2026 MPC Communications Honors

Yesterday morning (20 May), I came to Janice Denham's house in Kirkwood to pick up my Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) 2026 Communications Contest awards. Den ham is co-president of MPC. The awards were presented one week before, but I was unable to attend the awards luncheon due to a St. Louis CITY SC match early that afternoon.

All five items I submitted for the contest were winners. I earned two First Place awards, and one each of Second Place, Third Place, and Honorable Mention. One of the Firsts was for editing The Arch Scaler News, the monthly member newsletter of the Gateway Chapter of the International Plastic Modelers' Society (IPMS) in St. Louis. I submitted the October 2025 issue for consideration here.

One of the MPC judges commented on that submission: "One of the best organized newsletters I've seen/ The news is clear to read, and the array of model photos is easy to browse through. The meeting's minutes are long, but they are presented in an organized way." 

The other First Place award I received was for writing and distributing the press release for last September's Gateway Regional Model Contest and Vendor Fair in Affton. For this category, I submitted a statement of purpose for the release and some screenshots of websites where the release appeared along with the release itself. The judge wrote about my entry: "The writing is clear, concise and informative. There is nothing wrong with that!" The judge suggested leading with what this contest was about and perhaps showing the range of competitions to help readers envision the event. 

A build article I wrote for The Arch Scaler News earned Second Place in its category. "'Vengeance' of an Old Kit: Building Frog's 1:72 Vultee Vengeance Mk. II" ran late last year. The contest judge remarked: "Author narrated their experience of building this model wonderfully, and explained the kit very well. I found it interesting even though I'm not a model builder The photos complemented the narrative nicely, too."

Placing Third was another article I wrote: "Trumpeter's 1:72 F-8II 'Finback'-B." This ran in the Asian Air Arms Special Interest Group Newsletter. The judge wrote of this entry: "Well-written article with great background and detail. Photos also compliment the article well throughout." The judge did suggest that I could talk more about how I came across this model, why I built it, and how it was selected. The judge though that I might draw more readers in by adding this content to the article's lead.

Finally, the Honorable Mention was for my blog post "Trivia Night, Museum Tour, and Soccer Refereeing: My Weekend," which I posted here about a year ago. Of this entry, the judge wrote: "Writing is clear and photos help enliven the various scenes." The judge thought I should relate the day's events with what they mean to me or how they connect to the wider world.  That person thought that by digging deeper into my emotions that I will have a blog that can resonate with more readers.

Overall, the judges' comments were fair on all five entries. Having such constructive criticism to go with these awards has been a help to me in the years since I started entering this contest. Certainly, the awards look good on my wall and on the Awards section of my Linkedin profile.

Those two First Place awards are now eligible for honors from the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW), ofn which MPC is an affiliate. The NFPW's Communications Contest awards will be announced at its National Workshop this September in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton

Gateway Chapter IPMS: IPMS Gateway Chapter

Asian Air Arms Special Interest Group: Home | asianairarms

National Federation of Press Women: Home

Catching Up After Over Two Months Away from Here

After over two months since my last post here, I finally got myself to sit down and post up here for you all.

On 14 March, I attended the Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) meeting at the St. Lois Artists' Guild. Patty Prewitt, who had been freed and given clemency in 2024 for the murder of her husband 40 years before, spoke about keeping up hope while in prison through writing. I bought a copy of her 2025 book Trying to Catch Lightning in a Jar: Letter from Prison, which she signed for me. It was quite an interesting program.

In March, I got in touch with a financial advisor from Thrivent, who had reached out to me via LinkedIn. We have met via Zoom and received some recommendations from her regarding my investments. She also set me up with a colleague who does Money Canvas, a three-week online program on budgeting. The second session is this coming week.

On 17 April, I joined Julie, Joan, and few others at a table for Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel's Trivia Night at the Crestwood Community Center. The questions had to do with water and what creatures live there. Out table ended up in the middle of the pack, it was all good fun.

Speaking of Eliot, I served as a greeter on consecutive Sundays (19 and 26 April) for the 11:15 am service. This involves passing out orders of service, getting questionnaires to first-time visitors, collecting and totaling offerings, and helping keep the sanctuary in good order. I really enjoy this volunteering and look forward to doing more in the coming months.

Work has been going well. We have the usual turnover of staff as they move up and on, but business has been good. Last month, I participated in a corporate focus group with other automotive detailers from the St. Louis area, which was most informative and helpful to the group staff.

