I will make my usual offer. Come on by TGI Fridays in York next Thursday evening October 16th. I will have blank TCA Applications. Look for the silly hat.There will be plenty of people there to sponsor you. Friday morning take your signed application to Silver Hall at the Fairgrounds, along with your application fee, first years dues and York admission and you will be apart of the World's Greatest Train Event, You can go to York next week!!!

Scott Smith

Okay, I'm feeling quite computer logged. I've scanned a registration site: http://www.toytrains.info/york.asp
I reread my application and I can't find the cost.
The admission/reg is $12 advance 20 door? How much is the dues + appl fee?? Somebody give me an idea of what this event will cost? Joe

From the TCA website:

quote:

A $57 check must accompany this application. This fee includes a $25 nonrefundable application fee and $32 annual dues for twelve months. The annual dues includes a $4.50 subscription fee for the National Headquarters News, the five times a year members' only publication.

So your total first time would be $57.00 + $20.00 door registration for a total of $77.00.

I'll have the applications with me or you can print one out from here.
http://www.tcamembers.org/membership/application.pdf

Scott Smith

There we go, Thanks Scott!, Joe

$77!!!! That's this months budget!! (and if the MTH Coors Tail car comes in that will be it!!)

I should be around and am willing to sponsor anyone as well

Just look for the guy with that striped tall hat at Fridays. He's one of your sponsors!

I wonder why the TCA doesn't just let 2 people at the front desk sponsor new members? Why even have sponsors at all?

The TCA members recently voted to retain the two signature requirement. Case closed.

This post shows up before every York....

NOW - If we could just get a post from Farmer Bill offering to
give me $77.00 also!!

Joe S.

Thats great you are offering to do this. I just wish it were no more than a 1 -2 hr drive away. Too far away from NC. Would love to see all thats on display and for sale.

EJN,

You have to make the trip at least once in your lifetime. It is a must see.

If you are like me you will become addicted and look for excuses to come back.

In the next couple of York dates my wife and I are planning on going and having a great time. We will be sure to look for your hat and have you do your thing. Be great to finally meet you, but must be honest, I feel like I already know your through all your GREAT posts.
THANKS!!!

EJN;
I know it's a bit of a hike, but according to MapQuest, it's only 1-1/2 hours more for you than it is for Scott Smith. Another cup of coffee should give you the extra boost.

AMCDave;
Why are you complaining? You've already made the point, on another thread, that you wouldn't lower yourself to going to a "closed" meet. You've never been to York and you've made it quite clear that you never will. So, why are you posting negative comments here when Scott and others are trying to encourage folks to attend?

quote:

Originally posted by C W Burfle:
The TCA members recently voted to retain the two signature requirement. Case closed.

Which then has people signing for anyone who asks..

not much difference

This whole 2 signatures thing is a joke. Irregardless of wheither the TCA reaffirmed it or not. The original idea was to have the two signers actually know the person and attest to their character as a good and trustworty person. To just willy-nilly sign off on the applications completely negates that whole notion.

PRRDave

quote:

This whole 2 signatures thing is a joke. Irregardless of wheither the TCA reaffirmed it or not. The original idea was to have the two signers actually know the person and attest to their character as a good and trustworty person. To just willy-nilly sign off on the applications completely negates that whole notion.

PRRDave

100% agreed! It didn't keep me out!

I went to a spring York event for G gauge a few years ago and was very impressed. It had the latest releases and great deals. I've heard that it's not half of what this event is. So I would have to recommend that if anyone were undecided, it's a H-U-G-E don't miss. I'm trying to see if it's a possibility for me. It's a 6 hour drive, a the little miss already is reminding me of our finances, but if I could pull it off....Joe
(Darn Jim is having a sale complicating matters)

quote:

Originally posted by PRRDave:
This whole 2 signatures thing is a joke. Irregardless of wheither the TCA reaffirmed it or not. The original idea was to have the two signers actually know the person and attest to their character as a good and trustworty person. To just willy-nilly sign off on the applications completely negates that whole notion.

PRRDave

-------------------------------

Exactly right, Dave. What was once a good idea has now been dumbed-down by the well-intentioned. It has now become just one more meaningless, non-functional, bureaucratic hoop to jump through, of the type "I lie; you swear to it."

I've even had several kind folks offer to sponsor me. Is that crazy, or what?

Fortunately, as Groucho said, "I would never join any club that would have me as a member."

Everybody have a great York -- but if you should reach for your wallet and find yourself shaking hands with the guy standing behind you, don't say you weren't warned.

No matter what the real-world vs. intended effects of the two-signature rule has become, it still serves at least one good purpose. It forces us to be a little more social and makes us introduce ourselves in our quest to join the TCA. Of course, this is horrible to the anti-social nerd stereotype who doesn't want any kind of human contact or social interaction.

Since the TCA offers no guidelines for vetting potential members other than the two-signature requirement (they don't say how long or how well you have to know the person you are signing for), how can anyone criticize anyone else for the methods they employ in deciding who they will or will not sign for?

I applaud Scott and others like him who want to make the TCA and York an inclusive experience rather than a cold and exclusive one.

Andy

[QUOTED in part] Originally posted by Andy Hummell:
No matter what the real-world vs. intended effects of the two-signature rule has become, it still serves at least one good purpose. It forces us to be a little more social and makes us introduce ourselves in our quest to join the TCA.
---------------------------

Forced socialization? Forced??? Some folks might consider that to be an oxymoron. It sounds rather like something the Red Chinese would dream up -- or at least a gaggle of social-workers.

Someone once said "You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose." Apparently you can -- twice a year in southern Pennsylvania.

I think the 2 signature rule is a bunch of BS. I applaud Scott and others who have and continue to go out of their way to greet and sign for new TCA members. I've never had the pleasure of meeting a single forum member face to face but yet I can have two of my forum brothers vouce for my character. What's the purpose? Come on TCA, wake up and smell the ozone.

quote:

77!!!! That's this months budget!!

If that's your budget you shouldn't be going anyway!

When I signed for Andy, I had him provide me with a credit check, background check, 3 forms of ID, his mother's maiden name, hat size, and $500.

Needless to say I signed for him anyways.

Wild Mary;
If all you want is for someone who can really vouch for your character, I've corresponded with enough to vouch for the fact that you are a character. There! How's that for a character reference?

Marty;
I didn't know you were such a pushover.
P.S. Are you settled in at Timonium yet?

And, for those of you who are complaining because Scott is going out of his way to help people join the TCA - I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there who don't know anyone who's already a member. But after reading all the comments about York on this forum, they probably would like to join the fun.
However, based on some of the negative comments about helping to sign people up, it would seem that you think that 99% of the human race belongs at the bottom of the food chain and the other 1% is in jeopardy.
Maybe we should be thankful that "crackpots" like you don't want to join. It would give the rest of us a bad name.
Scott, you keep on doing what you've been doing. You're a great representative of TCA and this hobby of ours. As for you naysayers - why don't you go pee in somebody else's sandbox and leave us alone?