The meeting for May 2008 was called to order May 3rd by Club President Wiley Starnes at 10:32.

The minutes for April 2008 were presented. Bradley Linda said the headsets are now located in the HO Scale layout. Bill Lancaster made a motion to accept the minutes and Joe Pyland seconded. The motion passed.

The Treasurer’s report was submitted and read.

Old Business

Betty Neill checked with the CPA and said he is still working on the club’s Form 990. The CPA will request an extension if he doesn’t have it finished by the May 15th deadline.

Building Committee – Ed Neill said the deck painting project went well. He was assisted by Trace Bowen, Noel Cowling, Mike Hitzfelder, Mike Ross, and Wiley Starnes. Most of the deck received two coats of paint with some areas receiving three.

Inventory Committee –Betty Neill reported that she should be getting pictures of some HO items today.

Train Show – Jim Bush announced that he had emailed out the train show work schedule and posted a copy in the depot meeting room. Jim said they had placed show brochures at two other area train shows last month. Jim asked that any club members planning to attend a train show to please see him for brochures to place at that show.

Raffle Layout – Mike Ross had nothing new to report.

Wiley Starnes said O Scale still intends to display at the Railroad and Historical Museum (RRHM) on May 17th as part of a military layout. Dan Ladd announced that on this same day, there will be a military static display to the west of the depot. Club members will have to park between the museum and the depot.

Mike Cleveland said that Bradley Linda and Mike Hitzfelder will be conducting a clinic on Operations 101 on May 10th starting between 10:00 and 10:30 AM. The clinic will last 30-45 minutes. Following a break for lunch, they will conduct an operating session. The session will be conducted on the HO layout and is open to all club members regardless of scale. Mike also asked that anyone interested in conducting a clinic contact him so he can schedule it.

Mike Cleveland said he spoke to TXU about moving the club to a different tariff. The TXU representative thought they could offer the club a better tariff since the biggest part of the electrical bill is the demand rate paid each month. TXU never followed up as they said they would. Dan Ladd said he also was still waiting for them to follow-up with him from his contact two months ago. Wiley Starnes asked Mike and Dan to write a letter to TXU for his signature requesting a resolution to this situation.

New Business

Wiley Starnes announced that he will serve as an interim board member through the end of the year.

Bill Lancaster said he needed a ladder to replace light bulbs in the depot. Bradley Linda made a motion to purchase an 8’ step ladder to replace lights. Joe Pyland seconded and the motion passed.

Wiley Starnes said that Baylor University had asked the club to tentatively exhibit at their museum from December 4-21, 2008. The exact dates are yet to be finalized. Bradley Linda made a motion for this to be a club event. Steffon Norris seconded and the motion passed.

Dan Ladd reported that the RRHM has asked the club to support their summer train camp again this year from June 17-19. He said his church had also asked him to do a train camp for them on June 11. Steffon Norris made a motion for this to be a club event, Bradley Linda seconded, and the motion passed.

Bradley Linda made a motion to adjourn. Randy Hiersig seconded and the club adjourned at 11:21.

The meeting for April 2008 was called to order April 5th by Club President Wiley Starnes at 10:33.

The minutes for March 2008 were presented. A motion was made by Trace Bowen and seconded by Mike Ross to accept the minutes as read. The motion passed.

The Treasurer’s report was submitted and read.

Old Business

Dan Ladd discussed the electricity bill and why the club pays what it does. Mike Cleveland is going to contact TXU to see if the club can get moved to a different tariff.

Dan Ladd reported on the 2008 Membership distribution by scale.

Building Committee – Ed Neill said the deck painting project has started. Ed tested one gallon last week between rains. Ed is looking for 2-3 volunteers to finish this project next week. All materials and equipment will be provided.

Inventory Committee – Betty Neill reported that the inventory is coming along fine. HO is the last one to be inventoried and they should be submitting their report today.

Train Show – Jim Bush was not present to report.

Raffle Layout – The layout is all ballasted and ready for scenery.

Ron Miller will set up the G Scale modular layout on April 10th at the RRHM.

BNSF will have a Family Day on April 26th. The club was asked to open for this event. Bradley Linda made a motion to be open from 12-5 PM for this event. Ron Miller seconded and the motion passed.

New Business

Bob Atkins and his son Rob from Waco, Texas were welcomed as new members. They model in HO Scale.

Mike Cleveland is working up a schedule for clinics.

The RRHM has asked the club to participate in a military layout display on May 17th. Bradley Linda made a motion to display at the museum and Steffon Norris seconded. The motion passed.

Randy Hiersig asked if a sign could be put up informing visitors about the N Scale layout display. Mike Ross mentioned that there is a sign for more exhibits from the train show that could be used.

Jack Merkel from Austin, Texas has donated two radios with headphones to the club. They are located on the O Scale layout.

Dan Ladd spoke with Sam Farrell from ExtraCo Bank. ExtraCo will sponsor the Raffle Layout this year.

Betty Neill reported that the interest rate on the club’s bank account will be less than it has been in the past.

