RPSC

By George Pepall, FRPSC

One of the key decisions of the 2017 board meetings in Boucherville, Que., was a long term commitment to recruitment of new members. A committee was established, and that commitment was confirmed by the new Strategic Plan approved this past June at the St. Catharines *Royal/Royale* Annual General Meeting.

Over the past 14 months the Member Recruitment Committee – consisting of Chairman Lloyd Field, Doug McAndless, Robert Pinet, Sam Chiu (ex Officio) and me – have acted as The RPSC presence at about 15 local, regional and national shows. We have greeted and connected with about 250 collectors and members from Calgary to Toronto in that time, promoting the benefits of membership, explaining how The RPSC is Canada’s National Stamp Club, giving out sample copies of The Canadian Philatelist, pins and badges and signing up new members.

Lloyd and Robert have stepped down from the committee and the Board, and we thank them sincerely for their time and work in getting us started on our member recruitment drive. As a result, though, we are in urgent need of a few more committee members. The mandate for this coming year is more of the same: we need to get our message out in person at shows and meetings, and show collectors that our society enriches and extends members’ experience of the hobby through various benefits, only two of which are the journal and the collection insurance plan.

The committee plans for to have an RPSC presence at upcoming shows in various parts of the country, and will be providing materials for the tables at those shows. If you would like to join our Recruitment Committee, or would like more information about it, please contact Doug McAndless (mcandless@gtn.net) or me (pepall@rogers.com).

Thank you for your ongoing interest in The RPSC, and your promotion of membership for collectors in your area.

 

 

 

Bonjour à tous! L’automne est à notre porte.  Ce qui signifie pour nous plus de temps à consacrer à notre collection de timbres et à participer aux expositions philatéliques locales ou nationales au Canada. Ce qui suit est un bref aperçu des activités de la Société royale de philatélie du Canada/The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

Royal/Royale 2019 et propositions pour les futures expositions 

La planification de la Royale/Royal 2019 qui aura lieu à Mississauga en juin prochain est fort avancée. La SRPC souhaite vous y rencontrer!  Quelques clubs étudient aussi la possibilité de tenir ce congrès dans les années futures.  C’est à suivre.

La BC Philatelic Society nous a informé de la tenue d’une exposition nationale –VANPEX –  en 2019.  Les collections ainsi que les bénévoles sont les bienvenus.

Expositions nationales en 2018 

Il reste encore trois excellentes expositions à venir au Canada en 2018 en plus de la National Stamp and Coin Show à Mississauga au début de septembre (8-9). NOVAPEX aura lieu le week-end suivant à Halifax;  viendra ensuite BNAPEX à Québec. CANPEX se tiendra à London, Ontario les 14-15 octobre.  Il y aura aussi plusieurs expositions locales et régionales.  Si vous désirez annoncer vos expositions, transmettez-nous l’information et nous nous ferons un plaisir de publier les détails dans le Newsletter.

Renseignements sur les prochaines réunions et les conférences des clubs-membres de la SRPC 

La SRPC souhaite que plus de collectionneurs assistent aux réunions des différents clubs-membres. Le Newsletter pourra vous renseigner à ce sujet en indiquant le lieu, la date et les noms des conférenciers.  Même si les membres ne peuvent se rendre aux réunions, ils peuvent se renseigner sur les sujets traités et obtenir les informations qui les intéressent auprès de collègues.

S’il-vous-plaît faites-nous parvenir toute l’information concernant les futures rencontres en mentionnant la date, le lieu, le nom du conférencier et le sujet traité afin que nous puissions les publier dans le Newsletter. 

Nouveau programme de reconnaissance des bénévoles 

Dans le dernier Newsletter, j’ai mentionné ce programme. Il s’agit de reconnaître l’implication de bénévoles qui ont fait une contribution significative au domaine de la philatélie et comme membre de la SRPC ou d’un club-membre ou société-affiliée.

Nous attendons de vos nouvelles!!!

Je reprends donc en résumé les renseignements concernant le Programme.

Qui est éligible?

Toute personne toujours vivante membre la SRPC ou d’un club-membre ou affilié. Les Fellows et les directeurs ne sont pas éligibles.

