November 18, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes (October meeting cancelled due to hurricane)
MEETING MONDAY NOV. 18 SUNDAY EDITION
As of this month’s meeting the club is back to the Veteran’s Care Funeral Home. The school we were going to meet at is unavailable for a full quarter of the year, and some months would cost extra for the room, so the deal didn’t work out.
Again it was a packed room with 35 people. We welcomed new member Tom Plath, and a member from the past, Mike Garfalo, a veteran Pelikan member who’s back after many years. Also it was good to welcome Laura Ruacho back to the fold, at least for a few more months.
It was a busy meeting. Because October’s meeting was cancelled due to the hurricanes, the Pledge Contest slated for then was postponed until this month. We also presented the awards for Modeler of the Year, so there was no time for show and tell this month.
First order of business, Modelpalooza was last month. The members who went said that due to the hurricanes attendance was much lighter than normal, though most of the vendors were there. Pelicon will be April 26, and we are asking members to start bringing in any spare kits to donate for our raffle.
Well, officer election time again. Since nobody seemed interested in running for anything, the present officers agreed to stay on for another year: Donn Buerger as President, George Hecht as Treasurer, and Dina Arzapalo as Secretary.
This past year the monthly themes were set to every other month, the other months being open months. The club voted to keep the same format next year.
There was a discussion as to what new build contest or group build to try next year. It was decided to honor Charlie Hess. Larry is going to bring in a number of models Charlie started and never finished, and to honor him the club members are going to complete his projects.
Also Ed Brut suggested we give something to the funeral home caretaker who stays every meeting night for us. The club voted to give him a $100 gift card for Christmas.
Then came award time. First was the Pledge Contest. Unfortunately, many of us did not have our entries finished, including yours truly, but many did. The winners ofthe cash awards were: Robert Marquinez-3rd place, John Tzortzakakis-2nd place, and 1st place went to Ozzie Leandro for his Yamaha motorcycle. Congratulations all!
Modeler of the Year went to the builder who accumulated the most points in the monthly contests. 3rd place went to Tom Hartline, 2nd to Brian Fowler, and Modeler of the Year went to Greg Renn! Also, an achievement award went to Frank Stansell, and the award for most models entered went to Michael Lane. Congratulations to all the winners!
The Holiday party will be held at the Paradise Restaurant in Safety Harbor at 1pm. There will be no club meeting next month. The next meeting will be Jan. 20, 2025. It is an open theme, feel free to bring in your Pledge model if it wasn’t finished for the contest. I will.
Well, that’s it for this month folks! Everyone have a happy and safe holiday season, I’ll see you all at the party. Ho Ho Ho! (Who you calling a ho?) :) Dina
September 16, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
This was the first meeting in our new venue at Pinellas Gulf Coast Academy. It was an open-theme meeting, well attended with 36 people. First up was the introduction of a new member, Dave San Souci. Welcome, Dave!
So this was a trial meeting in the new place. It was a much larger room (with comfy chairs). There was a discussion as to whether to sign the contract to continue there, and the club voted yes.
The service for Charlie Hess is this Saturday the 21st at p.m. at the Paradise Island Mobile Home Park., Starkey Rd, Largo. There is a GoFundMe page to help Charlie’s wife Patti pay for the funeral expenses. Anyone wishing to contribute can look it up under Patti Hess. At Dave Fredrickson’s suggestion, the club is contributing $100. Also, there was a suggestion made which was well received to create a Charlie Hess award for Pelicon 2025.
Larry had brought in some magazines and old models of Charlie’s for members to take, and he will have a couple of tables at Modelpalooza to sell Charlie’s kits for money for Patti.
Shawn Hays brought in a copy of the new Pelicon ’25 flyer he’s been working on. It has a dynamic new look, great job Shawn!
October’s meeting will be the Model Pledge contest, with cash prizes. A list of the participants and models is on our website. Donn keep the website updated frequently so y’all should check it out!
November meeting will be the officer selections for 2025- Donn Buerger has served as president, George Hecht as treasurer and I as secretary since COVID-19, that’s four years. There are quite a few members who have joined us these past few years, maybe some of you might consider running.
It’s time to start thinking of our Christmas party, and it was agreed to have it in the same restaurant in Safety Harbor as last year. Details later.
