I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Officers and E Board members for their faith in me to try to
fill the void of John's leadership for the next year and a half. It just seems like yesterday that John took over
the helm of the club, yet it's hard to believe he did so over 6 years ago. In his first "From the President's
Cutting Mat" in May of 2012, John wrote:
"All I need to do is 'steer the ship'. IPMS Niagara Frontier is a very strong organization with excellent participation of the membership and an equally strong executive board. . What you will see from me is an enthusiastic approach to this hobby. I will encourage all of you to bring in your work to share with the membership. I am going to work hard on increasing the amount of model building technique demonstrations from the membership because not only is it entertaining, but that's how we learn to build better models."
I couldn't agree more, and hope to keep up his approach for the club. Let's learn from each other and have fun!
This month's newsletter will have some new additions. We will be incorporating a new section called "Meet the Member". It will be an opportunity for members to tell us a little more about themselves and help us "put a name to the face at the meetings". This month, since I won't ask you to do what I won't, I have provided my profile to be included; and I thank Jeff Keenan for also stepping up in this effort. Our intent is to include two profiles per newsletter, one of a newer member and one of a "seasoned" veteran (you know who you are!).
We are also intending to put the agenda for our regular meetings in the newsletter and publish minutes from the previous meeting for discussion and approval. This will help us document actions and votes "for the record". More on this at the meeting.
Al Germann, our club secretary, has also stepped up to try to improve our demos and presentations at the meetings. He'll give you more details at the meeting. Thanks, Al.
We are making a change to the "table" discussions at the meeting, as I have received feedback from some members on this part of the meeting. Again, more on this at the meeting and in the attached agenda.
We are also implementing a kit raffle at the end of our meetings for a limited time (not at our "Toys for Tots" meeting in December). For all the brave souls that stay to the end of a meeting, they will get an opportunity to be in a raffle for a free kit. This raffle will not cost the club any treasury money as the kits are donated. See information in the posted meeting agendas going forward.
One last item, I have requested a vote on three (3) recommended changes to the club constitution. They are included in this newsletter, with recommendations from the Board, as required by the Constitution. We are scheduling a vote for the December meeting.
I want to thank the Officers and E Board members for the support and camaraderie that I have received already and I am looking forward to the next year and a half, with your support and assistance.
Rich Bernecki
President
IPMS Niagara Frontier
IPMS USA No. 11470
IPMS Niagara Frontier Meeting Agenda - October 15, 2018
7:00 PM to 7:10 PM - Place models on tables with description forms - members trading kits.
7:10 PM - Meeting called to order.
New President's opening remarks.
Old Business:
- Frank Blonski will update the club on the BuffCon flyer.
- Paul Hines continues to look for a trainee to replace him for handling the BuffCon trophies.
New Business:
- Update on membership - As of today, there are 84 paid up members.
- Proposal for change to club constitution - proposed by Richard Bernecki. E Board recommendations are included in this month's newsletter.
- Tom Faith will report on Club Finances within 90 days of the end of the Club's fiscal year (March). These will be reported in the Club Newsletter.
- Al Germann to discuss his concept for Presentations at the second half of regular meetings.
- The new "Meet the Members" concept for the newsletter- presented by Rich Bernecki.
- The new Raffle Drawing at the end of a meeting - presented by Rich Bernecki.
- Cleveland Model Show will be on November 4th in Kirtland, Ohio. Please go to their club website to view the flyer: Cleveland Model Show 22
- The Wellington County, Ontario Model show will also be on November 4th. Please go to their club website to view the flyer: Well*Co*M*E XVIII
Questions from the floor.
Table discussion: members tell the club about the model(s) they have on the table. The new format will be to let the builder share their experience building the model(s). There will be no questions taken from the floor. If you are interested in a particular technique or have some question for the builder, you can speak with the builder at the break or at the end of the meeting. This should keep the table discussion to a more reasonable time frame.
Break: 10 minutes.
Presentation: World War 1 Exhibit at the Downtown Erie County Public Library - PowerPointŪ presentation by Rich Bernecki.
Raffle Drawing - must be present at the end of the meeting to be eligible to enter the drawing! This month, the raffle prize is a MENG 1/35 Panther A with zimmerit decal sheet and working suspension and track set!
Next month an aircraft kit!
Call for adjournment.
President Rich Bernicki is formally requesting the following changes to the Club Constitution:
Change: D. All general meetings shall be governed by "Roberts Rules of Order".
To: D. All Executive Board Meetings shall be governed by rules developed by the Board.