Critères d’admissibilité

Les critères sont laissés à la discrétion des clubs-membres ou affiliés.

Le processus de nomination

Chaque club-membre ou affilié doit faire parvenir le nom des personnes mises en nomination tout au cours de l’année. Ceux-ci seront transmis au Comité des prix de la SRPC qui se chargera de préparer et d’envoyer un Certificat de remerciements  au club qui présentera cette reconnaissance au member.

La reconnaissance

Chaque prix consistera en un Certificat de remerciements de la part de la SRPC. S’il est membre de la SRPC, le récipiendaire recevra une réduction de 25% sur sa cotisation annuelle; par contre, s’il n’est pas membre de la SRPC, il pourra bénéficier d’une réduction de 50% sur sa cotisation annuelle s’il désire devenir membre de la société.

Les membres à vie de la SRPC recevront uniquement un Certificat de remerciements.

Le nom et le détail de l’implication de cette personne seront transmis dans le Newsletter.

Demande d’articles pour The Canadian Philatelist/Le Philatéliste canadien et le Newsletter 

Désirez-vous partager vos connaissances philatéliques? S’il-vous-plaît prenez le temps d’écrire un article approfondi pour notre revue-phare The Canadian Philatelist/Le Philatéliste canadien. Contactez notre excellent éditeur Herb Colling (hacolling@cogeco.ca) ou un membre du comité éditorial : Gray Scrimgeour, Richard Gratton, Rob Timberg et François Brisse.

Si vous préférez écrire un bref article pour le Newsletter, envoyez-moi un courriel à l’adresse en bas de ce texte ou encore à Mike Walsh (mwalsh@vaxxine.com).

Nous avons aussi reçu des suggestions pour une version française de ce Newsletter. Nous désirons répondre à ces demandes cependant nous avons besoin de bénévoles pour traduire les textes.  Si vous voulez nous aider, s.v.p. m’envoyer un courriel ou à Mike.

Le Conseil d’administration de la SRPC et le plan stratégique 

À la suite de l’assemblée générale annuelle de la SRPC, on compte 14 membres sur le Conseil d’administration ceux-ci répartis à travers tout le Canada. Ce sont : Ed Kroft (président), Sam Chiu (vice-président), Arlene Sullivan (secrétaire), Stuart Keeley (trésorier), Jim Taylor (ancien président), Rob Lunn, Rob Timberg, Doug McAndless, Michèle Cartier, Jean-Jacques Tillard, Lawrence Pinkney, Hugo Deshaye, Mike Walsh et Joel Weiner.

La prochaine réunion du Conseil aura lieu le 30 septembre.

Les membres du Conseil vont continuer à travailler sur des stratégies pour mettre en œuvre progressivement les différentes composantes du plan stratégique et des objectifs énoncés dans le dernier bulletin. La SRPC va nécessiter l’aide de ses membres pour réaliser ses projets et espère que ceux-ci pourront aider lorsque nécessaire.

Le Comité international au service des intérêts des exposants 

David McLaughlin est responsable de la liaison internationale de la SRPC; il préside le Comité composé de Charles Verge, Sam Chiu et Jim Taylor. David édite un bulletin intitulé International Exhibitor qui sert de référence pour toute personne qui désire exposer ou visiter une exposition internationale.  Contacter David pour recevoir une copie de ce bulletin à david.mclaughlin@rogers.com

Le Programme des juges 

La SRPC possède un comité qui s’occupe de l’accréditation des juges au Canada. Joel Weiner est le président du comité.  La SRPC est toujours à la recherche de personnes dévouées désirant obtenir une formation en tant que juge accrédité aux niveaux local ou national.  On peut rejoindre Joel à  jweiner@ualberta.ca

Le site-web de la SRPC   www.rpsc.org 

La SRPC espère continuer à fournir à ses membres et non-membres toute l’information concernant le fonctionnement de la Société et ainsi qu’une grande diversité de sujets philatéliques.

Si vous avez préparé une présentation PowerPoint pour votre club philatélique et que vous croyez qu’elle pourrait intéresser d’autres membres, s.v.p. nous la faire parvenir afin que la SRPC puisse la publier sur son site-web ou la rendre disponible aux clubs-membres intéressés.

