Bulletin: February, 2009

T h e M i n u t e s

by Bobby B2 Blue Pokorny

We started 2009 off on the right foot. We had 26 members and 3 guests bringing in 27 theme contest entries and a total of 36 models displayed for the night.

January Meeting
New Regime: The new year brought the new prez and veep at the helm. We were actually able to hear President Ray in the back of the room.

Loss of a founder: Founding member of the BPMS, Joe Turner (IPMS #90!), passed away days before the January meeting. Our sympathies to his family. We’re working on ideas for a theme contest in his honor for the end of 2009. More to come.

I just received word that Joe Turner, long time IPMS USA member passed away last night at his sister's house in Florida .

Described by one IPMS wife, Carol Fleckenstein, he was a "unique gentleman, a genuine intellectual and a good friend", sentiments I heartily agree with and cannot improve upon. Along with Bert Berg and the rest of the Brooklyn Plastic Modelers Society, Joe was in on the ground floor of helping make the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City a reality long before she docked at Pier 86 and became a museum ship, by supporting the foundation with model exhibits. When Bert's eyesight began failing him, he recruited me to serve as the IPMS model supervisor for the Intrepid in 1981, about a year before the museum opened.

Joe had already completed some research on the Intrepid's Air Groups and matched it up with available models and decals. His research was the basis of the two of the first exhibits built for the Intrepid Museum - deck loads of aircraft that served aboard the Intrepid in 1944 and 1956. The latter deck exhibit was incorporated into a visual comparison of the deck sizes between the USS Intrepid 1956 and the USS Enterprise. Bert recruited me to research the Enterprise Air Groups against available models and decals and I settled on markings in a Koku Fan (remember that Japanese magazine!) for the Starship's 1978 RIMPAC exercise. BPMS modelers built the Intrepid aircraft and NJIPMS modelers, under my supervision, built the aircraft models for the Enterprise deck.

Joe held one of the low (early) IPMS USA membership numbers and he was a regular fixture at IPMS USA local, regional and national conventions, as well the IPMS UK show at Telford . You could not miss Joe if you saw him at a model convention - he was a giant of a man towering over other average height modelers. If any UK Hyperscalers know a Brit modeler named Chris Peacock, please let him know about Joe's passing. It's my understanding that Joe often pal'd around with Mr.Peacock on his trips to the UK .

Joe worked for a long time in the airline industry and held some pretty strong opinions on it (especially Pan Am), which he was not shy about sharing. Some time after he retired he moved from Brooklyn to North Carolina . As with Bert Berg, Joe's eyesight (also never good to begin with) starting deteriorating even further after his retirement - certainly a blow to any modeler. You could not tell that from being with Joe, though. He was always upbeat and enthusiastic - never a downer crepe-hanging type.

The modeling community has lost another stalwart member (in Joe's case, a veritable monument). I'll miss him lumbering toward me, like one of those Lord of the Rings tree creatures, in a vendor area, or IPMS model display room.

Happy Flight, Joe
R. Bruce Archer , PG

Awards Ceremony: As I hoped, I had the awards ready in time, and your winners, as the members voted, were:

Air:
HM: Kevin Batterman , Charlie Nelson
3rd Frank Tripoli
2nd Hugh Alcock
1st Frank Colucci

Armor:
HM: Kevin Batterman, Gordon Cheung
3rd (tie) Frank Tripoli, Guy Ferrara
2nd John Irwin
1st Nick B.

Figure:
3rd (tie) Guy Ferrara , Ted Fazio
2nd John Irwin
1st Kevin Batterman

Sea:
HM: Russ Holcomb, John Irwin
3rd Ray Keegan
2nd Charlie Nelson
1st Mike Crescenzo

Sci-Fi:
3rd Hugh Alcock
2nd Gordon Cheung
1st Jeff Eng

Misc:
HM: Vinny Rosati
3rd Ray Keegan
2nd Mike Crescenzo
1st Israel Alvarado

Most Popular Entry:
1Q: Hugh Alcock, FLEEA Mk I
2Q: Kevin Batterman, T-34/85
3Q: Gordon Cheung, Gundam
Tie: Ray Keegan, SA-2 SAM
4Q: Frank Tripoli, He-219

TOP GUN:
Mike Crescenzo

Congrats to the winners!