George Hecht mentioned that there is an Armor Show at the Zephyr Hills Airport from Nov. 8-10. Go check out the big guns!
Walter Klein, an old member who’s been AWOL for four years, came back and brought examples of some incredible 3D-printed pieces he’s producing for Wonderfest in June.
The ongoing Modeler of the Month contest is wrapping up. The first, second and third place modelers every month have been accumulating points and there will be cash prizes at the last meeting. First place in this month’s model contest was Frank Stansell. Congrats Frank!
That’s it for this month, kiddies. See you at the contest next month! Dina
August 21, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
The main item discussed was one of our club's founding members Charlie Hess has been ill with cancer. I'm sad to say Charlie passed on August 23rd. He was a super nice guy and he will be missed dearly by the club, his family & friends. Rest in Peace, my friend. the link is here: https://veteransfuneralcare.com/obituary/charles-hess?fbclid=IwY2xjawE-4IZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZo-tBXuEHsw4j_ADa6PQw98F2rIykVg2U5idriyQpGSu2Hb5Yuh-6hvPw_aem_ddgys4UHedZqqDOWXc1UOQ
The club is still working out the paperwork and legalities of moving a trial meeting to September 16 at the Gulf Coast Academy media room for our future meeting place. If all goes well we will meet there in the future, we can always return to the Funeral Home if need be. Some people pointed that out, but if we keep growing, we will have to move anyway. We handed out maps of how to get there from the Funeral Home, it's almost within walking distance. I will be sending out emails if anything changes.
Pictures of this month’s and past months’ models, a calendar of events, and more extensive commentary go to Pelikanmodelclub.org. Next month is: an OPEN month. See you all in September, Donn
July 15th, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
Going to make this short, Minutes are falling behind, I'm not sure how many read these anyway and some of this is discussed on the "Home Page".
The club is still working out the paperwork and legalities of moving a trial meeting for September at the Gulf Coast Academy media room for our future meeting place. If all goes well we will meet there in the future, we can always return to the Funeral Home if need be. Some people pointed that out, but if we keep growing, we will have to move anyway. We will still meet at the funeral home for August meeting or if you are notified otherwise.
Pictures of this month’s and past months’ models, a calendar of events, and more extensive commentary go to Pelikanmodelclub.org. Next month is: an OPEN month. See you all in August. Donn
June 17th, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
Going to make this short, Minutes are falling behind, I'm not sure how many read these anyway and some of this is discussed on the "Home Page". This month’s meeting was packed with at least 38 members. The theme was “Just Add Water”. The entries were varied from military vehicles to planes, figures, Sci-Fi.
The club is still working out the paperwork and legalities of moving our meetings to Gulf Coast Academy media room for our future meeting place. It looks like we may have to pay what we pay now and our money at the funeral home goes to charity Some people pointed that out, but if we keep growing, we will have to move anyway. We will still meet at the funeral home till you are notified otherwise.
MacDill AFB having a new dedication of their headquarters building with our permanent models display on June 27th. The people in the club who built aircraft for the display will be invited to attend the ceremonies. More on that later, you will need clearance to enter the base.
Sprues & Brews for the club is getting together on Sunday the 23rd, we are getting about a dozen that show up, and they are lots of fun. If others in the club are interested, contact Donn Buerger or Shawn Hayes.
The club purchased a trophy package for the IPMS Nationals in Madison, WI. We got Category 235 Multi or Towed Vehicles - non-diorama.
For pictures of this month’s and past months’ models, a calendar of events, and more extensive commentary go to Pelikanmodelclub.org. Next month is: "Bring your Favorite Model". See you all in July. Donn
May 20th, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
Sorry about last month as there were no meeting Minutes for April. This month’s meeting was packed with at least 32. The theme was “Diorama/Open”. The entries were varied from military vehicles to planes, figures, Sci-Fi.
The club is still working out the paperwork and legalities of moving our meetings to Gulf Coast Academy media room for our future meeting place. We might be moving to the next meeting unless there is a hiccup in the process, if not we will be there in July.
We got updates on the Space Coast Model Contest and Show, and many of our members won medals. Also, we got an update on the Southlandz Car Show in Largo, it appears they had a successful show. PamsCon is right around the corner on June 22nd. They put on a good show, so let's show up in force. According to William Finley, they will start judging as the models are entered and they won't be kicking anybody out during that process.
