After 75 years, the Sarawak Specialists’ Society has been renamed the Borneo Philatelic Society to better reflect its coverage and research in the philately of Brunei, Labuan, North Borneo/Sabah and Sarawak.
The Sarawak Journal has been published quarterly since 1947 and the society became an APS affiliate in 1981. In addition to the United States, they have members from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Australia and Europe. Meetings in the United Kingdom are held twice a year, accompanied by displays and auctions. In addition, there are frequent Zoom displays by members on all aspects of philately. More information is available from its website, www.b-p-s.org.uk.
Chicagopex was held November 18 to 20 in Itasca, Illinois at the Westin Chicago Northwest and welcomed four convening societies: the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, Bermuda Collectors Society, the Mexico-Elmhurst Philatelic Society – International, and the Rossica Society for Russian Philately.
The year 2022 marked the second time that Chicagopex has hosted the AmeriStamp Expo single frame championship. Congratulations to Jan Hofmeyr whose exhibit, “The Process That Led to the ‘Grill’ Stamps of the United States from First Experiments to the Earliest Z-Grills,” won the single frame championship.
In the multiframe competition, the Bernard Hennig Grand Award went to Gregory Shoults for his “Washington & Franklin Coils Flat Plate and Coil Waste Issues 1908-1915.” The Felix Ganz Reserve Grand was received by Alfredo Frohlich for his exhibit “The United States of Colombia” and the single frame grand to James Mazepa for “Poland: Lublin Postal Administration Provisional Postal Cards December 1918-1919.”
Chicagopex also includes a literature competition. The new book, The United States Fourth Bureau Issue 1922-1938, edited by Jay Stotts, received the John Kevin Doyle Grand Award. Michael T. Mahler received the literature reserve grand for New York Stamp Taxes on Bonds, 1910–1920. A spectacular philatelic sub-field hidden for a century, (Second Edition).
Florex was held December 2-3, at the Volusia County Fairgrounds in Deland (Orlando area), Florida and included meetings of the Canal Zone Study Group, Souvenir Card Collectors Club, Florida Postal History Society, German Philatelic Society and the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society.
Speaking of shows, it is not too early to begin planning to participate in the 2023 Great American Stamp Show, which will be held in downtown Cleveland from August 10 to 13.
The event, which serves as the annual conventions for the American Philatelic Society, American First Day Cover Society and American Topical Association, is the largest annual philatelic event in the United States and is within walking distance of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In addition to 100 dealers and participation of as many as 50 national societies, the U.S. Postal Service plans to have first day ceremonies on both Thursday and Friday, the two days of the show. The exhibition prospectus and entry form, meeting and seminar space request forms and dealer booth information are all available from the APS website, www.stamps.org/GASS.