thu, May 31, 2018 at 8:43 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> Not to belabor an all too obvious problem regarding the N&WHS and others, but that group photo while great, --- whaddya think the average age of those in the image might be? That only highlights the problem facing all such organizations. Youth is needed and necessary to continue past when we are gone.
>
> Bob

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