CITY SC has stumbled through the start of the season. They aren't doing very well, but as a supporter, I must keep hope. Julie has usually gone with me to the home matches as Energizer Park, proceeded by the St. Louligans Street Party at Schlafly Tap Room. We've also gone to away match watch parties at 2nd Shift Brewing. (There's one tonight.) For the latter, Julie has lately been bringing her dog Molly along. 

Julie and I get together just about once a week for dinner, a CITY match, or something else. Our relationship is still going strong.

Matters with scale modeling in general and IPMS Gateway in particular have been fine. I have lately been splitting workbench time among three models: 1:200 scale Artemis I rocket (sister to Artemis II that recently flew four astronauts to the moon and back), a 1:350 heavy cruiser USS San Francisco (given to me by a fellow Gateway member for our club's "buddy build" this year), and a 1:48 F-111A I have rescued from my "shelf of doom."

One week ago (2 May), I worked a morning volunteer shift with the Greater St. Louis Book Fair, a charity used book sale held at the Greensfelder Recreation Complex. I started out straightening the stacks of books as they got moved around on the tables. Later, I helped collect books left in bins by each row of tables for them to be restacked on the appropriate tables.

The next day, I staffed a table for IPMS Gateway at the Midwest Model Vehicle Association Spring Model Car Show at Kirkwood Community Center. I gave out flyers for our club and answered questions visitors had about us.

Things around the house are going well. I have to do some slight repairs as necessary, but overall, the place is holding up well.

Later.

Links to Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton

Thrivent: Why Thrivent | Thrivent

Eliot Unitarian Universalist Chapel: Home

Crestwood Community Center: Crestwood Community Center | Crestwood, MO

St. Louis CITY SC: St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louligans: Saint Louligans – Supporting Soccer in the St. Louis Area – St. Louligans – Supporting St. Louis Soccer

Greater St. Louis Book Fair: Greater St. Louis Book Fair

Greensfelder Recreation Complex: Greensfelder Recreation Complex Ice Rink - St. Louis County Website

IPMS Gateway Chapter: IPMS Gateway Chapter

Midwest Model Vehicle Association: IPMS Gateway Chapter - MMVA Page

2024 Communications Honors from Missouri Professional Communicators

Yesterday (24 May) was a great day for me. After picking up Julie from her place, we went to Fitz's South County for the Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) Communications Contest Celebration. 

I was among ten MPC members who entered this contest, which honored communications work done in 2024. A team of judges evaluated each entry and awarded a place (First, Second, Third, or Honorable Mention), along with making constructive comments about each entry.

After soft drinks and hors d'oeuves, MPC co-president Janice Denham announced the contest results. She recognized each contestant, going in order of number of entries per person (least to most). For each contestant, Denham told of their entries, where they placed, and briefly what the judges thought of those entries.

Denham came to me announced that all six of my entries earned an award. I knew in advance that two of them took First Place, and now I knew which ones. One was the press release announcing last year's Gateway Chapter International Plastic Modelers' Society (IPMS) Invitational. The judges lauded it for presenting information in a clear and concise manner. My other First Place went to the IPMS Gateway Facebook page, which I manage. The judges' comments praised the good quality of photos, the ease of navigating the site, the organization of the galleries, and the impressive page engagement figures.

These and the other First Place winning entries from MPC are eligible for the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Communications Contest. Those results will be announced at the NFPW's Conference this September in Golden, Colorado.

My Editor's Notebook column in the IPMS Gateway newsletter, The Arch Scaler News, earned Second Place. The judges really liked the conversational tone and its positive call to action for members, along with information about upcoming activities. The newsletter itself received Third Place, the judges liking the plentiful good information in it. They did suggest I economize where I can, using fewer but larger photos and keeping out unnecessary words.

I also took Third for my second blog post about last year's IPMS/USA National Convention. The judges thought my writing held up well but wanted more details on the sessions I attended there. Finally, my account of last year's NFPW Conference in St. Louis, which appeared in the newsletter NFPW Agenda, earned an Honorable Mention. The judges liked my "play by play" of the conference.

After the awards were presented and the last congratulations shared, our celebration ended. I asked Julie to take photos of me with the certificates I earned, and she did.

Julie enjoyed being at the celebration and chatting with the other attendees. She was my guest two years ago at this event. After we left Fitz's, I drove Julie home and we parted with a hug and kiss.