Randy Hiersig said he had some of Dieter’s HO scale equipment for sale.

Bob Alston submitted his resignation from the Board of Directors.

Trace Bower made a motion to adjourn. Randy Hiersig seconded and the club adjourned at 11:01.

The meeting for March 2008 was called to order March 1st by Club President Wiley Starnes at 10:28.

The minutes for February 2008 were presented. A motion was made by Trace Bowen and seconded by Joe Pyland to accept the minutes as read. The motion passed.

The Treasurer’s report was submitted and read. Trace Bowen made a motion to accept, Joe Pyland seconded, and the motion passed.

Old Business
Building Committee – Ed Neill said some maintenance needs to be performed on the deck prior to painting.

Inventory Committee – Florence Hiersig and Betty Neill have inventoried six of the depot’s rooms.

Train Show – Jim Bush was not present to report.

Raffle Layout – Mike Ross has laid track, painted the benchwork, and is ready to ballast.

Mike Cleveland was not present to report on the electrical utilities. Ron Miller said there was nothing new to report.

Joe Pyland made a motion to return the membership form to the Board of Directors for review and requested that the application reference a minimum age for membership. Mike Hitzfelder seconded and the motion passed.

Ron Miller and Dan Ladd met with Jeremy Krauss from the Railroad and Heritage Museum to see about setting up some of the traveling layouts at the museum during the Blooming Temple Festival, April 12-13, 2008. Ron will set up the G Scale modular layout. Ed Neill made a motion to make this a club function and Trace Bowen seconded. The motion passed. There are also future display opportunities at the RRHM on April 26 and May 17-26.

The By-Laws Committee (Dan Ladd, Bill Lancaster, Ed Neill, and Wiley Starnes) has met and the by-laws will be reviewed by a CPA or lawyer if needed. The committee will meet with the Board of Directors for approval.

New Business

Rick James was welcomed as a new member. Rick models in O Scale.

Dan Ladd presented the scale membership report. There was some discussion and a number of corrections noted. The revised membership report will be presented at the April meeting.

Joe Pyland made a motion to adjourn. Trace Bowen seconded and the club adjourned at 11:02.

The meeting for February 2008 was called to order February 2nd by Club President Wiley Starnes at 10:28.

The minutes for December 2007 were presented. Corrections were noted for the new members’ names posted last month. A motion was made by Troy Wolff and seconded by Trace Bowen to accept the minutes as corrected and the motion passed.

The Treasurer’s report was submitted and read. The 2008 budget was presented. Eric Boswell made a motion to accept, Mike Ross seconded, and the motion passed.

Old Business 
2008 dues must be paid by February run day. Scale disbursements will then be determined and announced at the March business meeting.

There has been no progress made on the by-laws. The committee will be meeting on this soon.

Club members were reminded that they need to be sure to sign in and out when coming to the clubhouse.

Bill Lancaster said there are still past due items that need to be returned to the library.

Ed Neill has found a price to replace the water fountain. Ed made a motion to remove the fountain and not replace it. Mike Hitzfelder seconded. Nine voted to remove and not replace the fountain, eight voted to replace the fountain. The motion passed to remove the fountain and Bill Lancaster will oversee the removal.

Betty Neill reported that the CPA has all of the information needed to complete the Form 990.

Mike Ross asked for a status on putting the club membership forms on the club website. Bradley Linda made a motion to put the application and dues information on the website and Bruce Kohler seconded. Ron Miller made a motion to table putting membership info on the web and for a vote to be held at the March business meeting. Mike Hitzfelder seconded and the motion passed.

Ron Miller asked who the board members are. Wiley Starnes said they are Bob Alston, Dan Ladd, Betty Neill, Mike Ross, and Joe Teakell.

Ron Miller reported that the G Scale Circus Layout display at the Railroad and Heritage Museum went well. They set up a 20’ circle layout. Earl Blanchette, Wiley Starnes, and Noel Cowling helped out. The club received a thank you letter from Jeremy Krauss, Museum Media/Volunteer Coordinator, that read:

Thank you so much for your assistance in finding a modeler who owned a circus train set. I really enjoyed working with Ron Miller.

Please extend my appreciation to all who were involved in the set up and tear down of the layout.

We had many people who came just to see the layout. Thank you for your continued support and for helping to make our January Family Day special.

Jim Bush gave an update on the Train Show. All of the vendor tables have been sold and there is now a waiting list. The Appreciation Party Committee members are Jim Bush, Wiley Starnes, and Bill Lancaster. Additional committee announcements will be made next month. Mike Ross is working on the raffle layout and the table construction is finished. Wiley said if a club member will be working for a vendor at the show to let Jim know in advance. Mike Cleveland suggested that a club member consider co-chairing the show with Jim.

New Business 
Jim Moody was welcomed as a new member.

Wiley Starnes announced the passing of Master Model Railroader Lorrell Joiner on December 8th, 2007 and Bill McClanahan on January 11th, 2008.

New lights were installed in the library and small bathroom.

Betty Neill reported that Trace Bowen and Florence Hiersig have volunteered to help her with inventory.

