Well thats the story .

Since i live in an isolated island with no more than 2000 people and no many choices or options ofr the kids to do things outside school and lessons and some sports, and wanting to keep them aside from "bad things" (u know what i mean ) along with a friend that i "infected" with the modelling virus (FOSTIRAS in Armorama), we decided to start a Modelling Club here in IOS Island.

As kids are no modellers yet , it will be mostly teaching seminars and progressing as a club . So far the Elementary Scholl director has gladly agreed on the idea and gave us a nice place to host the club. Also i will at start use some of my spares (most of them received by Armorama Help !!) to get the guys started on building some things and , they ll go onward on themshelves after this.

So tommorow the first introducing lesson starts and we will be dating 2wice a week for a 2-3 hours period.
I ve already prepared some pps presentation, and some study notes on glossary for modelling , and will show them some finished stuff, pictures of other guys models and talk in many issues i have already stabilized and prepared.

We will also give every one a first care pack from 1 cd of 400 pictures of good models of all kinds, 1 modelling knife , 1 tube of glue and some sanding papers, to trigger them on the idea, and rthey ll also get the members club card (with the Armorama logo of course on it !!!!!)

As is evident lessons and all organization will be free of charges and guys that will be mostly 8-15 years old school kids will get their own things to build and they ll get endless help from me. I also plan to get them on educational excursions to the mountains and beaches to teach them gathering natural materials for dios, shooting pictures to have as reference and many other ideas like these.

Later on and if the idea is catchy we plan to extend it to figurepainting lessons for adults hoping that in the future we will be a multimember club .

Also i plan to get all these guys , young and old as members in Armorama , with the obvious benefits for them , and for the site (increasing members)

So just wanted to share this with u , and listen ur thoughts on this.

Also i wanted to have some feedback on ideas , how to make it more attractive and things that u think i could add to make it more full and interesting and maybe easier for the kids.

I am really excited on this one , and dealing more than 17 years now with kids, teaching them after school private lessons (Physics, Maths, Computers, Chemistry), i have for sure a way of getting in touch with them and feed them with the knowledge.. So i wish i ll o ffer them the alternative i have in mind and get some good modellers of them .

I ll appreciate all comments and help on my idea .
I plan to keep the site updated on our activities (if thats interesting to u , and post pictures of the builds and all )
Later this day if the memeber's card is ready i ll post a copy of it for u to see it
Thanks in advance

Costas

well done Costas. If you need anything in the way of help from this side of the world just yell.......on second thoughts better email me as I am a bit deaf :-)

That sounds absolutely wonderful Costas. With your expertise and devotion to this wonderful hobby, I'm sure you will soon have a handfull of modelingwizards on your Island.
I don't have any specific ideas right now, but will get back to you, if any pop up.
Best of luck with this fantastic project

hi Costas;
Thats a very good idea.I know Modellingand Kids are 2 things that all members of Armorama give the highest attention.Now you have a very good project including both of them...and it is really an honor to hear that IOS modelling club will be related to Armorama.kids having the Armorama logo ID card will be our members very soon or when grow up, it is good to know our future will be in good hands.
My friend; to support your project (i felt i can not stay silent on that when it is related to Armorama ) ; i will quickly check my stocks to find a few easy-built model kits that I will never built and will send them to you as soon as possible. I believe there will be other modelers to support this project too.
Who knows maybe this project will be interesting for more of us and we will have worldwide Armorama Kids Clubs in years.
I wish you luck on that my friend.

Thanks a lot Engin for ur all time and in everything support !!!

I really believe that the hobby must have a future , and this one is kids of the early school age. So what best from leading them to check a hobby they might dont even knew it existed ?

I am so excited on this one and i trully believe i can make it happen .
I wish that this idea will have some followers in all kinds of world especially people over 25 -30 that have experience in modelling and good will in guiding youngsters

Costas

Costas that is a wonderful idea I wish some one would do that down here.
One suggestion I do have though is try and make things as interesting as possible for the kids as you know us kids can have short attention spans hehe :-)

Bro that is excellent news and of course anything Mary and I can do just let us know. Cheers Kevin

Good thinking, Brother Cos....

If there's anything I can do for this project, let me know, and I'll try to help where I can!!

Greetz, John.

I'm sure I can find a few things laying about that I would have no problem sending you on this noble adventure....

Well done Costas, good to see somebody make an effort. I hope the club will be a succes, and that many good modelers will be 'discovered'.

Henk

Hello Costas!!

That's a very nice gesture you are making and the Kids and their parents will notice some changes!