Des idées pour améliorer la SRPC? Voulez-vous devenir bénévole?  Voulez-vous nous aider à recruter de nouveaux membres? 

Avec votre aide The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada/La Société royale de philatélie du Canada continuera à être Canada’s National Stamp Club/Le club national de philatélie du Canada.

Vous pouvez me contacter à e.kroft@shaw.ca

Don de charité 

S’il vous-plaît, songez à faire un don de charité déductible d’impôt à la Fondation de la SRPC.  Plus d’informations vous parviendront sur le sujet au cours des prochains mois.

Cordiales salutations,

Ed

 

traduction Michèle Cartier

Hi everyone! Fall is just around the corner. That means more time for all of us to work on our stamp collections and attend one or more of the local or national stamp shows in Canada. What follows is a brief update on the activities of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada/La Société royale de philatélie du Canada (“RPSC”) .

Royal 2019 and Proposals for Future Shows 

Plans are well under way for Royal/Royale 2019 to be held in late June 2019 in Mississauga. The RPSC hopes to see you there! Some clubs are exploring the possibility of hosting the annual convention in future years. More news to follow. The BC Philatelic Society has advised that it will host a national show — Vanpex — in 2019. Exhibits and volunteers are most welcome.

2018  National Shows

There are at least three excellent national shows in Canada  during the remainder of 2018 in addition to the National Stamp and Coin show in Mississauga in early September (8-9). Novapex is occurring in Halifax the following weekend, BNAPS is in Québec City the weekend after and Canpex is in London Ontario on October 13-14.

There are a number of regional and local shows as well. If you wish to let others know about your shows, please let us know so we can publish details in the RPSC newsletter.

Details of Future RPSC Chapter Meetings and Speakers

The RPSC is interested in seeing more collectors attend RPSC chapter meetings. We hope that the newsletter will assist in this regard and will contain details of upcoming chapter meetings, including the names of speakers and locations. Even if members cannot attend meetings, they may learn of interesting topics and be able to source presentations from those who volunteered to share information. Please send us details of upcoming meetings, locations, speakers and topics so they can be published in the RPSC newsletter.

New Volunteer Recognition Programme

In the last edition of the RPSC newsletter , I mentioned the Volunteer Recognition Program. It is intended to recognize those individuals who have made a significant contribution to philately as a member of the RPSC or a member of an RPSC Chapter or Affiliate.

We need to hear from you our members and our affiliates!!! Therefore I am again repeating details of the Programme will follow but essentially the following is a synopsis.

Who is Eligible?

Any living member of the RPSC plus any living individual who is a member of an RPSC Chapter or Affiliate. Fellows and Directors of the RPSC are not eligible.

Eligibility Criteria

The criteria for the nomination for recognition will be left entirely to the discretion of the nominating Chapter or Affiliate of the RPSC.

The Nomination Process

Any Chapter or Affiliate may forward the names of any number of nominees at any time of the year. The nomination will be forwarded to the Awards Committee of the RPSC who will immediately prepare and send the Certificate of Thanks to the Chapter for presentation.

The Recognition

Each award will be recognized by a Certificate of Thanks from the RPSC . A current member of the RPSC will receive a 25 percent discount off of one year’s annual membership dues in the RPSC .  Recipients who are not and have never been RPSC members will be eligible for a 50 percent discount off of a one year membership in the RPSC. Recipients who are Life Members of the RPSC will receive a Certificate of Thanks only.

The name and details of each recipient’s contributions will be reported in the RPSC electronic newsletter .

Articles Are Needed for The Canadian Philatelist and for the RPSC Newsletter 

Do you wish to share your knowledge of philately with others? Please consider taking your time to write an informative and scholarly piece for the RPSC’s flagship publication, the Canadian Philatelist. Please contact  our esteemed editor , Herb Colling(hacolling@cogeco.ca),  or a member of our talented editorial board: Gray Scrimgeour, Richard Gratton , Rob Timberg and Francois Brisse.

