ORANGECON 2017.

[speedgraflex]

The Flyer.



p.2



Who will be there from amongst the SoCal Branch of SPA Modeler? Dangnabbit if I saw this earlier I would build the Galileo 7 for the theme contest!

[Stikpusher]

I gotta work that day, so I'm not going. But I'm pretty sure that Mark will be there...

[speedgraflex]

Bummer, Carlos. One of these days we will all meet! It would be amazing to bring us all together somewhere at the same time.

[Stikpusher]

Maybe next year for this. It is an annual event. Or hopefully you can make one of the chapter meetings that Mark and I can both attend.

[Duke Maddog]

Bruce, I will be there at Orangecon. I'll be wearing my club shirt with the name "the Duke" emblazoned over the right pocket. Orangecon this year will be held in conjunction with a tabletop gaming convention in the next room. I'll be working the game convention on Sunday the next day since the game convention is a two-day long event.

Bruce, even though yo may not feel you are qualified, I invite you to join us for judging. We could pair up; our club always adds a novice judge to two experienced judges so that the new person learns. We do serve lunch to our judges too. Still, judging the models helps teach you and opens your eyes to situations that you learn to see which only increases your skills and techniques.

Or you could go and check out the games in the next room while the room is closed for judging....

As for meeting us together during meetings we go to; I attend three events, two of which Carlos also attends.

One is St. Crispin's Irregulars Hobby Day which actually a two-day event starting on the Friday before the second Saturday of every month. I go down and open the Hall to set up and then the whole rest of the day we are open for model building and gaming. The next day (Saturday) Harmon opens the Hall at 8:00AM and we do it all over again. Hobby Day is free; we do charge for lunch on Saturday but it is very reasonable. So far, Carlos has not attended one of those. Maybe after he retires....

On the same Saturday as Hobby Day, So Cal AMPS is also going on from 4:00PM to 8:00PM at Frye's Signs in Garden Grove. I sometimes pull away from Hobby Day to attend that. Carlos is always there when he is not working.

On the following Friday (the third Friday of the month) is the IPMS Orange County club meetings at the La Quinta Inn in Buena Park. Those meetings go from 7:00PM to 10:00PM and Carlos attends those when he is not working. That is the club that will be hosting Orangecon.

So come on down Bruce! At least you'll be able to meet one of us, and you'll be able to see some of my work in person. I do hope you can make it.

[speedgraflex]

Duke,

Happy Friday, sir. I am always excited to see the message alerts from SPA Modeler appear, and I am especially excited right now. I finally researched St Crispin's Irregulars (well, at least I read the mission statement online), which was a kind of wonderful moment for me, so thank you and thank Mr Harmon Ward if he is the author or co-author of that statement.

Yesterday I started peeking at Orangcon and Orange IPMS. I saw your "700" as part of the slide show, as well as a great photo of you in the shirt you mentioned. That was a good moment, because you were in your element when that photo was taken.

Boy I don't know if I am able to craft a response that equals the qualities in yours, but I will go for it. Um, okay. Let's see.

If I am free next Saturday, I will let you know by Sunday the 24th. As a fellow freelancer, you are well aware of the weekly scramble followed by the weekend of work, and I know Carlos is well aware of having shifts for days and holidays so yes we are all in the same boat.

I sincerely appreciate the idea of assisting you as a judge, and would really like to do that if I am able to be there. What you wrote about learning definitely applies. That was a most eloquent part of your writing. Again, I will let you know by Sunday, the 24th.

I have to mention candidly that you and Carlos are outstanding individuals whose connection to model building runs deep. My girlfriend told me a story of the daughter of Parisian bread makers who suddenly had to take over the business when her parents were killed in an accident. The long established bakers who worked with her parents were won over to the newcomer by her commitment to the company built by her parents. As one of the bakers put it, "She has flour in her veins," which is high praise indeeed.

Although this is a hobby, I feel your commitment to developing and maintaining fellowship is one of the strongest I have encountered to date. That is my high praise.

[Stikpusher]

Yeah we are a bunch of addicts when it comes to this hobby! Thankfully it is a legal addiction... although it can get pricey!

Bruce, I do hope that you make it to Orangecon and get hooked on our Chapter like I did. They are a great bunch of guys!

[Duke Maddog]

Bruce I do believe you have achieved the same elegance in your words that you attribute to mine. That was a wonderful response and I do hope that you can attend any and all events I mentioned. Harmon wrote the mission statement for St. Crispin's and I shall pass on your words to him. I do hope that you can come down and also tell him in person.

I'll be looking forward to hearing from you tomorrow.