District I Report - 2009/08
Art Alfano Scale Show
On March 29, 2009, I attended the Art Alfano Scale Show at the Congregational Church in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. I have attended this event on several occasions and each year it just gets better. This year Art celebrated his 20th year of hosting the event for his AMA club, the 495th R/C Squadron.
This has always been an invitational event, and its success depends on Art’s relationships and knowledge of the very best scale builders in New England and their superb models. Considerable effort and planning go into the invitations to provide a variety of masterfully built models for the show.
Nearly every type, category, and era of scale models filled two large rooms, including:
- Monoplanes
- Biplanes
- Triplanes
- Sport aircraft
- Civilian aircraft
- Warbirds
- Exceptional model boats
A venue of this type allows AMA members with similar interests in scale modeling to view the craftsmanship of the district's very best builders and to engage in discussions that lead to a sharing of ideas and construction techniques.
Ultimately, this special event helps ensure the future of this very important area of our hobby-sport: scale model building. There is recognition that, in spite of the market for ready-built models, there will always be people—such as those in attendance at this event—who find that building models is the most enjoyable aspect of the sport.
I am sure that Art’s events have inspired and motivated many to discover the rewards and pleasure of building scale models. To add to the celebration, it was my pleasure, on behalf of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, to present to Art a beautifully engraved plaque inscribed with: "This AMA District I Appreciation award is presented to Arthur Alfano for twenty years of advancing the mission of the AMA by Bringing Modelers Together at events that promote the sport of aeromodeling," and a cash award of $100.
Art is part of the small community of AMA members who volunteer their time and energy year after year to plan, promote, and run events for the enjoyment of others. These are special people whose efforts deserve recognition.
Congratulations, Art!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