If you wish to write a piece for the RPSC Newsletter, please contact me at the email address below or Mike Walsh –   mwalsh@vaxxine.com

We have had requests to publish the newsletter in French. To do so, we require volunteers to assist in this regard. If you are willing to assist, please contact me or Mike.

RPSC Board of Directors and the Strategic Plan

Following the Annual General meeting of the RPSC,  there are 14 members on the Board from across Canada. They are Ed Kroft (President), Sam Chiu (Vice-President), Arlene Sullivan (Secretary), Stuart Keeley(Treasurer), Jim Taylor (immediate Past President), Rob Lunn, Rob Timberg, Doug McAndless, Michèle Cartier, JJ Tillard, Lawrence Pinkney , Hugo Deshaye, Mike Walsh and Joel Weiner. Our next Board meeting is scheduled for September 30.

The Members of the Board of Directors will be continuing to work on strategies to gradually implement various components of the strategic plan vision statement and objectives set out in the last newsletter. The RPSC will need the help of its members to do so and hopes that the members will assist where possible.

International Committee- Serving the Interests of Exhibitors

David McLaughlin is the International Liaison Officer of the RPSC and Chair of this Committee. Charles Verge, Sam Chiu and Jim Taylor are members . David publishes a newsletter called the International Exhibitor which is essential reading for those who wish to exhibit or attend international stamp shows. Contact David for a copy at david.mclaughlin@rogers.com.

Judging Programme 

The RPSC has a Committee that deals with the accreditation of Philatelic judges in Canada.  Joel Weiner heads this Committee. The RPSC is always looking for dedicated individuals who are looking to apprentice in aid of becoming accredited as a judge at the local or national level. Joel can be reached at jweiner@ualberta.ca.

The RPSC Website –www.rpsc.org

The RPSC hopes to continue to provide members and non-members with current/ additional information about the Society operations and topics in philately. If you have done a PowerPoint presentation on philately for a chapter meeting or organization and you think it would be useful for others to see on our Website, please send it to me and the RPSC will consider it for publication on our Website or as a presentation to be made available to other Chapters.

Any Ideas to Improve the RPSC? Want to Volunteer? Want to Help Recruit New Members?

With your help ,The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada/La Société royale de philatélie du Canada will continue to be Canada’s National Stamp Club /Le club national de philatélie du Canada.Please feel free to contact me at e.kroft@shaw.ca

Charitable Giving

Please do consider making a tax deductible charitable contribution to the RPSC Foundation. More on this topic in the upcoming months.

Best wishes

Ed

After debuting in 1938 – one year before the Second World War began – the North Toronto Stamp Club (NTSC) is now celebrating its 80th anniversary.

Rising from the ashes of the former Rosedale Stamp Club, which folded that same year, the NTSC is now the eighth chapter of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC). Its founding president and award-winning exhibitor Louis Lamoureux, who later became president of The RPSC (1954-58) as well as the editor of its bimonthly journal, The Canadian Philatelist (1959-67). He was named a Fellow of The RPSC in 1963.

“A lot of very famous philatelists have gone through the NTSC in its various iterations since 1938. We’ve had RDPs (Roll of Distinguished Philatelists) and Orders of the Beaver that have gone through us,” said NTSC immediate past-president John Wilson, who’s also the club’s historian and library chair.

“The club moved very quickly during the war years to go to exhibitions, and we’ve managed through thick and thin to keep at it. Our club does many things and tries to be many things to many people, but exhibiting is an important part of it.”

As part of the special events being hosted by the club throughout 2018 as part of its octogintennial celebrations, the 75th annual NTSC Exhibition was held this April during the National Postage Stamp and Coin Show.

A frequent exhibitor and nationally accredited philatelic judge, Wilson champions the idea of exhibiting as a boon to the hobby.

“Our exhibition is a social bonding event for all collectors in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), but secondly, it’s a chance for people who have studied material to get kudos for their knowledge as well as critique from national-level judges before sending it up to the national level – and then internationally, which some do.”

As part of the club’s recent exhibitions, the NTSC has issued a “one-frame challenge” to all GTA clubs, which are invited to submit three single-frame exhibits for the judges’ consideration. Each club can decide how its three single frames will be represented.

