The 90th convention of The Royal Philatelic Society of Canada (RPSC) kicks off today in St. Catharines, Ont.
Hosted by the St. Catharines Stamp Club, the three-day show is being held June 22-24 at the Holiday Inn and Suites Parkway Convention Centre on 327 Ontario St. The bourse is open today and tomorrow from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is $3 today and tomorrow. In addition to free admission on Sunday, parking is also free at the venue all weekend.
The 2018 convention—also known as “The Royal”—boasts nearly 25 dealers, 140 frames of competitive exhibits and a “full slate of seminars,” according to convention chair Stuart Keeley.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE (JUNE 22, 2018) |
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| 9:45 a.m. | Opening ceremony | Lobby outside bourse entrance |
| 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse open | |
| 11 a.m.-noon | Seminar: “Great Britain Postal Reform, 1837-1840” by Tom Slemons |
Concord Room |
| 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | RPSC Fellows meeting | Niagara “A” Room |
| 1 p.m.-2 p.m. | RPSC Foundation meeting | Niagara “A” Room |
| 1 p.m.-2 p.m. | Seminar: “The Fun of Topical Collecting” by Larry Davidson |
Concord Room |
| 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Seminar: “Understanding the Machin Series – A Primer” by Steve McGill |
Concord Room |
| 5 p.m. | Exhibition and bourse close | |
EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS
Today at 11 a.m., Tom Slemons, a director with the Great Britain Collectors Club, will host a presentation highlighting Great Britain’s postal reforms between 1837 and 1840.
The 2018 convention will also boast a trio of seminars by philatelists from the American Topical Association (ATA).
“They’re each going to do a seminar on the topical and thematic areas, so that’s going to be interesting for a lot of people,” said meetings and seminars co-chair Rod Paige, who’s also the past vice president of The RPSC, adding both areas are burgeoning parts of the hobby.
Today at 1 p.m., ATA member Larry Davidson will lead a presentation entitled “The Fun of Topical Collecting.”
At 2 p.m., Steve McGill will lead a presentation entitled “Understanding the Machin Series – A Primer.”
Tomorrow at 11 a.m., ATA First Vice President Dawn Hamman will explore “Getting Started in Thematic Exhibiting” while a third seminar – the “ATA Roundtable” – will explore the latest news from the Illinois-based society at 2:30 p.m.
Also taking place tomorrow at 1 p.m. is a workshop on Great Britain philately from postal reform to the modern Machins co-hosted by Slemons and McGill.
“Collectors are encourage to bring their items for discussion and identification,” added Paige.
MEETINGS
Today’s meetings include The RPSC Fellows meeting at 11 a.m. and The RPSC Foundation meeting at 1 p.m.
The society’s annual general meeting (AGM) is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 a.m. This will be followed by a brief board meeting (the board is elected at the AGM before the new and incumbent directors meet) and a meeting of The RPSC Philatelic Research Foundation Board at 1 p.m.
Also on the morning of June 22, the PSSC will host its annual breakfast meeting, which will also include a lecture by a PSSC member.
Tomorrow at 6 p.m., The RPSC will host its President’s Reception with newly appointed President Ed Kroft. This will be followed by the highly anticipated awards banquet at 7:30 p.m.
For more information, visit rpsc.org.