75 Years of Brcko-Banovici Railway (Srpska 2021)

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Poste Srpske Ad — the postal agency of the Republic of Srpska – Bosnia and Herzegovina — issued a souvenir sheet September 17th. The European Commission designated year 2021 as the “European Year of Rail.” (You can click on the pictures here for larger versions.)

According to the Poste Srpske Ad website, via Google Translate:

The Second World War was far more destructive for the area – where the united South Slavic peoples lived until the beginning of the 1990s – than the First. The then Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia emerged from the greatest war conflict in the history of mankind so far with a completely destroyed economy. In the central republic of this state union – Bosnia and Herzegovina – the economic capacities and the traffic network were completely destroyed, so that immediately after the end of the war, plans for their reconstruction were adopted.

Within these plans, the construction of the Brčko-Banovići normal gauge railway (1,435 mm) was an absolute priority. For the post-war economic recovery of socialist Yugoslavia, it was necessary to provide a good raw material base. Rich deposits of relatively high-calorie, Banović coal forced the highest leaderships of BiH and the FPRY to plan the construction of a railway connection between Banović and the nearest major traffic hub, Brčko, as early as the beginning of 1946. From mid-March to the end of April 1946, preparations for the realization of this project lasted, and on the Labor Day of the first youth work brigade in the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia, work began on the route of the future railway.

Under the slogan “We are building the railway, the railway is building us”, 220 brigades worked on 24 sections, with a total of 62,268 young men and women from all over Yugoslavia, and they were assisted by about 2,000 volunteers from abroad. In order to build 92 kilometers of railway between Brcko and Banovic, the brigadiers – mostly by hand, with very few tools and without mechanization – had to dig 1.36 million cubic meters of earth and 134 thousand cubic meters of stone, drill three tunnels and build 22 bridges, 25 kilometers of embankment and 177 other facilities. The railway was completed in only 190 days of hard work, and it was ceremoniously opened to traffic on November 7, 1946.

The Brčko-Banovići railway was the first federal action of the Yugoslav youth, and even today the words of the famous writer Miroslav Krleža resound on its rails: “This is not the first railway in the world for sure, but it is the first built by children …”

—Nebojša Đumić

In addition to the souvenir sheet, Poste Srpske Ad also is offering a first day cover (shown right). The direct link to this issue on the website is here.

The face value for the souvenir sheet is BAM 7,30 or € 3,73, which is about US$4.37. The FDC sells for BAM 9,30 or about US$5.58 or €4.75.

First-Time Winner for FDC Writing Award

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[press release]
“Newcomer” Wins AFDCS Writing Award

The American First Day Cover Society’s Philip H. Ward, Jr., Memorial Award for Excellence in First Day Cover Literature published in 2020 was given to Kris McIntosh (right) for her article “The Fight for the Women’s Right to Vote,” which appeared in the October 2020 issue of The American Philatelist. It is her first Ward Award.

Second place went to “Al Fluegel and the Missing ‘68s” by Steven Altman, which was published in the May-June 2020 issue of First Days and the June 2020 edition of The U.S. Specialist. This was also the first time Altman has been cited by the Ward Award committee.

Ken Lawrence won third place with an article in the January 20, 2020, issue of Linn’s Stamp News, “Freda Dickie Weaver, Multi-Talented First Day Cover Cachet Artist.” He previously won the Ward in 1996 and 2019, and shared it with other authors in 1989.

A complete list of past winners can be found on the AFDCS website.

All articles published in First Days, the official journal of the AFDCS, are automatically considered for the Ward Award. Other articles and publications may be submitted for consideration.

