American Philatelic Society -- General Membership Minutes August 2005

Minutes of the American Philatelic Society
General Membership Meeting

August 6, 2005
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Called to order at 9:03 a.m.

Also available in .pdf format

Board of Vice-Presidents' Report	Questions from the floor
Executive Director's Report	Secretary's Report
Introduction of Newly Elected Board of Directories	Society Attorney's Report
New Business	Treasurer's Report
President's Report

Call to order by President Janet Klug at 9:03 a.m.

Klug introduces the APS Board: Vice Presidents - Ken Lawrence, Ada Prill, George Fekete; Treasurer - Nicholas Carter; Secretary - Lloyd deVries; Directors-at-Large – John Flannery, Ronald Lesher, David Straight, Stephen Washburne; Past President – Peter McCann

Klug introduces Executive Director, Robert Lamb, who introduces the APS staff present: Rick Banks, Barb Boal, Kim Kowalczyk, Janet Houser, Gini Horn, Ken Martin, Barb Johnson, Rob Haeseler, Wendy Masorti.

Klug recognizes Ken Grant the new President of the APRL who thanks outgoing trustees Hubert Skinner and Bill Bauer. Then introduces the new Board: Vice President – Herbert Trenchard; Secretary – Roger Schnell; Treasurer – W. Danforth Walker; Trustees – Roger Brody, David Straight, Ken Lawrence, Peter Martin; Past President – Charlie Peterson.

Klug thanks volunteers and show organizers particularly: Greater Grand Rapids Stamp Club, Kent Philatelic Society, and Kalamazoo Stamp Club.

Klug and Lamb present the 25- and 50-year awards. Thirty-one 25-year members were in attendance to accept their certificates and pins. One recipient, Terrence Amann of Iowa made a generous donation to the Building Fund. Richard T. Moore receives his 50-year medallion.

Reports

President’s Report, Janet Klug
The APS Board met for 11.5 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Covered the following:

- Received reports from the Executive Director and Society Attorney
- Approved Nashville, Tennessee for Winter Show 2009
- Approved Richmond, Virginia for Stampshow 2010
- Approved judging reciprocity with FIAF
- Agreed to sponsor Dominican Republic for membership in FIP.
- Reviewed CANEJ rule revisions and remanded the document back to CANEJ for review.
- Reviewed 2006 budget and remanded to staff to balance.
- Approved a new investment policy for the Society.
- Discussed Member Reunions proposal from John Hotchner for members on anniversary years.
- Approved a new member survey proposed by Lloyd deVries.
- Approved recruiting ideas presented by Wade Saadi. The Board will be very active.
- Approved New Membership Promotion, offering discount coupons on services.
- The Board heard from committees for 2016 from Columbus, Ohio and New York City.

Board deferred decision until November.

Reminds everyone that Washington 2006 is "right around the corner."

APS committees work very hard to provide member services. Gave the following update on recent committee activities.

- Preservation and Care of Philatelic Materials chaired by Roger Rhoads, has a very useful website hosted on www.stamps.org .

- Promotion & Recruiting Committee chaired by Barth Healey conducted open forums in Norfolk Atlanta. The committee provided suggestions for cross-pollination with other collectible fields and working with local chapters to mine their members for new APS memberships.

- Committee on the Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges chaired by Ann Triggle assisted shows in selecting juries, revised score sheets for one-frame exhibits, conducted a survey on thematic exhibiting, helped judging seminars at many shows, revised their rules for shows and has over all responsibility for 146 APS accredited judges and 10 apprentice judges.

- The Hall of Fame Committee chaired by Herb Trenchard submitted four nominees for approval in Grand Rapids. The Board approved the recommendations and they will be announced later.

- The Bylaws Committee chaired by Dan Siegel reported that no bylaw changes have been requested by the Board during the past two years.