MacDill AFB having a new dedication of their headquarters building with our permanent models display on June 27th. The people in the club who built aircraft for the display will be invited to attend the ceremonies. More on that later, you will need clearance to enter the base.
Also brought up was occasionally having group builds at the Clearwater Library, there was a lukewarm reception on the idea, will see what that holds for the future. We will continue having Sprues & Brews.
The club purchased a trophy package for the IPMS Nationals in Madison, WI. We got Category 235 Multi or Towed Vehicles - non-diorama.
For pictures of this month’s and past months’ models, a calendar of events, and more extensive commentary go to Pelikanmodelclub.org. Next month is: "Just Add Water". See you all in June. Donn
March 18th, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
This month’s meeting was packed with at least 40 members, standing room only. The theme was “Open”. The entries were varied from military vehicles to planes, figures, Sci-Fi, real space…The Model Pledge is underway. Twenty-seven people have pledged models, and Donn was hoping to bring the total up to 30. Prizes will be judged and prizes awarded in October.
March saw 3 Swap Meets from the clubs along the I-4 corridor with 2 weeks of spacing between them.
MacDill Airfest Show in Tampa is Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, and Sun N Fun April 9-14 in Lakeland.
Upcoming shows include IPMS Spacecoast the weekend of May 4, and Pamscon June 22.
A new site and date was secured for PELICON ’25, April 26, 2025, at Higgins Hall at the NE end of Tampa International Airport. Donn, Ozzie, and Brian checked out the facility and it was beautiful with twice the room as we had at the Hampton. We won't have to rent tables, set up, or tear them down. We will have over 7000 sq, ft. The Florida IPMS RC was notified so we're looking good. If anyone would like to be on the committee let Donn know. The Open theme winner this month was Greg Renn with his Avenger torpedo bomber. For pictures of this month’s and past months’ models, a calendar of events, and more extensive commentary go to Pelikanmodelclub.org. Next month is: "From Russia with Love". See you all in April. Donn
February 19th, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
This month’s meeting was packed with at least 35 members. The theme was “Any color than gray or green”. The entries were varied from military vehicles to planes, figures, Sci-Fi, real space…The Model Pledge is underway. Twenty-seven people have pledged models, and Donn was hoping to bring the total up to 30. Prizes were awarded in October.
Upcoming shows include IPMS Spacecoast the weekend of May 4, and Pamscon June 22.
PELICON ’25 was discussed we are looking for a new venue and securing a date for our next show. As of right now, they are focusing on April 26, 2025. Ozzie is looking into holding it at Higgins Hall in Tampa, which is much larger than the room we had for Pelicon ’23. The men are also asking for volunteers to be on the convention committee. Email Donn or Ozzie if you wish to help shape the next show. So the theme this month was anything not green or gray, and Nancy Vale came in first with her bright blue tractor. Congrats, Nancy, keep racking up those points for the big prize! For pictures of this month’s and past months’ models, a calendar of events, and more extensive commentary go to Pelikanmodelclub.org. Next month is an open build month, with no theme. See you all in March. Dina
January 15th, 2024 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
Monday the 15th the first meeting of the new year introduced a few new things to the club. There were 35 people present. The first change was that there was no theme for the monthly contest. Now there will be half-theme months and half-open months. First, we welcomed guests and new members. Curtis Dittman, who has been following the club on FB, paints dragons and fantasy figures; Ken Johnston who builds armor, and Scott Auld who paints figures and busts and 3D prints figures. Welcome gents!
Dues are due! $25. George Hecht the treasurer gave his report. So we are trying a new version of Modeler of the Month. The first change I mentioned is that half the months will be open-themed. The other is that rather than give a trophy each month, the top 3 models voted on each month will get points- 6 for first place, 4 for second, and 2 for third. We will keep track of the points throughout the year and at the end of the year, the top 3 winners will get cash prizes (or gift certificates) in November. Another addition is the Model Pledge. Pledge a model to build, either new or the one you’ve put away half finished, to finish by October’s meeting. As of last Monday’s meeting, 14 members have pledged models. Email Donn by the end of January if you wish to pledge a kit, also post a pic on FB if you can.