Change: C. All Executive Board meetings shall be governed by "Roberts Rules of Order".
To: C. All Executive Board Meetings shall be governed by rules developed by the Board.
The eboard discussed the proposed changes to the club Constitution at the last eboard meeting, and the consensus was to recommend approval of the first item. There was some opposition to the last two items, regarding replacing Roberts Rules of Order with specific club rules. Tom Faith has written his views on why we should keep Roberts Rules of Order, and Larry Osolkowski has written comments on why they should be replaced. The two positions are described below.
Why we should keep Roberts Rules of Order, by Tom Faith.
Tom will present his position at the club meeting.
Why Roberts Rules of Order should be replaced, by Larry Osolkowski.
I have been a member of a number of different clubs over the years, and a few of them have actually used
Roberts Rules of Order to conduct their meetings. Roberts Rules of Order is a rather thick book, describing
details of how to conduct formal meetings. Some elements are fairly obvious, and include things like calling
the meeting to order, moving to adjourn, following a specific agenda, etc. The basic ideas of bringing up
club business, suggesting ideas to vote on, keeping meeting minutes and others are generally well known. The
devil is in the details. If Roberts Rules of Order are strictly followed, club meetings can get bogged down
in procedures that most members couldn't care less about. For example, as we currently operate, if someone
has a suggestion at a general meeting, such as making a donation to a charity or proposing a demo subject,
they raise their hand, are recognized by the President, and make their suggestion. We then generally have
a few members make comments, and go to a vote. It passes or fails, and we move on. Roberts Rules of Order
defines a strict process with many steps to accomplish the same thing. Most people aren't familiar with
the detailed steps, and it takes much more time to get through the process. Our club is based on friendliness
and informality, and if we say in our Constitution that we will follow Roberts Rules of Order and actually
stick to it, we'll lose the informality and waste more time on details that nobody cares about. We can
cherry pick the useful bits from Roberts Rules of Order and make our own set of rules that match how we
want to run our meetings.
We would like to encourage all club members to join the national IPMS. Help support your hobby on a national level. IPMS provides the insurance that allows us to have our events, and membership includes a nice monthly magazine. The website can be found at: IPMS, and an application form can be found HERE.
Member Name: Jeff Keenan - E-Board Member
What type of modeling do you enjoy most? What scale?
Sci-Fi, 1/35 figures, 1/72 armor and military aircraft
How did you hear about our club and why did you join?
Mike Butry (club member) told me about the club. I was not able to join until my kids were a little older.
How long have you been a member?
2 to 3 years
Do you have a large stash of kits, if so, how many?
I have roughly 200 kits in various states of assembly.
Are you a National IPMS member? If no, why not? If yes, why?
Not yet, but my application is filled out. I'm not sure what the benefits are, at this time.
What do you enjoy most about the club meetings?
Talking with other people about a hobby that's generally solitary. Learning techniques from other people.
What would you like to see changed about the meetings, if possible?
I'd like to see the table discussion move a little more quickly. I'd also like to see more consistency
with respect to timing of the different parts of the meeting.
Do you have other hobbies and what are they?
Backpacking and running. I've hiked almost 2,000 miles and will be running my second half marathon on
October 14th.
Is there anything else that you would like the club to know?
N/A
Member Name: Rich Bernecki - President
What type of modeling do you enjoy most? What scale?
I enjoy building aircraft in 1/32 scale and 1/35 scale Sherman tanks. I have a mixture of other scale
kits - ships, armor and figures that I also dabble in.
How did you hear about our club and why did you join?
I was actually one of the charter founding member of the club in 1979 (Can't believe that was 39 years
ago!). The other 4 founding members were Dave Schwab, my late brother Tom, the late Bill Windover and Tim
Schubert. It took 5 IPMS National Members to charter a club. Prior to becoming a formal chapter of the IPMS
USA, the club served iterations as the BMM (Buffalo Military Modelers) and the Rainbow Modelers (named after
the tail markings on the Niagara Falls Airbase aircraft when the base housed the 107th Fighter Group.)
How long have you been a member?
Since Inception of the club, with only three breaks in my membership timeline. One was for the year I
lived in Utica, NY, but I joined the Syracuse Club that year.
Do you have a large stash of kits, if so, how many?
Unfortunately, in retrospect, I have a stash of over 350 kits! At least 100 Sherman tanks and over 100
1/32 scale aircraft!
Are you a National IPMS member? If no, why not? If yes, why?
