A Point System for an Annual Member Participation Award

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Frank R

There are lots of ways that members of McKinstry participate in our group, such as attending meetings, bringing models to display and discuss at a meeting, building models, writing kit reviews, presenting a program at a meeting, etc.

We’d like to encourage more of this kind of engagement, so we’d like to recognize one member each year who’s participated most over the course of the year to support the club through his or her (or their, or whatever pronoun applies) activities. To that end, we’re going to try using a point system to quantify and measure, as objectively as possible, participation in the club.

In essence it’s a contest, but it’s also an attempt to recognize that there are more ways to participate than just buiding models.

What follows isn’t the final word on the subject but it’s something I presented at the last meeting to give those attending an idea of what I’m proposing. It probably needs work, but it’s something I think may offer some real value for the club.

I’ll provide a sign-in sheet at each meeting for members to use to record their participation – I can’t do all the work. 😉 We’ll post a running tally on the website so everyone can track progress.

The member accumulating the most points each year will be recognized at the holiday party. (cash prize???)

How points are awarded

Per year:

  • Current membership in IPMS-USA – 10 points (current members qualify for this in January; anyone joining McK during the year gets 60 days to earn it)

Per meeting:

  • Meeting attendance – 3 points for on-time, 1 point for late

Member gallery contributions (only ONE of the following each meeting, not per-model):

  • Bring one or more models (non-theme, not new builds) – 3 points
  • Bring one or more models relating to theme (not a new build) – 7 points
  • Bring one or more new builds (non-theme) – 15 points
  • Bring one or more new builds relating to theme – 20 points

For each member gallery contribution, provide the newsletter editor writeup of the model(s) displayed within 7 days after meeting – 5 points

  • Deliver the program at a meeting – 25 points (additional 10 points for providing a written summary of the program to the newsletter editor within 7 days after meeting)

Miscellaneous:

  • Write a kit review – 10 points
  • Distribute flyers or posters – 10 points
  • Assist with displays or other group activities (airshow booth, library display, etc.) – 10 points
  • Others activities may be awarded points at the discretion of the club officers
Posted in Contests, Kit Reviews, Meetings, Member notes | Leave a comment

2024 Meetings will be held the FIRST Wednesday…

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Frank R

One of our longtime members was unable to meet on our initial choice of 2nd Wednesday of each month due to a conflict, so we polled members again and found the 1st Wednesday to be an acceptable day for all. Here’s an updated list of the meeting dates for 2024.

UPDATE (2/3/23): The Continental has a reservation for the 1st Wed. in April, so the McKinstry meeting will be the April 10.

For more complete information about meetings, themes, programs, etc. please refer to the ‘Meetings’ page in the menu above.

  • January 3
  • February 7
  • March 6
  • April 10 (2nd Wed. this month)
  • May 1
  • June 5
  • July 3 (IPMS Nationals are Jul. 17-20)
  • August
  • September 4
  • October 2
  • November 6
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A McK Memorial Day Salute – Mike Titre

Posted on November 11, 2023 by Frank R

Mike Titre was a vet and longtime McK member. Mike passed away in 2007, and I met him just once, as I joined the club in early 2007.

Mike is buried at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetary. I have several family and friends at Abe Lincoln, and I try to get down there a couple times a year to decorate their graves. I usually go on Memorial Day or the 4th of July, and again for Veterans Day.

Veterans Day weather can be challenging some years, but Friday afternoon it was glorious, if a little chilly.

Abe Lincoln is a beautiful facility. We’re fortunate to have a National Cemetary so close, and I’d highly recommend a visit, if you have the time. It’s a great place to reflect on our blessings and remember those who gave so much to help us keep them.

I’ve begun including Mike’s grave on my ‘route’, once I found out he’s there. It’s an honor to recognize one more citizen who served our country so faithfully in war and peace.

Thanks, Mike. And thanks to all our veterans on your day.

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McKinstry is Moving in 2024!

Posted on September 2, 2023 by Frank R

After 30 (40?)+ years at the Arlington Heights Library, we’re moving our meetings – new day, new location. And – hold on to your hats – we’ve scheduled the holiday party, too!

Our home for so many years, the Hendricksen Room at the AHML, was the only meeting space at the library that we could reserve more than 30 days in advance. And they didn’t charge us for the room – free was always a good thing.

Pre-pandemic, we could make reservations up to a year in advance. After the library reopened, this was reduced to a rolling 6 months. That’s worked for the last couple of years, but the library has started reserving the Hendricksen Room for its own programs. We thought perhaps Fridays were just too popular a day, but the room is now being used, or reserved for potential use by the library, every evening. All good things must end.

We have reservations in the Hendricksen Room for October 20 and November 24, so we’ll finish out 2023 in the present location, then change our meetings starting with the January 2024 meeting. We’ll continue to schedule a 2-hour meeting, from 6:30 to 8:30PM after the move.

The club has had a tradition of going out to eat after our meeting (at least those in attendance who are so inclined), and for the last several years we’ve been going to the Continental in Buffalo Grove, which is about 5-10 minutes north of the AHML. The food has been good, and the staff have been very pleasant. We spoke to the owner last night, explained our situation (homeless and penniless), and he said he’d be happy to let us use his banquet room for our meetings. And, as an added bonus, they have a full bar, so if any would like to have a beer or other beverage during the meeting (cash bar)… Happy days.

In preparation for this change we polled the membership about meeting on a different day of the week, and Wednesday seemed to work for almost everyone. In fact, for many it was preferable to Friday.

In doing our research, we looked at the days and locations used by other modeling clubs in the area. The Midwest Model Shipwrights meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month in a Mount Prospect church basement. (As an aside, your new President attended their August meeting, and found it quite informative. I’ll be stopping by again from time to time. If you have an interest in ships, highly recommended.) So, rather than conflict with their meetings, we’ll make our regular meeting day the 2nd Wednesday of each month. As in the past, there may be cases where that week of the month isn’t possible in a given month, but we’ll do the best we can to maintain some consistency.

The one downside to the Continental is that we may occasionally be bumped by a group willing to rent the banquet room. It’s a business – money talks. In particular, it’s frequently used by members of the Jewish community for funeral services. That obviously happens on short notice, and we’ll just have to manage to be a little flexible. They’ll notify us when this happens, and we’ll use our website, email, text, and phone to communicate these conflicts to the membership. The fallback plan is to move the meeting to Friday that week, as long as the room is available. If it’s not, we’ll play it by ear. We expect this will be a rare event.

Once we worked out the plans for meetings, we asked about holding our holiday party there, as well. Why not? Hitz was fun, the pizza was good and relatively inexpensive, but we thought it might be time to change the menu. The only Saturday still available in December was the 16th, so we booked it. We haven’t discussed details of food yet, but the owner said the typical cost was $30-100 per person. We’re definitely going to keep it to the low end of that range (sorry, no plans for surf and turf).

So please take a look at your calendars and let me know if you plan to make the party and how many will be coming. I’ll be bugging you in a week or two to give me your best guess who and how many will join us.

We were anticipating this to be a major headache, but we think we’ve ended up making lemonade. Hooray!

FWIW, I just figured out tentative dates for 2024:

  • Jan. 10
  • Feb. 7 (14th is Valentine’s Day)
  • Mar. 13
  • Apr. 10
  • May 8
  • Jun. 12
  • Jul. 10 (IPMS Nationals are Jul. 17-20)
  • Aug. 14
  • Sep. 11
  • Oct. 9
  • Nov. 13
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