This file is also available in pdf format should you wish to download and print, includes both sessions.

President's Report
Vice Presidents Report
Secretary's Report
Treasurer's Report
Executive Director's Report
Society Attorney's Report
Question and Answers

Present: Janet Klug, President; Ken Lawrence, Ada Prill, George Fekete, Vice Presidents; Lloyd de Vries, Secretary; Nicholas G. Carter, Treasurer; John Flannery, Ron Lesher, David Straight, Stephen Washburne, Directors-at-Large; Peter P. McCann, Immediate Past President.

There are approximately 30-40 members and staff in attendance.

President Klug introduces the Directors and Executive Director Robert Lamb.

Lamb introduces the staff at the show, noting that Internet Sales Unit Director Renee Gardner has been with the APS for 20 years. He also notes that Education Director Kim Kowalczyk last weekend hosted an event at a State College-area Barnes & Noble store.

Klug introduces the American Philatelic Research Library Trustees.

Klug says the APS appreciates its long-time members, and she and Lamb make presentations to the 25-year members.

They then present the awards to the 50-year members:

• Mrs. Nonie Green
• C.R. Snider
  
  

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APS Director of Shows Ken Martin presented several options for venues for AmeriStamp Expo Winter Show for 2007 and for STAMPSHOW 2009. The Board selected Riverside, California for February 2007 and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for August 2009.

The Board approved a proposal made by Vice President Ken Lawrence for a new type of national exhibition that will be called National Specialized Exhibitions. This type of show offers what the APS hopes will be an attractive option for specialized societies who want to hold one-time or periodic shows; or current World Series of Philately national shows suffering from escalating costs or venue difficulties; or larger regional shows that may wish to give local collectors and exhibitors an exposure to national-level philately. These shows will have lower frame number requirements, fewer required judges, and offer flexibility as to types of venues and show formats.

Director-at-Large Steve Washburne presented a thorough report of the committee looking into the sale of fakes and forgeries on APS Internet StampStore and the traditional sales division. The Board approved the recommendations of the committee to allow the APS Sales Divisions to list and to sell properly and accurately described philatelic material, including classic forgeries (i.e., Sperati, Fournier), postal, fiscal, and propaganda forgeries, and stamps marked indelibly by the owner and sold as forgeries. The Sales Divisions will not accept for sale photocopies or computer generated copies, clippings from auction catalogs, regummed, repaired, or enhanced material unless described in full; material offered “as is,” or stamps and covers altered to resemble more valuable items. The decisions made by the Board with regard to fakes and forgeries are applicable only to those items being sold through the APS StampStore or the traditional Sales Circuits.

The Board heard a recommendation by Treasurer Nick Carter to adopt the American Numismatic Association’s guidelines for conducting elections until such time as the Committee charged with this task completes its work. A lively discussion ensued, but the motion failed.

Dr. Michael Dixon, President of the Washington 2006 exhibition, updated the Board on progress being made with the international exhibition that will take place in Washington, D.C. in May 2006.

Immediate Past President Peter McCann presented a proposal to broaden the offer of one free gift membership to members who are celebrating their fifth anniversary of membership, as well as the 25-year members who currently receive this benefit. This is a cost-effective method to recruit new members, and it was approved by the Board.

Peter also proposed that every World Series of Philately show have an APS seminar. A committee will be created to set up scheduled speakers.

Director-at-Large Ron Lesher presented a motion of general support for the National Postal Museum’s revenue stamp stock deaccession plan, but requested the Museum not release the 1.7c wine stamp and the $1 marijuana overprint on 1954 documentary stamps, both of which are unique in private hands. In a narrow vote, that motion failed. The Board majority felt no stamps should be destroyed and all the stock in the National Postal Museum should be released for sale. 

Klug thanked the Executive Director, hardworking staff, and two tenacious treasurers, for balancing the operating budget for 2003.

He says the Vice Presidents are in charge of the APS' gallows. He thanks Helen Bruno for screening the complaints and getting people to work out their disagreements before they reach the BVP. He thanks the previous BVP for help with the transition and leaving a clean slate for the present BVP.

