I urge all stamp club members to read Frank Tonge’s story on the Penticton and District Stamp Club on page 19 of this issue of Canadian Stamp News. It’s a recipe for growing your club’s profile in the community.
I often hear comments from stamp club members concerned about the longevity of their organizations. Clubs, such as the one in Penticton, are a shining example of how to raise a club’s profile – and the image of stamps – in your local community.
Tongue shares how the club has raised slightly more than $28,000 – earmarked to support five charities – thanks to the sale of postage stamps and associated material.
“Material is received for the club’s charities through the donation of inactive stamp collections from the communities served,” Tonge writes. “Money is collected through the monthly auction and sale of the stamps to club members, providing them with a constant source of new material.”
There is a very important message in Tonge’s story. The Penticton club’s mission of goodwill is a clear message that stamp clubs still have an active role to play in their local communities. By reaching out, clubs have an opportunity to help their community while, at the same time, provide an opportunity for their fellow citizens to understand the important role postage stamps play in Canada’s history.
Here, at CSN, we receive newsletters from a handful of stamp clubs across Canada. I read them all – searching for story ideas we can share with our national and international audience. (BTW, if I’m not on your newsletter list, please add me: mwalsh@trajan.ca.) Based on the newsletters I’m receiving, the clubs are doing a great job of communicating to their members.
The Penticton club is taking it a step further by reaching out to their local community for support, which opens doors to publicity for the club and, more importantly, the opportunity to share the hobby with their fellow citizens. Now that’s stamping a lasting impression on the community.
To assist stamp clubs with their publicity and community outreach, CSN is hosting a seminar on the Sunday of our National Postage Stamp and Coin Show (stampandcoinshow.com). The seminar will provide an opportunity for the community to ask questions about our publications; however, our focus is also on sharing ideas on how to better promote your club in our publications and your community. I also hope it serves as a venue for participating club members to share “best practices” on how they are reaching out to their communities.
I hope you can join us. For more details on the seminar, see our insert inside this issue of CSN.