05/12/2008                                                                    Contact: Wendy Masorti
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Women Exhibitors Join the APS

Women Exhibitors (WE) — an organization readily available to all collectors through the Internet — was welcomed as American Philatelic Society Affiliate Nos. 260 by the APS Board of Directors at a Friday, May 9, meeting at the American Philatelic Center.

Organized in 2007, Women Exhibitors has 82 members, 54 of whom are APS members. The group was founded to provide a vehicle through which women exhibitors can encourage each other through sharing information, ideas, experience, advice, problems, and solutions. The group does so through seminars, its quarterly online newsletter WE think (edited by founding member and APS Past President Janet Klug), and through one-on-one mentoring of exhibitors. Acknowledging that philately in general and exhibiting in particular have long been predominantly male pastimes, WE gives women a rallying point for mutual support and a clearing house of shared observations and hard-won expertise to extend the enjoyment of the world’s greatest hobby to many who in the past might have hesitated to take part.

WE has meetings twice yearly at StampShow and AmeriStamp Expo. Summaries of programs and workshops held at these shows are shared through the newsletter and other communications. In addition, satellite meetings are held at national, regional, and local shows. Leaders of the satellite meetings discuss issues and share information from other meetings.

WE is open to all, but philately is explored from a woman’s point of view. Annual dues are just $5, and both the WE website and its online newsletters are hosted at http://www.aape.org/Weweb.asp

The American Philatelic Society is delighted to welcome this fine organization to its family of affiliates.

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