The award, which is held by the winning club for the following year, is a sculpture of a stamp collector in metal. It was donated to the Greater Toronto Area Philatelic Alliance (GTAPA) by noted philatelist Garfield Portch, who belongs to The RPSC’s National Office; multimedia program committee; and public relations committee.

The club’s exhibition also accepts submissions for eight-page “studies” – not a full frame but an “idea in progress,” Wilson said – and single-page exhibits from new exhibitors for non-competitive judging.

For more information about the NTSC, visit sites.google.com/site/northtorontostampclub.

 

Grégoire Teyssier and Michael Street were inducted into the Fellowship of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) at the society’s recent convention in St. Catharines, Ont.

They join more than 145 RPSC Fellows, both living and deceased, that have been inducted since Fred Jarrett became the first Fellow at the society’s 1960 convention in Kitchener, Ont.

A philatelist for nearly half a century and an accomplished exhibitor, Teyssier won the Horace Harrison Grand Award at BNAPEX 2016 in Fredericton, N.B., for his exhibit, “Quebec 1763-1867: Un Siècle d’Histoire Postale et de Marcophilie.” Teyssier has also published several books, including La Distribution postale de la presse periodique Québecoise: 1851-1911 and Initiation aux marques postales du Québec, and numerous articles in Bulletin histoire postale et de marcophilie, Philatélie Québec and The Canadian Philatelist (TCP). He has also worked as a consultant for the Canadian Postal Museum, the Canadian Postal Archives and Parks Canada. He previously served as second vice-president and a board member of The RPSC as well as associate editor of TCP; as president, administrator and secretary of La Société d’Histoire Postale du Québec and editor of its journal; and as a board member of the Société philatélique de Québec. He has been a national-level judge since 1995.

A long-time philatelist, Street is an active member of the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain (CPSGB) and British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS), the latter of which he also serves as book department co-ordinator. Elected to the BNAPS fellowship – the Order of the Beaver – in 1992 as well as the fellowship of the CPSGB in 2011, Street is also a member of the Brantford Stamp Club and The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) social media committee is rolling out its initial strategy, which it describes as “a holistic approach to explore all media with the goal of aligning each medium with our strategic direction.”

Like other philatelic societies, The RPSC has used extensive effort in recent years to promote philately to younger generations.

“Is this the right demographic to target to increase our membership? Surely, because many adult returnees indicate they collected when they were young, it is necessary to ‘plant the seed of philately’ in young minds; however, one can easily conclude this effort will not yield immediate or actionable results,” said committee chair Sam Chiu, a Fellow of The RPSC, who added it’s “highly questionable how successful we can claim to be using this strategy to increase membership.”

The committee’s strategy will aim for measurable and actionable results to determine if its actions can be deemed successes, Chiu said.

In addition to the ongoing redesign of The RPSC website (rpsc.org), the society has also launched a Facebook page (facebook.com/Royal.Philatelic.Society.Canada) and is discussing the feasibility of using other social media, including Twitter and Instagram.

In regards to the strategy’s target audience, it has been suggested the committee support, facilitate and attract adult returnees to the hobby. Click here to continue reading.

“The reasons for not supporting a broad base of youth activities is ever expanding. This is not to say that we should not seize the opportunity to mentor the occasional exceptional youth as the opportunity presents itself,” said long-time philatelist and active member of the West Toronto Stamp Club Garfield Portch. “In order to ensure survival, we must attempt to recruit a different demographic. Our efforts should be concentrated on the folks in the 40 to 50 year age group. These people have (generally) matured, have their careers, have their families and their homes. They also have some disposable income available for entertainment or a hobby. What they need is a distraction from the stresses of life.”

RPSC President Ed Kroft said the “key is making philately relevant in the 21st century,” adding the best avenues for this approach are postal history and thematic and topical collecting.

“The reason I have been beating the drum on investing in technology is because we heavily emphasize and rely on the wrong platforms (shows, clubs and meetings – physical and face-to-face) to promote the organization.”

In addition to Chiu, the members of the social media committee include:

• Hugo Deshaye;
• Robert Lunn;
• Leon Matthys;
• Robert Pinet;
• Jesse Robitaille;
• Robert Timberg; and
• Mike Walsh.

