Ed Walsh posted:Wow - "amnesty, punishment, drop dead, old white men" all in one comment. Pretty dramatic words to describe nothing more than a simple letter offering renewed membership in a toy train organization.
I have the highest regard for all the people at TCA who step up to the plate and devote an awful lot of their time, energy and at times aggravation to try to manage and steer the organization through changing times and multiple issues.
Being one of those "old white guys" you refer to has some definite advantages having learned a few things along the way.
For example, I would never think to bad mouth a group or organization who has members that actually have volunteered to get involved and be responsible for trying to resolve problems. Criticizing is really easy. Offering up valid suggestions for a solution takes some thought.
But then again, what do I know, I am just one of those old white guys you make reference to.
Ed
Ed,
I appreciate your comments and they are certainly valid. But it must be remembered that before one can volunteer, they must be welcomed to an organization. Once welcomed into the fold, the desire to contribute in a positive way comes naturally.
Incidentally, selectively clipping certain words from a post, and re-assembling them out-of-context could itself be construed as dramatic behavior too 
But returning the focus to the original post, a more welcoming TCA would be one to which I would be more likely to pay a reasonable fee.
