IPMS/USA is the national organization for scale modelers in the U.S. In addition to publishing the IPMS/USA Journal six times a year and organizing the IPMS/USA National Contest and Convention, the organization does other things behind the scenes that make the hobby more fun and help to ensure its survival and growth.
Perhaps the most important thing IPMS/USA does is to provide an insurance policy for every IPMS/USA-sanctioned event or meeting in the U.S. In many parts of the country, securing a site for a meeting or a contest requires insurance as a first step. Clubs affiliated with IPMS/USA get this through the organization; without this service, clubs would have to go and secure a policy on their own. The result would be far more expensive than the small amount IPMS/USA asks to charter a chapter ($10!) and it would require volunteers at every club to hunt down a policy on their own. The upshot of this: there would be far fewer clubs, club meetings or contests without the basic insurance coverage provided by the IPMS. If you go to a model contest or club meeting and enjoy yourself, you should thank a member of the IPMS/USA; their dues helped make your fun possible.
The organization also targets newcomers to the hobby through its make-and-take program. In the past, these have focused on children, but new programs are aimed at adults returning to the hobby or starting modeling for the first time.
The benefits of belonging to the organization are many. You’ll get the Journal mailed to your home every other month, and you’ll get a discount at some contests. You’ll be able to enter the IPMS/USA nationals, if you’re so inclined. Most of all, though, you will be showing support for a 5000-member organization whose sole goal is to make the hobby bigger, better and more enjoyable for all modelers. Please join us in helping to spread the fun of scale modeling!
Want to know more? Click here to see what the IPMS/USA site says.
Ready to join? Click here to go to the membership page or the IPMS/USA home page.