Huntsville Philatelic Club
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Meeting Dates: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month
Meeting Times: 6:30 PM Meeting Location: Fern Bell Recreation Center, 107A Sanders Road SW, Huntsville, AL, 35802 Officers: President: Ray Pietruszka pietrj@mindspring.com Vice President: Kathy Campbell mikathy48@gmail.com Treasurer: Mike O'Reilly mcoreilly@yahoo.com Secretary: Dr. Don Aulds auldsd@gmail.com Contact: Mike O'Reilly mcoreilly@yahoo.com or by mail to Huntsville Philatelic Club, P.O. Box 4384, Huntsville, AL, 35815-4384 APS Affiliate: 0597-047322 Newsletter Editor: Rod Henderson rscuba@otelco.net Visit the club’s new Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/799128636864188/ |
Club History: The Huntsville Philatelic Club was organized in 1963 for the purposes of providing fellowship among stamp collectors in the local area, promoting the hobby of stamp collecting for people of all ages, providing opportunities for education and increasing philatelic knowledge, providing programs for the benefit of stamp collectors, and to assist its members, families, and others in acquiring and disposing of philatelic material. The club is Chapter 597 of the American Philatelic Society, and celebrated our 50th anniversary as an APS chapter in 2015. Many of the club's members hold individual membership in these national organizations as well. Membership in the club is open to any individual interested in collecting United States and/or foreign stamps, postal stationery, postmarks, postal history, or related items. Guests are always welcome to club meetings and activities. The club meets at Fern Bell Recreation Center at 107A Sanders Road SW in Huntsville. The club's primary financial support comes from club dues which are currently $12.00 per individual membership, or $15.00 per family membership per year.
The club has regularly scheduled meetings, the first and third Tuesdays of the month. One meeting each month is usually set aside for a pre-arranged program or presentation concerning some aspect of stamp collecting. These presentations are typically done by a member covering a special feature of his or her collecting interests. Other times it is an educational slide show with narrative borrowed from a major philatelic society or association. The third Tuesday meeting each month is usually for member stamp trading or an auction of member owned philatelic material. Occasionally, the club receives donations of stamps and other items which are auctioned for the financial benefit of the club.
The club also sponsors an annual stamp and postcard show, the Huntsville Philatelic Exhibition, or HUNTSPEX. It is usually scheduled for the weekend after the Memorial Day holiday at a local conference center and is widely advertised in the local media. This show is the club's primary community outreach event. Approximately a dozen stamp dealers and eight postcard dealers from Alabama and the surrounding states reserve tables to show their sales stock to those attending the show. Several hundred people attend the show each year. The exhibit always draws many frames of stamps and postal history which are judged in accordance with the accepted regulations and criteria of the hobby. Awards are presented to the exhibitors and a judge's critique is held for interaction among exhibitors and judges, and a question and answer period is included for the prospective or novice exhibitors.
The club is also a member of the Southeast Federation of Stamp Clubs, and provides oversight though its elected representative to the federation board of the Southeastern Stamp Expo (SESE). Members of this club have been regular exhibitors at the SESE for many years. In 2014, HPC member Frank Crown was honored with the annual Rowland Hill award for his lifetime contributions to philately including the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Georgia Postal History Society.
In 2018, the Huntsville Philatelic Club became a chapter of the American Topical Association.
The club has regularly scheduled meetings, the first and third Tuesdays of the month. One meeting each month is usually set aside for a pre-arranged program or presentation concerning some aspect of stamp collecting. These presentations are typically done by a member covering a special feature of his or her collecting interests. Other times it is an educational slide show with narrative borrowed from a major philatelic society or association. The third Tuesday meeting each month is usually for member stamp trading or an auction of member owned philatelic material. Occasionally, the club receives donations of stamps and other items which are auctioned for the financial benefit of the club.
The club also sponsors an annual stamp and postcard show, the Huntsville Philatelic Exhibition, or HUNTSPEX. It is usually scheduled for the weekend after the Memorial Day holiday at a local conference center and is widely advertised in the local media. This show is the club's primary community outreach event. Approximately a dozen stamp dealers and eight postcard dealers from Alabama and the surrounding states reserve tables to show their sales stock to those attending the show. Several hundred people attend the show each year. The exhibit always draws many frames of stamps and postal history which are judged in accordance with the accepted regulations and criteria of the hobby. Awards are presented to the exhibitors and a judge's critique is held for interaction among exhibitors and judges, and a question and answer period is included for the prospective or novice exhibitors.
The club is also a member of the Southeast Federation of Stamp Clubs, and provides oversight though its elected representative to the federation board of the Southeastern Stamp Expo (SESE). Members of this club have been regular exhibitors at the SESE for many years. In 2014, HPC member Frank Crown was honored with the annual Rowland Hill award for his lifetime contributions to philately including the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the Georgia Postal History Society.
In 2018, the Huntsville Philatelic Club became a chapter of the American Topical Association.