International LEGO Train Club Briefing at BrickFest 2003

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International LEGO Train Club Briefing at
BrickFest 2003

• August 10th, 2003
• Arlington, VA

presenter Steven Barile
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Alive and Well (and Happy B-Day)

• After 12 months of organizing we are finally up
  and running!
• Currently there are 131 clubs and 130 members
  and we are growing
• Executive Committee Assembly in place
• Membership Committee too!
• Cool stuff thru Jake (LEGO Direct) already
  delivered to member clubs!

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Were Now a Formal Organization

• A governing body
• Executive Committee
• Assembly
• Bylaws and Policy Procedures
• Membership definitions
• Both Individual and Club Memberships
• Facilitating web infrastructure
• MIKE WALSH you go boy!
• Working towards formal communication with other
  train organizations (NMRA, GATS, etc.)

Yippee!
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Mission Statement (still the same!)

• Advance the LEGO Train hobby by
• Supporting Fellowship and Communications among
  Enthusiasts
• Supporting the Formation and Growth ofLEGO
  Train Clubs (LTCs)
• Legitimizing LEGO Trains as a ModelRailroading
  / Toy Train Standard (L gauge)
• Establish a comprehensive communication mechanism
  between LTCs and other formal organizations, e.g.
  The LEGO Group / LEGO Direct, NMRA, GATS,
  Kalmbach, etc.

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ILTCO Anatomy
Executive Committee
Policy Makers
President from Assembly or Officers
Membership Committee
Senior Officer Officer, Officer, Officer from
Individuals
Other Committees
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Member Clubs!
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BIG THANKS !

• To the initial clubs that supported this effort
• For their positive outlook and support
• For sharing the vision of what ILTCO can be for
  all of us
• For their patience during the boot strap phase
• Beta Testers
• For all the time spent beta testing the web site

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Who is the Executive Committee
The original lists founders, Steve and Mike,
privately invited other perceived community
leaders to help create the initial structure to
the new organization

• Steven Barile (president)
• Pacific Northwest LEGO Train Club (PNLTC)
• John Neal (officer)
• Twin Cities LEGO Train Club (TCLTC)
• Greater Midwest LEGO Train Club (GMLTC)
• Larry Pieniazek (officer)
• Michigan LEGO Train Club (MichLTC)
• James Trobaugh (officer)
• North Georgia LEGO Train Club (NGLTC)
• Mike Walsh (senior officer)
• North Carolina LEGO Train Club (NCLTC)

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BIG THANKS !

• Mike Walsh, Larry Pieniazek,
• James Trobough, John Neal
• For their commitment and execution
• For the hours of online and phone conversations
• For their positive outlook and attitude
• For their ability to see past the rough spots and
  keep the bigger picture in focus!

Awesome Job!
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Online Web Infrastructure

• Individual and Club Members login
• Registration and Login process
• Backend Database
• Representative Lists / Contact Information
• Club Logo Page
• Well defined, supported, and archived
  communication mechanism
• For governing bodies
• Web interface to mail list achieve
• To facilitate interaction with LEGO Direct
• Available through the representative login
• Ensures that request is legitimate
• Formats information for ease of processing by
  LEGO
• Automatically generates an e-mail to the LEGO
  contact

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Q A

• Before we open the floor for questions wed like
  to answer some up front

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Q A

• I didnt know LEGO made trains

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Q A

• YES they do!!!

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Q A (but seriously)

• Q ILTCO seems so formal our club isnt!
• 1000 pages of Bylaws and Policy Procedures
• Governing structure, time lines, commitments
• A Appearances can be deceiving, yet appropriate!
• We are all about having fun!
• We are all about staying out of your clubs
  business!
• however
• We are all about building a foundation that can
  withstand the test of time
• We are all about being taken serious by other
  organizations

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Q A (but seriously)

• Q The idea of an umbrella organization seems
  rather repressive
• Threatens the sovereignty of my club
• A ILTCO YOU
• This org is run by members that are
  representatives from the clubs, not a King with a
  sword from a watery tart
• If you hadnt noticed there is no Judicial
  branch, NO secret ILTCO police!
• however
• There is no however!

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Q A (but seriously)

• Q It seems like it will take a lot of time and
  effort
• Club representatives and committees
• More mail lists to manage
• A Nothing on this planet is free, including
  time!
• Realistically there is not much to do, my guess
  is that we might have one issue a month maybe
  one every three months!
• however
• Truly nothing is free, but a tiny effort on our
  part can multiply into much support and
  recognition!

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Q A

• And now from you