11th August 2011:
AGM Minutes 12th March 2011.

These Minutes are published for information purposes. They have not yet been formally approved by the membership. As is usual, discussion and approval will be a specific Agenda Item at next year's AGM.

Click here to read the Minutes.

11th August 2011:
Newsletter Editor Editor Required.

As you are aware, after much searching we were fortunate enough to find Mr Cliff Almond to replace the previous Newsletter Editor, who stood down at the 2011 Annual General Meeting. You will have seen the interim Newsletter that he produced in July, and which gave a tantalising glimpse of things to come. Unfortunately, due to a change in personal circumstances, he has had to relinquish this post with immediate effect.

Until replacement is found, The Federation regrets that it will be unable to publish Newsletters, or service the Website as comprehensively as before. The Federation would be very much obliged if you would contact your members to see if any one of them would be willing to take on these tasks.

The Newsletter is published four times a year. There are two main strands to the editorial function. The first is to publish official communications and notices from The Federation, and the second is to review and select suitable items relating to affiliated society activities. Input material for the first is made up of information supplied by members of the Southern Federation Committee. Club information comes from Newsletters sent in by clubs/societies around the country; this has to be reviewed and edited for publication. Use is made of photographs, and the centre pages and cover are in colour.

The Newsletter is supplied to our printers as a pdf file. Currently, the printers are based in Ampthill, Bedfordshire. A sample of previous editions can be supplied to anyone interested in the post.

A closely related activity is that of Website Manager. This is a natural offshoot of the Editorial function, and consists of submitting selected material (normally a subset of Newsletter material) to our Webmaster, again as a pdf file. There is no requirement to become involved in the mechanics of the Website itself.

This is a rewarding and important job and the person will become a member of an active committee that meets six times a year in London, close to Kings Cross Station. All reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. Please approach your members. Your Federation Committee is working hard for your benefit, but we need an Editor to ensure effective communication with yourselves. Out of an estimated 12,000 plus Members, there must be one person who has the skills and is willing to volunteer.

Potential Candidates are invited to contact The Secretary (in confidence) to discuss this post in more detail.

Current Newsletters:
Until this situation is resolved, can you please send copies of your Society Newsletter to the Secretary at the address on the Contacts page, where they will be kept on file.

Personal Subscription Copies:
Arrangements can be made to reimburse individuals who have taken out personal subscriptions - alternatively, you may wish to remain “in credit”, as we hope that the situation will be resolved before too long.

10th January 2011:
Boiler Test group Meeting

Minutes of meeting 15th September 2010 - Click here to read the Minutes.

7th September 2010:
Urban Myth and Rumour.

The world today is subject to increasing regulation and legislation, some real, and much more imagined. You may have seen the recent correspondence in the model press, in which the Federation were alleged to have made certain policy statements, and the retraction that had subsequently to be published.

This particular matter is now closed, but it may be worth repeating the more widely applicable lesson from this incident.

As a matter of course, any Federation Policy Statement or Policy Change is formally distributed to Affiliated Societies in writing; information will also appear on the Federation Website (www.southernfed.co.uk), and in The Newsletter (a copy of which is also sent to every Affiliated Society), and may be supplemented by specific Information Bulletins.

The Federation would advise that the origin and authority of any (regulatory) statement made by a pundit be questioned; if these cannot be established, it should be treated with caution. It should not be passed on.

The Federation welcomes questions in case of doubt - your experience may assist in preventing further spread of misinformation.

9th May 2010:
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

Advice for Clubs and Societies on the above act and how to deal with it's implications and requirements.

Click here to read the advice Notice.

7th October 2008:
Non Preferred Paperwork.

It has come to the Federation's attention that some Societies are using boiler paperwork to their own design, rather than that which is recognised and endorsed by The British Model Engineering Liaison Group, a wide ranging group of bodies including the Southern, Midland and Northern Associations, the 7¼" Gauge Society, SMEE, MSRVS, HSE and RSA.

Societies are respectfully reminded that if a visitor to their site produces unfamiliar paperwork for a model, the Society should assure themselves that it satisfies the current test and insurance requirements before permitting the model to be put into steam.

• Bedford 4/11/2009
  

Other notes:

A suggested modification to change non-captive valve spindles to be captive, as recommended by the boiler test code.