Aus7 members,

This morning I wrote to the Aus7 Executive to discuss the viability of going ahead with the Oct Forum due to the Covid19 lock-down in Sydney. While we all hope the lock-down will be finished well before the end of Oct, the restrictions that are likely to be in place following the lock-down make it almost impossible to plan for holding the Forum with any certainty as these shift and change over time.

At this stage no decision has been taken regarding the Forum. We will monitor the situation and make a decision at the end of July in the hope that things will be a little clearer.

Trevor Hodges

President

Aus7 Modellers Group

Thanks to John Parker for videoing proceedings

A new information sheet has been added to the Information Sheet section https://aus7.org/information-sheets/. This sheet deals with the height a KD or Protocraft style coupler box needs to be set at to allow the coupler head to be at a prototype height of 20.4mm.

This message is to announce that the Aus7 Modellers Group are planning to hold a Forum at Sydney’s Carnarvon Golf club on Saturday April 10, starting at 9am. Please note that this is a different date to the one mentioned in the last issue of 7th Heaven.

The delayed Oct AGM from 2020 will be held as a part of this upcoming April Forum AGM.

Because of Covid restrictions there will be certain changes made to the way we are able to organize the day. The program will be shorter than normal and there can be no retail stands because of restrictions on movement within the venue.

In spite of these restrictions the executive feel it’s important that we move forward with planning for the event. 

I look forward to seeing all members who are able to attend there on the day. 

More details will follow both online and in 7th Heaven.

Trevor Hodges

President – Aus7 Modellers Group

The archive of past issues for 7th Heaven has had four new issues added. You can now access issues 1-52 as PDF files here https://aus7.org/7th-heaven-issues/.

In addition the index of issues has been updated up to issue 67 and is available for download at https://aus7.org/7th-heaven-index/

Aus7 Members,

In the process of organizing the financial accounts for 2019/20 we’ve done calculations for the 2020/21 year and discovered that only about 50% of members from the previous year have renewed. We were aware that this was likely to be a result from Covid-19, however it’s a little concerning that on the basis of current renewals the Aus7 Modellers Group is not financially viable beyond our current resources to fund production of 7th Heaven. Looking at the books we have enough cash in hand for two more issues and we have one about to be printed.

So to be clear: All memberships for the 2019/20 financial year lapsed as of the end of June 2020. You need to renew if you wish to continue to receive 7th Heaven.

As a side issue if you want to see the group continue in its present form could I please appeal to you and either renew your membership or sign up if you’ve never been a member before.

You can get a membership form here  https://aus7.org/join/ or by contacting the Secretary Chris Lord direct at chrislord4401@yahoo.com.au.
—
Trevor Hodges
President – Aus7 Modedllers Group
Why settle for half when you can have the whole O?
My blog at https://7mmaussie.wordpress.com/author/7mmaussie/

Currently the Forums are suspended and we hope to be back with a program for 2021 Covid 19 permitting.

Members,

The executive committee of the Aus7 Modellers Group and I have had discussions over the weekend about the ongoing Covid19 crisis and its impact on the upcoming Forum. As a result of these discussions we have come to the unanimous decision that the Aus7 Modellers Group Forum on April 4 will be cancelled.

While technically the event falls well below the current guideline for events with 500 or more attendees, we have been mindful that the majority of people who are likely to attend the the Forum will be in the highest risk group for the virus. A number of members have made contact with the executive expressing  concerns and questioning whether they would attend. A range of other factors were also considered in our discussions.

This decision has not been taken lightly. On behalf of the executive I would like to apologize for any loss or inconvenience this may cause members and the group’s friends, however for the safety of all concerned we feel that cancellation is the best option.

At this stage we have no plans to reschedule the event simply because we have no way of knowing how this health crisis will play out. This decision has no impact on the October Forum: it will be going ahead as planned most probably at the new venue of the Carnarvon Golf Club.

We would like to express our best wishes to all members and modelling friends and ask you to stay safe and look after your own health. You can best support the executive and the Aus7 Modellers Group by coming along to the October Forum and making it a roaring success.

President

Aus7 Modellers Group

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I’ve just posted another batch of past issues of 7th Heaven in the Past Issues page. This takes the past issues posted on our web site up to issue #48. You can find an index of all issues on the site if you’re looking for a particular issue. The intention is to add 4 issues a year at approximately the end of each financial year so the PDFs will always lag about 3 years behind. Back issues in paper form for the most recent three years will be kept for sale in small quantities. Contact the Secretary Chris Lord to inquire about these back issues.

Having gone back myself and looked at a few past issues I see a number of people who have written articles but I can’t remember ever seeing a follow-up. If you’ve written something (perhaps 3 or 4 years ago) and have progressed beyond that point think about a follow-up. We are all interested in what our far flung membership is up to.