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Pillar Of The Community
684 Posts |
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Rog - you'll probably get elected in a landslide in Maryland with that platform. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
2433 Posts |
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Quote:
Unless the person you heard this from is sharing a bed with Scott I tend to be too polite to ask such details  ; that is unless I have had occasion to be there myself at which point it is not information I would share. That said it was not me in contract with SE. I will not burn the person but this specific SCF, "American Philatelic Society (APS) News & Business" is known to be monitored by SE and the APS. If the information is true and it leaked, they need to know. If the information is true and a trial balloon was floated, notification said balloon has been spotted is useful information. If untrue, they should be aware of the possibly disruptive circulating information**. Lastly if this was merely a plumbing check, yes, there is a leakage and that too is useful information. Now this will not take two administrations and a four year report to sort out, rather, patience until August 14, 2023 or perhaps a bit before is all that is needed. Quote:
I also would assume that APS already knows. Any political experience or associations aside, I trust SE is too much of an administrator to let anything slip out into the wild before he alerted the APS BOD. **I started to get violently ill as I began to type, "disinf...." so I settled for information. My stomach must be sensitive to too much political flavoring, burp  . |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
3913 Posts |
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Scott did post this on Facebook in Virtual Stamp Club Group in response to the post of the rumor. I was surprised he responded. If it is true, I would suspect a lot of people in APS (employees, board) know about it and likely a few outside APS so it just spreads. I am sure the board needs all the time they can get to find a replacement. Maybe he could head the ASDA????  |
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Al |
| Edited by angore - 05/21/2023 06:49 am |
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Valued Member
United States
244 Posts |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
8920 Posts |
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My platform will revolve around lots of free stuff for everyone and making the rich (undefined) pay "their fair share" (undefined) An easy promise to make, since there are many millions of used 20th century commemoratives and regular issues around, and a lot of people that the vast majority of us would consider "rich". |
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Pillar Of The Community
United Kingdom
7450 Posts |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
2433 Posts |
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Quote:
Scott did post this on Facebook in Virtual Stamp Club Group And expanded to this:  |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
951 Posts |
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If this rumor turns out to be true, this will really suck bigtime. Certainly, I would wish Scott nothing but the best for any future endeavors, but the void left in the wake of his resigning would be palpable for quite some time. IMO, his firebrand style of leadership has been nothing but outstanding for the APS and finding a replacement to equal him won't exactly be an easy task... |
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Moderator
United States
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I thought it was an interesting decision by Mick Zais to encourage Scott to apply to the APS Executive Director position when Scott had no philatelic background and was not a stamp collector at that time. I recall thinking to myself that I was unsure that having a political background as an Executive Director was not a high priority prerequisite and a more significant criteria than philatelic experience.
But now I hope that if a replacement search is on that they consider the same approach; navigating the operational logistics, optics, and relationships in APS not something that is simple and quickly learned. I think that Scott has proven that a person can be quite successful at the APS Executive Director position with a political background while gleaning 'on-the-job' philatelic experience.
Don |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
2433 Posts |
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 The Shrub Oak Local Post was operated by Herman (Pat) Herst, Jr. The "Pat" nickname stems from him being born on St. Patrick's Day. He was a well-known writer of philatelic books and a contributor of numerous articles to philatelic publications, such as Linn's Stamp News and Stamp Collector magazine. I always read his articles in Linn's. They tended to be of a whimsical nature and often covered obscure topics, but were always interesting.  Quote:
President Lyndon B. Johnson said "that dog won't hunt" in the 1960s. The ultimate origin of the phrase is unknown, but LBJ certainly popularized it. I doubt, now if alive, POTUS LBJ would say that about Alfie when staring at Shrub. Well all I can say is that in the past Herman Herst Jr. and Shrub Oak added much good to philately. Perhaps now Shrub will take way something good from philately in the future. Edit: Only 83 days to GASS. |
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| Edited by Parcelpostguy - 05/21/2023 6:24 pm |
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Valued Member
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259 Posts |
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I would have joined in the fun earlier, but I was in Maryland setting up my congressional campaign with my family taking part in a tribute to my father.
You folks got yourselves in a good ol' fashioned sewing circle.
I know where OP picked up the story, and WESTPEX had nothing to do with it. I got phone calls, texts, and emails while attempting to spend time with my ailing mother on the same weekend my dead father was honored for his life in service.
Why did this happen? Because amateur politicians want to show how incredibly "in the know" they are.
I commented on FB because I knew it would get reported back here. The point of that comment and I'll be more blunt here, all of this garbage is also someone's private life. Maybe give that some thought. I would, for some very brief periods of my life, like to not have to deal with the APS, but have a personal life. I've earned that kind of respect.
EDIT: Reading back through the comments, I should add, no one is trying to get rid of me. But someone is taking a lot of liberties and it should be rebuked.
Here is my one and only response for this thread: Everything is the same until it changes. When it does, I'll let you know. (Feel free to copy and paste this line so I don't have to do it).