After dropping Julie off, I ran off some IPMS Gateway Regional Contest flyers and dropped them off at three hobby shops--Mark Twain Hobby Center, Schaefer's Hobby Shop, and Checkered Flag Hobby Country--before coming home.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in This Post:

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton

Fitz's South County: South County | Fitz's Root Beer

IPMS Gateway Chapter:  IPMS Gateway Chapter

IPMS/USA: IPMS/USA | IPMS/USA Home Page

National Federation of Press Women: Home

Trivia Night, Museum Tour, and Soccer Refereeing: My Weekend

After a busy Friday at work (25 April), I drove to the Crestwood Community Center for the Eliot Chapel Trivia Night. Julie had reserved a table at this fund raiser for her church. Julie's roommate Joan and some others joined us at our table, one of 22 tables of trivia players.

The night's theme was "It's a Jungle Out There," and Julie had plastic sun helmets for our party to wear that night. The night's questions had animal themes. We did fair, finishing in the middle of the pack among the tables. I did have good luck in the raffle, winning a book lover's basket of books, snacks, a mug, and a candle. Overall, a fun night with friends.

Yesterday morning (26 April), I made my way to downtown St. Louis, going around the course for the St. Louis Marathon, to get to Soldiers Memorial Military Museum. There, I joined with several other Missouri Professional Communicators members to get a guided tour of the Museum's current display: "Ghost Soldiers: The Combat Con Artists of WWII." This exhibit, on loan from the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, has been at Soldiers Memorial since last January and will run there until this Memorial Day (26 May). 

I had toured "Ghost Soldiers" last January and found it most interesting to see the efforts of a group of US soldiers in Europe who used inflated vehicles, fake radio traffic, sound effects, and phony generals to confuse the Germans and help the Allies in World War II. (I took these photos during my January visit.)

After the museum tour, I got lunch at QuikTrip, gas for the car at Circle K, and groceries at Walmart.

Early this morning, I drove to the Lou Fusz Athletic Training Center in Earth City, Missouri to referee three matches in the Midwest Invitational Tournament. (This facility was formerly Rams Park, where the National Football League's St. Louis Rams had their practice facility and office before the team returned to Los Angeles.) After checking in at the referee table in the lobby, I made my way to the field where I worked three seven-a-side matches involving boys' teams in the under 8/9 and under 10 age groups. Each match had 25-minute halves, with about 10 minutes between matches, and I was working them alone. Fortunately, the matches went well and there were no serious issues with them.

After my games, I went to a MotoMart convenience store to add air to one of my car's tires, then had lunch at the attached McDonald's. Today, it was the Quarter Pounder with Cheese combo. A satisfying end to my morning.

Relaxing at home after lunch, I was watching the Blues on TV in Gane 4 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Winnipeg Jets. The Blues won 5-1 to even the best of seven series at two games each. (Yes!)

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

Eliot Unitarian Chapel: Home

Crestwood Community Center: Community Center | Crestwood, MO

Soldiers Memorial Military Museum: Soldiers Memorial Military Museum | Find Yourself Here.

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton

Lou Fusz Athletic Training Center: LFA Training Center - Lou Fusz Athletic

MotoMart: Home - MotoMart

McDonald's: McDonald's: Burgers, Fries & More. Quality Ingredients.

2024 NFPW Conference (Part 1)

Last Thursday night after work (20 June), I headed to the St. Louis Artists' Guild for the Welcome Reception of this year's National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Conference. Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC), an affiliate of NFPW, served as the Conference's host. I joined with other MPC members ijmllnn

 welcoming registrants to this event, which had a buffet dinner and wine tasting. Afterward, I helped my colleagues in cleaning up and taking some surplus food and drink home.

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The Conference got well underway the next morning at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac. The day started with a welcome breakfast. First time Conference attendees (including myself) stood up and introduced themselves. We each received a small gift (in my case, a pair of Rome socks). All attendees received a sheet of paper to seek fellow attendees who answered some items on that sheet, such as a current MFPW officer, someone who is retired from work, and a past Communicator of Achievement. The exercise was to help us get to know other attendees well. I completed my sheet the next morning and turned it in for entry in a raffle prize drawing the next day.

Theis was followed by the Keynote Session: "History in the Headlines." Speakers at this session were Lynne Jackson, great-great granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott and president and founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation and Dr. Jody Sowell, president of the Missouri Historical Society and a former assistant professor of journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. Jackson talked of how she helped preserve the memory of her famous ancestors. Sowell presented a talk about St. Louis historical items not generally well known to most people. Both were very interesting speakers.

