Another Stamp Society Bites The Dust

Members of the Society Olympic Collectors (UK) received an email a few days with a digital version its publication, The Torch Bearer, plus the news that the executive committee was calling an extraordinary general meeting of the society later this year. At that time the Executive Committee will propose to disband the society for lack of members willing to step forward to be officers and, especially, editor of The Torch Bearer. A number of the spark plugs for the society have died in the past few years including some who had been members since SOC was found in the mid-1980s. At the current time the membership stands around 80.

#8203;Is this type of news going to become more common in the next few years for many smaller societies? As president of the Vermont Philatelic Society, I know that 10 years ago we tried to find an editor of our publication when the previous editor decided it was time to relinquish the editorship. We searched for an editor for 2 years while the previous editor continued on. Finally, I took on the job as editor as well as president in 2009. I have been president since 2005 since no one stepped forward to run for president. At the current time, we have no vice president. Luckily we do have a new Sec/Treas.

The current SOC chairman has said that the most important job in most societies is the editor since the publication usually is the cement that binds the group.

Any comments?

TIMES ARE A CHANGEING -----Time to consider ,a new section on the Stamp Community Board . We are going in the direction of a membership access only section for clubs . The membership access gives you access to post stuff while anyone can read but to be part of the group you join and pay a fee .
It could be simple like $10.00 a year and every other club you join is $5.00 a year . Then they can have a $50.00 a year limit to access all the various club sites .

This club thing would be 24/7 so no reason trying to make meetings or writing a newsletter .

Most philatelic organizations of any size already have member-only sections on their websites, along with the ability to apply for membership and pay annual dues online.

At least those that are in any way clueful at any rate.

I don't think it's something that should be integrated here.

Lets see I would join the Pre-1940 club, worldwide club , ASFE group, and 10 or 15 country groups ,Cinderella group .

You start setting up a myriad of "members only" subforums where people can't actually read/participate without shelling out money, and I don't see that taking off here. In fact, I think it could harm overall participation as people get frustrated.

People can already post/discuss/collaborate here on virtually any philatelic topic. I don't see the need to segregate participation. It just puts barriers in front of content.

That's just my perspective; opinions will vary.

Maybe... It is really up to what people think is worth preserving. Like floortrader wrote -times they are a changing. The result of many societies dying, and the difficulty of getting people involved is IMHO somewhat direct consequence of people valuing different things (such as free forums) more. In the end it comes down to how much and what type of added value societies can provide.




[shameless self-promotion] You're welcome to join my SCB (if not already a member), LOL [/end shameless self promotion]


-k-

Well, yesterday was 4/20 after all...

I've served on boards of directors of various sized non-profits since the mid-1970s. Interesting to think now that I have never served on a philatelic non-profit board. I'm currently on three boards, altho one long time term ends on April 25.

Floortrader is right in saying that times are changing. People seem to get more busy as years go by. It's difficult to get younger people signed up for multi-year terms as they seem more project oriented. As for retirees, the old saying holds forth: "don't ever retire; you won't have time to do anything." Attitude toward potential new members is also important. I've seen a number of threads here, and on the junior SCF, like: "I went to a stamp club meeting for the first time. It was just a bunch of old guys sitting around talking aches, pains, and politics." I never went back.

Maybe some of these smaller clubs might consider joining or combining. Yeah, combining an Olympics themed club with a country specific club might seem a reach. But consider that two declining clubs of 80 members each combine; now you've got almost 200 members. Worth thinking about.

I am confused, when was there a time when this was not true? When was the time when it could be said 'times are the same'?
Don

Scott English touched part of this when discussing too many stamp shows - diluting the brand and the resources required to support the dilution.

There a number US stamp oriented groups: USPCS. USSS, PNC3, APNSS, UPSS that have sometimes common overlapping interests. Yet the have completely separate groups, newsletters/journals, web sites, additional dues, officers, editors, etc. The idea of APS affiliate offers little advantage in synergy.

For example, APNSS and PNC3 essential overlapping. One covers all stamps and the other covers just coils. PNCS has the much better website content despite it is dated in design.,

Some ov thix is likely personality and and territorial power struggles but the downside you can lose diversity. For all these philatelic boards, the board members needs to be more active and not just a consultants.

The thing I find slightly odd is that, whilst I understand the lack of interest in joining societies and attending meetings, the actual "editing" of a society's publication can never have been easier. Compare putting together a digital magazine now with the physical effort of putting together a publication at any point until the 1990s.

As an former editor, the key problem was getting articles. It was never the production side of things. The editor cannot write them all.

I agree with GeoffHa.Today it is very easy but the imaginative side
is still essential too attract people.Contents should be detailed
and easy too find.Putting a page together even on a computer is still
not fully exploited by many editors on line.Tons of stuff one can do today.

I belong to two societies that still put out monthly publications; the USSS and Germany Philatelic Society. Even covering rich collecting areas like this I still wonder how much longer they are going to continue to be able to keep this pace up? In each case I wouldn't mind seeing them cut back to bi-monthly. Personally I'd rather have a magazine @ two months with more content.

Angore - I used to review records for a blues magazine. The complaint I heard from those who ran it in respect of submissions was the quality of the writing in the articles they received, which could require substantial work to turn them into decent English. And they often received material in longhand. But the real problems were lack of time and money on the part of those trying to combine putting out a physical magazine with their day jobs.