Joe Pyland will give a clinic on improving Athearn RTR performance at 11:00 on February run day.

Ron Miller and Mike Cleveland will check into an alternative electrical utility plan for the club since utilities are the biggest portion of the budget.

Wiley Starnes asked if anyone had any suggestions for the December Christmas Party. No other suggestion was made except to have one this year.

The Blooming Temple Festival will be held April 12-13, 2008. The city has asked the club to hold an open house that weekend or set up a layout in the museum. There were no volunteers to set up a layout in the museum. Wiley Starnes said to think about it and the matter will be discussed at the March business meeting.

Kennedy Gauger has returned his club key. He is too busy living in Austin and working in San Antonio to actively participate. However, he does look forward to visiting when he is able.

The club was invited to the Railroad and Heritage Museum Volunteer Appreciation dinner.

Mike Ross made a motion to adjourn. Bradley Linda seconded, and the club adjourned at 11:35.

The meeting for January 2008 was called to order January 12th by Club President Wiley Starnes at 10:30.

The minutes for December 2007 were presented. A motion was made by Mike Ross and seconded by Noel Cowling to accept the minutes and the motion passed.

The Treasurer’s report was submitted and read. A end of year financial audit was conducted by Wiley Starnes and Bill Lancaster. The results were submitted to the membership. Mike Ross made a motion to accept, Bill Lancaster seconded, and the reports were accepted.

Old Business

The club was open most weekends and some workdays with Bill Lancaster, Earl Blanchette, Noel Cowling, and Wiley Starnes supporting the Railroad and Historical Museum over the holiday season. Approximately 650 Killeen school children and 600 other museum guests visited the club. Dan and Cecilia Ladd’s Christmas buildings made the layout a great hit.

The club received a Christmas card from the Mayborn Convention Center.

New Business

New members Steffon Norris and David Krauss were welcomed as well as visitor Rick James.

Wiley Starnes introduced the 2008 officers. They are:

• President, Wiley Starnes
• Vice President, Mike Cleveland
• Treasurer, Dan Ladd
• Secretary, Clark Overman

Jim Bush will be this year’s Train Show Coordinator and needs an assistant. See Jim if you are interested in helping organize the 2008 Train Show.

Mike Ross will be in charge of building the raffle layout which will be in HO this year. Wiley Starnes and Earl Blanchette will build the layout table. See Mike if you want to contribute some of your modeling skills to this project.

Bill Lancaster will again serve as Librarian and Stationmaster.

Mike Cleveland will serve as Clinic Coordinator.

Betty Neill will head the Inventory Committee. Each scale needs to keep their inventory up to date. Betty will keep the inventories and photographs of the layouts for insurance purposes.

Ed Neill will serve as Chair for the Building Committee.

The Finance Committee will be chaired by Dan Ladd and consist of Betty Neill, Bill Lancaster, Wiley Starnes, Mike Cleveland, and Earl Blanchette.

Keys were exchanged between old and new officers. Betty Neill gave Dan Ladd keys to the file room, file cabinet, and post office box. Earl Blanchette gave Wiley Starnes keys to the file room and file cabinet. Betty said the file room also has six picture frames and two complete HO train sets donated by Brad’s Trains.

Ed and Betty Neill were introduced as new Life Members.

Ed Neill said he wants to schedule a painting party for the deck. Ed said he will get all of the materials needed for this project. He is also looking at putting up a new metal railing around the deck.

Next year’s Waco Doll and Train Show will be January 10-11, 2009.

This year’s snack list has been posted in the break room.

Each scale selected a new trainmaster. Wiley Starnes will serve for O Scale, Mike Cleveland for HO, and Randy Hiersig for N. Each scale still needs to select a web site representative.

2008 dues are now due and all members should submit those no later than the February business meeting.

The club will have to file its first Form 990 as a non-profit this year and it is due May 15th.

Bill Lancaster reported that there are some past due video tapes that need to be returned to the library. He also said the furnace filters need to be changed.

Mike Ross made a motion to repair or replace the water fountain. Noel Cowling seconded and the motion passed. Ed Neill will research what this project will cost.

Noel Cowling reported that hand cars are being run on the third Saturday of each month from 11:00 – 15:00. Volunteers are needed to supporting this activity at the Railroad and Historical Museum. See Noel or Dan Ladd if you are interested in helping out.

Howard Bell came to the club to run last Saturday and had a number of visitors. Because of the Waco Doll and Train Show, most of the club members were supporting that activity. Howard suggested that other club members should still plan to come to the club when there are conflicts to help host visitors.

The next museum Family Fun Day has a circus theme and will be the weekend of January 19th. Bradley Linda made a motion for this to be a club function and Joe Pyland seconded. The motion passed. See Ron Miller if you are interested in displaying any circus trains.

Mike Cleveland suggested that club members might be interested in working together on the NMRA Achievement programs. See Mike if you are interested.

Fort Worth will host the Great Train Show on March 1-2, 2008.

The club adjourned at 11:10.