Philip Henry Ward, Jr., began servicing first day covers in 1909. Although an electrical engineer by trade, he wrote on new issues for The American Philatelist, Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News and The Weekly Philatelic Gazette in the early 20th century.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

AFDCS Recognizes Volunteers With 2021 Awards

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For Immediate Release
AFDCS Recognizes Volunteers With 2021 Awards

The American First Day Cover Society is recognizing more than half a dozen of its members for their service to the organization. At its annual convention, held in conjunction with Great American Stamp Show in August in Rosemont, Ill., Glenn C. Michel Special Recognition Awards were presented to:

  • Tom Peluso (posthumously), who often donated his artistic talents: He produced many convention event covers and donated many of his Therome Cachets FDCs to the Society’s auctions through the cachet contest;
  • Otto Thamasett, for coordinating the Graebner Chapter portion of the AFDCS Americover Hospitality Suite for over 15 years, including donations to the Hospitality Suite Silent Auction;
  • Chris Lazaroff, Tris Fall, and Jim Hogg for serving on the search committee that

    Gary Dickinson

    selected the new AFDCS editor and executive secretary, after those posts became vacant because of the coronavirus pandemic;

  • Gary Dickinson, for writing a column on Canadian FDCs in First Days for more than 10 years, and compiling a catalogue of Elvis Presley FDCs;
  • John White and members of the Claude C. Ries Chapter Auction Committee (co-chaired by Michael Litvak and Dave Bennett), for their work on the highly-successful semi-annual AFDCS auctions.

Michel Awards can be won by the same person more than once and winners are chosen by a committee chaired by James Tatum, Jr. The award is named after “Mike” Michel, the AFDCS general counsel who guided the society through a reorganization in the mid-1980s.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

Watch U.S. Duck Stamp Judging Live (FWS 2021)

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[press release]
Join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the 2021 Virtual Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s annual national wildlife art competition – the 2021 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest – will be broadcast live on September 24 and 25.

The media and public are invited to view the contest via live webcast as five judges review 137 contest entries and select the winning artwork. Judging for the duck stamp begins at 10:00 a.m. EST, Friday and 10:00 a.m. EST, Saturday, with the final selection announced around noon. This event is not open to the public this year. Tune in for video cameos from Service Principal Deputy Director, Martha Williams, artists, and other members of the conservation community.

The winning art selected will appear on the 2022-2023 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp”. The Federal Duck Stamp plays a critically important role in wildlife conservation. Since 1934, sales from the iconic stamp have raised more than $1.1 billion to protect over 6 million acres of wetlands habitat.

More information is available here.

What: Selection of the 2021 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest Winner

When: September 24 and 25, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. EST (judging begins at 10:00 a.m., daily; winning artwork expected to be announced on Saturday between 11:00 a.m. and noon)

Where: Virtual Webcast

Who: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov, or connect with us through any of these social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.  [The Flickr site has pictures of some or all of the entries.]

Community Foundation Stamp Aids Children (Canada 2021)

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[press release] [click images for larger versions]
Canada Post Community Foundation ramps up 2021 campaign, rolls out grants to improve the lives of Canadian children
100 groups receive $1.2 million in funding as in-store campaign and new stamp launched to meet growing needs across the country

OTTAWA – As the Canada Post Community Foundation launches its 2021 fundraising campaign, 100 organizations across the country have been informed they will receive much-needed funding to support their efforts to improve the lives of Canadian children and youth.

Support for grassroots organizations and Indigenous youth
A total of $1.2 million in grants has been awarded for this year. The recipients include grassroots organizations from every province and territory. Among this year’s grants, 17 – totalling approximately $270,000 – will go to programs that support Indigenous youth. Canada Post is committed to fostering reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, including through funding of community programs that support Indigenous children and youth. A list of all 2021 grant recipients can be found on the Canada Post Community Foundation website.

In-store campaign launched with special stamp to raise funds for next year
Faced with a growing number of applications each year, the Foundation raises money through customer donations in post offices, employee payroll deduction and sale of a special stamp issued annually. This year’s stamp, issued on September 20, will raise funds for distribution in 2022 and is available for purchase. Stamps can be purchased and donations made at local post offices, with funds going to organizations that operate in the province or territory in which they are raised.

$11 million for more than 1,000 initiatives since 2012
Established in 2012, the Foundation is a registered charity that operates at arm’s length from Canada Post. It has granted $11 million to more than 1,000 initiatives for children and youth nationwide, including literacy and language programs; youth outreach services; projects that support Indigenous youth; gender and sexual diversity programs; arts and recreation projects; special education programs; childhood health programs; anti-bullying initiatives; mentoring programs and many others.

