FIP POSTAL STATIONERY COMISSION

Message from the Chairman. 2003

Once again a year has passed and it is time for another Commission Newsletter. In 2002 the Commission met formally in Korea, on the 8^th August in Seoul, and the Minutes of this meeting are included in this Newsletter. Also attached is information on the various societies which specifically cater for postal stationery collectors, the publications list of the United Postal Stationery Society and a leaflet on the Postal Stationery Society.

No additional Federations have applied for for membership of the Commission but a number of changes have taken place with regard to delegates. Firstly we have to warmly congratulate Ray Todd on his election as a FIP Vice-Presedent. His long standing contributions to the Commission will be sorely missed but he will be retaining a close link as the FIP Board member responsible for the Commission. Since the new structure of Commission Bureaux comes into being next year no action to appoint a replacement has been taken. The Australian Federation has appointed Bernie Beston so succeed Ray as their Commission delegate, and other changes are Harshad Ray, Malaysia and Branislav Kujundzoc, Yugoslavia who replace S Anthony and Dr. B Novakovic respectively.

On a sad not we have lost Richard Knight of South Africa who died recently. Richard was a very well known and distinguished member of the South African philatelic community. He made many friends internationally and was greatly liked and respected by all who were privileged to have known him.

Once again I must urge members to support the Commission Newsletter and Web site by contributing news items or short articles on matters of general interest. For example the rapidly developing interest in one-frame exhibits will open up a wide range of new exhibiting possibilities, as well as requiring a reapraisal of the excisting evaluation criteria, to assess whether or not modifications or adjustments will be necessary. Any views on this and information on current practice and experience in member federations would be very welcome.

For the future we have to consider the agenda for the Commission meeting which will take place in Singapore in 2004 and I would be interested to have proposals for discussion topics, presentations etc.

In conclusion I would like to thank the Bureau for their continuing support and wish everyone well during 2003.

Alan Huggins

Commission Chairman

Message from the Secretary. 2003

At the Bureau meeting in Madrid in October 2000 it was decided to establish a bibliography of all litterature

concerning Postal Stationery World-wide, and to make the bibliography public at the commission web-site.

Therefore every member of the Commission was asked to forward information about litterature on postal stationery issued in their home country (catalogues, monographs and major articles, author, year and publisher) either direct to me, or to our web-master Ross Towle.

Unfortunately, only a few of you has reacted to this call. A few of you has sent in handbooks and catalogues to me, but it is not the meaning for my call, - just send a list to our web-master, or to me. The sent in publications have been donated to various philatelic libraries.

Part of the job being a member of the Commission is to promote the knowledge of how to collect postal stationery, and here is the knowledge of excisting litterature an essential part.

Therefore, once again, I ask you, who has not yet responded to this call, to forward the information. My address is in the name and addresslist.

I still advertise for information of exhibition results from national and regional exhibitions, literature reviews, information of unusual auction results, and of course reports of national activities to promote the collection of postal stationery, to be brought in the next Newsletter.

Last year it was a great pleasure to meet so many of you at the AMPHILEX 2002 in Amsterdam - it's allways pleasent to meet old friends, and to find new friends. Unfortunately was I not present in Seoul, that because of my 60 years birthday, and had invited my family to Cyprus to celebrate it, the whole family had two fine weeks. Also thank you again, for all the greetings and presents you sent to me.

In 2002 I had the pleasure of beeing appointed as chairman of the jury at the Nations Cup in Lagoa, Portugal. As you know, postal stationery is one of the optional classes in the Nations Cup, but 2 of the participating 3 countries, Portugal and Spain, both had two postal stationery exhibits shown, all four very well made up, and they all contributed wery much to their countries total results. I think there is a great future for postal stationery in the Nations Cup, and that postal stationery should be a mandatory class !.

Finally a warm greeting to all members of the Commission, especially to the new members we have got in the past year, and I am looking forward to meet a lot of you in Singapore 2004, when we have our next official meeting.

Erik Hvidberg Hansen

Secretary.