DON’T BECOME A MEMBER OF CASM TO GET A 10% DISCOUNT FROM HOBBYTOWN USA!

Don’t become a member of CASM to GET a 10% discount from Hobbytown USA.  It is true you will receive the benefit of a 10% discount.  Join CASM because you want to be associated with an organization that emphasizes relationships within the modeling community.  Join CASM because you would like to learn to become a better modeler from face-to-face contact with other modelers.  Join CASM because there are other people like you who love to build models.  Join CASM because you want to contribute to the community of modelers.

I can recall a time when people wanted to become a member of something because there was a pride in being associated with a group of people.  The “benefit” of joining was the feeling that came from being identified as a member of a specific group; to be accepted by people who had a similar interest in something.  There came with this idea a sense of “pride” to be known as a person who was part of a specific organization.  It was an “honor” to wear the club t-shirt because it identified you as a member of the group and you wanted to be known as a member of that group.

The reason to become a member of something is because of the human bond that forms with other people who gather together with a common purpose, not to get a discount.  There is a sense of pride that comes with membership that occurs when we identify ourselves as a member of a body that gathers together with a common interest.  A club is not about club business, it is about the fellowship that comes when people gather in a place with a common interest.

CASM is an active member in the modeling and local community.  Members of CASM are known and respected around the world because of their willingness to help others and the contributions they make to the modeling community.   It is an organization that is more than “just” building models. 

There are levels of participation in the club that reaches out to people who do not model and to those who are infirmed and unable to come to the model meetings.  Meeting with other club members can provide a sense of normalcy when tragedy strikes us personally or we are feeling lonely and isolated.  People of the club get together outside of the club meetings and travel to contests in the Southern United States and socialize locally.  Members gather together and talk about modeling and model together.  The gatherings are as much about modeling as they are about friendships.  CASM provides an avenue to be a part of these smaller groups where you can come to know others and be known.

Being a member of a club is not based on the idea “I” should get something.  Being a member of a club is based on the idea that “I” get to contribute something to a group so the group will be better. Some people may think that they ought not be a member because their modeling skills are not good enough.  The truth is all members gain from members of varying modeling skills.  

Becoming a member is an idea that is necessary for the present and the future as so many current communication methods distance us from direct contact with others.  Being a member of a club provides for us with a sense of belonging and being a member of a community that cannot be replaced through electronic means.

Join CASM so you can be a member of this community, so you can develop friendships with others, and care about the members of the community.  Membership implies contributing and giving to others instead of thinking only about what you can get. 

Join CASM.  Enjoy the 10% discount.  Contribute to a community of people who care about one another and who enjoy modeling.

Editor's Note:  If you are not in the Central Arkansas area but live somewhere else, what is stated above applies to the model club in your area.  If you are not a member, look them up.  If you are a member, contribute to the club!