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Golden Grab Iron Award Nominations Needed

Jim Sabol

The Golden Grab Iron Service Award is presented each year to an individual who best exemplifies “outstanding service to the organization.” This year the award will be given at our Spring Meet scheduled for May 14.

The winner of the Golden Grab Iron Service Award traditionally is selected by a committee comprised of three of the most recent winners. Currently that would be Russ Segner (2013), Jim Sabol (2014), and Jim Younkins (2015). This year the committee would like to make sure we have considered all deserving members in the selection process.

All clinic chairs, all club presidents, and all NMRA/PNR/4th Division members individually are invited to submit a name or names of fellow members they deem deserving of the service award for 2016. (Previous winners are listed on the Golden Grab Iron Service Award page.)

By March 1, please submit your nominations to Russ Segner, russseg@gmail.com, or Jim Sabol, jimsabol@msn.com, or Jim Younkins, jcyounkins@comcast.net. Please include a short paragraph detailing the contributions made by this individual toward the growth and well-being of model railroading in the 4th Division.

Help Needed, Volunteer Now!

Kurt Laidlaw

I am the clinic chairman for the 4th Division’s Spring Meet, to be held next May. While that seems a long time away, from a planning perspective it’s just around the corner. And I need your help.

Hands-On Clinics

We are going to offer two hands-on clinic sessions this year. These will be 3-hour sessions teaching you about some area of interest. I need suggestions from you on what you want to learn. Email me here.

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Dr. Roger Ferris Honored as NMRA Fellow

Jack Hamilton / Photos by Jeff Moorman

(Editors note: Jack presented this award to Dr. Ferris at the Seattle North Clinic on November 5, 2015.)

Photo by Jeff Moorman

Three Fellow of the NMRA award winners; from L to R: Gay Liesse, Dr. Roger Ferris, and Ed Liesse

From time to time, the National Model Railroad Association takes special notice of the service and contributions of members and recognizes that contribution through one or more of several special awards. Tonight, on behalf of the NMRA president Charlie Getz, the Board of Directors, and the membership association, I have the honor of recognizing one of our own. Tonight’s honoree is well known to all of us in the Pacific Northwest Region for his years of dedicated service and his boundless energy and willingness to undertake any challenge. His personal leadership has been a mainstay in the success we all enjoy in our hobby and through our membership in the NMRA. He has served as a personal role model for all of us in our dealings with each other and in finding the ways to get the most out of our NMRA fellowship.

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Reimbursement Mileage Rate Increased for 4D Members

Mike Donnelly, 4D Treasurer

Recently the 4th Division Board of Directors voted to increase the mileage reimbursement rate for 4D members from the federal rate for non-profits to the federal rate for businesses (currently 57 ½ cents per mile – note that this is the current federal rate and will change in the future). Please use the federal rate for businesses in all future mileage reimbursements and future year budget estimates. All other rules for mileage reimbursement remain unchanged.

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A New Season of Model Railroading in the 4th Division

Cliff Green, Grab Iron Editor

The 2015-2016 4th Division (PNR, NMRA) model railroading season is under way and I anticipate another good year of clinics, train shows, layout tours, meets, and conventions. If you haven’t attended one of the many excellent clinics in this Division I highly recommend them – the presenters are skilled modelers and most of the clinics have at least one (if not more) MMR (Master Model Railroader) attending. More information on 4D clinics is available here.

Every month I add new (or re-newed) 4D members to the Grab Iron subscriber list. If you are seeing a Grab Iron post (or e-mail notification) for the first time: Welcome!

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