There is interest in having a swap meet in March. More on that later. July is an open-themed month and it was suggested that members bring in our favorite model and explain why it’s our fave. The suggestion was favorably received. Well, that’s it, kids. Next month is a theme month, the theme being “Nothing green or gray”.
View the meeting pictures here
Good luck! Dina
November 20th, 2023 Pelikan Club Meeting Minutes
Monday the 20th we had a whopping 34 folks attend the meeting, about 6 of the regulars weren't there, and that would have given us close to 40 attending. It appears the club is growing which is great.
We had club officer elections. No new members volunteered to run for office. The same members currently holding office ran again and the motion was made to keep the same slate and were voted in for another 1-year term: Donn Buerger – President, Ozzie Leandri – VP, George Hecht – Treasurer, Dina Arzapalo – Secretary, Donn B will remain Chapter Contact.
A NEW club website pelikanmodelclub.org was announced through the commercial service of Go Daddy. We now have a site that all members can use for those who don't use our group page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/PelikanModelClub. It will be updated monthly with club business such as “Minutes”, calendar of events, Gallery of the monthly meeting model photos, etc. We hope you all use it due to the effort to build and maintain it.
It was discussed and voted upon revising our monthly meeting Theme system. We will have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd point system giving 6, 4, and 2 points respectively and any member showing up with a model will automatically get a 1 point. These will tally up at the end of the year and CASH awards will be given for 1-3 place. Another change is to have the monthly theme every other month. January 2024 will be an Open Month, and February will have a theme, so 6 open months and 6 theme months.
Another new feature for January 2024 will be Declare Model Pledge Night Build, where members will declare a model build for the year. This model will have to be completed by October 2024. (that gives everyone 10 months). Then in October, we will have a Contest, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd will be awarded CASH prizes.
From the MacDill AFB display, Denny Cole & Steve were back at the meeting to pick up 3 more models for our display there, a B-29, an F-84F, and an F-4 Phantom, so far that gives us at least a dozen models for the display. They also signed up some of our members to go on base for the display as there is tightened on-base security.
Club Dues of $25.00 are due in January 2024, thank you for keeping that in mind. Finally, don't forget the club Christmas Party on December 2nd at 2 pm at the Paradise Restaurant in Safety Harbor, the club is paying the Gratuities and the will be raffle tickets handed out for gift certificates for a few lucky winners. We hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving, live long and prosper!
MEETING MINUTES MONDAY OCT. 16, 2023
This month’s theme was “dual-purpose” -amphibious vehicles, seaplanes, etc. Another packed house with 31 members attending.
We heard from the folks who went to Modelpalooza. They reported that the vendor’s area was quite full, but the model entries were rather light this year. Very few ships and sci-fi was once again one of the biggest categories, which seems to be the trend in model shows now. Also, there was added a new “3D printed” category, and some incredible paper ship models.
Nine models have been entered into the MacDill Air Force base exhibit, and there are a couple of planes they would like added, a B-29 and some others. Donn Buerger knows which ones they want if anyone wants to build them.
There was discussion as to the Modeler of the Month awards, whether to continue as is or make it a cumulative point contest with prizes at the end of the year, also whether to always have theme months or open model months so everyone can participate. No decision has been made yet, nor has a vote been taken yet.
This year’s Christmas party will be held on Dec 2, 2 p.m. at the Paradise Restaurant in Safety Harbor. There was some discussion about having a raffle at the party, and the club members voted to have gift cards be the prizes, not model kits. Members will pay for their own meals, but the club will pay the gratuity.
Also, some news is that David Lockhart has resigned as president of IPMS as of October 31.
This month’s theme was dual-purpose vehicles. Modeler of the Month award went to yours truly for my Flying Sub model. Congrats to me!
Next month’s theme will be “No guns allowed”. (Does that include phasers and photon torpedoes? LOL)
I may not make it to the November meeting because of another commitment. If so you’ll all be on your own, trying to survive without me LOL. Dina
December 1, 2025 Pelikan Model Christmas Party Minutes
We had about 40 folks show up at the annual Club Christmas Party. We decided to have it this year at the Funeral Home. This included food provided by the model club and gifts from the members who decided to participate in a White Elephant gift exchange. The exchange was fun, and there was kit trading afterwards, so most people got something they could use. There was no cut-throat stealing to keep things civil in the Spirit of the holiday! There are also photos of the party in the Gallery.
