I am going to attend the MER Convention in Cary, NC at the end of October. It has been a long time since I have been to a Regional Convention. I am wanting to entire two structures in the model contest to try for a Merit Award. What kind of paper work needs to be filled out? I have looked on the MER website and it was not helpful with this question. I looked on the NMRA website. It told me how to qualify for a Master Builder Structure certificate. It also explained the judging (points system). But I did not see a form to fill out explaining what I did. Does such a form exist?[banghead]
How much information is necessary. I do not want to spend as much time on the paperwork as I did on the models themselves.[soapbox]
Your best bet is to contact the AP program chair for the MER. They can give you the low-down and direct you to the proper paperwork. IIRC, most NMRA contests now allow you to enter without going for Merit Judging, but they certainly still want Merit entries.
The NMRA is revising some of the AP stuff, trying to make things clearer and more straightforward to attract more entries. They’re not there yet, so I’m sure will be responsive to your inquiry. I’m a division super myself and want to get involved with the AP, as well as promote it to the benefit of our members[Y] – as soon as I finish my diss, that is.[:'(]
Hi Carey and good luck with the models both in the contest, and being evaluated for the Merit Award. I just received 2 merit awards for 2 of my models.
There is no “form” for the explanation of what and how you built your structures. Some thoughts for you. 1.) If you built a scale model of a prototype structure, include a couple pictures of the prototype if you can. That will help big time with the Prototype points… Explain where and why you strayed from the prototype if you did. 2.) List the scratch built components and how you built them. I included a list of the raw materials and the numbers of pieces of each in mine. (You don’t have to include the actual numbers, but do list the source of the raw materials… ie: Kapler Scale Lumber 2 x 4s.) 3. List all commercial parts you used. If one of the commercial components is a kit, only list it as one part! 4. List all exempted parts (light bulbs, etc…) 5. Don’t read more into the requirements than are there. Be concise and accurate. The examiners don’t have time to read a 10 page book as they rate your models. One page is plenty. Do remember to be considered Scratch Built, the model has to be 90% or more from items you cut and fit into the structure.
Also, get in touch with your Division or the region AP Manager as they can provide a lot more help in getting everything ready to present and know the process in your Region well. Any other NMRA member who has the Structure Certificate can also be a great help to you. Don’t hesitate to ask those folks!
[found by Googling “NMRA Contest Forms” – imagine that!]
I believe you need an entry form (#901) and a model judges score sheet (#902) for each model. The second is the one that people seem to complain about.
The second page of the current MER newsletter has contact information for both the AP Chair and the MER Contest Chair. I imagine that they would both be happy to answer questions.
Maybe contact the local folks (noted above) who’ve been identified to help?
Thanks for the “heads up”. The models are Fine Scale Miniature kits that I have modified (somewhat). I do not know how much that will help or hurt me. They look great!! Took about 6 months each to build. Wish me luck.[tup]
I doubt if a modified craftsman kit will get you very far in the AP. A good part of the 125 points available go for scratchbuilding and other stuff you’ve done yourself. Even if you should get maximum points for everything other than scratchbuilding, you’d still be far off. A model needs to achieve 87.5 points to get a Merit Award. Good luck anyway, it will be a learning experience for you.
I’m sitting here looking at a judging form for the Structures Category…
Scratchbuilding accounts for only 15 points of the 125 point total. And IIRC, some scratch building points can be awarded for details you have made yourself. Very limited though. The fact it not scratch built does not mean you can’t get a Merit Award on the structure, but it does reduce the probable number of points that will be awarded. It can have some effect on the other catagories as well. Here is the breakdown of the categories:
Construction (workmanship): 0 - 40 pts.
Detail (Quality and Amount): 0 - 20 pts.
Conformity (Prototype Practice): 0 - 25 pts.
Finish and Lettering (General Appearance): 0 - 25 pts.
Scratchbuilt (Amount of Parts built by the Modeler): 0 - 15 pts.
If any parts of the structure have been scratchbuilt (Interior, etc), Be sure to list them! Again, contact your AP Manager for advise!!!
Looks like the NMRA must have diluted the requirements for the Structures Merit Award since I competed in NMRA contests and got Merit Awards many moons ago. The structures I got my Achievement award for were all scratchbuilt.
I think some things were changed in 2006… ??? For the Structures Certificate you have to have 12 structures with at least 6 different structures represented in the total. One must be a bridge. At least 6 must qualify as Scratchbuilt. The others if not scratchbuilt must be super detailed with either scratchbuilt or commercial parts. You have to earn Merit Awards on six of the models. The Merit Awards can be either for scratchbulid structures or not. But as you have noted it is considerably harder to get a MA on a structure that is not Scratchbuilt… I had a couple of Craftsman type kits judged along with the 3 scratchbuilt structures I had them evaluate… Only one of the kits came anywhere close, and was only in the high 70’s. So yes you can earn a merit award without the structure being classified as scratchbuilt, but it better be “awesome”… [;)]
Still, I would encourage the OP to enter his models and see how they come out. If they don’t make it, at least he will know what to do to improve and then he can have them evaluated again.
Oh, and Bob, all of the structures of yours I have seen absolutely fall into the “awesome” category!!!
The main difference in the 1974 Bulletin Special Edition ( the annual publication ) was in the points.
In 1974:
Construction 0-30
Detail 0-25
Conformity 0-10
Finish 0-20
Lettering 0-15
Scratch-built 0-25
Otherwise it was 12 structures at least 6 scratch-built, the rest detailed from commercial kits, 6 different types.
Interestingly, the awards requirement was 1 National (1st, 2nd, 3rd, Honorable and qualified for Merit) OR 3 Regional (1st, 2nd, etc.) OR 6 Merit. (Regional and Merit could be combined with 1 Regional = 2 Merit)
So 1 National Award that also qualified for Merit would satisfy the awards requirement and the other 11 would not need to be judged.
I know that you are probably correct about the Merit Award for a kit. The only good news is that I have 6 Merit Awards in Structures from the 1990’s. Just need to find the paperwork. We have moved 3 different times since then. I had them in VA. But, moved to a rental in NC about 5 years ago and did not unpack. We built this house and will be here 4 years in December. I have everything in a file folder. Just need to find the right box. But, entering the contest will get me back in to the Achievement Program. And with the previously earned Merit Awards (yes, I scratch built all of those structures), I can apply for Master Builder Structures.
Thanks for the input and the support. Happy Modeling![:D]