An article highlighting the Lady McLeod issue – “the most expensive Cinderella in philately” – graces the cover of the July-August issue of The Canadian Philatelist (TCP), the official bi-monthly publication of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

Authored by Richard Logan, the article pays tribute to a mail steamer called the Lady McLeod, which provided a much-needed postal service across the Gulf of Paria between the Port of Spain and San Fernando on the island of Trinidad.

The local economy was expanding rapidly with an influx of immigrant workers from Asia to harvest cocoa and sugar crops. The cheap labour stimulated growth, which prompted desperately needed communication to market the island’s bounty.

The Lady McLeod was put into service to carry letters, officials, magistrates and police across the bay. She also provided a link with ocean-going vessels, which transported the produce to international markets.

Throughout this remarkable history, a label and stamp were developed, both of which are much sought after by philatelists around the world.

“The number of Lady McLeods actually existing is not known; however, it is believed that the number includes some 26 mint never hinged, 24 used, and 39 on cover, although some of these may be bogus,” writes Logan, whose article is found on page 208 of TCP. “Forgeries do exist and buyers are advised to obtain a certificate of authenticity by a reputable authority.”

Sales of the iconic Cinderella stamp are “rare and even copies with minor damage fetch a high price,” he adds. “Mint never hinged copies sell for more than 50 thousand U.S. dollars; pen cancelled copies for about 12,500 U.S.; skinned off copies sell for less than that; and covers go for anywhere from five to nine thousand U.S. dollars.”

By Ed Kroft, President

Hi everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the summer and have an opportunity to participate in your various pastimes, including stamp collecting. What follows is a brief update on the activities of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada/La Société royale de philatélie du Canada (RPSC).

ROYAL 2018

The annual Royal Convention held in St. Catharines, Ont., in late June was a great success. Helpful dealers, committed volunteers, outstanding exhibits, informative seminars, an annual general meeting, an awards banquet with excellent food and renewed and new friendships involving the discussion of philately—a great way to spend one or more days! Plans are well under way for Royal/Royale 2019, which will be held next June 21-23 in Mississauga, Ont.. The RPSC hopes to see you there!

VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION PROGRAM

The Volunteer Recognition Program is intended to recognize individuals who have made a significant contribution to philately as a member of The RPSC or a member of an RPSC Chapter or Affiliate. Full details of the program are forthcoming, but the following is essentially a synopsis.

Who is Eligible?

Any living member of The RPSC plus any living individual who is a member of an RPSC Chapter or Affiliate is eligible for the program. Fellows and Directors of The RPSC are not eligible.

Eligibility Criteria

The criteria for the nomination for recognition will be left entirely to the discretion of the nominating Chapter or Affiliate of The RPSC.

The Nomination Process

Any Chapter or Affiliate may forward the names of any number of nominees at any time of the year. The nomination will be forwarded to The RPSC Awards Committee, which will immediately prepare and send the Certificate of Thanks to the Chapter for presentation.

The Recognition

Each award will be recognized by a Certificate of Thanks from The RPSC. A current member of The RPSC will receive a 25 per cent discount off of one year’s annual membership dues in The RPSC. Recipients who are not and have never been RPSC members will be eligible for a 50 per cent discount off of a one-year membership in the RPSC. Recipients who are Life Members of The RPSC will receive a Certificate of Thanks only.

The name and details of each recipient’s contributions will be reported in The RPSC’s electronic newsletter.

ARTICLES NEEDED FOR TCP

Do you wish to share your knowledge of philately with others?

Please consider taking your time to write an informative and scholarly piece for The RPSC’s flagship bi-monthly publication, The Canadian Philatelist. Please contact our esteemed editor Herb Colling (hacolling@cogeco.ca) or a member of our talented editorial board, which includes Gray Scrimgeour, Richard Gratton, Rob Timberg and Francois Brisse.

FUTURE RPSC CHAPTER MEETINGS & SPEAKERS 

The RPSC is interested in seeing more collectors attend RPSC chapter meetings. We hope the newsletter will assist in this regard; it will contain details of upcoming chapter meetings, including the names of speakers and locations. Even if members cannot attend meetings, they may learn of interesting topics and be able to source presentations from those who volunteered to share information. Please send us details of upcoming meetings, locations, speakers and topics.

