Meetings

RANSOMES SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB

MEETING 16

27 FEBRUARY 2007

In attendance: 22 members. Apologies: Mike G.

Following the format decided at the AGM, we discussed the table first of all. It was good to hear that we are almost as important Richard L’s nuptials as it appears that we received the longest speech he had given in public since his wedding!

THE TABLE

Pictures of the models can be seen at http://www.ipms-ipswich.org.uk/meetings.htm

Club Rules

Dave P had sent through a re-vamp of the Club Rules to the Committee. They basically cover what we already do at the Club and include what was discussed at the AGM. It was proposed that in order to save the evening turning into a ‘yawn-fest’ discussing them further, interested parties could meet at a subbie at a venue and time TBD. All agreed.

Competition

The new rules for the Club Competition were discussed. Basically, there will be a Model of the Year and a Modeller of the Year competition rolled into one. The Best of Month models will be invited back for the November meeting and judged for Best Model of the Year and a points system will run concurrently to determine Modeller of the Year. The rules are attached at Annex A. No dissent was heard; therefore the rules will be applied forthwith.

EAMS Secretary

Kelvin E volunteered and was voted in to the position of EAMS Secretary and he has co-opted Jan M and Mark v O as assistants.
Prop: Dom S
2nd: Ray C
The Treasurer also informed us that the small short-fall for EAMS 06 has been settled with the Bury Club.

EAMC

The Secretary informed the Club that the EAMC was on track, with the details of the event passed to the modelling press. Invitations to the adjacent clubs have not been sent out until a further selection of accommodation has been ‘sampled’ and can be offered to tour visitors in the event of an overnight stay being required for the Base Visit on the Saturday. The Army at Wattisham has intimated that there will not be a problem visiting Wattisham, subject to commitments. (Action: Mike G.)

Wattisham Visit

The Chairman spouted forth about the visit to Wattisham that Kelvin E had arranged to crawl over an Apache. Being an engineer and seeing a fleet of entirely unserviceable helicopters, The Chairman was like a priapic non-heterosexual with 2 anal orifices! Only a grease-monkey can get really exited about pull-out ladders on the fin of an aeronautical carriage, which is so ugly that it does not fly – the Earth repels it! Anyway, Kelvin was thanked by the Secretary for arranging such a top-class visit to coincide with the day when his wife had their car and his motorbike was in Dom’s shop being serviced so he needed a lift to work in any case. Some photographs were dutifully taken that included the obligatory ‘Hero Shots’ of the participants in the cockpit. The subjects in these pictures were obviously so appalling that they corrupted the card (that’s never happened before) and so they cannot be published here! However, some other stuff is offered including Dom almost stepping off the stub-wing backwards and being saved from a precipitous fall only by the enormous bulge in his trousers snagging on the exposed engine casing whilst our highly skilled accompanying ‘ginger-beer’ Andy, (you decide which rhyming slang is applicable) encouraged the embarrassment by discussing the benefits of 3/8ths AF over 10mm open enders – or something! The Secretary had to leave for work and was eventually pleased to show the prodigal sons around a proper place of employment about 1.5 hours later when they returned their ‘lumi-jackets’. The boys were clearly so impressed by the set-up that they departed almost immediately especially when the Secretary started muttering something about, “I don’t care how many times they go up-diddly-up-dup, they’re still all gits!”

Seriously Kelvin, thanks for arranging the visit and hopefully a lot more of us will be able to attend next time.

Dom daren’t take his hands out of his pockets in case he embarrasses Kelvin by the bulge he’s concealing.	Kelvin reminisces about when he was in the band Right Said Fred as Dom leans back whilst anchored to the work platform by his ‘crotch-hook’.

Shows

Trucks’n’Tracks. The fact that the Secretary was given late warning for Trucks’n’Tracks at Folkestone was discussed. It was agreed that if the organisers can give us more than 3 weeks notice between meetings for a 2-day show next year that we would like to attend.

Peterborough. The Peterborough Show was on the 4 Mar 07, but no invitation had been received. Marc M was keen to attend, so it was decided that if any other members wished to go they could arrange a visit themselves. Due to the lack of invitations received, the Secretary undertook to inquire with the clubs with forthcoming events, just how we can become established on the ‘books’ of the other clubs.

AOB

Dave P announced that the spring 6-hour build was in the planning stages and he requested an indication of numbers intending to participate. For those members who have not attended a 6-hour build, it can be thoroughly recommended as it is entertaining and whilst it takes the modeller well outside of their ‘comfort zone’, it does prove that modelling can be fun and that the skills honed over many hours can be made to stick, so to speak, over a much shorter period. Furthermore, it also proves that all that the ‘Nanny State’ requires to do to prevent binge drinking is to provide models for everyone on a Sunday afternoon that will totally distract the drinkers and see bar profits plummet; we’ll drink to that!

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 27 Mar 07.

Kev Baxter
Secretary
IPMS Ipswich