By now, you're
probably read the article posted by Steve B. and Frank Crenshaw in yesterday's
update, which focused on the outstanding work displayed by the Juniors at the
2006 IPMS/USA National Convention. What you haven't seen yet is any of the
work done by the pre-teen modelers, who were also very well represented at the
show. Unfortunately, we didn't get the opportunity to speak with too many
of the pre-teen modelers, but I did have the distinct pleasure of meeting
twelve-year-old modeler Calvin Neuman. Calvin and his dad attended the ARC
seminar on Friday, and we got to talking about his models on display, which he
assured me were "pretty good". I told him to find me in the
contest room, and I'd grab some pictures of his models to post at ARC.
As luck would have
it, I met up with Calvin and his dad the next day at the Juniors table.
Now, keep in mind that Calvin had already told me that his models were pretty
good, but I have to tell you, I was somewhat taken aback - they were extremely
well done! As I commented to Calvin's dad, my models were nowhere near as
Calvin's when I was his age, and I was truly impressed with his work.
Calvin had three
entries in the show, all in 1/72. He entered a Hasegawa Bf-109, an
Academy P-40B in Soviet Markings, and a Matchbox P-38 Lightning. His
entries were all very well done, and it's obvious that he really pays
attention to detail, According to Dad, "that boy is motivated",
and you could see how proud that David was of young Calvin. |
Click on
image below to see larger image
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I think the thing that impressed me
the most was the fact that a twelve year old boy had the courage and motivation
to show his models in public (most of us wouldn't at that age), and was
interested enough in the hobby to attend a National Convention with his dad.
Not that he had anything to worry about, mind you; his models were top-notch.
Calvin even took home a medal for his P-38, which was well-deserved. Calvin is a
very bright and enthusiastic young man, and I was impressed at how polite and
articulate he was. I was also very impressed at how genuinely interested
he is in the hobby. He obviously likes what he does, because as the photos
show, he is very good at it! Below, you can see his models in a bit closer
detail, and I think you'll agree that this young man is well on his way. I
think that we'd all better watch out in another few years!
Finally, for all of
those who lament about the future of the hobby, I think we can breathe a sigh of
relief. With up and coming modelers like Calvin turning the corner, I
think that the future of the hobby is quite safe indeed. Congratulations
to Calvin and ALL of the Pre-Teen and Junior Modelers who participated in the
contest. I think that the KC staff should be highly commended for their
support of the Juniors and Pre-Teens, and as a collective, this is one of the
most important things that we can do to promote the hobby. The world needs
more kids like Calvin to put down the Xbox controller, take up the mantle, and
keep building - he is a fine young man, and a credit to the hobby. I look
forward to seeing more of his work in the future, and hopefully, he'll consider
writing some article for ARC to show off his completed models.
In closing, I would
be remiss if I didn't mention that I was impressed by all of the Junior
and pre-teen entries that I saw in Kansas City. To be honest, I think that
we're all going to be in trouble in a few years, because these kids can really
build! Unfortunately, I don't have any information on any of the other
pre-teen modelers that attended or competed. I did see some models that
really caught my eye, though. If any of the pre-teens or Juniors who
weren't showcased in these articles would like to send in pictures of their
work, by all means, please send in your articles to Steve Bamford....mention
you're a Junior modeler in the subject line of your e-mail and the article will
be fast-tracked and will get on ARC very quickly. A Junior modeler to us
is anyone under 18 years old. We'd
really like to hear from all of you!
Steve
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