IPMS weak?

joeviz

You just validated Manny's comment (and my Ditto).  

True, one does not HAVE to be an IPMS member to attend or participate in local events.  However, as modelers, if we want to continue having local contests with IPMS backing (insurance as you say) we should do our part and subsidize the cost by joining IPMS, therefore that IS a main reason to join. 

No, I didn't. He stated "to get into contests" and you stated "ditto." You don't need to be a member to get "into" contests. Anyone off the street, modeler or non-modeler, member or non-member can get into contests. Heck, my mom could have taken an old dusty model off of my dresser and entered it into a local show and no one would have stopped her.

You just validated my counterpoint regarding the insurance, although the main reason to join is because you want to, not because you want contests to have the proper insurance. I was just being facetious with that reason. The IPMS is much more than a venue insurer.

And to SmartGambler, I used to think I didn't build well enough to enter into contests. Truthfully, I still do not think my skill level is as good as the vast majority of modelers I see entering contests, but I do it any way. If no one entered contests, there would be no contests. I've won my share of trophies, some deserved and others not so; I once won 3rd out of 3 entries in figures. I don't do figures very well at all, but if I hadn't decided to bring and enter that piece, there would have been only two entries in that category. I've also won first place in a car model category (my first car model I made in like 30 years) that I was very proud of.

Bottom line, if your duty station eventually takes you to an area that has local clubs and shows (I was fortunate enough to live on Hanscom AFB for 4 years with a local club literally outside the gate in Bedford), participate and enter something. If you do get there, that area is a mecca of model shows with six local clubs within a few hours of the base, 3 in MA, 1 in CT, 1 in NH and 1 in ME.

If you don't like the way the judging goes on at the local shows you attend, volunteer to be a judge.

Always do, Rob.. I've been a judge at around 35 contests, 90% of which were in the Diorama Category...  I love judging at shows, and it's the best way to get up close and personal with other guy's work..

My post was in no way meant to be anything more than a "dark humor" post... (with the exception of the "Silver Widow" portion. While I wasn't refused contest entry with it, I wasn't allowed to enter it in the Aircraft Diorama category, it went to the "Hypothetical Hinterlands, based on the finish and markings, hence my remarks about historical knowledge being a weak-spot with judges and the benefit of the doubt going to the builder. This was prior to the Internet, though, and I've since come to utilize that bit of technology to offer "proof of concept and existance" when necessary)

Judging is tough and thankless, and someone's ALWAYS unhappy about the decisions...

But being a member of IPMS is a "license to gripe" about it as well...  Just because I was P/Od about something that happened, it never influnced my overall decision to remain a member of an organization, or I'd have been a former SP4 who'd ETS'd in 1980 instead having "(ret)" after my rank & name, know what I mean?

i entered this f-16cj into 1 show in las vegas and i won 1st place even though there were better models in my category. proving to me that this hobby is very subjective.

Nice work!  I especially like the subtle work on the panel lines.

I usually ended up judging the Braille scale armor (stuff normally smaller than 1/48 scale, but in some shows it included 1/48 scale). That category was normally a hodge podge of armor types, i.e. WW2, modern, trucks, etc. Since I am mainly a modern US armor and some US WW2 armor builder, a lot of what was in the category (German, Russian, various wheeled & artillery) were outside of my knowledge base.

I couldn't imagine sending a 1/72 Tiger tank to a hypothetical category (if there was one for that scale) just because I didn't think it served in that scheme or markings. Even if I knew it didn't exist, say a Tiger II in DAK markings, I'd probably let it stay in the main category unless there was some huge outcry.

I'm glad you like judging. It was something I did at first to help the club run the show, but given the choice, I'd rather not do so unless the hosting club really, really, really needed the help. I'd rather browse the vendor tables and chat with other folks. Plus, I've been "known" as a Braille scale guy and often get stuck judging the tiny stuff. Not as fun as the 1/35 scale stuff.

DickM

. That demonstrates the quality of the publication and the broad spectrum of modeling interests within the Society.

While the quality is OK, I will take exception that the "broad spectrum of modeling interests" is represented as good as it could\should be as far as Automotive subjects go.

I am an IPMS member for one reason and one reason only....to help the club I belong to. I agree with the poster who mentioned issues with judging at IPMS events, but truthfully you will find those issues at any event.....some IPMS judges just think because they have "Senior" or "Chief" in their title, that they can just look at a bunch of people's blood, sweat, and tears, and decide the results with a wave of their hand.

IMO, IPMS survives because they offer one key benefit....liability insurance for events. If that ever went away....I think so would IPMS.

I pay for my subscription for a couple of reasons but first and foremost is to support an organization that supports the hobby. It's really that simple... I don't expect anything out of it other than the satisfaction of knowing I am a financial supporter of the hobby. I mean it's 25 bucks a year....

Honestly, put it in perspective... I just ate a 9 dollar subway sandwich that i won't remember what it taste like in two hours. 25 dollars a year to an organization that helps spread the word of a hobby i love.... why not?