Kit Sale: Some kits were bought and sold. A nice balance, wouldn't you say?

NASA Theme Contest: It was postponed from December to January. There was a great showing of fine work. See the results here:
http://bpmsclub.blogspot.com/2009/01/nasa-theme-contest.html

On the agenda: February
Show Us Your Tool: This activity isn’t nearly as vulgar as it sounds. Do you use some unorthodox tools? Have you invented a new method to get something done? Gather up some tips and tools to bring and tell the group about for this fun February activity.

Contest Night 1st Qtr 2009: The first installment of the BPMS quarterly contest is already upon us. You need only look at the results of the 2008 contest to see if you want to do something about your bragging rights. You can bring in entries from the NASA Theme contest if it’s never been in a contest before.

The next theme contest: It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Modeling Contest!
Read about it here:
http://bpmsclub.blogspot.com/2009/01/next-theme-its-mad-mad-mad-mad-modeling.html

Final Meeting to help out with a special request from the troops:
Read about it here:
http://bpmsclub.blogspot.com/2009/01/request-for-special-troop-support.html

Our next meeting will be on February 20, 2009.

Region 1 Update 02-12-09

Greetings and Salutations,

I hope everyone is taking advantage of the warm weather the past few days to shake off the winter blahs, and get outside, if event for a short while!! But let's get down to business.

Attached is an updated Region 1 Events listing. You'll note a few additions that have come in since the last update. Syracuse and our latest chapter addition, IPMS Northeast Military Modelers Association, also known as AMPS East have been added to the list. Please note the dates of these fine events.

We're right smack in the middle of the window for submitting nominations for Region 1 Chapter of the Year, and Person of the Year. The deadline is still 31 March for getting your nominations to me, with the presentations to be made at Noreastcon.

Speaking of Noreastcon, I won't be attending this year due to a scheduling conflict. I hate missing it, as I've attended every one for 24 years. I have to be in Florida during the same period, and logistically I can't make it work to be in both places at the same time. With that in mind, I'm canceling the business meeting, and have asked my good friend, Doc Wiseman to stand in for me at the banquet. Doc has graciously agreed to make the presentations for Chapter and Person of the Year, award the Noreastcon Cup, and the other things I've normally done at the banquet. But just because I won't be at Noreastcon doesn't mean I'll pass on an opportunity to hawk sponsorships for the event!! (Here it comes, wait for it!!) Our hosts IPMS Niagara Frontier are still looking for sponsorships of both regular and special categories. Please consider sponsoring a category at the premier Regional held in the USA!! Our hosts are working their collective behinds off to host another great event, and we all need to help them out by sponsoring a trophy package. Please help them out!!

If anyone wants to know why it's important to remain a chartered IPMS chapter, and you host an event, here's some news that will underscore that fact. Beginning in April, any event you want to list in Finescale Modeler magazine will cost $25.00 per month. As Scale Auto Enthusiast is also published by Kalmbach, I'll assume the pricing will be the same for the publication as well. These ads have always been free, now you'll pay for them. Listing on the IPMS web site and in the Journal will still be free, free, free!!!!! And don't forget, your chapter also receives a 1/4 page ad for the same price, free!!

With that, I'll close this. Please support your brother chapters events by sponsoring an award package, attending, and helping judge. They'll appreciate it, and you'll be happy you did!! As always, please share this with the officers and members of your chapter.

Semper Fi
Doug H

RC-1

Status Report for Supporting the Troops

Thanks for the awesome support last month in response to our special effort to provide car kits and colors suitable for cars to the MPs in Basra. Please remember the special requests by this group the next time you’re at the hobby shop or shopping on the Internet. We only have a couple of months left before this group of soldiers starts packing up and heading home.

Thanks,
Hugh

BPMS Supports the Troops - Report to Date
March 2006 to January 2009

HVHMG Show

click pic for larger version

Here is a Flyer for our October show. Please either forward this to Members of your club, or print out copies and distribute if you can. We hope you will be able to make it this year.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Tom Walker
President – Mid-Hudson IPMS