Attendees:
Board of Directors: President John Hotchner, Immediate Past President Randy Neil, Vice Presidents: Dr. Peter P. McCann, Gordon Morison; Secretary Janet Klug, Treasurer John Apfelbaum (arrived later), Directors-at-Large: Jeanette Knoll Adams (arrived later), Lloyd de Vries, Ann Triggle, Wayne Youngblood.

Staff: Executive Director Robert E. Lamb, Attorney David Flood, Director of Shows & Exhibitions Ken Martin, Director of Expertizing Mercer Bristow, Editor Bill Welch, Director of Library Services Gini Horn, Controller Scott Frazier.

Guests: Lois & Bob de Violini, Rob Haeseler, Hugh Coughlin, Greg Frantz, Nanette Hotchner, and newly elected Board member Diane Boehret.

Call to Order:
The meeting of the American Philatelic Society's Board of Directors was called to order by President John Hotchner at 7:10 p.m. in the Savoy Room of the Sheraton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. President Hotchner welcomed the guests and newly elected Board Members and invited everyone in attendance to introduce themselves.

President Hotchner announced there was no Society Attorney's Report because there had been no activity in the past six months.

Executive Director's Report:
Lamb: The Society is financially healthy. The audit has been completed and we have total assets of $8.7 million, and that figure does not include the books in the library or the reference collection. The Society's net worth grew by $350,000 in 1998.

Our membership on August 1 was 52,412 members. This is up slightly from the March low of 51,400, but we are still running 1,600 - 1,700 behind where we were two years ago. We launched our "Race to 200k" membership drive and we hope that will bring us back to where we were two years ago.

The Internet is becoming an increasingly important source of new members. We will be paying more attention to it as a means to provide services to our members. A new website went live on August 16. Lamb was pleased with the progress but there is still more to be accomplished. This fall we expect to hire a consultant to help us redesign the home page. Lamb expressed appreciation to Lois and Bob de Violini and to Joe Picard who were responsible for bringing the Society into the electronic age by initiating the first APS website.

Hotchner: Presented a Resolution of thanks to the de Violinis and Picard, naming them "Webmasters Emeritus."

Motion: To accept the Resolution. Moved by Klug. Seconded by Neil. Passed unanimously.

Lamb: Todd Bayne, new Director of Education, began employment on August 16. Bayne has been given two mandates. First, he is to work toward making the Education Department more income generating; and second, to establish an APS distance education program with courses on the Internet as well as traditional correspondence courses.

The All Star Stamp Club continues to be one of our more successful programs. We are working on the fall mailings now and we expect to have about 2,000 children enrolled by Christmas.

The U.S. Postal Service has approached us about cooperation with the collecting community to launch National Stamp Collecting Month this year. The USPS would like to change the focus of Stamp Collecting Month from the promotion of a particular stamp issue to a promotion of stamp collecting as a hobby. The Society is encouraging this shift of focus and we have agreed to participate in first day ceremonies in Indianapolis for the insect stamps. Doris Wilson and Todd Bayne will be working with the Indiana Stamp Club, which will also be involved.

Ellen Stuter, formerly of the Education Department, will replace Sue Dixon in the Library staff.

The Expertizing Service is continuing its growth. In the first half of the year it issued over 3,300 certificates. We expect at the end of the year to have 6,600 certificates. Mercer Bristow is working on the computerization of the daily operations of the Expertizing Service with a new database. We had a major breakthrough this week when we put the Expertizing application on the web. We are the first Expertizing Service on the web.

After the last Board Meeting we approached a retired FBI agent about chairing the Stamp Theft Committee. He was seriously considering it, however if he does not accept it we will have to consider someone else. There is enough crime to warrant it.

Members continue to be generous. So far this year our cash contributions have been just under $40,000. We are projecting an income from contributions this year to be $100,000. It is not as good as last year, but it is extremely good considering we do not have a major fund raiser going on. The in-kind contributions are increasing rapidly. So far this year we have received $300,000 in-kind contributions, compared with $380,000 for the entire last year. We expect to cross $500,000 this year. Last week we had one of the most unusual donations we have ever received. Member John Barber of New Jersey donated a voltage regulator to the Society. It is a 4,000 pound device which modulates the current coming into the building and actually compensates for short periods of outages. It is an $80,000 piece of equipment he had in his factory. It has a book value of $25,000. It was a very generous donation.