Before the next program, I went into the room where the Silent Auction took place. I surveyed the items up for bid and started placing bids on items that particularly interested me. Proceeds from this auction will go to the NFPW Education Fund. Already, I was really liking the Conference and the people there.

The lunch program was "AI: Partner or Pestilence?" This panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it affects the news business had three speakers. Mary Ann L. Wymore, partner at UB Greensfelder law firm, adjunct professor of media law at Saint Louis University, and former journalism professor at the University of California-Los Angels. Also participating were Aisha Sultan, family and social change columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and John Stamm, CEO and founder of Hello Citizen, a St. Louis-based firm that enables uses to harness AI in following local government. This was quite a thought-provoking discussion.

I then attended two workshops in the afternoon. First, freelance photographer Rosalind Guy presented "Effective Storytelling through Photography," She talked about how she got into photography 45 years ago and her love of covering positive items in the community.

Then, I took in Anne Shaw Heinrich's presentation "Thriving in Nonprofit PR, Professionally and Personally." She spoke on her long experience working for both organizations and freelance along with balancing work with her family life. It was a very nice talk and I chatted with Heinrich afterward.  She said she would put me in touch with an educational public relations group in Metro St. Louis to help me in my job search.

The late afternoon saw me going through Author's Alley, where several attendees had their books for sale. I bought two books during this time: "Delivering Greatness: How I Found Success...and You Can, Too! by Tom V. Quinn from Connecticut, a personal motivational work; and "Touch," a young adult novel by MPC member Eileen P. Duggan. Both authors autographed their works for me.

I went to the hotel bar for a drink and conversation with MPC's co-presidents, Janice Denham and Deborah Reinhardt, who were major driving forces behind staging this Conference. Then, we headed back to the meeting area for the Communicator of Achievement Banquet. This included a nice dinner and introduction of the five finalists for this lifetime achievement award. The winner was then announced.

This was quite a start to this Conference with more to come the next day. I will tell about that in my next post.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

St. Louis Artists' Guild: St. Louis Artists' Guild (stlouisartistsguild.org)

National Federation of Press Women: Home (nfpw.org)

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton (moprocommunicators.org)

Hilton St. Louis Frontenac: Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel near Creve Coeur, MO

Dred Scott Heritage Foundation: Dred Scott Lives | The Official Site of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation

Missouri Historical Society: Missouri Historical Society | Find Yourself Here. (mohistory.org)

UB Greensfelder: UB Greensfelder — Attorneys at Law (ubglaw.com)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Breaking News | Read St. Louis, MO and Missouri breaking news. Get latest news, events and information on Missouri sports, weather, entertainment and lifestyles. (stltoday.com)

Hello Citizen: Hello Citizen - Home - Hello Citizen

Rosalind Guy: (8) Rosalind Guy | LinkedIn

Anne Shaw Heinrich: (8) Anne (Shaw) Heinrich | LinkedIn

Tom V. Quinn: Tom V. Quinn (tomvquinn.com)

Eileen P. Duggan: Versatiliosity | A cafeterious selection of nonfiction, fiction, essays and feature articles (wordpress.com)

2024 NFPW Conference (Part 2)

I was back at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac on Saturday morning (22 June) for the concluding day of the 2024 National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Conference, hosted by Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC). 

It started with a buffet breakfast and a presentation from Colorado Press Women (CPW), the host affiliate for the 2025 Conference in Golden, Colorado. CPW's Karen Petersen and Gay Porter DeNileon talked about Golden and the nearby area and how they plan to host a successful conference in September of 2025. Each table in the room had a Colorado flag and some Colorado rocks as centerpieces, with Golden tourism information at each seating place. If things work out for me, I would like to be at the 2025 Conference.

This was followed by a roundtable hosted by NFPW President Julie Campbell, titled "The Challenges of Local Journalism." There were three panelists involved in local media who talked about the challenges they face in providing quality news coverage for their audiences. On the panel were: Jacqueline Duty, publisher of the Collinsville (Illinois) Daily News; Nancy Krier, former attorney and open government ombudsperson, now a freelance reporter for ThurstonTalk in Thurston County, Washington; and Peggy Scott, publisher of Leader Publications in Festus, Missouri. It was good hearing how each panelist has dealt with their particular circumstances.

