What got you really excited about stamp collecting?  This is the question that I ask every collector, young or old, upon first meeting them.  Many collectors have responded it was an event that they attended, usually a large stamp show or stamp club meeting.  I then ask, who got you started collecting stamps?  The answers to this question are the most fun to hear because they tell me something about the person, not usually learned in a normal philatelic conversation.  What are your answers to these two questions?

My interaction with thousands of stamp collectors over the years has led me to one conclusion, that philately is a very personal hobby.  The personal nature contributes to the level of intensity found among philatelists that easily rivals any other hobby.  One does not need to spend much time among passionate stamp collectors before realizing that there is a universal desire to grow our wonderful hobby and ensure its prosperity.  Though with this passion, intensity and desire by every philatelist to make sure there are stamp collectors in the years to come, there has been a striking dearth of action to make these desires a reality.  Specifically I am referring to efforts to encourage young people to collect stamps. 

Don’t get me wrong, there have been many important efforts over the past several years to introduce stamp collecting to young people.  Since everyone across the philatelic world still lists the lack of young people in the hobby as a major problem, obviously these efforts have not been good enough.  Current efforts to introduce young people to stamp collecting from Boy Scout Merit badges to kids tables at local stamp shows, attempt to place the kernel of interest or as my father (my philatelic mentor) would say to activate the stamp collecting gene in young people.  Though the vast majority of the time once that merit badge has been attained or the stamp show is over, there is very little follow-up and support to that budding stamp collector.

Too often I hear that young stamp collectors collect for a time in their youth and take a break until a point much later in their lives when time and discretionary income are in greater abundance.  Accepting this hiatus of interest in young adulthood has weakened the hobby’s resolve to create methods to develop and mentor more young stamp collectors and the next generation of philatelic leaders. 

Last January in my Tiffany Dinner speech at the APS AmeriStamp Show in Charlotte, North Carolina, I announced the idea for a new initiative, the Young Philatelic Leaders Fellowship (YPLF).  Its purpose is to seek out and engage the most enthusiastic members of a new generation in philately.  In August, 2008, the American Philatelic Society adopted this program and now we are ready to begin.  The idea is to capitalize on the critical elements found within the answers to the two questions asked earlier. 

The Junior (age 13-17) and Senior (Age 18-25) Fellows in this program will be brought to the events and places that make being a stamp collector exciting.  This will include a trip to the APS headquarters and to Washington D.C. for a behind the scenes tour and research time at the National Postal Museum.  All fellows will have the opportunity to come and experience the APS National summer show.  Not only will Fellows be able to walk the floor of the show, they will also be active participants by presenting various public programs and lectures.  Aside from personally arranging some of these experiences, the other usual prohibitive factor for young stamp collectors is the expense of actually visiting these places and events.  The goal is to provide these experiences with all travel and living expenses paid for by the YPLF.  

The second element of the Fellowship is for the participants to have connections with the fascinating and incredibly knowledgeable people found throughout the stamp world.  If a Junior or Senior Fellow has a primary interest in the Pony Express, or particular stamps from United States, or a topical area, the fellowship will seek out the leading experts, authors and exhibitors in these fields and bring them together in a mentoring capacity.  I have experienced the power of this person-to-person interaction in my own philatelic career and I know many of the members of the United States Stamp Society have too. 

The value of empowering young and enthusiastic philatelists cannot be overstated.  By creating this vehicle to develop the philatelic leaders of tomorrow combined with the involvement of the current leaders throughout the philatelic world today; we will be in a much better position to spread the joy and wonder of stamp collecting on the largest scale possible. Imagine a few years from now a group of twenty-five 20-30 year olds working with a similar sized group of more seasoned collectors to plan and execute a nationwide campaign to introduce young people to stamp collecting.  This can be a reality if we all come together and make it so. 

To create these essential connections and experiences for these already enthusiastic young philatelists through the YPLF will require a unique coordination and assemblage of resources, from volunteered time, to monetary and in-kind contributions. 

Actions speak louder than words, so if you agree the stamp hobby needs to do more to engage young people and encourage the next generation of hobby leaders, please help support.  Remember these Fellows very possibly will be the future leaders of the USSS. 

Go to www.stampfellowship.org to learn more about this program and ways you can contribute.  We are still seeking applicants for the 2009-2010 year, if you know any stamp collectors in the 13-25 age group who you think might be interested, please let us know!  The deadline for Fellowship applications has been extended to April 30, 2009 in order to accommodate any candidates recommended by members of the USSS.  If you have any questions/comments or if you think you would like to play a larger role in the YPLF, please contact me by e-mail.