(erielack) RE: Unanswered Questions

["Richard Recordon" <recordor_@_comcast.net>]

Paul Tupaczweski wrote: "Are there any O&WRHS members on the list that can elaborate?"

Gee Paul, why do I feel that one was aimed right at...me?

I have been a member of the O&WRHS, through the merger with the O&W Tech & Historical Society since 1971. I've been a member of the ELHS just about as long, joining when it was the Erie Society. In addition I am a long term member of the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society and have belonged to other groups and NRHS chapters from time to time as I moved about during a long naval career.

There are several obvious differences when one compares the ELHS and the O&WRHS. The O&W group is an NRHS affiliate chapter with an elected board of trustees, holds monthly meetings, an annual one day convention, and maintains its own archival site all in Middletown, NY, the last corporate HQ and operational hub of the railroad.  It publishes a quarterly bulletin, annual calendar and generally one major publication per year, as well as supporting a very member-active website ( www.nyow.org , give it a look) as part of the membership fee. Additionally the society has supported major and minor  publications by the members; Robert Mohowski's book on the RR milk industry, and a series of railfan guides for the divisions of the O&W are examples. The society also support other O&W related organizations deemed worthy such as the Roscoe, NY O&W Museum. 

An emerging trend has been a growing number of regional meetings or outings sponsored by local members who can't regularly make the Middletown meetings. Often they center around a particular surviving icon of the O&W and seem very popular with the younger members, who are drawn to the physical remains and the local expertise of the older members.

In my personal opinion the success of the O&WRHS has centered on two critical factors; an elected board and the sense of ownership that provides the membership who are interested in active participation in the governance of the society and the work of preserving and illuminating the history of the railroad. Membership includes modelers, hardware, photo, and paper collectors, historians, writers, preservationist, and just plain O&W railfans. Many members fall into two or more of these categories.

Lest anyone think otherwise, over the years there have been some political scuffles, hurt feelings, resignations, etc. but such is to be expected in the free expression of opinion encouraged in an open forum. A small minority must have their way or no way (not consensus builders). This is not a detractor, but the reality of any association of minds and personalities. 

The society has accomplished what it has because members felt enough ownership in the society to advance ideas and the board of trustees, ever responsible to and a part of the membership, remained dynamic enough to entertain them for the benefit of the society. Rarely has any board member let his ego get in the way of a talented individual who wanted to make his job easier.

With staggered terms, the board composition may, not must, change after every yearly election. Board members tend to come or go, and sometimes come back again as their real life situations allow. Younger members expressing the desire to are encouraged to step up to a board seat thus giving long serving board members an opportunity to step back from those leadership duties to pursue more actively their particular facet of the O&W.

Having spent 28+ years in leadership positions in the Navy and also observing senior leaders as members of their staffs, I understand why leadership, be it military, corporate, or political needs to change on a regular basis to prevent intellectual stagnation. There is nothing diabolical about it, just that part of human nature that causes a leader to become comfortable with the status quo. In the military rarely does a command tour last longer than 2 years at any level. Even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has a term limit.

I spent the last years of my career as a course director/instructor in the Dept. of Command, Leadership, & Management at the US Army War College. This school's mission was to transition the best operational leaders (planning timeframe or horizon about one year), to the next generation of strategic leaders (planning timeframe or horizon about fifteen years). Strategic leadership is the arena of evolving ideas, organizations and consensus building. When 8 colonels, admirals, senators, or railroad historical society trustees sit down around a table progress is not ordered by one, it is born of consensus so that the chosen course of action will belong to all who will carry it out. Change is constant, stagnation in fatal.

Having gone this far let me say that in the great dialogue now going on between people, all of good faith, and with the best strategic interests of the ELHS in mind, I come down on the side for an elected board. 

A transition, that as someone has already suggested, could painlessly be affected by adding two new trustees to the board by election this year for 2-3 year terms. And then each successive year requiring  2 or 3 current board members to stand for reelection yearly until all members were elected and serving for 2-3 year terms before standing for reelection.

I bear no one ill will but frankly a non-profit, membership supported organization never should have been chartered with a self-sustaining board anymore than a US Senator should pick his successor. While it may have seemed like a good idea at the time of the society's formation, I personally hope the board will soon take action to affect such an orderly transition in governance.

Rusty Recordon

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