I had teached 11-15 year old kids as an extra school activity, for three years (1995-98) and I can give you some advice...

The first thing that I usualy use to do was to show them built models, some of my own (it's always good to have a "real" subject that they can see and look around and teaching them also that you don't touch others models) but mainly from catalogs or pictures that I had taken - no Armorama then!! - and show them what they could accomplish with a little work, method and preserverance!
Another thing that I had to cope with was their lack of "waiting periods" for paint to dry properly - so I started to change the paints to acrylics - safer for them too.
Teach them how to use a x-acto blade properly!
Teach them how to paint - paint in the same direction, using all the brush, not only the tip, apply long strokes, not wirl around and so on - think that most of the things that we have for granted, they just don't know yet.

Models should be easy builts (for the smaller kids)!
Once a new kid dropped by, and he wanted to build something on that day - I had no spares there, so I put him next to one of the "good kids", so that he could see what was the usual procedures, and told him that on the next week (this was on saturday afternoons 14:00 to 18:30 - 30 kids divided in two classes) he must brought a model that he would like...
So the next saturday he appeared with a Revell Germany 1/48 Junkers Ju-88!!! A box almost as big as him - I asked him if he had openned the box, he answered "no" with the glowing in the eyes please please, can I open it right now?? expression.
I concurred, he opened the box and said: Oh my God!! I am not going to be able to put it together today!!!
This was my fault because I didn't tell him what kind of model he should bring.... That day I had a back-up model for him!!!

Try to keep the progress of each Kid updated! Tell them to pay attention to instructions and to recognise the parts and where they fit and how they fit - this way a few mistakes can be avoided!

I used to give in the end of the school year a diploma of accomplishment (actualy it was just an A4 sheet with the school symbol, a few words of encouragement and the name of the Kid, and with my signature), and two special awards (again A4 sheets...) for the most well build model and for the surprise kid modeler, or best effort!

Let me explain: this last "award" was given to the kid who just had the capacity of surprising me. I had several little terrors in the class, but always tryed to not give them too much importance, otherwise the hell would break loose!!!!
One of the kids was one of those! Bad grades, lack of attention, easily distracted, parents just divorced.... and so on. But during that year, he was abble to build a Revell 1/72 P-47D, and a Hawker Hurricane also 1/72 and for a 12 year old they were very good (I wish when I was 12).
As a result this kid on the next year came with a completely different attitude: respect, concentration and focus and he even helped me when others started to make a mess!!!

Well this is already too long Costas, if there's anything that I can help with, please ask - That's all you need to do!!!!

Good luck with this BIG PROJECT,

Skipper

Wonderful idea Costas
congratulations
besides other ideas that other people give I suggest that may be some architectural model from you city/ town can be a good idea for these boys. I´m sure that near you have a church, a house, etc . that can be easy reproduced. In my experience with my sons probe succeful... and if you need cork for this, please give me a touch

Carlos

Thanks a lot for ur support guys . I really really appreciate it . Rui thanks a lot for ur detailed experience , this will be great help fpr me in the process and i ll read this many times !!!! be sure


Dear Carlos i have some very good examples of arcitectural samples in my island as 365 different churches , and also the very very good windmills and some old stonehouses. So i plan to keep an eye on this section also.


I wanna thank all supporting guys and also please come more with ur ideas fore this one

Costas

Costas, thats a great thing you're doing there, and if any of the bits I sent end up being used for the kids then I'm quite ok about it - I may even be able to find some more in a while when I have a clear-out!

That was a GOOD idea and came true by a GOOD FRIEND. He generously gave his time and effort for this project and created a wonderful ID card with his great imagination,creativity and skills.
....and I introduce you Herr Robert FAUST Blokker and his IOS Modelling Club ID Card.



Thanks a lot brother.

Costas you are really a good guy,

to learn them the modeling skills and keep them that way of the streets were all the" bad things" happen.

Greetz Rob!

That is an Excellent idea my Brother!

Knowing how easy was to you to help me online when i started, im sure we can expect a "flood" of young talented modelers from a certain island in greece!!! :-)

Good luck with yous club!

As soon as its financialy possible, i think in February, a small package of help for the club will knock on your door I cant figure a better way to spend "modeling pocket" than on some kids

Well guys thanks a lot for this warm hug on the effort .
I want to THANK from my heart Robert Blokker "FAUST" for his immidiate response on my even thinking of a members card . One afternoon we were thinkin of it , next morning i had it ready !!!!!.
Thanks a lot Robert , and also Engin for catcin me up on posting it !!!

Costas