Psychologist and author Rita Ernst then took the dais to present "Liar, Liar: Jailbreak Your Life." This presentation was intended to enhance attendees' personal development by getting rid of that inner critic or imposter syndrome that might hold one back from professional success. It was quite an eye-opening program in feeling confident in yourself and the possibilities for greatness in career and life.

I went to the Silent Auction area after Ernst's program to make my final bids there. During lunch, the National High School Contest Awards were announced. One must feel confident that news media's future will be in such good hands after seeing those who do such great work be recognized here.

Next was a panel discussion, "Trends in Journalism Education." It was moderated by Eric Rothenbuhler, deal of the Wester University School of Journalism. The rest of panel consisted of: Mitch Eden, 2015 National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year; Gary Ford, professor at the Webster University School of Journalism; Amelia Hurley graduate candidate at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, reporter for Mizzou football, and editor of the city/county government beat on the Columbia Missourian; and Debbie Miller, a junior college journalism teacher. They discussed how best to teach journalism students at the high school and college levels and to prepare them for the evolving media scene.

The first of two workshops I attended that afternoon was one by MPC's Ruth E. Thaler-Carter on "Launching a Freelance Communications Business." Thaler-Carter, a freelance writer and editor, spoke on her experiences in the business and offered advice for anyone wanting to work as a freelancer. Her program was full of much information for me to ponder if I decide to go this route.

The second workshop was "Adventures and Options in Book Publisher," and it was given by two authors: Elizabeth Donald, a freelance journalist and educator who writes dark fiction; and Nicole Evelina (aka Niki Burgdorf), corporate communicator for a healthcare system who writes historical fiction and nonfiction as well as serve as a ghostwriter. Their talk was given in a conversational manner, as Donald and Evelina alternated in telling the good and bad points of their work. They also told of the challenges each faces in balancing their book work with day jobs and family life.

After these workshops, there was another Author's Alley set up in the foyer. I browsed among the authors but did not find anything to buy this day. I did go by the Silent Auction area and found that I had the winning bids on two items: a NFPW polo shirt and a necklace. The latter will be a gift for Julie. 

After putting on my tie, I joined other attendees for the Communications Contest Awards Banquet. After a gorgeous feast, the report on the Silent Auction was given. Bids and donations raised $5050 for the NFPW Education Fund.

Then it was time for the contest awards. It was stated that there were 1841 entries in the contest across the county, with 541 first place entries going on to the national contest. They called out the names of those who were present, in alphabetical order, with the awards they won for their entries. I was so happy when my name was called to say I had earned an Honorary Mention in Information for Media - News or Feature Release - Single Release. The entry was the press release announcing IPMS Gateway's 2023 Invitational model contest. I received the award certificate from Julie Campbell. Four other MPC members were honored for their work that night: Joan Berkman, Suzanne Corbett, Rebecca Now, and Allison Stein.

Sweepstakes awards were announced for the affiliate with the most winning entries and the top three individuals with the highest number of winning entries. After the parliamentarian read a proclamation on the successful Conference, Julie Campbell led a final salute. Each participant picked up an artificial rose from the centerpiece, switched on the light inside each rose, and toasted each other to end the conference. I went to congratulate some of the other winners and was happy to get congratulations in return for my Honorable Mention. I also thanked Campbell for her work and for enjoying this Conference. I also posed for a photo with several other Missouri winners.

After that, I walked to my car and drove home after a most successful Conference. It was so great to have attended and I really felt accepted by the other attendees there. It gave me a great feeling to be among such great professionals and people. Here's hoping this leads to bigger and better things for my professional life in the coming months.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

Hilton St. Louis Frontenac: Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel near Creve Coeur, MO

National Federation of Press Women: Home (nfpw.org)

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton (moprocommunicators.org)

Colorado Press Women: Colorado Press Women

Collinsville Daily News: https://www.collinsvilledailynews.com/

ThurstonTalk: ThurstonTalk | Olympia Lacey Tumwater and Thurston County

Leader Publications: myleaderpaper.com | Leader Publications: news, sports, ads for Jefferson County, MO

Rita Ernst: HAPPINESS PRODUCTIVITY AND POSITIVE CULTURE - Ignite Your Extraordinary (igniteextraordinary.com)

Webster University School of Communications and Journalism: School of Communications | Journalism (webster.edu)

University of Missouri School of Journalism: Missouri School of Journalism – Official Website for the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri.

