Board Meeting 18Mar20 – items relating to National Show 14Nov20

Further to the Shed Notice on 17^th March, the Board met last evening.  The key outcomes of the meeting are as follows:

• The overwhelming majority of feedback from members and traders welcomed the rescheduled date of 14^th November for the 2020 National Garden Railway Show. So far, all bar two traders have indicated their intention to attend the Show.  We recognise that the next few months will be difficult for many of the traders on whom we rely, so to help with their cash flow, we’ll be offering them a refund of what they’ve already paid and invoicing them again closer to the time of the rescheduled Show.  Further details will be communicated to traders later today.
• As previously stated, advance entry tickets are valid for the 14^th November Show. If you’re unable or prefer not to attend on this date and bought your ticket online, please email shop@16mm.org.uk and a refund will be provided.  If you bought your ticket by cheque, please contact treasurer@16mm.org.uk and he will arrange a refund.  Please do not send your request to any other Association email addresses as it risks being lost.
• The Grand Draw will take place on 14^th November and we have advised the relevant licensing authority. We are unable to offer refunds for draw tickets already purchased.
• The Annual General Meeting, Model of the Year, Member to Member Sales and the Landmarks display will all take place on 14^th November.
  
• We will take a decision on whether to reissue the Show Guide in May, when the layout and trader content of the Show has become clearer, so please do not discard the Show Guide provided with February’s issues of SMT and Bulletin. Please also retain your copy of the Annual Report provided with the same mailing, because we do not plan to reissue this.  Copies will as usual be available at the Annual General Meeting.
• We must all, as individuals, earnestly hope that the measures in force will enable our Health Services to manage this epidemic and that we will see an easing of restrictions later in the year. Assuming therefore that the 2020 Show goes ahead as now planned, we will return to our established cadence of shows in 2021, with a National Show on Saturday 10^th April 2021.
• Finally, I expect that many of us were looking forward to the Show on its original date and were planning purchases from the traders present. These traders need our business more now than they’ve ever done.  The movement of goods around the country hasn’t been affected by the current measures and the government has already indicated its intention to keep goods flowing.  Let’s not let the postponement of the show stop us pursuing our hobby and supporting the traders who in turn support us.

This same message will be provided to all members on paper on the back of the address carrier sheet used to send current members The Guide to 16mm Scale Modelling, which is scheduled to mail on Friday 27^th March.

Alan Regan, Chairman and Membership Secretary