The notice "Address Changes" appears in every issue of The U.S. Specialist requesting members to notify the Executive Secretary 30 days in advance of an address change.  Many members have become so accustomed to the notice that they do not realize the importance of it to both the society and themselves.  In order for your Executive Secretary to ensure the timely delivery of your journal, the lead time required with the printer forces notification to them by mid-month before the month of issue of The Specialist.  This in turn requires the member to notify the Executive Secretary no later than the second week of the month for the coming month’s issue.  To account for mail deliveries and other delays, that’s how your society arrived at the "30 days" requirement.

However, there is another factor that enters the picture that is costly to your society and not merely an annoyance for the member who misses an issue of the journal; that member should stop to consider the ramifications of moving and forgetting to notify the USSS.  The Specialist like most periodicals carries a notice that the publisher wishes notification by the U.S. Postal Service that address changes have occurred should delivery not be completed.  Hence, for every issue that is undeliverable, the mailing label from The Specialist is returned to the USSS with a service fee of $0.60 charged your society.  Merely notifying the post office of your move only forwards the mail for a limited period of time; you must eventually notify the USSS.  When an issue is undeliverable and a request is made by a member for its eventual replacement, additional costs are then incurred by your Society, as the replacement copy cannot be mailed using the bulk-mail rate as the printer did in its initial mailing.  In order to keep the journal at the lowest possible price, the USSS prices its membership at less than break-even cost, with the idea of making up the difference with book sales and member donations.  Your cooperation in keeping these costs down with timely notification of address changes is appreciated by all.

- Larry Ballantyne
Executive Secretary

A major expense for the United States Stamp Society is postage.  Each year the official business of the USSS requires approximately $2,000 in postage.

Discount postage usually sells for 75% of face value.  Any member who wishes to make a contribution of discount postage will receive a tax deductible contribution for the full face value of the postage plus mailing costs (including insurance).

Please mail discount postage to the Treasurer for distribution, or drop it off at any show where the USSS has a Society table.  A receipt indicating the amount of your tax-deductible, charitable contribution will be sent for all contributions in excess of $5.

- David Sugar, Treasurer
20 North Wacker Dr., Suite 2250
Chicago, IL 60606

(Reprinted from Linn’s Stamp News, September 3, 2007, p. 46)

Despite all of the pleas from various segments of United States philately, the U.S. Postal Service announced Aug. 9 that it is going to stick to its decision made in 2006 about U.S. plate numbers.

The decision is that new plates employed in printing new stamps will continue to use only plate numbers consisting of only the digit “1,” despite more than 100 years providing consecutively numbered higher plate numbers.

The Postal Service announcement came during a meeting of stamp journalists at the American Philatelic Society’s Stampshow in Portland, Ore.

(more…)

Here are the United States Stamp Society medal winners that have been reported from recent shows:

Award winners, please note: If you have won a USSS award and have not seen it reported here, it is because the show committee has failed to return the requested award report. If you would like to be listed, please send the information to Denise Stotts at P.O. Box 690042, Houston, TX 77269-0042 or by e-mail.

Show Awards Chairs, please note:

USSS AWARDS PROGRAM

The USSS Gold Statue of Freedom Medal is sent automatically to all APS World Series of Philately shows.

The USSS Silver President’s Award medal is available upon request to all local and regional shows.

For more information, or to request an award, please write to Denise Stotts, P.O. Box 690042, Houston, TX 77269-0042 or by e-mail.