We changed auditors this year. Tate and Tryon was a very good company but they raised their rates. We also felt we needed someone convenient in State College as well as a company that knew Pennsylvania law. The firm we have gone with is Ritchey & Associates, one of the larger State College auditing firms and it has experience with Pennsylvania non-profits. We will try them for a year or two to see how they work.

We lost Sue Dixon in our Library. She had to take another job for personal reasons. Sue was an employee for over 20 years and we will miss her greatly.

There is one problem area. Our Sales Division volume is down. The total volume of inventory has dropped $700,000. That is down from $13 million a year ago to $12.3 million today. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the reasons is the competition we have from the Internet. We really have a high priority to put the Sales Division on the Internet. One of the problems associated with that is the cost of developing the software system. We have been looking at partnering with someone who already has a system in place so that we can use their system and still address our special requirements.

We changed printers for American Philatelist in July and our members should have already noticed an improved delivery time.

We have all received the official election results. The Board of Elections received 6,119 ballots of which 30 were invalid and this included 4 people who voted twice. This is down considerably from the last election's 9,803 ballots. In fact, it is one of the lowest voter turnouts in recent years. In addition, 77 ballots were received after the election closed, but these would not have made a difference in the outcome of any of the races. It has been customary to keep the ballots for 90 days after the close of the election and to then destroy them if there is no challenge to the election.

Motion: To destroy the ballots. Moved by Apfelbaum. Seconded by Neil. Passed unanimously.

Triggle: Complimented Lamb on the background material sent out after the election. The consolidated financial statement provided to the auditors talked about various explanatory notes A through F. Those notes were not included with the materials provided to the Board.

Lamb: If they weren't included with the materials you have received they will be.

Klug: Where are we on the Internet Implementation Plan? It looks as though we are through with Phase 1. How far along are we with Phase 2?

Lamb: We have just finished Phase 1 with getting the website up and running. We have to have the review the Board has asked for and then Lamb would report back on what is coming next. We are moving ahead systematically.

Klug: How many new members have we gotten thus far from the Race to 200k promotion?

Lamb: Not many yet. It has just been launched. Lamb would have meaningful figures next month. We had one person donate his $5 coupons back to the APS. We were delighted to see that happen.

Motion: To accept the Report of the Executive Director. Moved by Neil. Seconded by Triggle. Passed unanimously.

Old Business
Hotchner: Asked the U.S. Postal Service to have open meetings at our shows. They will have four open meetings here and Hotchner encouraged the Board to attend and ask questions. This will benefit our membership and Hotchner was delighted the Postal Service has done this.

At the last Board meeting we raised the issue of whether we should send a contribution to the Russian Federation. At this point FIP has not responded to the request and Knud Mohr (President of FIP) has told Hotchner FIP was still investigating the request. Hotchner has not used his authority to send any money to the Russian Federation, and would turn the files over to McCann for any possible future action.

Phone Votes
Lamb: There were two phone votes taken since the last Board Meeting. On April 26 a phone vote was taken to approve the minutes from the Orlando Board Meeting and General Meeting. The minutes were approved unanimously. Another vote was taken between August 12 - 17 to approve a request from the USPS for APS to be responsible for exhibits and seminars at World Stamp Expo to be held in Anaheim next July. The request was approved unanimously.

Motion: To approve the phone votes. Moved by Neil. Seconded by de Vries. Passed unanimously.

Committee Reports
Triggle: We started off two years ago with 25 standing committees, and 5 ad hoc committees. Several have been very active, including the Chapter Activities Committee and the Accreditation Committee. Others have been active in a quieter way. Triggle had written committee reports from many of the committees and invited Board members to read them.

Hotchner: Thanked Triggle for her work as Committee Liaison and said she had done a marvelous job.

New Business
Approval of Affiliate Applications
Motion: To approve the applications for affiliation from ESPER (Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections), Fellowship of Samoa Specialists, and Indiana Postal History Society. Moved by Klug. Seconded by de Vries. Passed unanimously.

Future Shows
Martin: Since the last Board Meeting two groups have asked specifically to host STAMPSHOW. Columbus and St. Louis both want STAMPSHOW. Martin visited Columbus. They don't have space available for 2004, but space is available for 2003. However the Board already approved Santa Clara for 2003. Columbus does not have hotel space adjacent to the convention center, either. It may be a viable location in the future, and the local club put a lot of effort into it.

