30 January 2025 Meeting post.
To begin, business took precedence over show & tell at this meeting. IPMS Fort Crook is considering a National Convention bid in 2028 and Scott Hackney has reached out to us about being the helping hands of another Omaha National show. I likewise posed this to IPMS Alexander Lippisch in Cedar Rapids. No real news so far. It would be a large financial undertaking for our membership to stay the whole convention in Omaha to meet this need. Hey! You never know!
Region 14's Chapter coordinator, Robert (Bob) Delaney has been promoted in the IPMS/USA ranks to IPMS/USA Director of local Chapters.
IPMS/USA seeks a new Region 14 coordinator. Many of our members received emails encouraging us to apply for approval to this newly vacant IPMS position and a link to the responsibilities and duties of this unpaid volunteer position. Bob's being 'fleeted up" leaves big shoes to fill. He went to nearly every local contest and was a super-friendly, enthusiastic guy! Good Luck, Bob!
For myself, having freshly left the ranks of IPMS/USA, I don't feel like "Obligation" and "Hobby" go together. My experience with the IPMS/USA website has been abysmal. They forget your paid membership login and password. You now print your own membership card from a pdf they email to you, but there isn't a "Member since....." on the printed card. There isn't a national convention anywhere near a reasonable distance from my home and won't be for many moons to come.
The Journal is now entitled "IUJ" which I find similar to IUD and vaguely sexually offensive. Chris Bucholtz has left as editor and that will cause the journal content to suffer. There is a new member registration system called Wild Apricot for registering your models to the IPMS/USA server, so you can enter your models with a right click and print your forms for any IPMS sanctioned event. I based on how well the website has served the membership, I shudder to think about how Wild Apricot will work (Or Not). One comfort is that Scott Hackney's sweetheart operates the Wild Apricot system, so we know there is an actual intelligent person involved.
It was humorous and surprising to find awards and challenge coins from the most recent national convention misspelled the word "Madison". It was "Madision" instead. You know, because the name "Madison, Wisconasin" is SO very exotic. On the contest t-shirts "Madison" was correctly spelled.
I don't believe the national organization remembers who their "Customer" really is. I decided not to spend my hard-earned money on things that don't work or that I don't like anymore.
Ready for models?
Francisco completed his I
Kits 1/35 Royal Navy X-Craft. This is the old Merit tooling, and he built it into a fine replica. What you cannot tell from my humble photos, is that the 2,000 pound explosive charges on either side are held on with magnets and can removed from the X-boat to blow out the bottom DKM Tirpitz! Then, they can be just as easily re-installed. Francisco did a nice job finishing his figures as well.
Mark Johnson is building a modified Revell 1/24 scale FOOSE Ford pick-up model. He's making improvements to the FOOSE truck kit, that include more detailed suspension and interior. The dash is from a '59 Chevy. Mark and I seem to share the same model affliction.
Joachim is working on a few models. He has a new stand for building his 1/48 Me-262-a1. Academy's 1/35 M1A1 Abrams SEP/TUSK-Issippi tank kit is coming along quite well! The Bandai 1/72 Snowspeeder looks very nice! The under-dappling black basing effect is not really visible at all. A 1/72 Meng Leopard 2A4 and an Oka missile carrier.
Business took so long I didn't get to here about all of Nathan Steven's 1/72 Airplane models. I can see a Heller 1/72 Saab j-21 fighter, an RS models 1/72 HE-112 in Spanish markings, a pair of Academy PV-1 Ventura builds, I think I see Revell Ag 1/72 JU-290 and He-177 kits in progress.
Bob Maloy is chopping a '47-48 Chevy Fleetline coupe. (I think?)
Hey Bob Haag busies himself with a '29 Ford Phaeton sedan. And don't the seats look comfy!?!
Ross Petra has a box of airplane stuff for D.
A not-quite-complete Anigrand 1/72 P-67B Moonbat made her club meeting debut. I delivered Nate's Moonbat doggie-bag and wished him luck on his resin Moonbat build.
One of the people in attendance this night chose tonight to bemoan his lack of communication about the rescheduling of the club Christmas party. The girl-hissy-fit included the fact that he had driven all the way from his home and found no club members there! AND he given Nate his business card to throw away twice and still receives no input from him. Having sent a message on the Plastic Surgeons website (Who knew anyone could do that?) and received no answer for 2 whole weeks, this self-important tirade continued! Joachim and Nate suggested checking the club Facebook page for current events and updates "I DON'T FACEBOOK!" shouts followed. There's no shouting in Club meetings!!
Nate is watching me. I'm doing my level best to keep a straight face. I'm readying myself to tell Cry-Baby off, when Nate shifts into "City Councilman" gear, and as if he is speaking to a spoiled child, takes ownership of this imagined oversight in a very official-sounding way.
The Hissy-volcano subsides.
It could be that this person just dramatically demonstrated why he is not well liked and why nobody really wants to play with him.
What a MAROON!
ME?! I was a picture of restraint! I didn't do one naughty, truthful thing! Honest! I didn't even laugh out loud until we almost got to the car!
Thanks for looking in!!
LESSENED ONLY! It does cure chills and some minor sinus ailments.