Yes. My IPMS # is 11470. I joined for three reasons. First, so that we could charter the club as an IPMS
chapter. Second, for the periodicals and third for the ability to enter the IPMS National Convention, if I
choose.
What do you enjoy most about the club meetings?
The camaraderie and seeing what others are working on (table discussion). I also enjoy the some of the
demos, when we have them.
What would you like to see changed about the meetings, if possible?
I would like to see more consistency and frequency to the club demos and presentations. I would also like
to hear less side conversations when members are discussing their kits.
Do you have other hobbies and what are they?
Now that I'm retired, this is my primary hobby, along with trying to keep up the work around the house.
Sometimes I think if I close my eyes for 15 minutes, the house will become overgrown and dilapidated! Mother
Nature!
Is there anything else that you would like the club to know?
It would be great to resurrect what used to be called "The Traveling Tony's", so that more members would
travel as a group to support other modeling clubs' contests and show our support for these other clubs.
Model tables from the September meeting:
Brian Yurko brought in a 1/72 Airfix Messerschmidt BF-109-G6 as his completed Challenge entry.
He said it was a very simple, old kit with some fit issues and fragile parts, but he likes that
type of kit anyway. He found the kit at the Hamburg Train Show, and finished it with Model Master
Acryl and Tamiya acrylic paints, and spent a lot of time on the pilot.
Clint Keidel finished his Monogram boxscale Midget Race Car for the challenge. He used paints
from Tamiya, Vallejo, Testors and artist oils for the leather seat, along with pastel dust on the
tires. Clint said that everything on the kit was worked over, but he had no problems and it's just
a cool old kit that had no detail.
John-Allen Price showed us his Revell 1/72 RA-5C Vigilante done as Recon Squadron "Heavy 13"
from the Vietnam War, 1968/1969. John-Allen said he built the model out-of-box, using Polly-S,
Pactra, and Model Master Acrylic paints. He said he had to fill in the mounting holes for the
under wing pylons. He picked this subject because of the unique camouflage, and will be building
a series based on that theme.
Brian McFee had his Hobby Boss 1/48 A-4E Skyhawk on display. It's a work-in-progress, and he's
replaced the seat, fixed some issues, and started painting using Vallejo paints. He said he likes
Skyhawks.
Dan Marafino brought in two models this month. The first is the Hobbycraft P-59 Aircomet in 1/48th
scale. Dan said that he finished the model using Tamiya spray paints, along with drybrushing and pastels
for weathering. He mentioned that he left off the cannons because they were too big, but had no other
problems with the kit.
The second one is a Revell 1/72 Type 9 U-505 German submarine. He painted it with Tamiya paints,
using lots of greys, and weathered it with drybrushing and pastels. He said it was an OK kit for its
age, and he picked it to do something different.
Larry Osolkowski showed us his completed Challenge entry, a 1/24 Autokit white metal kit of a
1934 E.R.A. race car. He custom-mixed the appropriate body color (more or less) from Tamiya
acrylics, and also used Model Master and Alclad paints. The gas cap, oil tank cap and wheel
knock-offs are polished white metal.
Larry also showed us another recent acquisition, a 1/20 Studio 27 Alfa Romeo 179 Formula 1
race car kit from the 1980 season. His connection to this car was that his wife and he attended
the 1980 Formula 1 race at Monaco, and this car ran there with unfortunate results. The car
failed, and was removed from the circuit with a crane, and he captured a photo. The kit is
a typical multimedia offering, with resin and white metal parts, photo-etch details and
turned aluminum wheels with rubber tires. He found it for sale on an automotive model forum.
Dick Schulenberg's model for the Challenge was unfortunately not completed in time despite his
best efforts. The kit is a Hasegawa 1/32 Boeing P-26A with Lone Star Models resin interior and parts
from a Vector resin engine kit, and was finished with Tamiya Camel Yellow spray paint and Vallejo
paints. He said the only problems with the build were of his own making; it took seven coats of
yellow paint, with three sanded off, and took forever.
Dick also brought in some Model Monkey 3D printed parts for a very very old Revell USS Arizona
in 1/426 scale. He said that this is the next generation of 3D printed parts.
Bill Borkowski's completed model for the Challenge is the Airfix 1/32nd Aston Martin DB5 model kit.
Bill said that he had not built a car model for the Challenge before, and "this seemed like a nice
simple kit that I could build out of the box and not be tempted to modify. Hah!" The kit had warped
body and glass pieces, many sink holes and ejection pin marks, soft molding of many body details, and
many other issues. Bill added interior door panels, added thickness to seat backs, scratch built
taillight assemblies, and made several other modifications. He used Alclad, Tamiya and Vallejo paints,
along with a Molotow chrome pen and India ink wash.
