In this issue: Royal Bahamas Police Band New Connoisseur Figures OMSS THE JOURNAL OMSS Member Profile: Eric Clarke David Gauthier’s VOLUME 54 ISSUE 1 MARCH 2018 Artwork Movie Previews And more! 2018 OMSS OMSS THE EXECUTIVE John Hambly President JOURNAL Lorne Farr 1st Vice President VOLUME 54 ISSUE 1 Dave Norman 2nd Vice President & MARCH 2018 Facebook Page Manager The Journal is published by the Ontario Model Soldier Society and is Gary Lenius provided to all paid up members free of charge. Subscription Secretary/Treasurer information, publication, and advertising rates are available upon Jim Qualtrough request. Past President If, through inadvertence, any item herein has been reprinted without Eric Clarke permission, we ask that the error be excused and promise that full Programme Chair acknowledgement will be made in the next issue. The articles and Brendan Hogan opinions expressed are solely those of the author and not necessarily Journal Editor those of the OMSS, its officers, or The Journal. Other club publications and magazines are welcome to reprint articles from The Journal, Norm White Annual Show provided full credit is given to the original author and The Journal. Chairman Electronic submissions preferred but not mandatory. Please submit all Scott Dummitt material for consideration to: Newsletter Editor & Media Officer Brendan Hogan Frank MacKay 318-301 Finnamore Street Calendar Coordinator Oromocto, NB, Canada Jeff Duncan E2V 0K3 Club Table & Donations (613) 929-3757 2018 OMSS Meeting Dates [email protected] 14 January Aims of the Society 11 February The Ontario Model Soldier Society is a provincially chartered, non-profit 11 March organization, dedicated to the following purposes: 8 April 1) Providing a meeting place and a means of exchange of information 6 May among those interested in creating, painting, war gamming, collecting, 16 June (ON PARADE) and displaying model and toy soldiers and studying the history thereof. 2) Publicizing the hobby in order to make known the existence of the 9 September Society and to attract new members and enthusiasts to it. 14 October (AGM) 3) Improving the skills and knowledge of the members through the 18 November (Annual sharing of information of regular competitions, classes, and lectures. Auction) 1 See more at the OMSS website: www.omss.ca 16 December (Christmas Luncheon) From the IN THIS ISSUE: Editor Letters to the Editor – 3 Greetings! President’s Message – 4 I was honoured to be the Royal Bahamas Police Band – 5 recipient of the 2017 “Bryan Gibbons Award” for being the editor of The Journal. It’s been an absolute pleasure being the Movie Previews – 7 editor this past year, and I’m looking forward to continue doing the job for the years to come. New in Connoisseur Figure Frank Barrett begins this issue with an interesting article on how Releases – 8 he acquired a Britains Royal Bahamas Police Band. It’s a wonderful set and one that anyone interested in Britains or classic toy soldiers is sure to be interested in. Jeff Duncan has OMSS Member Profile: Eric contributed a number of recently released films that may be of interest to Society members. Be sure to see them! Frank Clarke – 10 MacKay overviews new connoisseur figures, both plastic and metal. Jim and Eunice Matresky continue their popular OMSS David Gauthier’s Artwork – 14 member profiles. I really like the work they’ve been doing. There is something special about getting to share your collection and Blast from the Past – 15 your collecting interests with others. This time, it’s Eric Clarke. David Gauthier of the Toy Soldiers Club in Quebec City has generously agreed to have his wonderful artwork based off John Jenkins Designs figures featured in our publication. In addition to these major articles, Ian Pearson has provided a number of interesting articles from his archives. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them! As always, I am looking for more submissions. If you would like to write me a letter, an article, a review, or simply share some news, I’d be grateful. I’m considering renaming our publication something a little more exciting than The Journal. Thoughts? Brendan Hogan Editor P.S. I’ll be attending this year’s ON PARADE annual show. I hope to see many of you there! Cover Photo: The artwork gracing the cover of this issue was done by David Gauthier, an employee of the Toy Soldiers Club in Quebec City. This particular piece is based off John Jenkins Designs figures of the 60th Royal American Regiment during the French and Indian War. More of his artwork is featured in this edition of The Journal. 