New “Kid” on the Block
I’m pleased to serve our club as the appointed Coordinating Chairman for LCCA Junior Members. It’s been only a few years since I was a junior member, and that chapter of my life experience opened my eyes to how imaginative, intelligent, and media-savvy today’s youth have become. I noticed that kids were often more attuned to Lionel’s TMCC™ than many dads or granddads. The imprint of technology seems to be more deeply encoded in the DNA of our generation than previous ones. Do you remember the first time you said “Wow!” to toy trains in action? I do. Now it’s time for us to give something back to the train hobby – our enthusiasm, our energy, our creativity, our helpful spirit.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I hail from the great state of Pennsylvania and was raised in a suburb outside of Philadelphia. I am a recent graduate of Fordham University in New York City where I earned a B.A. degree in Communication & Media Studies. While in college, I spent my first few summers as a camp counselor, and I enjoyed reconnecting with energetic youngsters. I’m very excited about this opportunity to work with children and teenagers within the hobby we love. As chairman, I vow to develop incentives, programs, and activities geared to attract and hold the interest of youngsters and teens.
My father, former LCCA President Lou Caponi, recently told me that the first club Convention I attended was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when I was just four years old. Since then I’ve made it a priority to attend as many LCCA Conventions as I could. Some of you may remember me as the young kid always running around with my dad and constantly serving as his Right Hand Man; sometimes I was his Left Hand Man too when the schedule was very busy.
Today’s young people live in a digital world, and part of my plan is to make the club accessible to all junior members through digital applications such as our website, Facebook, and Twitter. I want all junior members to be able to express themselves and share their passion for trains. By interacting with one another, we can show others what we are capable of. I want to create exciting and interesting projects for JMs of all ages to enjoy. I’ll be open members’ ideas sent by e-mail to me at:
dominic.caponi@gmail.com.
I look forward to meeting and getting to know you through the club’s website, publications, and upcoming Conventions. Thank you for your interest in the best toy train club on the planet.
Dominic Caponi RM 12586
Coordinating Chairman, LCCA Junior Members