Grab Iron Posts

Gerry Leone, NMRA Communications Director

The Ballot Committee has issued the official results of the Spring election. 7 ballots were unopened since they were postmarked after the deadline..

President

Ballots received – 1680
Valid ballots cast – 1569
Charlie W. Getz, IV, HLM – 1550

Vice President – Administration

Ballots received – 1680
Valid ballots cast – 1637
Dave Thornton – 723
Clark Kooning, MMR 588
Howard Goodwin 326

Vice President – Special Projects

Ballots received – 1680
Valid ballots cast – 1599
Bill Kaufman – 1104
James “Lumpy” Lupfer – 493
Norman Frowly (Write-in) – 1
Charles W Getz, IV, HLM (Write-in) – 1

Eastern District Director

Ballots received – 523
Valid ballots cast – 472
John Roberts, MMR, HLM – 461
Various individual write-in votes – 9 (on each)

Pacific District Director

Ballots received – 90
Valid ballots cast – 90
Mike Bartlett – 53
Robert Peterson – 25
Kelly Loyd = 12

At-Large North America Director

Ballots Received – 1565
Valid ballots cast – 1477
Miles Hale, MMR – 865
Mike Brestel – 610
Dave Barrow – 1
Whit Johnson – 1

The Board of Directors will meet inGrand Rapids on Friday, July 27, Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29. While the Friday meeting is a closed caucus, most of the Saturday and Sunday meetings are open to all members. At this time the meeting room hasn’t been determined, so check with the convention hotel after you arrive if you’re interested in attending.

The NMRA has incorporated in the State of Missouri. One of the driving factors was to enable the Board to conduct electronic meetings (a practice not allowed inOhio, where we were formerly incorporated). This lets the Board vote on matters of significance in the time between the Winter and Summer meetings. The move also provides the proper opportunity to revisit the regulations (bylaws) as we update them to satisfy the Missouri Corporate requirements.

GrandRails 2012 has just signed up a rep from QSI who will be presenting several clinics about their brand new diesel sound system. The system lets users control sound and light functions to match specific railroad practices. Check the clinic schedule for this addition.

Coming soon: an announcement on the convention website about self-guided tours at GrandRails2012. Watch for it

Grand Rails 2012 is looking for volunteers who’d be willing to donate an hour or two of their time at the convention doing things like contest room security, helping with registration check-in, silent auction set-up and tear-down, and bus loading. If you’re interested and have an hour or two you’d like to donate, contact Mark Baldwin, Vice Chair of Volunteers, at gr2012volunteers@gmail.com for more details.

Bob Beise and Frank Dekker

Gerald Edward Kelso was born March 9, 1935 in Spokane, WA to Alvin and Pearl Kelso who preceded him in death. He attended Cheney High School and graduated in 1954. Shortly after graduating he enlisted in the United States Navy Seabees. He took his basic training at Treasure Island, CA. After basic training he was stationed in the Philippines and Midway. In 1957 he was honorably discharged. A few days later, at a friend’s get-together, he met Mary “Connie” Snider and 1½  years later, they got married on June 27, 1979.

Jerry attended Eastern Washington University, Fine Arts and two years at Spokane trade school for technical illustrating. In 1966 he got a job with Boeing as a technical illustrator and on August 2, 1966 he moved his family from Spokane, WA to Kirkland, WA. He next worked at Western Gear as a technical illustrator. In 2001 he retired from Nicholson Manufacturing, ending his 34-year career as a technical illustrator/draftsman.

Jerry was active in the community. He served as a Eucharistic minister for approximately 30 years. He was a member of the NMRA and helped build the Tabooma County Railroad and in 2005, he received the 4th Division’s Golden Spike Award.  Jerry served as the “postman” for the 4th Division’s Grab Iron for many years, delivering the addressed and folded newsletters to the USPS bulk mail delivery site.

He was an active member of the 4D HO Modular Group, with two modules, from the early days of the modular program until his health prevented his participation at the standard that he held for himself. Jerry recruited Bob Beise into the program in 1989; Bob later served as leader of the group for several years. One of Jerry’s modules was displayed at the evening reception/memorial program. His modules will go to his two eldest grandsons.

He liked man outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, hiking (including climbing to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier), collecting rocks, and spending time at the family property in the mountains.

Jerry and Connie liked to travel taking many trips to Maui, cruising the Caribbean, national parks, and Victoria BC. Jerry also took a solo trip to Yellowstone, Custer State Park, Minnesota to see Annette and family, Tennessee to see his sisters, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, and Oregon to see Ken and family.

Surviving family members include his loving wife of 53 years Connie Kelso, daughter Annette and husband Evan Hopkins of Burnsville, MN and son Ken and wife Kristi Kelso of Salem, OR. He has four grandchildren and one great grandchild.