Scott
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| Edited by ScottEnglish - 05/21/2023 9:58 pm |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
2433 Posts |
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Now here is a recently (my me) found article which discusses the positive aspects Scott English and the APS Board created in the last few years. It is also why, I believe, there was (is?) so much concern if Scott English departs the APS, which of course he will do at some point. Even if appointed APS Executive Director for life, all lives do come to an end. "Member Spotlight: How One Association's Strategic Plan Erased Debt and Rejuvenated Membership" Is the title of the 4-14-2022, article about the APS published in PAR (Professionals for Association Revenue). It is well worth a read especially the details following each bullet point listed in the below quote. It is found here: https://mypar.org/member-spotlight-...-membership/ from which I quote Quote:In the world of stamp collecting, the less a stamp deviates from its original state the more valuable it becomes. The same is not true of associations – organizations that fail to adapt to the evolving environment around them struggle to generate revenue and maintain value. This was the case for the American Philatelic Society (APS) who in 2016 had reached an all-time high in debt and an all-time low in membership – a catastrophic combination for an association's revenue health. "At some point, the organization stopped evolving," says Scott English, Executive Director of the APS, the largest non-profit organization for stamp collectors in the world. Seven years into English's tenure, membership is on the rise and the association is debt-free. The following is a look at how this Professionals for Association Revenue member organization implemented a strategic plan that erased its debt and rejuvenated its membership.... A Strategic Approach Toward Revenue Health The path to revenue health began with a focus on the central mission of the APS which is to preserve and promote the collection and history of stamps. With the mission at the forefront of its strategy, the APS worked to fill a need in the philatelic market. It's a formula that worked for this hobbyist organization, but English says it's one all associations can benefit from. "I don't care whether you are an individual member organization or whether you are a trade association, the business rules still apply." Here are five strategic changes the APS made to its operations, culture, and overall mindset that any association working towards revenue health could explore.
- Distribute Costs to Members Who Use a Service....
- Follow the Data and Eliminate Low Performers.
- Look at Existing Elements in New Ways....
- Find the Potential in Current Members.
- Keep an Eye on the Future and a Pulse on the Present.
As the APS works to modernize operations and appeal to a new generation of collectors, English says they remain focused on respecting the members they have while still finding ways to attract the members of the future. These strategic steps – along with an unexpected financial boost thanks to the gift of a generous donor** – have helped the American Philatelic Society continue on a path to revenue health. As it stands today, the APS has nearly 28,000 members in over 100 countries across the world. English says 2021 was the association's strongest recruiting year since 2008 and yielded the biggest membership changes since 1997. **Be than as it may as it did and does impact the APS in a positive manner, but do not underestimate Scott English's ability to get donations into the APS. That is one well learned ability he brought with him from the political arena. Now my donation (in honor of my mother) which planted a tree in the parking lot, was made before his tenure but eventually there will be more forthcoming from this APS member. I urge others to do the same. Edited for a missing "s" as well as a needed "but" and that is it I think. Quote:
Only 83 days to GASS.  Now 73 days to GASS.   |
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| Edited by Parcelpostguy - 06/03/2023 8:18 pm |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
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The article sounds interesting if someone did not actually have any history of the APS. It makes for good PR. I am not trying to take away from his positive contributions and leadership.
The retirement of the debt had a lot to do with some generous member's estates that APS would have received no matter who was the ED. One would think he did it all by himself without the supposedly relevant board of directors. APS has debated non-profitable services for years (winter shows, etc.) so that is not new. It was just getting everyone to agree to eliminate or optimize cost. APS is benefiting from the strong member support of the APRL.
Scott does understand one maxim that is needed in a viable organization (political, military, business) and that is optimism. Pessimism can destroy an organization. This requires strong PR skills with turning negatives into a positive. He is a strong flag waver. Unlike some of his predecessors, he will not get run over by over active APS board members.
APS/APRL got a lot more complicated after they purchased the Match Factory. The prior building provided restraints on activities. This has changed the role of the ED dramatically and many more challenges.
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Al |
| Edited by angore - 06/04/2023 07:19 am |
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
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If the rumors are true, I wish him well. I am sure his leadership will be missed at the APS.
The APS has done well under his leadership. I am sure I am not the only one here sorry to see his departure. If he does run for public office I am sure the citizens of Maryland will be well represented. |
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Pillar Of The Community
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Despite his considerable efforts and those of the rest of management and the board, membership continues to decline. The latest AP shows a roll of about 24,400, a drop of almost a thousand after the usual April guillotining of unpaid memberships. The comparable drop in 2021-2022 was about 400 and about 200 in 2020-2021. Maybe it's a one-time blip as things return to normal after COVID, but, if the decline continues, I wonder what membership level makes it infeasible to run the APS, at least without significant cutbacks in services, increases in dues or imposition of fees to be charged for certain services. Maybe not an indicator of the healthiness of philately in general, but of organized philately, in combination of the gradual passing on/retirements of dealers and the continuing disappearances of stamp shows. |
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| Edited by Oracle of Delphi - 06/04/2023 11:33 am |
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Replies: 67 / Views: 4,672 |
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Posted 05/20/2023 4:58 pm
