Local Model Club Members Enjoy Sharing Their Creations

Club coordinator Paul Miles (left) discusses model making with members in a recent meeting at Kay Ceniceros Center.

Remember those plastic model cars, planes and creatures you used to make out of kits when you were a kid?

So do the members of the Temecula Valley Model Club. They're still making models decades later -- albeit a bit more sophisticated ones.

Formed five years ago and 110 members strong, the club encourages the art of model making -- no matter what level you're into. Whether it's a simple model car a youngster can assemble, a complex aircraft carrier or a customized riverboat puffing out gray cotton smoke, you're welcome to come and share your hobby with others who have similar interests.

"The key is having fun," said Paul Miles, coordinator of the club. "We're trying to attract the kids. When I was a kid, I saved up my money from my newspaper route to buy a kit for $2. Now they're more expensive and more detailed. Nowadays the youth have to be more parent supported in this, but they can still have a lot of fun with a kit that's reasonably priced."

Members assemble their models at home and bring them to the monthly gatherings to show their progress to others and get tips. They also attend trade shows and competitions, although they don't require their members to adhere to the strict rules of the International Plastic Modellers' Society.

"We want everyone to participate and have fun; we don't like rules," said Miles about the club, whose motto is No rules, no judges, no problem. "Some of these judges come out with a magnifying glass, LED lights and dental mirrors to examine the models. We just want to encourage participation and having fun."

The club previously met at Hobby Town in Temecula but recently moved its meetings to the Kay Ceniceros Center in Menifee. The meetings average about 25 members each month and the club is always looking for more members, especially younger ones.

For information about the club, email Miles at ljapr@verizon.net.