THE RPSC WEBSITE—RPSC.ORG

We are fortunate to have Robin Harris as our webmaster. The RPSC hopes to continue to provide members and non-members with current information about the society’s operations and topics in philately. If you have done a PowerPoint presentation on philately for a chapter meeting or organization and you think it would be useful for others to see on our website, please send it to us and we will consider it for publication on our website or as a presentation to be made available to other Chapters.

RPSC DIRECTORS, OFFICERS & NAT’L OFFICE

Following the annual general meeting of The RPSC, there are 14 members on the board from across Canada. They are Ed Kroft (President), Sam Chiu (Vice-President), Arlene Sullivan (Secretary), Stuart Keeley (Treasurer), Jim Taylor (Immediate Past President), Rob Lunn, Rob Timberg, Doug McAndless, Michelle Cartier, Jean-Jacques Tillard, Lawrence Pinkney, Hugo Deshaye, Mike Walsh and Joel Weiner.

The RPSC also appreciates and benefits from the wisdom and continued assistance of Garfield Portch and past presidents George Pepall (Second Vice-President) and Charles Verge. The RPSC greatly benefits from the support of the Toronto-based Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation and the assistance of RPSC National Office Executive Assistant Margaret Schulzke. Please feel free to visit the Greene Foundation’s Harry Sutherland Philatelic Library during its regularly scheduled hours.

RPSC National Office/Bureau National

P.O. Box 69080, St. Clair Post Office

Toronto, ON   M4T 3A1

Tel: 416-921-2077

Toll-free: 1-888-285-4143

Fax: 416-921-1282

E-mail: info@rpsc.org

Website: rpsc.org

The RPSC also thanks the many volunteers who work on national committees and at various national and regional shows as well as at chapter meetings. Keep up the great work!

STRATEGIC PLAN—CONTINUING WORK

The Members of the Board of Directors will be continuing to work on strategies to gradually implement various components of the strategic plan, its vision statement and the objectives set out in the last newsletter. The RPSC will need the help of its members to do so, so we hope members will assist wherever possible.

JUDGING PROGRAM

The RPSC has a committee that deals with the accreditation of philatelic judges in Canada. I wish to thank David Piercey for his outstanding work and mentorship for many years as chair of this committee. David will remain as a member of the committee but has passed the chairmanship reins to Joel Weiner, who is in the process of contacting judges.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Do you have any ideas to improve The RPSC? Do you want to volunteer or help recruit new members? With your assistance, The RPSC will continue to be Canada’s national stamp club.

Please feel free to contact me via email at e.kroft@shaw.ca.

Have a great summer!

Best wishes,

Ed

Long-time Canadian dealer and RPSC member Roy Houtby, owner of Roy’s Stamps, was recently appointed to the American Philatelic Society (APS) Dealer Advisory Council following an announcement from APS Executive Director Scott English. Houtby, of St. Catharines, Ont., has been in the stamp business for more than 45 years and participates in upwards of 30 shows across North America, including at least a dozen major events in the U.S., each year.

Roy’s Stamps is an annual participant in both the APS StampShow, Ameristamp Expo and Canada’s National Stamp Exhibition. He’s also a past president of the Canadian Stamp Dealers’ Association; served as bourse chair for several Canadian national shows, including “Royal 2009,” “BNAPEX 2015” and this June’s “Royal 2018” in St. Catharines. He is also serving on the organizing group for “BNAPEX 2019” in Ottawa.

Houtby is also the long-time bourse chair for the St. Catharines Stamp Club’s annual “Cathex” show and has organized the Best Western Stamp Show for more than four decades. He’s also chaired the Ottawa Fall Stamp Fair for the past 14 years.

The RPSC’s on-line library is a collection of “Exhibits” (these are actually “research articles”) donated to The RPSC for the viewing pleasure of our web site visitors. With the explosion of the internet and the availability of philatelic related information, the next evolutionary step is to bring the commonly viewed exhibits from the stamp show’s exhibition floor and create on-line versions of the presentations. To view the entire list, click here.