WALTHAM STAMP CLUB

Minutes of the meeting of November 21, 2009

This being a brunch meeting, President Shufrin opened the meeting at 10:17 AM with 26 in attendance, all being well fed from the sumptuous groaning board set up by our President.

Visitors were Erika Tauber and Herb Spatz.

The Treasury is solvent and WALPEX 2009 showed a profit of about $2000.

The Minutes of the meeting of November 3, 2009 were approved.

Member Welfare

Joe Bachman was welcomed back after successful medical treatments; Jeanne Lenk is recovering from rotor cuff surgery and will miss the next few meetlngs.

An application for youth membership has been made for Theo Halmlon, age nine. A second reading was made for George Cooley and he was welcomed into membership.

Old Business

Mike Morris reported on progress with the equipment and plans a demonstration at a later meeting

The next meeting will be Phlea market and members are encouraged to bring material for sale.

James Hencke has APS circuit books for perusal by members.

New Business

Norm was thanked and applauded for the excellent food he brought for the brunch.

George Norton, Museum Curator, noted the current exhibit relating to the 200 anniversary of Braille and encouraged members to view the exhibit.

Steven Tauber noted the start of the competition on exhibiting unrelated stamps at the next meeting.

The meeting closed at 10:54 and was followed by George Norton’s talk and exhibit of “Gems from the Vault”. Among the many items he showed were: Penny Blacks with early cancels, the engraving plate used to print a cachet for the first day cover for the first Kennedy stamp, several early perforation gages, including one using a rotating mechanical cylinder and that was similar to one used by FDR, samples of early perfins from England, ads put on the selvage of early stamps of Great Britain, a US stampless cover with the signature of John Adams giving it free franking. A gift to the Museum last Thursday that featured many Pony Express stamps and covers, rare fakes of US stamps, and hand made canceling devices made by an early Weston, Mass postmaster.

George was widely applauded for his presentation.

Minutes submitted by Richard Spencer, approved at a meeting on December 15, 2009

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