Well, a few weeks after the foot-in-mouth editorial from the current IPMS USA president, there is a more neutral write up to IPMS members.
( Image is the Logo of IPMS USA, and is only used to identify that branch of IPMS, for opinion piece only. )
Found on Facebook, which I have cut and paste below:
The International Plastic Modelers Society - USA Branch
Executive Board Statement
June 14, 2023
To all members of IPMS/USA, and the greater scale modeling hobby community:
Our President, Dave Lockhart, recently offered an editorial intended to emphasize the supportive partnership history of IPMS/USA within the hobby, to motivate scale modelers to consider the benefits offered by joining our organization, and to urge the membership to more fully participate in all that IPMS/USA has to offer. Unfortunately, his choice of words clearly missed the intent (*1), and he offered a sincere apology (*2) upon realizing the mistake.
Our hobby is rapidly growing. It’s also expanding exponentially in subject matter and technology to include a broad new generation of modelers. We realize that messaging is generational in its nature and takes time and contemplation to fully resolve. The Board supports David Lockhart in his continued long service to our organization and the hobby. We discussed the necessity of committing to a more welcoming message from IPMS/USA to the broader hobby community, and an appreciative thanks to our membership for their support. We’re working together to get that message out to everyone involved.
If you’re a scale modeler of any subject matter, and particularly one who prefers to model newer, non-traditional modeling genres such as Gundam/Gunpla, Mecha, MaK, Anime and other Science Fiction subjects, we welcome you. We also encourage you to consider attending the IPMS/USA National Convention to be held August 2-5, 2023 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center in San Marcos, Texas this summer. You do not have to be a member of IPMS/USA to attend this event. Whether you choose to attend for a day, or for the full convention, we think you’ll discover a welcoming community of modelers that will immerse you in all the things we love about this hobby of ours. We trust you’ll leave the experience fully motivated by world-class contest models, how-to seminars, demonstrations, all the newest and some older classic product offerings from the world’s largest 4-day hobby shop, and most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to form new relationships with friends that share your passion for the hobby and new direction for IPMS/USA.
We encourage the membership, and those of you from the larger hobby community to join in this new commitment from IPMS/USA to make our organization more welcoming and valuable to all modelers. We look forward to hearing your ideas about how our Society can continue to grow and evolve along with the modeling community we are a part of. You have our assurance we welcome all modelers and listen to all voices.
Sincerely,
The IPMS/USA Executive Board
The International Plastic Modelers Society – USA Branch
By Modelers … for ALL Modelers.
(*1) Called paid up members freeloaders.....
(*2) That apology wasn't an apology like any I'd seen before. Missing was "I'd like to apologise for the poor choice of words...". Instead it was a justification of being unfamiliar with the 21st century social media.
I still shake my head..... the most important part is to capture the reader in the first sentence. I still don't care about the president: the opening should be
'Recently the President released an editorial intended to emphasise the supportive partnership of IPMS to the hobby, and we'd like to you all within the modelling community, to join in IPMS/USA to have your opinion heard."
Followed by a call to action, benefits (still missing from this release) so I think its more of a dated approach to retain current membership.
Reading the comments, there's a call to embrace more younger modellers the genres of Gundam and Mecha. A lot of gatekeeping too.
So there's an antique attitude that out of sync with the current model reality; 3D printed models, designed in 3D programs, plus a minor mention of paper and cardboard modelling.
At least it's been run past others for tone, but still, it lacks any kind of appeal or benefit, just a kind of 'please join us...' for reasons that aren't clear or mentioned.
The Nationals are the big contest, moves from city to city, and in 2022*, only 1 city (IPMS club) put forth a bid to host the nationals. That speaks to a degree of wariness and weariness in putting effort in for bidding to host the nationals.
It may not be the prestige event they think, and it's still in competition with the American Wonderfest contest, and the AMPS nationals.
Having been a trained speaker form Toastmasters, Rostrum, and then the local club secretary and then president, I know what good communication is.
This is an OK effort(at best) , yet the outdated feeling of an old establishment trying to sound relevant, is how this comes across to me.
That's my thoughts on this Public Relations situation.
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