FREMO and Coronavirus Pandemic
Dear friends,
here is some additional information.
All FREMO-meetings, i.e. module meetings, handicraft meetings and workshop meetings are canceled from now on until 30 June 2020 31 August 2020 [changed on 1 Mai 2020]. This is our reaction to the current pandemic of the „Corona Virus (Sars-CoV-2)“, which is currently influencing daily events worldwide.
We see the following risks at the FREMO events:
- our meetings are different from other „usual“ events with many long-distance travelers from various parts of Germany and Europe.
- even though we have a perceived significantly lower average age compared to local model railroad clubs, several of our members are in the risk group of people older than 65 years.
- by sharing FREDs, wagon cards etc. the currently tightened personal hygiene measures are more difficult to keep. Likewise, the players are quite close together when gathering and sharing meals.
- there is also an increased risk of spontaneous cancellation of halls and spontaneous cancellations of players, which can lead to the loss of central stations or infrastructure.
Therefore we consider it necessary in the current situation, both for the health of the FREMO members and their relatives, and because of the extreme planning uncertainty, to cancel all FREMO meetings until 30 June, 2020.
The local organizers are asked to inform all participants and to cancel all prepared things like catering and of course the halls. If you need help with this, please contact me.
The regional regulars’ tables are not canceled in a general way. Please make a risk assessment in advance. Please pay attention to your visitors. Many belong to a risk group and are not aware of it.
Please cancel the regulars’ tables if:
- there are usually a lot of participants,
- the participants predominantly belong to risk groups,
- the participants travel mainly by public transport,
- the meeting takes place in a busy restaurant in the city center,
- or You see other risks.
Please also take note of the recommendations of the German Federal Government to avoid social contacts.
My recommendation is to do without all regulars’ tables in March and April.
The annual general meeting in Györ at the end of July will be canceled as annual general meeting. If the situation and the Hungarian authorities make it possible, the meeting will be held as a regional meeting.
Should the pandemic situation improve in the second half of the year, we will try to hold the annual general meeting at a FREMO-meeting that was planned anyway.
In general, it seems difficult for us at the moment to invite to an annual general meeting of an association with more than 2000 members, if it is not allowed to have meetings with more than 1000 present.
If there is no general meeting this year, then the membership fee of this year remains valid for next year and the auditors of last year are asked to check the cash for 2020 as well.
We will follow the further development very closely as the board of directors, and we reserve the right to cancel FREMO meetings after 30.6. if the situation worsens massively.
If participants or organizers already now wish to cancel meetings after 30.6., please contact me directly on p@fremo.org.
Many greetings,
Heiko
(President)