About the stamp issue
The 2021 stamp for the Canada Post Community Foundation, designed by Kim Smith of Subplot Design Inc., features an illustration of fireflies in the night sky. The luminous glow of the fireflies is a reminder of the light that shines within each of us. We all have the power to make the world a little brighter for others – especially children and youth. This design was selected by Canada Post frontline retail employees. The stamp is available at Canada Post outlets across the country and online at canadapost.ca/shop.

About the Foundation
The Canada Post Community Foundation provides grants to Canadian schools, charities and organizations in an effort to make a difference in the lives of children across the country. It supports the small, underfunded projects that often go unnoticed, from coast to coast to coast. Through its grassroots, community-based approach, the Foundation plays a critical role in helping Canada Post achieve its purpose, A Stronger Canada – Delivered.

To donate to the Canada Post Community Foundation, purchase a booklet of stamps at a local post office or visit canadapost.ca/community.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
La Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada lance sa campagne de 2021 et verse des subventions pour améliorer la vie des enfants canadiens
Cent organismes reçoivent 1,2 million de dollars en subventions alors que la Fondation lance sa campagne en magasin et son nouveau timbre pour répondre à des besoins grandissants au pays

OTTAWA – À l’occasion du lancement de la campagne de financement de 2021 de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada, 100 organismes d’un bout à l’autre du pays ont été informés du versement prochain et tant attendu d’une subvention qui les aidera à améliorer la vie d’enfants et de jeunes canadiens.

Soutien pour les organismes communautaires et les jeunes Autochtones
On compte parmi les bénéficiaires des organismes communautaires de chaque province et territoire. Dix-sept des subventions, soit environ 270 000 $, sont octroyées à des programmes qui soutiennent les jeunes Autochtones. Postes Canada est déterminée à favoriser la réconciliation avec les peuples autochtones, notamment en finançant des programmes communautaires qui aident les enfants et les jeunes Autochtones. La liste de tous les bénéficiaires d’une subvention de 2021 se trouve sur le site Web de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada.

Lancement de la campagne en magasin et d’un timbre spécial pour la collecte de fonds des subventions de 2022
Le nombre de demandes de subvention augmente chaque année. La Fondation amasse des fonds à l’aide de dons de clients dans les bureaux de poste, du programme de retenues à la source des employés et de la vente d’un timbre spécial émis tous les ans. Le timbre de cette année, qui a été lancé le 20 septembre pour amasser des fonds pour les subventions de 2022, est maintenant en vente. Les timbres sont vendus et les dons sont recueillis dans les bureaux de poste locaux. Les fonds sont versés aux organismes dans la province ou le territoire où ils ont été recueillis.

Onze millions de dollars pour plus de 1000 initiatives depuis 2012
Créée en 2012, la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada est un organisme de bienfaisance enregistré qui est exploité indépendamment de Postes Canada. La Fondation a distribué 11 millions de dollars en subventions pour plus de 1 000 initiatives pour enfants et jeunes à l’échelle du pays, y compris des programmes d’alphabétisation et de langue, de mentorat, d’éducation spécialisée et de santé visant les enfants, des services d’aide pour les jeunes, des projets qui soutiennent les jeunes Autochtones, des programmes sur la diversité de genre et sexuelle, des projets artistiques et récréatifs, des initiatives contre l’intimidation, etc.

À propos du timbre
Le timbre de 2021 pour la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada, conçu par Kim Smith de Subplot Design Inc., est une illustration de lucioles qui scintillent dans la nuit. Les lucioles scintillantes rappellent la lumière qui brille en chacun de nous. Nous pouvons tous illuminer la vie d’autrui, surtout celle des enfants et des jeunes. L’image a été choisie par les employés de vente au détail de Postes Canada. La vignette est offerte dans tous les comptoirs postaux de Postes Canada et en ligne à postescanada.ca/achat.

À propos de la Fondation
La Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada verse des subventions à des écoles, des œuvres de bienfaisance et des organismes du Canada dans le but d’améliorer le sort des enfants partout au pays. Elle soutient d’un océan à l’autre les petits projets sous-financés qui passent souvent inaperçus. Grâce à son approche communautaire, la Fondation contribue à ce que Postes Canada réalise sa raison d’être, celle d’être porteurs d’un Canada plus fort.