Jim Greenfield showed us his completed Challenge entry, a Testors 1/72 F-19 Stealth fighter.
It was finished with Testors and Tamiya paints, and Jim said the decals "suck".
Rich Bernecki displayed his Challenge model, a Tamiya 1/48 IL2. It was finished with
Tamiya acrylics and built out of the box.
Al Germann brought in several items this month. The first is his Challenge entry, a Revell
Fairchild F-27 in box scale (1/94 in this case), finished with Tamiya spray paints.
His second item was a Hudson Miniatures Old Timers 1906 Columbia Electric kit. He found it
at an antique store in Dunkirk for $5, and said it is a very unusual kit with only plastic
wheels and springs. The body is balsa wood, and the kit is from 1951.
Al's last item was a collection of parts from Hobby Lobby to build a Steampunk Submarine as
described in a recent issue of the IPMS Journal. He mentioned that he didn't have a specific
build date in mind, but the clear dome would be the critical piece to find for the build.
Tony Gliszczynski's entry for the contest is the Revell 1/25 Russ Davis Ford Thunderbolt. He said
it was built out of the box and finished using Rustoleum Apple Red with a slight polish.
Tony also brought in Dyno Don's 67 Comet, a kit bash made up of parts from many kits. It was
painted using automotive two-part base coat/clear coat lacquer. He said he found it incomplete in
a box and felt sorry for it, so he built it!
Rod Adam displayed his INCOMPLETE Revell 1/388th scale "Great Eastern" ship model. He used
Eduard photo-etch details, lots of rigging, and many scratch built parts to replace missing items
from the kit including watercolor paper sails, new lifeboats and new funnels. The model was
painted using Tamiya paints. Rod said that it was a rare kit at a good price, but took longer
than he thought to finish.
Rod showed us the participation certificates that IPMS Hamilton is using for their version of the
Challenge.
Finally, Rod had another model for us, a combination of a 1/35 Panda "Husky" VMMD and the
Renwal Ontos M50 and Zombie Hunter "Road to Freedom" Zombieland Series figures. Rod said he got
tired of building ships, and enjoys kit-bashing. The model was finished with Tamiya paints.
Eugene Paveljack had two models for us to see. The first was a Takom 1/35 St. Chamond French
heavy tank finished with Vallejo Air paints.
Eugene's second model was a Roden 1/35 Holt 75 Artillery Tractor. It was finished with Mission
Model paints, and a drape was made out of modeling clay. He said the kit had lots of flash and parts
were marked wrong. Eugene said he's into WW I vehicles.
Frank Blonski displayed his 1/25 1941 Willys Gasser, his Challenge entry. The model was
painted using Alclad, Tamiya and Duplicolor paints. He added spark plug wires and injector rails,
and applied dark washes on the engine and dry brushed parts of the chassis along with homemade
decals. He said there were some fit problems that were all resolved. Sorry for the poor photo,
Frank.
Paul Hines' aviation art this month features two aircraft paintings. The first is a B25
Mitchell bomber that Paul said he had to paint because his father flew B25s during WW II. The second
is an F-4U Corsair on the tarmac.
Todd Habscheid showed us his Ice Troll figure, finished with Reaper and Citadel paints. He
added a small stand and put the figure on a white rock with added snow. Todd said he enjoys
doing monsters.
Nick Carluccio displayed his Monogram 1/24 1964 Pontiac GTO. He used Duplicolor Medium Garnet
Red and Painter's Touch Clear Gloss to finish it, along with a Molotow Chrome pen for the trimwork,
and wired the engine. He said there were no issues with the kit.
Frank Ciccarella, a former member visiting our meeting, brought in a Takom Skoda Siege Cannon.
He made a base from coffee stir sticks. He said he had no issues with the kit, and built it because
the subject was "interesting".
More free magazines were on offer.
There was only one unidentified item on the tables. Please remember to fill out an information
sheet and leave it on the table so it can be collected at the end of the meeting.
Two trophies were awarded for the Tony Bartozek Memorial I'm Not A Scale Modeling Loser
Challenge: one for the best completed model, and one for the opposite.
Here's the happy group of winners.
And here's the group of Modeling Losers.
Frank Blonski won the Best Completed Model award.
Rod Adam won the Not Even Close prize.
Finally, some around-the-room photos.
Thanks to Brian McFee for doing the tables, and Larry Osolkowski for the photography.
