The Club

Sounds ominous, doesn't it? Well, it really isn't.

The club, North Eastern Wisconsin Exhibition Railroad, or NEWER Industries, is really a semi-loose knit group. Members are located in Sobieski, Appleton, Pulaski, as well as in our home of Green Bay Wisconsin. We formed about 13 years ago, chartering itself on March 7, 1995. We first voted on the "Official" name at that time, as well as officers, dues, meeting dates and times, location for meetings. With the meeting adjourned for one week, we then set in motion the creation of the bylaws, operating rules, club standards for modules. The following week, we then voted in the bylaws (with some amending), club standards, module standards, and ID cards handed out to the members.

You can view the Bylaws here.

We started the club with a basic idea for a club, with a modular layout designed to go to shows, so we could show the world (or at least Eastern Wisconsin) what we could do. It was only our intention at the time to have fun. Originally we wanted to be part of the Green Bay Area Model Railroad Club (commonly called the Main Club), which is located at the National Railroad Museum, in the old depot building. We thought that a modular layout might be fun to bring to shows. The idea of having modules as part of the Main Club didn't go over so well with all of the members there. So we decided to see what kind of interest we could drum up on our own. As it turned out, a lot of members were interested in the idea for modules, just not enough for the Main Club to give the go ahead. So we formed our club as a sideline club of sorts. All but one of the charter members in this club were (and some still are) members of the Main Club. We have been part of a few different events that have been held at the Museum in the past such as NMRA Divisional meets, and Chicago and North Western Historical Society meeting, as well as an open house for the Museum itself.

Since the beginning, the members of this club have set a standard for itself. We have had, and still do have members that are very talented and determined to keep this club as loose-knit as possible, and still have a goal. Everyone is asked to help, no one is "in the way". Set up for shows is the most labor intensive of the activities as one can imagine. First load the truck, get there, unload, open the pairs of modules, set up the legs, set the modules up, clamp them together, level them, plug the cables in, add track, burlap, buildings, and trains. With out the members that make up this club, we would not be, well, this club. The members have always pulled together, which is why this club is so small in numbers, but have such a large layout, we are very ambitious. We have all fell into roles for set up, running, and take down. And we listen to each others ideas. We communicate, we try to included everyone in the club with anything we do, and if someone does not want to, or just can't, we move on. We don't badger anyone, people feel free to contribute to the good of the club, and to each other. Put simply, we are all friends.

When the club started, the club had only one real officer; president. It wasn't for a few years that we added a vice president, then treasurer, and finally secretary. I also oversee the electrical, Todd over sees the club as a whole, and we all oversee Todd. (seems like the right thing to do!!) Everything else is volunteered. We don't try to dwell on rules, or regulations, and refuse to get bogged down with politics (bleah!). Remember, we all friends here. Which is why I am the President, and no one cares.

Over the last 13 years, we have grown from nine charter members to seventeen, and been to 3 NMRA National Train Shows, spent an incredible amount on food and drink, and run ridiculously long trains, slept in questionable hotels, and made a table of nineteen laugh to the point of crying.

I'd say forming the club was worth it.

If I type this in "gray 50%", can you even read it? And if you can, are you regretting it?

I think that this is truly hidden text, wouldn't you agree?

Unless of course, the background picture didn't load.

Then you can read this easier then the rest of the page, which is in yellow.

Or if you are really bored, you can view the club rules HERE.