The Board of Vice Presidents has met about every 60 days to hold hearings. There were only 15 cases in 3 hearings. Six resulted in expulsion, 3 in probation, 1 in a reprimand, 1 suspension pending the outcome of legal proceedings, 2 dismissals, 1 successful arbitration, and 1 is still in abeyance.

Lawrence says it's a tribute to the members' reputation for trust that there were only 6 expulsions in six months.

Secretary's Report:
De Vries said he has supervised production of the minutes.

He reports that there is an operating surplus of about $48,000. The APS is fiscally sound and doing well.  Past problems, including operating losses and poor investment performance in 2000 and 2001 have been successfully addressed by Lamb and by Clark and the Finance Committee.  The assets of the Society are now $5.7 million, an improvement over the amount a year ago.

Most activities are generating a positive cash flow. The Internet Sales Unit also made a cash profit. The APS subsidizes some activities, but spent less than budgeted for American Philatelist. Overhead was less than budgeted.

The Society Attorney renders advice, reviews documents regarding the American Philatelic Center and the sale of the Oakwood Avenue property.

The APS will be relocating to the Bellefonte facility on May 31. June 26 is the dedication ceremony, and the APS is inviting all 49,000 of its members. If some can't make it then, there will be opportunities in the future: Lamb says the Society will be in the facility for a long time.

Membership remains a problem for the APS, as it is for all hobby organizations, not just in stamp collecting. The APS lost 1900 members last year, fewer than predicted but still too much. The APS has brought in an ad agency.

"We think the Internet is the largest untapped reservoir of new members," he said. However, the APS needs to revamp its Web site. The reason it hasn't so far is cost; the APS needs to find the money for it.

Web radio approached the APS and asked for a replacement for Major Ted Bahry. He's enthusiastic about the new program, featuring Clark.

The APS is developing a close relationship with eBay. There is room for expansion, but the APS' role is still limited. The APS only looks at the things that are referred to it by eBay. That is still a considerable number, about 2-3 dozen per week. The APS recommends "taking down" those lots about which it has a high degree of certainty of a problem.

That's only part of the cooperation with eBay. EBay suggested an eBay live auction. EBay also wants to promote stamp collecting as a family hobby, so donated the money for Family Day at AmeriStamp Expo 2004.

Lamb thanks the members for their generosity. The contributions are "staggering, awesome." The present campaign brought in $487,000, $148,000 just in December. Five years ago, the APS didn't get $148,000 in the entire year. Much of the donations were for the Match Factory, but allow recruiting for the entire hobby.

Al Kugel, representing the Chicago Philatelic Society, presents a check for a special Bud & Dottie Hennig fund, part of Project One, for $5,000, to APRL president Charles Peterson.

Herb Trenchard, chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee, gives the history of the Hall of Fame. He notes that all 190 members of the Hall are now listed on the APS Web site, and thanks Bill Bauer, Alan Warren and Bob de Violini for helping him create the section. It can be found under "Almanac" and "awards."

He told a little about each of the new inductees, Benjamin Hans Lagerloef, Franceska Rapkin, Robert Granville Stone and Varro Eugene Tyler.

He noted that the American Philatelic Center will have a section for the Hall of Fame and the Luff Awards.

Klug introduced two representatives from eBay, Alexander Lee and Dan Neary, and then Dixon of Washington 2006.

Dixon said there is a history of Internationals in this country going back to 1926. There are 58,000 square feet at the show in Norfolk, but Washington 2006 has booked 500,000 square feet and 125,000 square feet of meeting rooms.

He noted that Washington 2006 did not receive seed money from Pacific 97, so it has sold memberships that allow participants to set their own dues. Members at $25 or more get souvenir cards. Washington 2006 is not just a not-for-profit but also a not-for-loss corporation.

He asked for volunteers for the show, and announced that Washington 2006 has a booth at the Norfolk show.

Q&A:
Member Wolf Spille is perturbed by the disappearance of the traditional APS logo. He said the new one looks like a young lady with a fork and spoon.

Klug responded that it is an advertising logo, and there has been no decision by the Board to change the official logo or seal.

Lawrence said he is speaking for himself, but the old logo is just 19th Century clipart, widely used for other things that have nothing to do with philately. The new logo is exactly the kind of image the APS wants to project.

J. J. Henry, member #30648, moves to adjourn, and the motion is carried.