Philatelic specialists mark 70 years since society’s founding

By Ian S. Robertson

More than 50 Philatelic Specialist Society of Canada members and guests recently celebrated the national hobby organization’s 70th anniversary at a special dinner.

“For me it’s been a learning experience,” Bob Vogel, the PSSC president.since 2019, said in an interview before the event at the landmark Old Mill restaurant in Toronto on October 16.

“There’s such a diversity in the membership collecting interests and their expertise.”

Formed in 1954, the PSSC’s constitution notes the organization must “foster philatelic research and study by appropriate means.”

It now has 167 active members, including from Canada, Argentina, Australia, France, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and the United States

To maintain diversity, “no two members have the same specialty,” though that requirement was relaxed in recent years, said Garfield Portch, who edited the society’s 2017 anthology.

“It’s not a formal rule,” said Ingo Nessel, the 2015-19 president.

“It’s a practice we’ve done, to ensure we have diverse collecting interests,” with recognition of “scholarly research and sharing of good philatelic knowledge” by many “prominent philatelists,” he said.

“Membership is by invitation of advanced collectors, authors, exhibitors and philatelic judges,” the PSSC website notes.

Starting in recent years, “we consider philatelic leadership,” including people who are executives with other stamp and postal history organizations, Nessel said.

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