Martin has contacted St. Louis through several e-mails, phone calls, and faxes and they have provided no response on whether they have space available for us to have a show there in 2004. Kols said he could get a response to us, but that has not yet happened.

The other location Martin has looked at as a potential location for STAMPSHOW 2004 is Detroit. They have a nice convention center with reasonable cost but the labor situation gives Martin cause for concern. Martin was not prepared to make a recommendation about STAMPSHOW 2004 at this Board Meeting and said he would look at other options and have more information for the Board for the meeting in Portland in February.

Apfelbaum: In the last ten years there have been proposals that we would try to have STAMPSHOW in one place all the time instead of moving around. By doing this everyone would know from year to year when and where the show was and it was hoped we would save money. Has that idea gone nowhere?

Lamb: The Board voted to have the show in Chicago in 2001. Chicago would be the logical place to have STAMPSHOW if we were going to keep it in one place. The Board would look at it after Chicago. The problem is that we have to book convention space so far in advance.

Martin: One sentiment against keeping the show in one place is that 75% of the people who attend the show live within a 100-200 mile radius of the location where the show is held. There is some feeling we would be excluding some people if we kept it at one location. We did discuss that at the Annapolis Board Meeting and Martin talked with Chicago about discounts for booking the space on an annual basis. They would not offer us any incentives because we were too small, and Chicago is a more expensive city than some of the others we are looking at.

McCann: The Board did pass a resolution that we would consider holding STAMPSHOW every other year in Chicago. If it turns out that economically we can't do that we should go back and look at that resolution.

Lamb: It was Lamb's understanding that the Board would reconsider the resolution after the Chicago show in 2001.

Hotchner: Noted that the resolution was not a unanimous decision from the previous Board, and that there was a lot of discussion and issues about whether that gets us out among our membership. Hotchner did not think it did.

Apfelbaum: Said the recommendation from the Board had been that we try it as a test for two or three years.

NORDIA
Morison: Presented a written report to the Board and said the dates for Nordia had been advanced one week (January 19-21, 2001). There is some advantage to this. We are no longer on Super Bowl weekend and that should help our attendance.

There are three items the Board should consider. The first is frames. It is going to cost about $6,000 for Freeman to move the APS frames to Tucson. Nordia is paying for half that and the APS is being asked to pay for the other half of the expenses to move these frames. The second is jury members and who will judge the AMERISTAMP EXPO single-frames portion of the Nordia show. Morison assumed that would be sent back to CANEJ for determination and that perhaps volunteer judges could be found among the attendees who would already be there, thus saving costs. Awards for the single frame exhibits would also have to be considered. The third is that the Nordia committee would like to request if the APS would provide the Grand Prix International to include US exhibits. Nordia would welcome such award. Another option would be an award for best US exhibit for the Nordia exhibition. Normally there are three Grand Prix, one for Nordia international, one is for Nordic, and one is for the Championship Class.

The ARIPEX exhibition will be separate from Nordia, and the APS will be a part of ARIPEX.

McCann: The APS will be putting on the AMERISTAMP EXPO part of the exhibition which will include single frame exhibits and the display class.

Triggle: The APS should provide the awards for the single frame exhibits.

Adams: What income and expense items other than moving the frames is the APS looking at?

Morison: There shouldn't be many other expenses at all.

Lamb: Except for the Board Meeting.

Morison: Beyond that ARIPEX and Nordia are providing all the meeting rooms and the convention space.

Adams: Who receives the exhibit fees?

Morison: Exhibitor fees for the open and youth competion go to ARIPEX, and exhibitor fees for the Scandinavian International and go to NORDIA, and exhibitor fees for the single frame and display classes go to the APS. The contributions for Nordia are going well. We have 80 people who have made contributions to the show so far. Morision asked the Board for approval of APS to pay $3000 towards the cost of transporting the frames.

Motion: To approve the expenditure of $3000 towards the cost of transporting frames to Tucson in 2001, to provide judges for the single frame and display class exhibits, and to approve the expenditure of up to $700 to provide a Grand Prix International prize for Nordia. Moved by Neil. Seconded by Apfelbaum.

Triggle: Has anyone talked to other firms besides Freeman about moving the frames? Have we gotten other quotes?

Martin: That's a special rate that Freeman offered to us. It is much less than we could get elsewhere. Martin has gotten quotes from Roadway and that was $10,000.

