Correspondence received from TCA National:
TCA SETS MINIMUM AGE FOR MEMBERSHIP
Many things have changed since TCA began in 1954. In 1957, the Association became incorporated under Pennsylvania Law and the Articles of Incorporation can be found HERE. The founding generation could not have envisioned the many ways life today is different from back then.
Following a review of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Law, it became clear to TCA that we needed to publish the minimum age for membership in the Association. As Pennsylvania Law recognizes the age of majority as the age of 18 as being the age at which a person can enter into a legally binding contract, an applicant for membership in TCA must be that age or older to join TCA.
It was decided at a TCA Executive Committee telephone conference call on 10 May 2012 that this information should be formally stated and published in our Rules and Regulations. The Rules and Regulations have been changed to reflect this decision and are posted on line. You can access them HERE.
One of the primary aims of the Association is to foster and facilitate the buying and selling of toy, scale and model trains and related items. A stated age limit was deemed necessary because of the potential liability posed by transactions (which are contracts) that go awry.
The Executive Committee, composed of members of the Board of Directors under the bylaws found HERE, are exercising their fiduciary responsibility to the membership by acting to prevent the exposure of the Association to legal action engendered by a transaction which one of the parties did not have the ability to enter under existing law.
Members recruiting applicants must ascertain the age of the potential applicant prior to sending the application to the National Business Office for processing. Applications for those persons received since 10 May 2012 for anyone under the legal age are being returned.
For those under age 18, membership is available in the TCA Kids Club and information on it can be found HERE. Please note that all Kids Club members need a TCA member in good standing as a sponsor and Kids Club members are not members of TCA and therefore do not have the benefits of regular TCA membership.
