What’s the problem?
You’ll probably have read in the recent N Gauge Journal, or elsewhere, that we are looking to fill a number of Committee vacancies. Chances are you’ll have read it and not put your name forward.
We currently have Committee members who are having to double up on the positions they cover. And in one case we have a member who is covering 3 positions and, through a sense of duty, offered to cover a fourth. Clearly this wasn’t in his best interests, nor that of the NGS. So, hopefully, you can understand why we routinely ask people to come forward and help.
Unfortunately, lack of volunteers has now started to impact what we can do. By way of example we have, reluctantly, cancelled our presence at the Bluebell Railway exhibition in June. It is inevitable that we’ll have to continue to cut our cloth to match the ability of the Committee members to cover the core work needed to maintain the running of the Society. We’d obviously like to do more to help the Society to thrive and grow, but that’s neither viable nor sustainable unless we have more people step forward.
A couple of ways we’re looking to reduce the workload on individual committee members is to extend our use of our IT systems; effectively automating some of the processes that have been done manually up until now. We’re also looking into appointing assistants to a number of roles to help split the workload across more people.
Committee life – what’s it like?
So, enough of the gloom and doom. What’s it like being a Committee member, and what’s the work involve?
I joined the Society’s committee at the tail end of 2024 as your Webmaster. My day job is in IT and I’ve been a member of the society for a number of years. And yes, over the years I’d read about the need for new Committee members and thought “Hey, someone else will volunteer”. Of course, most people seem to think that way. Eventually I ran out of excuses. I had the time and expertise to fill this technical role and so put my name forward; I’m glad I did.
Taking over the running of the website and various other systems has given me a few new strings to my bow. And the Committee are a friendly bunch of people to work alongside, so it’s also a sociable experience. And lets be honest, with so much Working from Home these days we can often feel the need to interact with other people a bit more.
New jobs can be a bit daunting at first, but you soon settle in, and it’s worth remembering that this is a volunteer position. And yes, I still get time to do some modelling; it hasn’t taken over my life. But it has enriched it.
Committee work is collegial, with the main interactions being on our monthly Zoom call. Outside this each member takes responsibility for their area of work, whether that’s producing the NGS Journal, running the membership, or attending exhibitions with one of our two stands…. The main thing to remember is that as a volunteer the work fits around your day job and family life.
Hopefully this has given you a flavour of what Committee life is like. And, as a result, you’ll feel that you can give a bit of your own time to take on one of the roles. The more people that throw their hat into the ring the better.
What roles do we need to fill?
Membership Secretary
After many years filling this role Mike Bloomfield has indicated that he’ll be stepping down from the role. We’re indebted to Mike for his commitment to the role over many years. If you’d like to see what’s involved, then a draft job specification is here:
Membership Secretary role description >
Chairman
After 6 years in the role Philip Griffin has indicated that he’ll be stepping down from the role this summer. Philip has been a great Chairman and a pleasure to work with. We have a nomination for Chairman to put before members at the AGM. But If you’d like to see what the Chairman’s role involves then a draft job specification is here:
General Secretary
After many years in the role Arthur Frost will be stepping down from the role in the near future. As a Society we’re very grateful to Arthur for his contribution. To find out more about the General Secretary’s role then a draft job specification is here:
General Secretary role decription >
Publicity Officer
The Society currently doesn’t have a Publicity Officer. And with the Diamond Jubilee event on the horizon in 2027 this is an exciting time to step into the role. Why not put your name forward and tell us what you could do?
Data Protection Adviser
The Society currently doesn’t have a Data Protection Adviser. This post plays an important role in protecting both the Society and its members in the area of data privacy and protection. If you have had experience of this in your day job and could offer expertise then you’d be making a significant contribution to the Society and its members.
Data Protection Adviser role >
Who can I speak to about any of the roles?
We’re hoping that you’ll feel inspired to put your name forward for one of the roles we have. But it’s understandable that you’d want to know more. So please do get in touch with our General Secretary, Arthur Frost, and arrange a chat.
Email: general-secretary@ngaugesociety.com