IPMS LogoInternational Plastic Modelers' Society / USA

IPMS LogoInternational Plastic Modelers' Society / USA

IPMS LogoIPMS/USA

IPMS LogoIPMS/USA

We have received this letter from Paul O'Reilly of IPMS/Victoria Scale Modelers in Vancouver, BC, one of our Region 13 Chapters. As you can see, the insurance coverage that IPMS/USA provides is a great help to Chapters hosting a contest. 

With this information, membership alone to IPMS/USA will help you out as a Chapter. 

Attached is the application for insurance for our event scheduled for 18 September 2010. While we intend to have a contest every year at this time (the Saturday after the second Monday of the month) we were unable to last year due to greatly increased insurance costs and venue rental fees. Thanks to IPMS/USA and the fact we've registered ourselves as a not-for-profit organization we've been able to reduce the costs substantially. I'm not sure if other clubs have has similar problems but the insurance coverage offered by IPMS/USA should be shouted from the roof tops to those doubting the efficacy of the organization! The Contest Director, Tim Cotey, is listed as an Information Addressee above should you wish to contact him directly.

In explanation - the insurance costs were preventing us from running our annual contest to the point we were going to run them every other year. Six years ago we got insurance for $100 then it went up to $175 then $200, $400 and the killer was the $1,000 bill two years ago. At the same time the venues were upping their fees, too. As we were not registered as a not-for-profit club they decided to charge us fees commensurate with a commercial operation. The registration as a not-for-profit club was completed last year and the venue fees dropped by 50%. With the insurance coverage from IPMS/USA our insurance costs fell from crushing to non-existent. For this reason alone I think it would be wise for IPMS/USA to point this issue out to all the non-believers that refuse to see the benefit in joining. I'm not sure if the other IPMS organizations also have insurance coverage but I do know IPMS Canada does not. It would be interesting to find out, though and see how IPMS fairs on that subject. I did check to make sure the IPMS insurance coverage would be valid here in Canada and it is so there might be an attraction to non-USA clubs to join via Region 13 membership. 

Please ensure the covering letter includes the following organizations: 

The Memorial Park Society, 
Mary Winspear Centre @ Sanscha 
2243 Beacon Ave, Sidney, BC, V8L 1W9 Canada 
ph: 1-250-656-0275 

Paul O'Reilly 
Chapter Contact 
Victoria Scale Modellers 

Tim Darrah 
Director of Local Chapters