Columbia Missourian: columbiamissourian.com | Serving the community since 1908

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter: Writer Ruth

Elizabeth Donald: | Elizabeth Donald

Nicole Evelina: Nicole Evelina – USA Today Bestselling Author | Stories of Strong Women from History and Today

 

  

Catching Up in Mid-June

I realized that I have not posted here in just over one month. Somehow, I have not been able to post to this blog though some noteworthy things happened to me in that stretch. Here's a brief catch up.

My last youth soccer referee assignments of the season were on Sunday, 19 May at World Wide Technology Soccer Park. They were under 13/14 girls matches and they went well. (I had some tournament games the following Sunday the 26th, but they got called off due to stormy weather.)

The IPMS/Gateway meeting on Tuesday, 21 May had a good strong turnout of models for the Modeler of the Year Contest. I talked of the recent awards from Missouri Professional Communicators for editing the club's newsletter and writing and distributing the press release for their 2023 Invitational.

Memorial Day weekend started on Saturday, 25 May with going with Julie to the St. Louis CITY SC match against Seattle Sounders at CITYPARK. Julie and I had fun, except that Seattle won the match 2-1.

I did go to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Town and Country for their Greek Festival on Monday the 27th. I had a nice lunch there before going to Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield for the Wings over St. Louis program. I saw the Commemorative Air Force's B-25 Mitchell "Show Me" and some military vehicles on display.

Two nights later (29 May), Julie and I were together again at Missouri Botanical Garden for the first of their Whitaker Concert Series programs. We saw jazz singer and bassist Janet Evra perform, and I was most impressed by Evra's performance.

That Saturday morning (1 June), I was at the St. Louis Artists' Guild to join with other Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) members in assembly goody bags. These bags would go to registrants at the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Conference in St. Louis later that month.

On Wednesday, 5 June, I worked the first of three straight Wednesdays as a volunteer for Circus Flora. Their show "Marooned!" played last month at the Big Top in midtown St. Louis. It was a rehearsal show that I witnessed on the 5th, a full show the following Wednesday (12 June), and an abbreviated daytime show one week later (19 June). I was so happy to help volunteer again with the circus, and Circus Flora's company appreciated me and the other volunteers for our efforts.

Julie went with me to see CITY host Portland Timbers on 8 June, which ended up a 0-0 draw. I went myself on 19 June for the match against Colorado Rapids, but CITY lost that one 3-0. Before the latter match, I won the "Schlaffle" raffle held at the St. Louligans' street party by Schlafly Tap Room. The prize package included: a four-pack of Schlafly Supporter Session Hazy Pale Ale; a CITY can coozy; a miniature soccer ball from CITY and University of Missouri-St. Louis; a pair of CITY socks; and a CITY/Lou Fusz Automotive Network banner.

Back tracking a bit, on Sunday 9 June I drove to Overland Park, Kansas for the concluding day of the Heartland Model Car Nationals, presented by KC Slammers. It was great seeing the over 600 car model entries on display, plus seeing fellow scale modelers.

I spent Sunday afternoon and early evening 16 June with Julie. We swam in the pool at her apartment complex, then watched some streaming TV in her apartment with her roommate Joan. Julie and I then had a nice dinner at Applebee's in Creve Coeur.

The June IPMS/Gateway meeting on the 18th featured the annual "Slam Fest," where participants had two hours to assemble and finish a model kit. I built a Spitfire that was in a post-World War II natural metal scheme. The finished models were entered in a People's Choice Contest, with votes determining the top three entries. My Spitfire did not make the top three, but it was a fun time, nevertheless.

Late last week was the NFPW Conference. I will tell you about that in my next post.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

IPMS Gateway Chapter: IPMS Gateway Chapter (google.com)

St. Louis CITY SC: St. Louis CITY SC (stlcitysc.com)

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church: Home | Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (assumptiongoc.org)

Missouri Wing, Commemorative Air Force: Missouri Wing (commemorativeairforce.org)

Missouri Botanical Garden: Missouri Botanical Garden

Janet Evra: Janet Evra

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton (moprocommunicators.org)

Circus Flora: Circus Flora | A St. Louis Tradition For Over 30 years

St. Louligans: Saint Louligans – Supporting Soccer in the St. Louis Area – St. Louligans – Supporting St. Louis Soccer (stlouligans.com)

KC Slammers: KC Slammers – Model Car Club

 

A Good Saturday: MPC Awards and a CITY Win

Yesterday morning (11 May), I drove to Helen Fitzgerald's Irish Grill & Pub in Sunset Hills for the Missouri Professional Communicators (MPC) celebration luncheon. The organization was inviting those who won awards in their annual Communications Contest to receive their awards as well as enjoy appetizers and drinks.

