August Meeting Notes

August 30, 2023

Upcoming events

Saturday September 16, 10:00-1:00 Bosse Toy Train Museum
Wednesday September 27, 12:00 – 2:00 AACA at Bosse Toy Train Museum
Wednesday September 27, 7:00-9:00 CTTC September Meeting, Theme: Members Choice, your latest acquisition.
Saturday September 30, 10:00-1:00 Bosse Toy Train Museum
Saturday December 9, 10 Holiday Festival of Trains at Goleta Library.

Brief Notes

The August meeting of CTTC convened at Rancho Goleta on Wednesday, August 30th, promptly at 7:05 PM, with our club president, Kalvin Quinkert, at the helm.

We were pleased to see a robust turnout, with nine of our regular members in attendance and the company of three newcomers: Cade Statucki, Nick Peterson, and his wife, Donna. Cade, who has a particular interest in HO models, discovered our group during a visit to the Bosse Toy Train Museum. Nick and Donna, who have their own collection of O-Gauge trains, learned about our club through Bonnie.

I’m delighted to announce that Nick officially joined our ranks by the end of the August meeting. Let’s extend a warm welcome to Nick and Donna!

TREASURER'S REPORT

Treasurer, Art Bosse, presented the treasurer’s report. With a current count of 19 members, the club’s financial position remains healthy, boasting a reasonable financial reserve.

OLD NEWS

In August, the Bosse Toy Train Museum hosted a pair of events. On August 13th, they threw a friends and family gathering that pulled in a good-sized crowd. Everyone from pals and families to die-hard train lovers gathered to explore the museum. What’s great is that Brian and Mike, the masterminds behind the museum’s layout, were there in the thick of it all. They chatted up visitors, fielded questions, and received heaps of well-deserved praise for their layout work.

It was a great surprise to have Ray Wilson attend. It has been a while since Leo and I have chatted with him, and it was really great to catch up. It was so great to see him again; perhaps we can convince him to come for the “Festival of Trains,” dinner, and dessert this December!

New news

The Bosse Toy Train Museum is set to welcome visitors on Saturday, September 16th, and Saturday, September 30th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. On Wednesday, September 27th, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, the museum will offer a special showing to the America’s Auto Club Association, an organization linked to Art. If available, members are encouraged to check with Art for possible assistance, considering the school and work schedule conflicts for some.

Further on the horizon, the Festival of Trains is scheduled for December 9th and 10th at the Goleta library. Set up will commence on Friday, December 8th, with takedown following on Monday, December 11th. The 9th of December holds special significance, as it marks the club dinner and dessert event at the library. Preliminary discussions on funding and venue selection for the dinner are on the agenda.

A topic that requires our attention in the upcoming meetings is our Zoom account. Currently, we provide a Zoom link for our meetings, a resource that Steve Ferry consistently utilizes. Recently, my Zoom subscription has expired. An essential feature of the paid account is the ability to host meetings without any time restrictions. However, the free subscription only grants us 40 minutes, which poses an issue, especially during the Show and Tell segment that could be cut off prematurely.

The annual cost of the paid subscription amounts to $150.00. It’s worth noting that during the pandemic, Zoom played a pivotal role in our club’s survival, serving as our primary means of meeting. It’s important to recognize that it was Steve Ferry who initially suggested the adoption of Zoom.

I propose that we engage in a discussion about renewing the paid subscription for another year. This investment would enable us to maintain seamless and uninterrupted meetings, a crucial component of our club’s continued success.