The other event at the Christmas Party was the awarding of the Theme Winners based on points accrued over the course of the year. The 1, 2 & 3rd place winners were awarded Mastercard Gift Cards for their efforts. Al Vaccaro placed 1st, Bill Malick placed 2nd, and Vince Pedulla placed 3rd. Congratulations to you all for your efforts and great work!!
We are still doing the monthly Theme "Modeler of the Year" award with the point system we used last year (see points given under "Club Happenings"), the top 5 modelers receiving the most points by November's meeting will receive a gift certificate.
November 17th, 2025 Pelikan Model Meeting Minutes
We had 30+ crowd attend the meeting, including a new & potential new member, Jojo Rivera, Drew Tarter, Duane Brown, and Erich Kalbfell. Many models showed up at the meeting for the Charlie Hess Model Challenge. Pictures are posted in the Gallery.
November Model Theme Winners were: Michael Lane - 1st place for his ME-262 Jet, 2nd place - went to Robert Marquinez for his British Bren Carriers, and 3rd place - Dale Stanek for his 1/72 collection of aircraft. See the latest Gallery Pictures. Congratulations all!
Club elections were held. Three members stepped up for various unopposed positions, which turned up to be mostly voluntary. Since the passing of our friend and Treasurer George Hecht, Tom Hartline stepped up to be our new Treasurer, Doug Hamilton as Secretary, Donn Buerger as President, VP Steve Ferguson, with Ozzie Leandri as Convention Chairman & Website Manager. (See officers' duties under Officers/By-Laws & By-Laws to the left on this site).
We are still doing the monthly Theme "Modeler of the Year" award with the point system we used last year (see points given under "Club Happenings"), the top 5 modelers receiving the most points by November's meeting will receive a gift certificate.
Come January, you can also pay your dues directly on this secure website. We reduced dues to $20 for the time being. We also discussed our Annual Pelikan Christmas Party on December 1st, and decided to have it at the funeral home where we meet. The club will provide the food, and members are encouraged to bring a dessert. The Theme for the January 2026 meeting will be open.
October 20th, 2025 Pelikan Model Meeting Minutes
We had 33 members attend the meeting, including a new member, Jojo Rivera, and many models showed up at the meeting. Pictures are posted in the Gallery.
Modelpalooza 2025 passed, and 5 of our members won Gold Medals. It appears that IPMS Orlando won on 4 Gold, yet they kept their "Shootout Trophy", oh well, so it goes. Everyone who attended had fun, and that is the point of it all.
It was discussed that Club Elections are coming up in November. If you are interested in a position, throw your hat in the ring. (See officers & By-Laws to the left on this site). Come January, you can also pay your dues directly on this secure website. We reduced dues to $20 for the time being.
We also discussed our Annual Pelikan Christmas Party and decided to have it at the funeral home where we meet. We had to move it to Monday, December 1st, from 6:00-9:00 pm due to commitments at the funeral home. Also, remember that November's THEME is: The Charlie Hess Challenge. See everyone on Monday, November 17th.
September 15th, 2025 Pelikan Model Meeting Minutes
We had 33 members attend the meeting, including 2 new people, and many models showed up at the meeting. Pictures are posted in the Gallery.
Much of what was discussed was the sudden passing of our beloved founding member and treasurer, George Hecht. George had many friends, and one of his closest in the club is Dave Frederickson. David talked about George's life and about how sorely he will be missed. George served in the Air Force and worked on F-4 Phantoms at MacDill AFB. The Club sent George's wife Jane flowers in her bereavement. George was cremated, and services will be held where the club meets at “Veterans Funeral Care” on Saturday, October 25. See obituary below.
George H. Hecht Obituary: It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of George H. Hecht, who left this world peacefully on September 12, 2025, at the age of 79. Born on July 22, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, George was a beloved husband, a dedicated serviceman, and a cherished member of his community.
George was the son of the late George H. and Elizabeth (Phillips) Hecht. He was preceded in death by his parents, who instilled in him the values of hard work, loyalty, and compassion that he carried throughout his life.
He is survived by his loving wife, Jane E. (McKay) Hecht, with whom he shared a deep and abiding love. Their bond was a testament to the power of partnership, laughter, and mutual support, and their life together was filled with countless cherished moments.