Apfelbaum: It's not going to break the APS to spend $3,000 or $6,000 on this. We just need to decide if we are going to do it.

Hotchner: Called the question. In favor: McCann, Klug, Neil, de Vries, Triggle, Adams, Youngblood, Apfelbaum. Abstain: Morison. No opposed. Motion passed.

WORLD STAMP EXPO 2000
Lamb: The U.S. Postal Service would like one-time World Series status for World Stamp Expo 2000. They believe it will help them get exhibits.

McCann: This is something we have done many times in the past. If we don't do it we probably won't get many exhibits in open competition.

Motion: To grant one-time World Series status to World Stamp Expo 2000 as a support to that exhibition. Moved by McCann. Seconded by Neil.

Martin: Asked for a clarification as to what year the Grand Award winner in that show would be eligible for the Champion of Champions. This show is scheduled in July 7-16. The ATA is also assuming their winner will be in Chicago in 2001. It didn't give Martin any problems to do so, but we had to make it clear which year these exhibits would be eligible for C of C.

Boehret: That happened before. In 1983 Boehret won the grand at NAPEX and it was late to get into the C of C for that year and had to be carried over to the next year.

Martin: It has happened many times.

Triggle: The point is well made that we can carry over to the next year's C of C. We have committed ourselves to the ATA, and that happens in June. July is cutting it very close.

Klug: We have also granted WSP status to the show in Hawaii in 2001.

Lamb: It was Lamb's understanding that show might ask for WSP status but it had not been given yet.

Hotchner: The 2001 show in Hawaii has been granted one-time only WSP status.

Hotchner: Called the question. The motion to grant one-time WSP status to World Stamp Expo 2000 passed unanimously.

Minnesota Stamp Expo
McCann: At the end of the last Minnesota Stamp Expo they sent in a report, a copy of which goes to both McCann and Martin, indicating they had completed the four year requirement for qualifying as a WSP show. This show has had some problems. They delayed their exhibition for one year, but they have qualified.

Martin: They have had some problems, but in some ways they are stronger than some shows. They have been innovative and tried a number of things. One year they were part of a coins and antiques show. They have met all the technical requirements.

McCann: Once we approve a show, however, unless they do something drastic they stand approved.

Youngblood: If we do approve them how many shows would that make in the WSP?

McCann: 34 shows.

Adams: Keep in mind that Minnesota serves a population with very little philately for miles around. This show allows philately to have a presence in that part of the country.

Motion: To bring Minnesota Stamp Expo into the World Series of Philately shows. Moved by Neil. Seconded by Apfelbaum. Passed unanimously.

Winter Shows
Lamb: If we continue with the current Winter Shows, which in a way are slightly smaller versions of STAMPSHOW, we can expect losses of between $40,000 - $60,000 plus the cost of the Board Meetings. That is a very expensive option and one that Lamb did not feel was justified. There are other options. The first would be to try to scale down the shows and hold them in hotel ballrooms. We could have 50 dealers and 200 frames. This would be the criteria we could set for the shows. It would take us a while to get that show to the point where we could make money. In the first year we would lose $20,000, plus the cost of the Board Meeting. We would ask the Board members to assist with the judging, and if the Board would do that it would help the show budget a lot.

One of the things we did wrong with the Winter Shows was that we never established a pattern. We had the show, then we went to Orlando with a different show. If we go with the hotel option we are going to have to stick with it to see if we can build it up and establish a pattern. If we pinched our pennies we may be able to cover its costs. A hotel show would give us a much broader range of places we could go to.

The second option would be to go back to what we were doing before by having our winter meetings in conjunction with other shows. It sounds like a good way for APS to support our World Series shows, but in truth the time frame we need to have our Board Meeting means really only four shows are viable venues. That option would cost us $15,000 for the cost of the Board Meeting.

The third option would be to not have the winter Board Meeting in conjunction with a show at all and have them at State College. That would cost us about $8,000. We could also have a combination of options two and three: sometimes have the meetings at State College and sometimes have the meeting in conjunction with a show.

Hotchner: Yet another option would be to go to a show that is not a WSP show, which would extend the possible venues. We could then grant WSP status for that one year to that show.

