The United States Stamp Society 2007 Annual Meeting, held at TEXPEX in Dallas, Texas over the April 13th-15th weekend, was well attended.  Members from New York to California and Michigan to Texas were welcomed at our Society table at the entrance to bourse and exhibit, and over 30 members and spouses attended the fellowship dinner.

At the General Membership Meeting on Saturday, April 14th, President Nick Lombardi reviewed the highlights of the Society’s activities during 2006 including a membership and financial report.  He reported that the recent drop in membership has abated, and thanks to the success of recent publications and generous member donations and bequests, the assets of the Society are at historic levels.

Lombardi announced that the Encyclopedia of United States Stamps and Stamp Collecting, introduced at the Washington 2006 International Philatelic Exhibition this past May, has been an enormous success.  The initial printing of 5000 books is nearly depleted and the Board of Governors has authorized a second printing of 3000 copies.

Wallace Cleland, Madison, Wisconsin, was presented with a plaque commemorating his winning the 2006 Walter W. Hopkinson Memorial Literature Award for his seven-part series “AMG Plate Blocks.”

Lombardi noted that progress for the publication of the 2008 edition of the Durland Standard Plate Number Catalog is well underway.  The new edition will be completely digitized with new material and significant image additions that will make this edition the best Durland we have ever published.  The Board has under consideration several additional literature projects that will be discussed over the coming months.

Lombardi also announced that the venue for the 2008 Annual Meeting has been changed from Philatelic Show in Boxborough, Massachusetts to NOJEX in New Jersey.  This change was necessitated because of a scheduling mistake by the Boxborough show hotel moving the show dates to Mother’s Day weekend.  Additional details and the list of future Annual Meeting sites will be posted in The Specialist.

Other highlights of the weekend event included the TEXPEX awards banquet, where Society Chairman Roger Brody presented the 2007 Hopkinson Trophy for the best exhibit of 20th Century material to Roland Austin, Stillwater, Oklahoma, for his “Postal History of the 1954 Liberty Series.”  The TEXPEX show attracted highly competitive exhibits, 60% of which were awarded gold medals, and the Grand Award was garnered by USSS President, Nick Lombardi, for his study of the 1903 Two Cent Washington Shield Issue.

A full report of the Annual Meeting, including actions of the Board of Governors, will appear in the June issue of The Specialist.

- Roger Brody
Chairman