K-dawg

I pay for my subscription for a couple of reasons but first and foremost is to support an organization that supports the hobby. It's really that simple... I don't expect anything out of it other than the satisfaction of knowing I am a financial supporter of the hobby. I mean it's 25 bucks a year....

Honestly, put it in perspective... I just ate a 9 dollar subway sandwich that i won't remember what it taste like in two hours. 25 dollars a year to an organization that helps spread the word of a hobby i love.... why not?

Altough I pay € 32 (=$45) a year. $25 is a steal!

K-dawg

I pay for my subscription for a couple of reasons but first and foremost is to support an organization that supports the hobby. It's really that simple... I don't expect anything out of it other than the satisfaction of knowing I am a financial supporter of the hobby. I mean it's 25 bucks a year....

Honestly, put it in perspective... I just ate a 9 dollar subway sandwich that i won't remember what it taste like in two hours. 25 dollars a year to an organization that helps spread the word of a hobby i love.... why not?

I really like your answer.  The most obvious reason to be a member. 

Honestly, put it in perspective... I just ate a 9 dollar subway sandwich that i won't remember what it taste like in two hours.

You would if it had been a lousy sandwich that gave you a screamin' case of the trots that was so bad you could crap through a screen door and not hit a wire......

Who said it didn't....

LOL...

I too have e-mailed them with no actual results.I had wanted to start a charter in my area and got 1 e-mail from the guy in charge of that stuff saying he would get right back to me.Well it;s been a year and a half and I'm still waiting for him to get right back to me!

 I think that most of these IPMS charters are very stuck up and clickes,They don't really like out siders and aren't fair to new members or one's from another charter.I no lots of guys that were  new or from a different charter that entered model contest and should have won hands down but lost out to a crappy model built by one of the host charter members! In my opinion this is pure Bullsh-t!

AAAARRRGH !!!

toysoldierman

I think that most of these IPMS charters are very stuck up and clickes,

Look, I’ve got no dog in this fight, but it’s cliques, not “clickes”.

EXCUSE ME PROFESSOR ENGLISH!!!!!!!!!

“Cliques” is a borrow-word from French, and as Professor Henry Higgins said, “The French never care what they do, actually, as long as they pronounce it properly.”

toysoldierman

I too have e-mailed them with no actual results.I had wanted to start a charter in my area and got 1 e-mail from the guy in charge of that stuff saying he would get right back to me.Well it;s been a year and a half and I'm still waiting for him to get right back to me!

 I think that most of these IPMS charters are very stuck up and clickes,They don't really like out siders and aren't fair to new members or one's from another charter.I no lots of guys that were  new or from a different charter that entered model contest and should have won hands down but lost out to a crappy model built by one of the host charter members! In my opinion this is pure Bullsh-t!

Toysoldierman,

. Your comments about chartered chapters being very stuck up is a complaint that I hear from time to time. I have often found, that when discussing these types of complaints, that the person with the complaint may have a legitimate issue with one or two of the members within the chapter, but certainly not with 100% of the members within a chapter. And please keep in mind that not all members of a given chapter are also IPMS members. In fact, there are very few IPMS chapters (right now that number is at about 228 chapters) that have 100% IPMS National Membership within their ranks.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to claim that your issues are with particular members within a club, those persons may or may not be IPMS members, and that it is accurate to blame IPMS for the snobbery that you see present?

As for your request for information on how to form a chapter,  I'm disappointed to hear that your request for info was not promptly followed up. I will offer my services to help you do just that if you'll contact me through email (I'm listed on the IPMS website on the Officer's page).

It sound like some of these guys lost at a contest and now they want to take it out on IPMS.

iraqiwildman

It sound like some of these guys lost at a contest and now they want to take it out on IPMS.

Agreed. The chapter in which I am a member of has amiable relationship and "cross town" rivalry with a couple of other local chapters. We schedule our events so as not to conflict with the other chapters. Events from the other chapters are brought up at our chapters meetings. Members from one chapter regularly enter into the other chapters contests- and win. Outsiders and new guys snubbed? Last month a "new kid" (literally) showed up first time at a meeting with a build, entered the contest, and won first place. Are there cliques? Well I suppose if you count car guys as one, aircraft as another, armor and ship builders as others... but again several guys (like myself) build all across the board...

To be honest, I don't really see any cliques in any of the clubs I've joined.

There was a big one in the model RR club I was in... The guys that did all the 300.00 brass locos and other metal stuff were pretty arrogant around us mere mortals with the styrene stock...

They called themselves "The Brass Section"... I called 'em "Brassholes"...

I'm a member of IPMS.  I like the magazine but I don't care for the forum.  There just doesn't seem to be enough people on there posting to keep my interest.  But, I guess with a member only forum, that's what you're going to get.

I'm also a member of NMRA.  I love the Achievement Program the NMRA has.  I wish IPMS had something similar.  I think if the IPMS had something like the Achievement Program, many more people would join.  Who wouldn't want a certificate to hang on their wall saying they're a Master Modeler?