George proudly served in the U.S. Air Force, dedicating his life to protecting the freedoms we hold dear. His military service was a defining chapter of his life, one that he approached with honor and commitment. After his service, George returned to civilian life, where he continued to exemplify these values through his community involvement.
As a founding member and Treasurer of the Pelikan Model Club, George cultivated a passion for model building that brought together many friends and fellow hobbyists. His meticulous attention to detail and creativity were apparent in every project he undertook, and he inspired others to pursue their interests with the same enthusiasm.
George's contributions to his community extended beyond his hobbies. He was known for his kindness, generosity, and willingness to lend a helping hand whenever needed. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, and he will be remembered for his unwavering spirit and dedication to those around him.
A funeral service will be held on October 25, 2025, with a gathering of family and friends at 1:00 PM, followed by Military Honors at 2:00 PM, with a celebration of George's life from 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM at Veterans Funeral Care, where we will gather to share stories and remember the impact he had on all who knew him.
In place of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Operation Toy Soldier, ensuring that the spirit of giving continues in George's honor. Checks can be made payable to Operation Toy Soldier and sent to:
Veterans Funeral Care
830 N. Belcher Road
Clearwater, Florida 33765
Additionally, contributions may be sent to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, an organization dedicated to honoring our heroes. Donations can be mailed to:
Tunnels to Towers Foundation
2361 Hylan Boulevard
Staten Island, NY 10306
George H. Hecht will be profoundly missed but never forgotten. His life was a beautiful tapestry of service, love, and community. May he rest in peace, knowing the indelible mark he has left on our hearts.
The Theme was OPEN this month, the October theme is the "New Kits on the Block". This would include any kit that was released in 2024 or 2025. The November theme is: "The Charlie Hess Challenge." These were kits that were given to us from Charlie's collection at the beginning of this year.
Don't forget to check the Calendar for upcoming Events. Modelpalooza is on the weekend of October 11th next weekend. It should be a great show!
We had over 30 members attend the meeting, and many models showed up at the meeting. Pictures are posted in the Gallery.
We discussed our upcoming March 14, Pelicon 2026, we agreed on the Convention theme: 1965-1975: A Decade of Turmoil, Change & Hope," which would cover the Vietnam War, the Moon Landing, Cars, etc. We are going to use all 3 rooms of Higgins Hall this time around, which will give us more Vendor tables to sell, and the Raffle will be on the stage instead of out in the hallway at the last Convention. We also decided to upgrade the Gold Coin awards by encasing them in acrylic.
The Theme was OPEN. This month, August, the theme is the "Year of your Birth". Any model kit that was released, or an aircraft, tank, car, or spacecraft that was commissioned, flew, or churned up dirt would be eligible. (In my case, I could enter a C-130 or a B-52 since my DOB is 1952). Themes for September is Open, October: "New Kits on the Block", and November: "The Charlie Hess Challenge".
Don't forget to check the Calendar for upcoming Events. The IPMS Nationals is this coming week, August 23rd is Modelfest 25 - Flight 19 Chapter in Ft. Lauderdale, and Modelpalooza is in Orlando this October.
About 30 members attended the June 16th meeting. I missed the May meeting due to a faulty elevator where I live. Nobody took notes at the meeting, so I'm combining May and June's Minutes together. From what I was told, we discussed our more than successful Pelicon 2025 Convention. It was suggested and voted upon to do another Convention next year on Saturday, March 14, 2026, since most of the heavy lifting & footwork has already been done. Discussed was our Chapter 11 RC, who doesn't seem to communicate much with the various Chapters in our Region. We finally got listed and approved on the IPMS website for our date for next year's Pelicon 2026 after about a month and a half.
We also voted on lowering Club dues to $20 per year and to $30 for family since we had a successful convention. If we need to raise dues in the future, we can revert to the previous plan.
Donating a Trophy package to the IPMS Nationals was approved. The upcoming PamsCon 2025 was talked about, and many members planned on going.
The June theme was "Anti-aircraft Weapons." The photos are currently uploaded to our club Facebook Group Page. July will be an OPEN theme, August "Year of your Birth". We also reminded everyone that the November build will be the "Charlie Hess Memorial" build from the kits we chose earlier in the year, so let's get those built!
