William B, Dick D, Tony F, Steve H, Bill H, Henry H, Chris K, Chris L, Jason M, Mike O, Reedis T, John W, Norm W were present. We welcomed back Keith L and Paul M, as well as welcoming Henry’s guest Kimberly. We also welcomed John and Nora F as new members of CAMS. We’re thrilled to have you join us, John and Nora.
Dick reminded everyone of the Silent Auction and medal stands available in the back.
Tony had nothing to report as Vice-president
Chris L gave the Treasurer report, stating our balance remains above $500. The transition to Mike O as treasurer is scheduled for tomorrow.
Chris L also reported as R4 Coordinator that a chapter has rejoined IPMS/USA for the first time in over a decade. His deadline for nominations for R4 awards is March 15.
Dick gave a quick review of the Tim Ridout Challenge, hosted by West Michigan. Our first year there we were responsible for awards, last year for raffle. He said the Exec. Board opted that this year CAMS would be responsible for registration, which includes tallying the popular votes. Dick encouraged members to plan on attending June 13 as a casual way to meet members of West Michigan, Kalamazoo and Muskegon.
Dick also gave a quick review of upcoming events:
* 2026 Mad City Modelers’ Annual Contest, Madison, WI, March 7
* TRICon – Three Rivers IPMS, Allison Park PA, March 21, 2026
* Model Con 419, Perrysburg, OH, April 18
* Stark Scale Model Show, Massillon, OH, April 18
* SEMMEX, Sterling Heights, MI, April 25
* WrightCon 26, Wright Field Scale Modelers, Dayton, OH, April 26
He reminded everyone that Chris K keeps the list of events updated on our web site.
Dick reviewed the afternoon presentation of the Army Guard display on Feb. 10 and showed the Certificate of Appreciation given to CAMS by the commander. Chris K reported there were 5 at the build night at Evolution Games, Wed., Feb. 18. Members of the 2026 planning committee attended BlizzCon, Hilliard, OH, on Feb. 21 to promote the national convention; Tony said it was a very nice event. Dick reminded everyone the next build night is at AFK Games, March 18. It was decided to schedule the April build night at the Lansing Makers Network on Wednesday, the 15th. Dick said he will verify with them and notify everyone. Chris K is going to reach out to Tanuki’s at their new location and ask about build nights in the future.
Tony reported that volunteer sign-up for the Ft. Wayne Convention has hit approximately 80% coverage and that CAMS has scheduled approximately 100 volunteer hours. It will be possible to volunteer for open slots during the convention.
Chris L gave a presentation about challenge poker chips, which are often seen at shows. Individuals place them by entries they especially like as a way of complimenting the work. He proposed buying some customized chips with the CAMS logo. All agreed to an initial order of 200 chips for approximately $150; Chris L will follow through. Norm suggested we might limit that members not hand out more than, say, 5 at any one show.
Dick encouraged everyone to take our CAMS cards and talked about how he distributes them at hobby stores and book stores. This led to lots of discussion and laughter.
Henry showed his recent Steam Punk beetle build, demonstrating how the wings flap and the body lights with LED. He said the kit took about a day to build. It’s from ROKR (https://www.rokronline.com/) which makes a wide selection of kits, many available through Amazon and Walmart.
Dick reminded everyone that the focus next month is on member’s individual workspace. He encouraged everyone to send pictures of modeling space to Brad, who will compile them for a slide presentation. Members will narrate the photos and we can gain ideas from one another. In May, Brad will show and explain the interior of Tiger I he is building before it’s buttoned up and invisible. Dick said, for June, he is suggesting members bring a completed project. He hopes to have information on judging from Mid-Michigan and West Michigan to share and discuss, then review our examples as per those judging standards.
The rest of the evening was devoted to Norm’s excellent and very thorough presentation on 3D printing. He distributed lots of information for those who are interested in exploring this, and showed examples of successes and failures.
Our next meeting is Thursday, April 9, at 6:30.
Capital Area Modelers Society 