-Jesse

Hans von Hammer

 

To be honest, I don't really see any cliques in any of the clubs I've joined.

 

There was a big one in the model RR club I was in... The guys that did all the 300.00 brass locos and other metal stuff were pretty arrogant around us mere mortals with the styrene stock...

They called themselves "The Brass Section"... I called 'em "Brassholes"...

LoL....Hans, I am a student in the front row jotting down all your metaphors...if you don't mind, I am going to use them occasionally....copyright attribution will be honored!!!!

As for cliques, none of us can avoid them.  Seen it growing up...seen it at work....seen it in sports....even seen it at my parent's retirement community.  It is there and everywhere.  Just need to be cognizant of it and adjust accordingly.  IPMS is a solid organization supporting our loved hobby.  If it didn't exist, today, we would all be discussing on this forum on how to form something like it.  As with anything, no organization is bad in itself, it is us human folk that often need the vector check. 

toysoldierman

I too have e-mailed them with no actual results.I had wanted to start a charter in my area and got 1 e-mail from the guy in charge of that stuff saying he would get right back to me.Well it;s been a year and a half and I'm still waiting for him to get right back to me!

 I think that most of these IPMS charters are very stuck up and clickes,They don't really like out siders and aren't fair to new members or one's from another charter.I no lots of guys that were  new or from a different charter that entered model contest and should have won hands down but lost out to a crappy model built by one of the host charter members! In my opinion this is pure Bullsh-t!

A little schizophrenic today? You decry IPMS chapters for your perception of their cliques, yet you want to start one. Maybe you want to set up your own "clickes" [sic] to show them! My guess, from the attitude in this post (and the subsequent one), is you walked in  with an chip on your shoulder and it showed.

So you "no" [sic] others who should have won but didn't. Let me guess, neither you nor they were on the judging teams, which are typically made up of 2 or 3 volunteers, most often with at least 1 from an outside club, separating the wheat from the chaff. Instead, you and those you "no" [sic]  were out having lunch or hanging out in the vendor area complaining about how unfair the judges were going was going to be. Doesn't matter that these masterpeices that shoulda/coulda/woulda won if the judges were fair, and I've seen many of them in 30 of judging, had basic flaws that knocked them out in the first cut.

To be honest, it's probably accurate that new guys don't often win. How often does any first time entrant in any competitive event win, be it in judged contests like ours or events with a more objective criterion, like a race?

LoL....Hans, I am a student in the front row jotting down all your metaphors...if you don't mind, I am going to use them occasionally....copyright attribution will be honored!!!!

Dutifully flattered sir.. Unfortunately, many of the funnier ones are also unprintable (in here)...

Every place seems to have it's own cliques.  There is one local club that has it's own agenda at the show it hosts every year and mandates that so many of it's members must win awards and at the end of the day, lo and behold, their club members come away with most of the awards.  The group I belong to shows up every year because we usually have better built models and like to show them off, even though the odds are not in our favor of winning.

The absolute WORST clique I ever witnessed was at my former employer, Triumph Twist Drill (long out of business).  Management always congregated at one of the local watering holes.  I was told I would make a great supervisor if I would just hang out at said watering hole three or four nights a week and buy some rounds of drinks.  Some of these idiots had numerous DUIs and wore them like a badge of honor.

I told these morons I didn't believe in promotion through alcoholism.  I never joined their little clique and as a consequence, was never promoted.  A few years later two of these morons were heading home from the bar and wrecked killing one of them.  The one driving got ten years for vehicular homicide as it was his fifth DUI.  When the company finally went belly up, to say I was elated is an understatement.

                                                                                          Pat.  

Wow, I guess I should feel pretty good. I entered a show for the 1st time a couple years ago and brought home two awards.  1st in Civilian Aircraft and a Judges Choice for a sci-fi entry.  Can't wait to do it again, but I'm in it just to check others' stuff out.  Winning an award is just a bonus.

Here's some pics from IPMS Nationals.

http://ipmsusa3.org/gallery/v/events/Omaha2011/

As the President of the local IPMS chapter here in Little Rock (Central Arkansas Scale Modelers).... I'd like to throw in a quote by our Secretary from a board meeting a few months ago that I think sums up the last 4 pages of responses...

"Modelers almost by definition are near sociopaths, otherwise they wouldn't prefer to happily sit alone in a room for hours without speaking to anyone. So it stands to reason that if you throw 30 of them in a room together you couldn't possibly expect them to all get along. The nice ones will fake it... " 

Our secretary is a criminal psychologist by the way...

Ok, that's all... carry on!

I call myself an introvert. 

 "Introverts  tend to be more reserved, less outgoing, and less sociable. They are not necessarily loners, but they tend to have fewer numbers of friends. Introversion does not describe social discomfort but rather social preference: an introvert may not be shy but may merely prefer fewer social activities"

I only get sociopathic when my wife yells for me while try to superglue a little PE part on.