Pour faire un don à la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada, achetez un carnet de timbres à votre bureau de poste local ou visitez postescanada.ca/communautaire.

APS and APRL Accepting 2022 Award Nominations

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[press release]
We are now accepting applications for the 2022 awards presented by the and the .

The nominating process will continue through December 15, 2021 for:

Each category has its own application. Those may be , or sent via email to awards@stamps.org. Please designate list the name of the award on your envelope or in the title of your email.

In addition, APS and APRL committees will meet to nominate candidates for the following awards:

All awards are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors for the APS and APRL.

Linn’s: US Rate Hikes Twice A Year Soon

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The USPS plans its next rate hike for July 2022, and then twice a year, beginning in January 2023, reports Bill McAllister, the Washington correspondent for Linn’s Stamp News in its October 4th issue, which went online Saturday. The USPS said it did not plan a rate increase in January 2022.

The proposed rate increases would be on what the USPS calls its “market dominant” products, or services, such as first-class mail, advertising mail, periodicals, packages, and anything else in which the agency has a monopoly.

It competes with other services on products like Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express (which most customers still call “Express Mail.”

The USPS says it will be “judicious” in how it uses whatever authority to raise rates the Postal Regulatory Commissions gives it, but market conditions are likely to require the maximum increases allowed.

McAllister reports commercial mailers’ groups are protesting the plan, and saying they doubt the USPS will not raise rates as much as it can, because it does have that monopoly.

You can read more of McAllister’s story, without a subscription, here.

AFDCS Honors Its First Editor

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[press release]
AFDCS Bestows Long-Overdue Recognition On Strauss

The American First Day Cover Society has given one of its highest honors, the Distinguished Service Award, to Gerald Strauss, the first editor of its journal, First Days. The award is given for performance far above basic duties, to living current members.

The key to any national stamp collecting organization is a successful journal, and especially so for a new society. Strauss, then a college English professor, produced the first issue of First Days, September-December 1955. It was a four-page mimeographed newsletter, but within a year, had grown to a 16-page professionally-printed magazine.

Unfortunately, his workload at the college became too much, and he resigned. He later dropped out of the AFDCS, but continued his philatelic writing and editing elsewhere, particularly for the Washington Press

First issue of First Days

and its catalogues, newsletters and album pages. Although not a member of the AFDCS, he also served as a proofreader for First Days for most of the past decade. He rejoined in the past year.

While editor of First Days, Strauss recruited two young writers whose names are very familiar today: One was college student Alan Warren, whose “Question Box” column has appeared in all but one of the hundreds of issues since that first one in 1955. Warren also writes for many other publications and on other philatelic subjects.

The other was junior member Randy Neil from the Kansas City area, who went on to become a successful writer, editor and publisher, as well as American Philatelic Society president.

The DSA is voted upon only by past recipients of the award; the committee is currently chaired by Allison Cusick.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

Topical Group Gives Smith Top Honor

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Dale E. Smith, immediate past president of the American Topical Association, has been selected for the ATA’s highest award, Distinguished Topical Philatelist. The award is presented each year to an individual who has provided outstanding service to philately, and especially topical philately — collecting stamps by subject.

Smith has served on the ATA board since 2011, becoming first vice president in 2012 and president in 2016. He is also membership secretary of the Gladstone Stamp Club, near Kansas City, and is active in the Midwest Philatelic Society, based in the city itself. He is a member of six ATA-affiliated study units and three ATA-affiliated chapters.

“Herbert Hoover said, ‘It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit,’” said ATA president Dawn Hamman. “That sums up Dale’s incredible contribution to ATA, philately and many other worthy causes in a nutshell. He operates under the radar. He does not seek recognition, and, in fact, gives it to others.”

During Smith’s tenure as ATA president, he invigorated fundraising and was able to secure the organization’s future with financial leadership and by adding to its reserves. He added key leaders to important positions in the group, and was part of the team that organized and implemented the moving of the ATA office from Illinois to South Carolina in 2019.

