RPM MODEL CLUB NEWSLETTER - Racing Plastic Modelers

RPM MODEL CLUB! JUNE 2012
NEWSLETTER
Presidents Message, June 2012
By Scott Harvieux
Hi everyone! First of all, I want to thank all those who participated and helped out at the NNL. The
total number of models was 380, which was up from last year! Also, Congratulations to the Top Ten
winners! Especially our buddy Mike Klessig, from Milwaukee, for winning the RPM Best Competition
Vehicle.
As we hit summertime and the low point of model building season, I hope you are all staying busy
doing stuff outside. Most of us are probably looking forward to all the various car shows around our
area. Hell, there is at least one every weekend! Here is a link to a pretty good list of car shows and
ongoing weekly cruises and events:
http://www.autoswalk.com/index.php?Itemid=&option=com_joomlistings&c=search&task=search&jlkeyword=+&sid%5b
%5d=2&region=2&location_id=24&month=6
There's nothing like a good show to get the old juices flowing again, so check one out! Also, if you're
interested, a little write-up for the newsletter or website about the event you attended would be
welcome material for Jim or Don!
Memories From the Back to the Fifties Show (circa mid to late 1990s):
I believe it was on the Saturday of this iconic Twin Cities event that I called Tom Thoren and asked if
he wanted to attend the show that day. Since it always gets insanely crowded, I asked him if he wanted
to go early to avoid the rush. He agreed and I met him at his house and he drove us in his two-toned
green 1956 Chevy. His son and daughter, in their mid-teens at that time, also came along. After a
couple of hours, my cheeks were sore from laughing so much! (As they often do in Tom's presence.)
This event was the first time we ever saw “Car Testicles”. (You know, when someone takes a women's
pantyhose leg, places two oranges in it, and hangs this “package” from the rear undercarriage!) Of
course, knowing Tom and me, you can imagine the embellishments we thought of, such as: winding
blue electrical wire around the oranges to simulate veins, or frozen peas to make green warts etc.. As
funny as this all was, and typical of Tom and I, it was nothing compared to what was about to conspire.
As we were inside the grandstand, I spotted “Mike the Nerd” carrying his light blue cosmetic case
and all (Since most of you are old time Twin City model builders I won't bother to explain, for you know
EXACTLY who I am talking about! And those who don't can only imagine!) Like a dumb ass, I said to
Tom, "Let's go say 'Hi'."
Well, you know what happened next, don’t you? He followed us around for the next hour or two, taking
waaaaaay too much time gawking and bothering the people in booths and by their cars. Then finally,
Tony (Tom's son) said, “Let's ditch this sucker.”
So as Mike was pestering a car owner along one of the streets next to the grandstand, we took off,
running at the speed of light! (Tom and I were much thinner back then.) We crouched down below the
height of the open car hoods, and sprinted all the way to the parking area. All four of us were laughing
so hard that I think we gave ourselves hernias! As we looked back into the crowd we did not see him
following so we considered it a success.
In fact, I think until this very day Mike is still standing there, wondering where we went!
That’s all I got for you this month. I will see you at the meeting!
! PAGE 2