Neil: Options one or two are acceptable. Option three is not an option. It is important for us to meet as a Board at a show to give the Board an opportunity to be at shows and meet face-to-face with collectors. Every time we have a meeting that is independent of a show, Rob Haeseler of Linn's will show up, but there is never any opportunity for the Board to have interaction with collectors. Having been at the inception of the Winter Show concept during his presidency, Neil was aware of concerns from staff about the cost of the show. It will be an upward battle finding the right hotels in the right cities at the right prices. Even though there are a limited number of shows we can go to, Neil felt Option Two was the best for the Society. This would also remove some of the headaches from our Communications Department and enable Martin to use his talent in other directions.

De Vries: AMERICOVER is a hotel show and it is a major fund raiser for the American First Day Cover Society. If the APS Winter Show became a hotel show there would be no reason why it should lose money.

Apfelbaum: If our show became a hotel show it would be just like any other show.

De Vries: There should be ways to make the Winter Show special and different. Mellone and Ripley, the show managers of AMERICOVER, have expertise in finding good deals at hotels. They book Marriotts because they get a better deal. They got a $79 rate for 2001 in Denver, a city APS has had difficulty getting. De Vries favored Option One, and did not see why it had to lose money.

Klug: Favored Option One for many of the reasons de Vries mentioned. Klug and several of the Board members were at the AMERICOVER show several weeks prior and all could attest to what a good show that was, and the convenience of having the show in the same building as the hotel rooms. One of the original concepts we had for Winter Show was that we were going to use it as a venue to try new things. That's what makes our show different from the other shows. We are doing single frame exhibits and display class. Nobody else is doing that. That already makes our show unique. If we continue to try to do new and different things and be innovative, it is a way to give other shows the courage to be creative as well.

Morison: Agreed with Option One and could not see any reason why the show should lose money. It would allow us to go to certain areas where we have never really had a presence such as San Antonio. We could go to communities and where we have never been, such as Northern New Jersey, or White Plains, New York. A hotel show can work to our advantage.

Youngblood: The AMERICOVER show is the annual convention of the American First Day Cover Society and as such is a tremendous draw for its members. APS is lacking things to draw attendance to the Winter Show. There should be a way to shift some of the established things we do at STAMPSHOW to Winter Show in order to draw attendance at that show. Youngblood favored Option One.

Triggle: Another new idea we will be launching at Winter Show will be the single frame championship. Triggle supported Option One and said most shows, even smaller club shows, made at least a small profit. AMERICOVER had between 65 and 70 dealers at that hotel show. The space for exhibits at that show was certainly enough to accommodate 300 - 400 frames. Triggle believed APS should look into the hotel shows with the idea that it could have at least a small profit potential.

Neil: The Board needs to see some figures for this hotel concept before it votes. How much will we lose? Is it possible we can make some money? What are the potential venues where we could hold the show?

Motion: To accept the hotel show in concept, with additional information to be provided to the Board at the February 2000 Board Meeting in Portland. Moved by Klug. Seconded by Triggle.

Lamb: With this sense of the Board staff should be able to come back and have figures for presentation in Portland.

Adams: Favored Option One, and suggested we should do the hotel shows as a trial for a period of one or two years to see how that progresses before we become locked into the concept. Adams believed APS could make money on the hotel shows, but until we actually tried it we wouldn't know for certain.

De Vries: Suggested the Winter Show have a cachetmakers bourse. It would draw a different group of people and would not be in conflict with the August AMERICOVER show as the one at STAMPSHOW is this year. Another possibility for the Winter Show would be to look into subcontracting it. Mellone and Ripley do a good job for AFDCS with AMERICOVER. If we would subcontract the job to them or other show organizers, it would take some of the burden off Ken Martin.

Boehret: Years ago when SEPAD moved from downtown Philadelphia it went to a Marriott in the suburbs. It was a beautiful venue but we had a lot of stamp collectors who would not stay there because it was too expensive. The following year the hotel moved the show out of its dates because it got another contract and the show couldn't bring in enough rooms. The VAPEX show this year had major problems with the Doubletree Hotel chain that took over the hotel. There were problems with rates and setting up the banquet. The hotels keep merging so we will run into these kinds of problems more frequently.

McCann: De Vries' comment still stands….AMERICOVER makes money. We should be able to do so, too.

Hotchner: Called the question. The motion to accept the hotel show in concept and for staff to provide additional details at the next Board Meeting passed unanimously.

[A 15 minute break was called at 8:15 p.m. The Board Meeting resumed at 8:35 p.m.]