His wide-ranging interests: stamps on stamps, HIV/AIDS on stamps, pharmacy, winter scenes, Christmas seals, Pony Express and George Washington Carver. In 2002, Dale and his wife Andrea started their topical stamp dealership, Stamp Smith. The main focus of the business has always been topicals.

Smith’s leadership goes beyond philately. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Dale has served as president of its alumni association, and is currently on the dean’s advisory council and the LGBTQ Scholarship Foundation. He has served as president of 15 non-profit organizations over 45 years.

He was presented with the award at the Celebration Banquet of Great American Stamp Show 2021.

Great American Stamp Show 2021 Lives Up To Name

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Great American Stamp Show 2021 in Rosemont, Ill., near Chicago, August 11-15, was a very good show, especially considering the circumstances. With the threat of the continuing or even worsening coronavirus pandemic, many collectors decided to stay home.

Still, the American Philatelic Society, the organizer, had 2,500 registrations for GASS. That is several hundred more than APS StampShow 2019 in Omaha. APS StampShow was the predecessor to GASS. The APS would have expected 3,500 to 4,500 for a show in the Chicago area.

The photo shows some of those lined up to enter the show as soon as it opened on Thursday. About half of those attending the show wore masks. Many wore masks sometimes but not all the time. [You can click on the photo for a larger version.]

However, there are no reports of any of those who attended the show contracting the coronavirus as a result of going to Great American Stamp Show.

Whether the show would be held was uncertain until mid-May. Specific planning and arrangements normally begin at least a year in advance, with the show location booked as much as five years ahead. (2024 is already set for Hartford, Conn., for example, and the APS is looking at locations for 2025.)

The 2020 edition was canceled completely, with a “virtual” show instead.

Great American Stamp Show is co-hosted by the APS, the American Topical Association (which was also a partner in APS StampShows 2018 and 2019), and the American First Day Cover Society. All three organizations participated in the 2020 Virtual Stamp Show, but this was the AFDCS’ first time folding its Americover show and convention into the overall national show.

The photo shows about half the AFDCS booth on the second day of the show, Friday, which is usually the quietest day of any four-day show.

“This was our first time as co-host of the big U.S. national show, and it exceeded our expectations,” said AFDCS president Lloyd de Vries. “We picked up more new members than at any recent show, either the GASS predecessor APS StampShow or our own Americover show. First day cover exhibits also earned seven large golds at GASS!”

As part of their agreements with the APS to co-host the show, both the ATA’s National Topical Stamp Show and Americover had their own exhibit competitions. The ATA booth, like the APS and AFDCS booths at the front of the hall, is shown below.

However, “dealer participation for the show was well below what we could expect for a Chicago-area show,” APS executive director Scott English told The Virtual Stamp Club.

Having three stamp societies as co-hosts presented some challenges, such as scheduling the membership meeting for each at different times. Americover had been a three-day show, with the same basic schedule for years: the banquet on Friday night and general membership meetings in two parts, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. At GASS 2021, the AFDCS President’s Banquet was on Thursday night and a single membership meeting Friday morning. A few members missed them.

Also missing was the AFDCS’ usual pre-show tour of local attractions. Between the short lead-time and COVID-19 restrictions, it couldn’t be scheduled.

The show’s organizers vow to work out all the glitches before the next Great American Stamp Show in Sacramento, Calif., August 25-28, 2022. There should also be some new features.

“Our most critical goal for Sacramento is creating virtual access to those who cannot attend the show in person,” said English (left). The APS hopes to have some events live-streamed, and some of the exhibits displayed online. “Our Content Team will be piloting technology at the upcoming UNEXPO in Bellefonte to make sure we can execute the virtual experiences on a large scale.”

When first scheduled several years ago, the 2021 show was supposed to run at the same time as the American Numismatic Association’s “Money Show.” The latter was also held in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, and did overlap GASS in part. The philatelic organizers learned that “coin shows and stamp shows can operate in the same venue with excellent results,” said English. “Dealers shared that many ANA members visited their booths and even made purchases. I am hoping we can work with the ANA to hold a similar event in 2025. Stay tuned.”