Programs, presentations and clinics are a central activity at railfan group meetings, historical society conventions, and museum events. Yet they seldom get much discussion on internet forums, and it seems like in every organization there are just a very small group of people who put together most of the programs. Is this an area anyone is interested in discussing? Are there railroad related topics you would really like to see developed into presentations, but you aren't aware of anyone having done a program covering them?
Fortunately there seems to be a little more interest developing in programs that address quasi-technical topics, including aspects of locomotive history and railroad operations. I think that this may be a reaction to the massive number of color books that have been published that are basically peoples slide shows' on a particular railroad or region put into print. Once you have seen a couple dozen color roster books and a bunch of "xyz railroad by the numbers" slide shows, they all get to look the same. Programs that provide new and unusual content are a welcome change.
But one really big problem with our hobby is that a lot of the enthusiast and historical groups don't do an effective job of getting the word out about their programs and activities, not just to the general public, but even within their own membership. As I have noted before, some of the groups whose meetings I attend either provide little advance notice of programs or bury the upcoming events deep in their bulletins. It is almost as if they don't want people to know what they are doing.