12/07/2023
Dear Long Island Garden Railway Society Members and Friends.
As one of our members and supporters, we want to acknowledge that you are a big reason for why our club exists. And your support continues to help us accomplish many of our ambitious goals to create more model train exhibits and educational opportunities for our youth and the community.
Now that we are a Tax Exempt 501 (c) (3) Organization (The Long Island Garden Railway Society of N.Y. Inc.) I'm writing to ask for your support of our First “end of year” Tax Exempt campaign to support the great work of our club by December 31st. As you know your Tax Deductible Donations are accepted at any time during the year.
Recently, a friend/colleague, while discussing the “state of things” in the model train hobby”, described our club’s current season programming as, exciting and “robust”. My first reaction to this statement was: “I know, it’s too much”. I was wrong; it’s not too much. Rather: it’s never enough.
Objectively speaking, there’s less going on in the model train scene than there used to be. The community, such as it is, is shrinking. There are reasons for this; and one could debate the validity of those reasons, or lack thereof, till the tracks end; but why bother? It’s real. We can see it.
But, there’s NOT less going on in the club. We’re diving in, and hoping not to drown. If you don’t believe me, just scroll down to past issues of “Smoke n Cinders”. In 2023, we did a lot. In 2024, we’ll do a lot. And so on. It’s important for the model railroad community and our club to continue the great work we have been doing. Please remember we are not only in the hobby of model trains, we are truly educators. We are in a position of keeping the youth of our community busy in a positive direction before they get busy in a negative direction. We are educating those that attend our events of the role the railroads played in the development of America, math, construction, electricity, art/ design and 3D printing.
The Long Island Garden Railway Society of NY Inc. is small, smaller than most folks believe us to be, given our profile and the sheer amount of work we do. But we’re putting our (very small) money where our (not-so-small) mouths are, by stuffing that money directly into projects for the community. A full 100% of our budget goes to promoting our work. And it’s entirely unsustainable without your support not only with money but also with your presence at club events.
It wouldn’t be right to suggest that The Long Island Garden Railway Society of NY Inc. is the “last person standing” in a field of diminishing vitality; but there’s a bit of truth buried in there. We’re certainly among the (proud) few scrappy organizations holding it down for the possibility of actual risk-taking and spectacular failure. And, with your support, we’ll keep it that way; by doing a lot; by embracing a culture of abundance (without the you know, abundance); by encouraging young and??? to take bigger swings to achieve success.
AND Don’t forget our upcoming GREAT Holiday/New Year’s Party January 6, 2024 at the Snapper Inn, details to follow very shortly.
Thank You for your consideration,
George