36 members attended the April 21 meeting. Much of the meeting was centered around the upcoming Pelicon 2025 convention event. "It Floats" was the Theme. It was a wild week because five days later, the Pelikan Club hosted Pelicon 2025. All the Vendor tables were sold out, and we had 44 pre-registrations. The food truck "The Bacon Boss" was reasonably priced, and everyone loved its food. The truck made over $1000.00! We also had over 160 walk-ins. Photos from both April's meeting and the Pelicon 2025 pics will be uploaded to the Special Events photo Gallery. The photos are currently uploaded to our club Facebook Group Page. More on the convention at May's meeting on the 19th.
April Model Theme Winners were (this was an open theme month): Al Vaccaro - 1st place for his classic sailing ship pictured on the right, 2nd place - Dina Arzapalo for her Flying Sub, and 3rd place - George Shaeffer for his VW car. Pictures are in the Gallery. Congratulations all!
The Minutes this month are kind of lite and a repeat of what is on the "Home Page" news for February. Monday the 17th saw 34 people attend. Yearly club dues of $25 were collected; those who didn't pay can pay next month or do it online on our website https://pelikanmodelclub.org/
Our club is still looking for member model donations for our contest" Pelicon 2025"on April 26th. We are also looking for Trophy Package sponsorships. S,o pick a category or Special theme to help out the club. Let Ozzie or me know what you would like to sponsor. Pretty much the Convention Pelicon 2025 was discussed. The Prez encouraged members to enter our contest, Pelicon 2025 in force. Lets fill up those tables with models.
Our theme for April 21st is "It Floats". Themes are posted here on this "Club Happenings" page. See you all at the next meeting. Happy Modeling. Donn
The Minutes this month are kind of lite and a repeat of what is on the "Home Page" news for February. Monday the 17th saw 34 people attend. Yearly club dues of $25 were collected, those who didn't pay can pay next month or do it online on our website https://pelikanmodelclub.org/ Discussed was the Jaxcon 2025 show this month. They had a great turnout of 150 people entered 661 models. It might be a record for their Chapter.
Our club is still looking for member model donations for our contest" Pelicon 2025" April 26th. We have about a dozen vendor tables left, so if you want one, you better jump on it. You can purchase them at this site to the left. We are also looking for Trophy Package sponsorships. So pick a category or Special theme to help out the club. Let Ozzie or me know what you would like to sponsor.
Our theme for the March meeting is an open theme. Themes are posted here on this "Club Happenings" page. We will be doing the same point system for modeler of the month and modeler of the year that we used last year. The top 5 modelers in points will get gift certificates. Also mentioned was the "Gulf Coast Academy School" is closing so any future meeting is a no go there. See you all at the next meeting on March 17th, Happy Modeling. Donn
Monday the 20th the first meeting of the new year introduced a few new things to the club. There were 36 people present and 2 new members joined. Please welcome John Black and Paul Cohen. Yearly club dues of $25 were collected, those who didn't pay can pay next month or do it online on our website https://pelikanmodelclub.org/ Some folks brought in Raffle donations for our upcoming Pelicon 2025 this April. There was an open theme this month, next month it will be a North African/Middle East Theme. Themes are posted here on this "Club Happenings" page. We will be doing the same point system for modeler of the month and modeler of the year that we used last year. The top 5 modelers in points will get gift certificates.
The convention Pelicon 2025 was discussed, it is only 3 months away and we will need judges and volunteers when the time is here. Also, don't forget we need more models for the kit raffle at the Con, so look through your stash.
The "Survey" VP Ozzie sent out was discussed, and the results are posted under "Club Happenings." (below) It was discussed that the club doesn't use "Roberts Rules of Order" We want to keep the meeting orderly but fun. It was agreed that we should try to shorten the length of the Show & Tell unless we have extra time, as we have to adjourn by 9 p.m. We also discussed keeping the talking noise levels down, as the acoustics are bad in the room with the number of people we have. There is too much cross-talk at the round tables. We need to be more considerate when people have the floor. We talked about doing the occasional demo time permitting either before the meeting starts or during the middle of the voting session. Many of us are at the meeting by 6:30 or earlier. Anyway, that's all I got, next month's theme is North Africa, see you then. Happy Modeling. Donn