- The International Committee chaired by Steve Schumann reported APS has many delegates to FIP commissions. Ron Lesher was elected President of the Revenue Commission, Steve Reinhard was elected president of the Aerophilately Commission, Steve Schumann was elected President of the Postal Stationery Committee, Peter McCann was elected Vice President of the FIP, Charlie Peterson was reelected director of the FIP, and Jim Mazepa is FIAF Vice President.

- The Ernest Kehr Future of Philately Committee chaired by John Hotchner reported the Board approved Joe Luft for the 2005 award, and has proposed a nominee for 2006.

- The APS Liaison to the USPS is John Hotchner. John reported that advertising is being sent out with orders from Kansas City; USPS reduced the number of commemoratives, the USPS issues stamps at APS shows; Dave Failor, Executive Director of Stamp Services, has met regularly with the Board and the USPS is issuing special stamps at Washington 2006. Janet Klug thanked John Hotchner for the best relations in years with USPS.

- The Chapter Activities Committee chaired by Tom Fortunato provides services to our nearly 600 local chapters; a column in the AP appears 3 times a year; the website is packed with useful information and continues to be expanded; stamp club trading post columns by John Hotchner were converted to CD and are available at cost to clubs; the committee provides a stamp collecting month postmark for chapters; conducts a chapter newsletter competition; and is currently working on the producing a presentation outlining the services and benefits of APS membership so that chapters can have an APS night at their meetings.

- Ethics Committee chaired by Alan Warren, advised Board on two important ethical questions in the last two years. The first regarding a question about conflict of interest by a dealer on estate advisory committee. The second concerns specifics of election reform.

-Stamp Theft Committee chaired by Duke Day, reports that the committee was instrumental in the removal of a prolific forger from eBay; recovery of philatelic material in possession of Nelson Collamer acquired through fraud - the stamps will be inventoried and will be returned to owners; and the Committee is exploring how to make images of stolen stamps available to the membership.

- Luff Awards Committee chaired by Bob Odenweller reported on awards for 2004 and 2005.

- Translations Committee chaired by Dmytro Bykovetz provides translation services.

- Affiliates Committee chaired by Jim McDevitt provides support for APS affiliates; staffs a booth at APS shows to assist affiliates and answer questions from beginners.

- Entry Level Collectors Committee chaired by Nancy Clark reported on partnerships with the National Postal Museum (NPM), Stamp Camp USA, Washington 2006, Postal History Foundation, ASDA, Mystic Stamp Company, Rocky Mountain Philatelic Society. The Committee will represent the APS at Smithsonian Teachers Night in October, which is hosted by the NPM. That will expose 2,000 teachers to use of stamps in the classroom. It has also applied for a grant from the Department of Education for program to use stamps in the classroom.

- Finance Committee chaired by Nick Carter provided advice to Executive Director regarding APRL rental operations, financing and loan terms for the APC, reviewed investment management contract.

- Fund Raising Committee co-chaired by Charlie Peterson and Janet Klug. Made a commitment two years ago in November 2003 to raise 10 million dollars in ten years and since the kick off we have raised by 1.8 million dollars. We are on target but we have a ways to go and we need support.

Board of Vice Presidents Report, Ken Lawrence.
Reviews the APS complaints. When they join, members pledge to uphold standards of conduct. Occasionally someone doesn't. Most complaints are settled by the APS Complaints office. Complaints not resolved at this level are referred to the Vice Presidents. In the past 2 years, the Vice Presidents have held hearings on 52 complaints. As a result of these complaints 30 members were expelled; 1 suspended; 2 placed on probation; 4 reprimanded, 2 applications rejected, and one that was challenged was admitted. Twelve were dismissed.

Decisions made by the Vice Presidents can be appealed to Appeals Tribunal (all Directors except Vice Presidents). Of the 52 complaints, 9 were appealed. The Appeals Tribunal upheld 4, overruled or modified 4, and remanded 2 back to the Vice Presidents. The Society Attorney supports and advises us when needed.

Had complaint from the Sales Division against a 19-year old member in California for failure to return circuits. The listing in the AP is flat. But she and her boyfriend murdered her best friend and her mother was unable to find the missing circuits. Hopes the future of philately is brighter than that.