There were about nine of us there for the event. Helen Fitzgerald's served us several appetizers, including potato skins, toasted ravioli, onion rings, and nachos using potato chips made on the premises. They were most satisfying for my colleagues and me.

The awards were presented in the entrant's alphabetical order. I entered three items from 2023 in the contest and earned two First Place and one Second Place awards. One of the Firsts was for editing The Arch Scaler News, the monthly member newsletter of the Gateway Chapter of the International Plastic Modelers' Society (IPMS). The judges cited this entry saying, "There's a lot of work put into this newsletter and the writing is clear and understandable."

My other First Place honor went to the press release I wrote and distributed to promote last September's IPMS Gateway Invitational model contest. The judges' comments for it said, "This is nice! Your statement is brief but to the point, and it shows you had a realistic understanding of your goals and achievements. Even though your event had a limited draw (kind of at the opposite end of a Super Bowl crowd), your work shows champion-level professionalism. The release, like your statement, is properly clear and concise. Calendar editors like submissions like yours because you make their job easy."

The judges awarded Second Place to the IPMS Gateway Facebook page, saying "This growing page is very informative and well-organized. There is good interaction with the page as well, which means members are relying on it." These judges' comments also include suggestions for improvement. In the case of the Facebook page, it suggested going to a less-text heavy banner photo, more frequent posting (daily or almost daily), and looking into posting video content. I will take these comments to heart.

The First-Place winners in the MPC Contest are eligible for awards from the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW), to which MPC is an affiliate. The NFPW Contest awards will be presented at the closing of their National Conference, which will be held in Frontenac, Missouri on 20-22 June. I was informed by one of the MPC organizers that one of those two First Place entries has won a NFPW award. I am very much looking forward to that event next month. All of us there had a good time and left Helen Fitzgerald's happy. 

After this event, I ran off some IPMS Gateway Invitational flyers at Office Depot, which I then took to Schaefer's Hobby Shop. After that, I came home to change clothes and relax.

Later that afternoon, I went to Downtown West in St. Louis for St. Louis CITY SC's match against Chicago Fire. Before the match, I went to the St. Louligans' Street Party near Schlafly Tap Room. I got a Schlafly Raspberry Hefeweizen beer and a Buffalo chicken pizza from the Doughboys food truck. I enjoyed this dinner before milling around the area. Around 6:30 p.m., many of us gathered to chant for about 15 minutes before beginning the march around CITYPARK. We entered the stadium after about 20 minutes of marching.

It was yet another sellout crowd as CITY and Fire met in this regional rivalry match. Just before kickoff, a giant tifo was displayed in the North End over the Supporters Section, spelling out CITY's aspirations in the rivalry.

CITY took charge from the kickoff and was rewarded by a goal by Rasmus Alm just 84 seconds into the match--the fastest goal in club history. Chicago leveled the match in the second half's opening minute, but CITY kept pressing. Joao Klauss put the home side back ahead with a 56th minute tally, then put it away with his second of the night in the 67th minute. CITY ran out 3-1 winners.

I joined hundreds of other CITY supporters to stay after the final whistle as the players and coaches walked around the pitch to acknowledge their supporters. They finished in front of the Supporter Section and jumped as one to thank us for their support.

Overall, yesterday was a very good day for me.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

Helen Fitzgerald's Irish Grill & Pub: The Irish Grill & Pub in Saint Louis - Helen Ftizgerald's - Since 1992 (helenfitzgeralds.com)

Missouri Professional Communicators: Missouri NFPW affiliate | Missouri Professional Communicators | Clayton (moprocommunicators.org)

IPMS Gateway Chapter: IPMS Gateway Chapter (google.com)

National Federation of Press Women: Home (nfpw.org)

St. Louis CITY SC: St. Louis CITY SC (stlcitysc.com)

St. Louligans: Saint Louligans – Supporting Soccer in the St. Louis Area – St. Louligans – Supporting St. Louis Soccer (stlouligans.com)

Schlafly: Schlafly Beer Homepage - Schlafly Beer 

Doughboys Wood Fired Pizza:  "It's doughlicious!" (stldoughboys.com)