On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 10:24:41 -0700, Eric Bustad
found these unused words floating about:

Pierre Courtiade wrote:
wrote :


FIP ????
.
How many collectors really carewhat the FIP does or for that matter
says ?
.
I would bet that I could go to any one of several stamp clubs and ask
what the FIP is and what it does and not one in a hundred collectors
could answer either part one or part two correctly.
.
And among the one in several hundred who could offer more than a
mumbling guess I have the feeling that few could cite any realistic
involvement.
.
So for the life of me I do not see what this organization does for the
average stamp collector beyond provide a slush fund for self declared
philatelic muckty mucks.


Charlie,

Agreed :-)

I could express the same opinion for my national philatelic association
(FFAP Fédération Française des Associations Philatéliques).

For an average collector like myself :
I am a member of a very small (~ 25 members) stamp club (at home near
Paris) not affiliated to FFAP and of a larger one (~100 members) near my
cottage in Brittany, affilated to FFAP.

The only add-on from FFAP (for me) is that the annual fee is 50 % higher
in the larger (and FFAP affiliated) stamp club :-(((

Where goes this extra money ? In a lot of different things I imagine,
but I know at least those :
- paying accomodation to FFAP directors or judges when they visit
exhibitions
- administrative expenses
- fees to the FIP
- promoting philately amongst youngters

I do agree with this last purpose, but they are not very efficient in
it.

I'm wondering what are your opinions on your national philatelic
associations ?

For the US, the American Philatelic Society provides a number of
services that are mostly listed on the web page
http://www.stamps.org/Services/index.htm. In addition, member clubs
have access to a library of philatelic presentations on slides and
video. I find it worth-while being a member.

While that -may- be true today (no current experience) ... in the '80s
they pretty much ignored the smaller clubs, except when it came time
to pay annual dues.

We ended up making our own presentations because we couldn't get the
APeS to send any or even return a letter of inquiry. Other societies
did supply programs.

Guess it all boils down to what contact you can make -within- the
'parent' organization ...