Internet Capability
Hotchner: Introduced a letter from Joe Foley dated April 26 that proposed that the APS offer its members an Internet facility for the sales, purchase and auction of stamps and philatelic material. The fees for this use should be set slightly less than commercial rates.

Lamb: Indicated that it was a very high priority to get the Sales Division on the Internet. Lamb is working on finding a potential partner who already has the capability for the type of sales we want to do. That will reduce the start-up costs to the Society.

De Vries: We discussed auction sales at the last Board Meeting in Orlando. The consensus of the Board at that time was that we didn't want to do auctions. Internet auctions are already established and anything the APS could do now would not make a dent in what already exists. We should not be in competition with our dealer members and we don't have the wherewithal to do this. It will be expensive and time consuming.

Lamb: Wished the Board would give staff a little flexibility with that. Auctions shouldn't be our priority but we might get an auction package if we are able to negotiate a deal with a partner who could help us.

Boehret: Knew of dealers who were doing net price sales on the Internet and there were problems associated with that.

Hotchner: It all depends on what the members want done with the material they submit to the Sales Division. We will be offering more options to members than presently exist through the Sales Division.

De Vries: If members want to auction their material they should place it in an established auction.

Youngblood: Believed the costs for software to run an Internet auction would be prohibitive. It would be beyond the means of the Society, and it would be expensive to maintain and to run.

Motion: To put the proposal from Foley on the floor for discussion. Moved by Neil. Seconded by Apfelbaum.

Morison: Amended the motion to incorporate it into a study with the staff to report back to the Board on the costs and viability of an Internet auction as part of the Sales Division's computerization.

Motion (as amended): That staff study the viability of offering APS members an Internet facility for the sales, purchase and auction of stamps and philatelic material. The fees for this use should be set slightly less than commercial rates. Staff will report to the Board in February. Moved by Morison. Seconded by Neil.

Triggle: We can't just put material members submit to the Sales Division up for auction without their permission.

Apfelbaum: That would be a violation of our contract with them.

Lamb: We are looking at possibly using an existing auction site to auction material from the Sales Division. This would eliminate software start up costs.

Triggle: Perhaps we could look at sales books after a certain percentage of material has been sold and then offer to auction the remaining material for members, sharing a part of the sales. In that way there would be no additional costs to members.

Apfelbaum: Did not believe this proposal suggested putting any of the books we now have on the Internet.

Lamb: We would possibly be looking at large-sized loose leaf pages that can fit into books. We can then sell full pages on the Internet for 30 days. After 30 days if the page does not sell it would go into the Sales Division for rotation to members as currently exists.

Apfelbaum: It makes sense to study this. Things change too rapidly. Three months from now the Internet will be totally different and there may be different ways of doing business.

Hotchner: Called the question. The motion that staff study the viability of offering APS members an Internet facility for the sales, purchase, and auction of stamps and philatelic material passed unanimously.

Hotchner: Directed Klug to write a letter responding to Foley.

Ethics of FIP Jurors
Hotchner: Introduced this proposal by Les Winick:

"That the APS Board of Directors sent the FIP President a letter stating the seriousness of the situation [wherein members of an FIP jury are given stamps by a Postal Administration and sell them personally at a profit] and asking what action the FIP is taking to censure these members of the jury and to prevent this from ever happening again.

Hotchner: Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP) officials may have made a profit but not for themselves. This was what was intended by the Philippine Post Office so that funds could be raised for FIAP. Is this our business? The charges Winick makes have not been substantiated. Judges are usually given remembrances. If they sell them, is that something we wish to register a complaint about?

Neil: This is nothing we should address.

Youngblood: The problem was with the Philippine Post Office issuing and then distributing to FIAP officials limited edition souvenir sheets. Once they were given they become the property of the new owners to do whatever they want with them.

Triggle: We have no involvement with the regional federations such as FIAP anyway. This wasn't an FIP event.

McCann: We have nothing to do with FIAP. This is completely out of our jurisdiction.

Apfelbaum: Believed what Winick is asking is should judges be given something that they can convert to $20,000? Is that ethical?

Hotchner: The Philippine postal authorities gave a quantity of 2,000 imperforate souvenir sheets to judges and officials of FIAP who then converted them to $20,000. It was the intention of the Philippine postal authorities that this would be money raised to help fund FIAP.