At its final BVP meeting the Board of Vice Presidents intervened to correct historic injustice involving Theodore Frederic Cuno, who was American Philatelic Association member #1 and subsequently expelled. Board decided to restore his membership and to recommend him to the Hall of Fame Committee.

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Secretary's Report – Lloyd de Vries
Over the 8 years spent on the APS Board he has become a better exhibitor, better writer, and made a lot of friends

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Treasurer's Report – Nicholas Carter
A full Treasurer’s Report is available.

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Society Attorney’s Report – Virginia Eisenstein
Maybe this time she will have shortest report. The APS has been officially changed to the 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte, PA. There is no litigation pending against the APS at this time and doesn’t know of any major problems that will result in litigation.

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Executive Director's Report – Robert Lamb
When the credit card program started, it generated $40,000 a year in income. But now cut it up (cuts up his card). Society no longer earns a dime for the Chase card. Society has changed to US Bank. Will have applications on website and you will shortly get an application in the mail. Please don’t throw it out. USBank card is a better card. It offers you a choice between airlines or cash rebate. Plus it helps the Society. Please sign up for the new plan.

Thanks the Finance Committee and the Board for giving us the chance to look at the budget and for giving us the tools to do something about it. Doesn’t think there will be as much red ink as Carter presented, but additional income from investments will help.

Society continues to lose members, but has a really aggressive campaign. Gone outside of hobby to buy mailing lists. Rob Haeseler, urging dealers to use Business Reply Cards in their customer mailings, now has commitments for 96,000 cards. $5 Bounty is paying off. Pointed out to clubs that they can get the $5 bounty.

The building has been a very successful project, promoting the hobby, making us money and continuing to grow. Two more buildings will be completed October 1 and dedicated November 11th and 12th. $187,000 received so far this year in donations from our membership and we are very grateful for that. Praises Society.

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New Business

Presentations
The American Air Mail Society representatives, Derrick Pillage, Steve Reinhard, and Jim Graue, presented a $10,000 check, another in series of generous contributions from the AAMS. Pillage wants the AAMS to be part of the project for a long time. Klug looks forward to opening the World Air Mail Research Center

The American First Day Cover Society President, Tom Foust, presented a donation for $3,153 generated by a matching fundraising campaign among their members.

Klug invited Major Ted Bahry on the stage. Bahry is raising money for a room at the APC to honor those who have served in the military and to promote military postal history. Bahry makes pitch for more contributions.

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Introductions of Newly Elected Board of Directors (Janet Klug)
Klug thanks the outgoing Board, Ken Lawrence, Lloyd deVries, Steve Washburne, and Ron Lesher.

Introduces the new Board:

Vice Presidents
   George Fekete - Chairman
   Alan Parsons
   Ada Prill

Secretary
Wayne L. Youngblood

Treasurer
Dr. Nicholas G. Carter

Directors-at-Large
   Dr. John B. Flannery
   Peter Martin
   Wade E. Saadi
   David L. Straight

Past President
Dr. Peter P. McCann +6

Klug asks the past presidents in attendance to preside over the swearing in over the new Board: Bill Bauer (1981 – 85), Bud Sellers (1985 – 89 and 1991-93), Joe Foley (1989-1991), and John Hotchner (1997-1999). Bill Bauer installed the officers.

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Questions from the floor
Ben Cohen: 44-year member, was given a ribbon with his badge at the show showing 25 year member. Suggests all years of membership be reflected on the badge.

Randall Sherman: Asks about Single-Frame and Most Popular Champion competition since there won’t be an AmeriStamp Expo next year? Klug responds that AmeriStamp Expo will be in Canada next year.

Jackie Alton: Invites everyone to Stampshow 2006 in Chicago.

Barbara Mueller, who received the Smithsonian Achievement Award last year, APS number 18937, adjourns meeting sine die in memory of George Brett.

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Contact Information available for the APS Staff
APS Webmaster - Doris Wilson
Technical Contact - Brian Krasinski