Starting A Stamp Club?

Where I live there are 4 Southern Morton Bay Islands that are grouped together with a population on them. At a guess, an all up population of about 5,000 people.

The nearest stamp club is to far away and the cost to travel is another issue.

The Postmaster at our local PO on my island and I have shared a lot and he has become a stamp collector. He has been coming across a few stamp collectors that have been asking questions. So maybe we could possibly start a stamp club here.

The way for us to have a central meeting place for the 4 islands is on our island at the community hall next to the boat jetty.

To meet at the community hall the group needs to have insurance to be able to book a stamp club meeting at this hall.

It just seems a little difficult to put together.

Has anyone got any ideas that could help us start a stamp club with what we have to work with?

Hi KGV Collector

I am not sure how things operate in Australia, but, I can tell you that our local club is covered under the umbrella of a large society, that being the "Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC). maybe a large society based in Australia can do the same?? What you would have to do is become a chapter of that society to qualify.

Our club is a small club in a town that is the gathering center for the whole district of Muskoka.

I hope that there is a similar organization in Australia that can do this for your club (?) I am sure that Australia has major clubs that might offer this to you.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Hi KGV Collector,

It certainly sounds like you may have some challenges, but I would ask that you consider a few ideas.
The meeting, if it is only a few people could be hosted at a member home. Do you have local libraries or schools that might have a room you could use? Consider starting with small regional groups that could meet a few times per year as a group. This would also give the opportunity for multiple techniques to be explored as each group can be creative in the meeting format. By visiting and sharing ideas it would make each group a bit stronger.
I know of clubs that meet at restaurants, in churches, at social halls, in homes, and some are even hosted by members who happen to own or have access to a local businesses meeting facility.
If you haven't reached out to the local collectors for ideas, you might want to begin there.
This link http://stamps.org/userfiles/file/cl...tampClub.pdf is from the APS. I realize it might not apply in all areas, but it may provide some ideas.

KGV,
You seem to presume that in order for a club to exist, that physical meeting is essential.
Are you not a member of the SCF family?
We have some meetings, but when our busy personal schedules do not allow it, we 'meet' on the net.
Or we meet with those who are available and then let those who missed the meeting know what happened by email.
If you rely totally on face to face you are making a rather unnecessary limitation from the word go.
We have a member, who lives in Toronto, would you not consider her a proper member of our club? We also have a member who cannot walk and rarely attends physical get togethers, yet is very active in our club.
All food for thought; yes?
Bear - YorkStCb.

Am I missing something here????

Is KGV Collector referring to a 'physical' (i.e. - real people) or an internet club?? Personally, I thought he was referring to an actual club for people in his area to make the meetings?

Chimo

Bujutsu

Thank you to everyone for sharing.

Yes personal contact as stamp collectors is the idea.

When it comes to an online stamp club, SCF is the go, big time.

I will contact some clubs and see if that gets me somewhere as Chimo has suggested. .

I have so much to offer a face to face stamp club. We have a lot of stamping stuff to help low budget beginners or anyone for that matter.

I can see a stamp club auction once a month to pay for the hire of the hall.....

We have a large population of old aged and disability pensioners that have very little contact with anyone. People come here mostly because of the very cheap rent that is on offer.

Most of these people would not have a computer or know how to use one.

There are 2 glossy magazines that offer free advertising to non profit groups.

The PO could be a good place to spread the word as well.

Meetings held at a private home I would not support. It is to big a risk and I will just leave it at that.

I can see so much of it all....

I do believe it would work if we can get insurance.

I do not want to say anything to anyone on the islands until I can see a way for it to happen clearly.

It just take 2 individuals to start a stamp club. And with a little advertising you can attract some more. Who can tell what will be the urge for collectors from the other islands to meet with the stamp club once they know about it. After all we are all crazy stamps collectors. Go for it you won't loose your shirt maybe a few stamps...

Yes in that sense timbres we have the PO stamp club!

It is truly the beginning of all this. The two of us talking stamps face to face.

Buju




Yes I think you are.
It is possible for the two to compliment one another.
Sure meet physically if you can but it is not essential. Especially now the net is available to everyone with a '3' style phone. You do not even need a computer!
In that respect both you and KGV are welcome to join our club if you wish [YSC] and once you get your club up and running KGV then I would be pleased to receive an invitation to join it?
Yuri-YSC.

KGV,




That is such a shame and a sad reflection of our times. Some of us have 'bit the bullet' and so far nothing bad has happened. In this respect net meetings are safer but I do understand your wish to meet face to face, it just isn't always possible. As a couple of our members cannot manage it.
You would be welcome in my home, but I live in England, so I guess it would be in spirit only.
Yuri-YSC.

I'm sure there would be a way around it that would avoid getting insurance or doing anything very formal, at least to start with. You don't need to jump in at the deep end and start a fully-fledged club. Start quietly, maybe you could find a venue on each island and rotate around them? Give people in each location chance to come and meet without committing to a longer journey straight away.
Small meetings, as you start out, could be in a coffee shop, for instance. No insurance, no formality, just friends meeting to chat about stamps!
If you start off like that, if and when the club grows, you personally will not have to take on all the headaches of running the club, as this will be shared with the other members.
So my advice - think laterally, start small.
Oh - and have fun!

Yep! The ideas are helping. Thank you all very much!

It is nice to think outside the square.

I could buy 6 cups of coffee instead of hiring the hall and it is close to the all important boat jetty!

stampgal's coffee shop idea does fit very well indeed.

I could find out the slowest time in the coffee shops opening times.

Advertise the coffee shop with the stamp get together and ask for coffee discounts.

There is also a large undercover area in the middle of the shops where this meeting could extend.... Yes this idea has got me thinking!

How does your stamp club work?

What is your favorite activities at your stamp club?

Any advise that you feel is important?

Anything that a stamp club should keep away from?



I am starting to think this idea just might work out!

How Yorkshire Stamp Club works:-
3 administrators were elected by everyone in the club at the time.
If any member wishes to introduce an idea or feature they take it to the administrators, who discuss and then vote upon it. Being 3 strong, a decision is always reached, even if only by majority.
We currently have 2 female and 1 male administrators.
We always act in respect to one another and do not tolerate profanity, such would mean ejection, although this has not happened thus far.
The only other rule we have is club members are not allowed to buy and sell from one another, we decided early doors it was an avenue which would contain too many pitfalls.
Our meeting take place when ever we fancy, be it at some-one's house or by email, we also have a blog and a community password to other organisations we may join (this one being an example).
We have been in existence since 2008 and also meet to discuss reading, other collecting and to listen to music. There are no demands for members to attend meetings and sometimes an actual meeting may only be attended by 2 or 3; we reason; why does this matter?
We age from 84 down to 7.
One member lives overseas, another is in a wheel chair, they are among the most active members.
Even if you only take one idea from this KGV, then it has been my pleasure to help,
Yuri-YSC

Thank you Yuri!

There is a lot of good info I am sure will help a great deal.




This one I need to think about as I have 300kgs+ of kiloware on paper, a lazy 40 32 page black stock books etc.

We have a PO owner that could become a member who meets new collectors through his job.

But I can also see pitfalls when it comes to selling.

Always Happy Stamping. KGV