Motion: To bring Winick's proposal to the floor. Moved by Neil. Seconded by Triggle. Motion failed unanimously.

Flood: Recommended sending a letter to FIP and ask what actions APS should take and ask for FIP to comment.

Motion: That APS write a letter to FIP asking for comments to Winick's allegations and for suggestions from FIP about what actions APS should take. Moved by McCann. Seconded by Neil. Passed unanimously.

Triggle: Suggested the letter should indicate the APS deplores any profiteering by FIP judges.

APS Logo Software:
Triggle: Presented a proposal that APS offer a small software package for APS members who trade on eBay. It would provide an APS logo and hot link to the APS website. This could be included on the members' trading dockets and was suggested by Chuck McFarlane and further developed at an APS Town Meeting that took place in Columbus.

Klug: Distributed a single line hypertext markup language (HTML) code that provides a hot link to the APS website to the Board and described how it is placed in an online auction description. Klug said she had been including a link to the APS website on her online auction activity without difficulty, and although the results could not be traced it did offer another outlet for promoting the APS. It was simple to do and didn't cost anything.

Apfelbaum: Inquired if the hot link could be an APS logo rather than a line of type.

Klug: Responded that it could be anything we wanted it to be and reminded everyone that it takes less time to create the link than it is taking us to talk about it.

Neil: This should be done administratively. It requires no Board action.

Triggle: Said this was a proposal by one of our members and should be treated as such.

Motion: That the APS offer a software package to APS members who trade online that would create a hot link to the APS website. Moved by de Vries. Seconded by Morison.

Morison: Inquired if the hot link could go to a special home page geared specifically to online shoppers.

Neil: That would work very well and we would have the added benefit of being able to track activity of those who come to the APS website in that way.

De Vries: Amended the motion to add a "Welcome Auction Bidders" page.

Lamb: This is getting a lot more complicated and will take much more time to do.

Triggle: Suggested this program could be implemented administratively.

De Vries: Withdrew the motion in favor of having it implemented administratively.

Philatelic Labels
Hotchner: Introduced a proposal by APS member Les Winick asking the APS condemn the practice of a dealer selling labels claiming they are stamps.

Motion: To accept the proposal. Moved by Neil. Seconded by Apfelbaum.

Hotchner: Suggested the APS Code of Ethics, particularly article 17 which states: "I agree not to knowingly participate in any way in the advertisement, sale or trade of any philatelic material using any deceptive practices including, but not limited to, false or misleading claims of sales scarcity, value, condition or investment potential" fully covered the practice Winick mentions and suggested members who know of violations to this article in the Code of Ethics file a complaint.

Triggle: To specifically name countries or carriage labels as being unacceptable really muddies the field. We all collect various Cinderellas and put them in their proper perspective.

Flood: As long as these items are labeled properly there is no problem.

Hotchner: People are going to disagree what is "acceptable" to collect and even what constitutes "legitimate" postage stamps. If there are disputes about claims of legitimacy they should be sent to the Board of Vice Presidents for their ruling.

Lamb: Indicated he collected many of the things Winick is complaining about. When Lamb purchased stamps from Buriatia he asked the dealer if they were real stamps. The dealer said he did no know.

Hotchner: Called the question. The motion failed unanimously.

Motion: That the APS reaffirms its condemnation of the practice of misrepresenting labels as stamps and urging APS members to bring notice of such misrepresentation to the Board of Vice Presidents' attention. Moved by Apfelbaum. Seconded by McCann. Passed unanimously.

Lamb: It is incumbent on the person who files a complaint to make the case.

Boehret: Suggested there should be an article in American Philatelist advising members that some of these things are not stamps but are labels and urging members to file a complaint if they find examples of misrepresentation.

De Vries: APS members are more likely to understand what the true value of the labels are, but we can't legislate what people collect and we shouldn't sneer at other people's collecting habits.

Hotchner: We do have an education problem. People need to be aware of misleading advertisements, including those where certain First Day Covers and other stamps are touted as investments.

Triggle: The APS cannot afford to make judgement calls of what is acceptable to collect. Fortunately there is not as much bias and prejudice as there used to be.

Announcements
Hotchner: Reminded Board Members to socialize with our members at the show and to spread out at social events. Hotchner thanked the APS Board Members who have conducted town meetings at shows and clubs throughout the country and hoped that practice would continue.

The first session of the APS Board meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

[End of First Session.]