2 Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, Rather than see the letters column disappear, I thought I’d write you one to forestall that event, which I think is sadly eventually inevitable. It has always been a mystery to me how our meetings can be so vibrantly alive with model soldier comments and concerns, yet so few are willing to take a few minutes to commit these ideas to print. If people choose to remain silent, it necessarily follows that they don’t need a voice or a place to exercise it. First off, on behalf of all former editors of The Journal, living and dead, please accept our heartiest congratulations on your first two issues which were absolutely excellent. It is a daunting experience trying to gain the confidence of readers who have grown used to a different style, but slowly and surely you are winning the battle. We former editors are delighted that the magazine has fallen into such capable hands and you may be assured of the full approval of We Happy Few--welcome to the club. One of the great concerns I’ve always had about judging at our show, and at all hobby contests in general, is the practice of giving an award “for an entire display”. It has always struck me as a cowardly and cheap way for judges to get away with issuing one award for a whole group of entries, although each merit individual consideration. The OMSS has foolishly adopted the ‘Open Judging System’ which supposedly eliminates all categories and purports to consider each entry for what it is, on its own merits. If that is the case, how can an award be issued for an entire display of figures which are individual works of art and were entered separately? I think it probably comes down to the judges’ reluctance to shower outstanding work with medals while others get none. That constitutes amateurish judging in my opinion. If a large display of separate figures deserves a bucket full of individual medals-- award them, they’ve been earned. Will it become necessary to disperse your figures on different tables so they cannot be considered a ‘display’ in order to get them judged separately? As long as we keep chasing and copying the judging standards of other associations instead of evolving and codifying our own, we will always look amateurish. We need a system and standards that works for us. Yours, Frank MacKay Frank, as always, thanks for your contributions. I don’t know if the letters column is destined to disappear, but I hope not! I appreciate the congratulations and words of encouragement. I’m not sure I’m qualified to respond to your thoughts on how the OMSS judges entry pieces. Judges any thoughts? Brendan Hogan 3 President’s Message by John Hambly As your new President, I look forward to 2018 in the OMSS and will make it my mission along with the members to make it a great year. Some of the things I will be looking forward to, is the great speakers we will have at our monthly meetings and that by popular demand we have brought back Guy Elliot and his great little talks. Again, we will have the annual draw that seems to pull a lot of interest for those looking for a bargain on the soldier that got away! Most of all, I and the members are looking forward to the ON PARADE 2018 again at Humber College this year. I have heard the rank and file talking about the things they are getting ready for the show and it sounds like it may beat last year. I do invite all our members to this show as it is our time to show off the OMSS. When I started as your president I put out a challenge to all members to try to sign up a young or older new member for our club. I hope that we can all work together on this and make the OMSS the best club around. Once again as your president, I look forward to a fun and great year and see you at the meetings or ON PARADE 2018. Happy collecting! 4 Royal Bahamas Police Band by Frank Barrett, OMSS member In the June-July 1992 issue of Old Toy Soldier Newsletter Vol. 16 No. 3, Will Beierwaltes wrote an interesting article on “Britain’s Regimental Eyes Right Models”. In it, he discusses the issue of set #3455 of the Royal Bahamas Police produced for the tourist trade and not listed in the main Britain’s catalogue. He goes on to say that, “It is at least provocative folklore that an Eyes Right Bahamas Police band was also produced. While I have never seen such a beast….” Readers of the OTSN may be interested to know that the band does exist. Although the one I have came to me without the box and thus the catalogue number, it is a 20- piece band. The uniform is the same white helmet, jacket and blue trousers with red stripe of the police set #3455.