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By Daniel F.
Lincoln
http://www.rotaryonstamps.org/
Attracted by the
new stamp being issued in 1955 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary
of Rotary International, Jerry Husak of Lake Forest, Illinois (a
non-Rotarian) suggested to the American Topical Association that
they have a "Study Unit" devoted to these commemoratives. Ed
Flatch, A T A Director of Units, assented and named Jerry as
Secretary, and he in turn named Ed as President. John Tapley of
Kenosha, Wisconsin, became Vice-President. Before the year was
over, Ed sold his collection and resigned. Jerry became
President and named Dan Lincoln of Jamestown, New York, as
Secretary-Treasurer and Bulletin Editor. Dan was a Past
District Governor (PDG) of Rotary and the first Rotarian member
of the Unit. Twenty-three Charter Members signed up and paid
$1.00 annual dues.
The first thing
we did was get in trouble with the United States Secret
Service. We had pasted up bits of half a dozen Rotary stamps
using several languages and designs and no denomination or
country as an attractive part of the masthead for our Bulletin
and stationery. We were promptly notified by the Secret Service
(and I don't know how they found out) that we were violating the
Federal counterfeiting law and were told to "cease and desist."
They admitted that it was not really a stamp, but "it looked
like one." We were scared. So we quickly burned all the paper,
apologized all over the place and "ceased and desisted," trying
to keep out of jail. We thought it was an attractive design,
and now we can show it. The law has been changed.
In that year,
thirty-one more members were added. Six Bulletins were issued.
Emerson Gause of the R.I. Secretariat, the liaison man working
on the stamps, and Karl Krueger, Editor of The Rotarian
magazine, were named as Honorary Members. RoS received
wide-spread publicity in the philatelic press.
Rotary International on Stamps, A T A's Handbook
No. 17, was published in 1957. It was the most elaborate they
had issued and the most profusely illustrated. Reviewers gave
it "raves," and it became the "bible" of Rotary collectors.
Lauren Januz resigned and Dan Lincoln was asked to take over as
RoS President. Budd Simon of Pleasantville, New York, became
Vice-President and M.G. Ringenberg of Bel Air, Maryland,
Secretary. The checklist reached 41 pages and completed the
detailed coverage of all the issues. The Bulletin had increased
to 10 pages and the 100th member joined. A new slogan was
adopted -"In Philatelia Nearly Everybody Reads the Bulletin."
The first U.S. Postal Cancellation for a Rotary District
conference was authorized for use at Buffalo, New York (District
709), and following that example the first R.I. Convention
postal cancellation followed it in June at Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Benjamin
Steinberg of Hancock, New York, was elected President at the RoS
Annual Meeting held at TOPEX '59 in New York City. Dr. J. Kler
of New Brunswick, New Jersey, became Vice-President, and
Ringenberg and Lincoln were re-elected. The first Unit cacheted
covers were issued, and a Sales Circuit plan was put into
operation. The Bulletin continued to be a big help with news
about newly discovered cancellations, cachets, seals and other
related material from around the world. Exhibits of Rotary
stamps which won awards were noted and the columns were opened
for free buy and sell advertisements.
The 1961
Bulletin was reduced to six pages and six issues per year. Vol.
VII, No.6 numbered its last page as "#340" and thus adopted a
new page-numbering system. By June, 1962, the membership stood
at 200 and the treasury at $700. For some inexplicable reasons,
Rotary on Stamps went into a state of limbo for the next 6
years. Nobody died; nobody ran off with the money. There was
just complete apathy and there was nothing much happening in the
Rotary stamp world.
In December,
1968, Gene Atkinson sent out a six-page "inquiry" Bulletin to a
dozen former members. Rejuvenation had begun! Vol. VIII under
his tender, loving care, and an increasing number of members
under President Frank Brasch of Oakland, California, sprang into
service. Anton Dekom (a non-Rotarian) helped the Sales
Department and Gene became Secretary-Treasurer and Bulletin
Editor. Membership grew and the Bulletin expanded to eigQt
pages. An excellent Slide Film Program was made available to
Rotary and stamp clubs through RoS and AT A. It told a GREAT
story. Gene wrote the script.
Along here
somewhere, Rotary International thought the idea of our
"interest-group" was a good one and proceeded to create their
"World Fellowship Activities to encompass a broader contact with
Rotarian hobbyists. R.I. Pamphlet #729 established the criteria
for participation and RoS humbly (and proudly) took some of the
credit for the idea. As a Convention Service, RoS arranges
annually for a "Mixture Pickin' Table" where hundreds of
thousands of stamps supplied by RoS members, clubs and the
Secretariat offices are made available to conventioneers (young
and old) to "help themselves. “ RoS members are assigned to the
area to talk stamps with all interested collectors.
PDG Robert
Horion of Antwerp, Belgium, was named Vice-President in 1977.
The Bulletin was improved with better illustrations and more
pages, and with a continuous stream of newly discovered
cancellations, cachets and several new stamps. New interest was
created for all readers. Membership from all over the world
sprang to new highs. Dr. Dave Huang of Thousand Oaks,
California, was named as Sales Circuit Manager, another RoS
service to collectors.
In anticipation
of increased interest due to the 75th Anniversary observance,
the Handbook Rotary International on Stamps was reprinted in
1980 and designated as "Vol. I 1929-1956." Dan Lincoln was
named Editor-in-Chief of a Vol. II, 1956-1979, which would
include an extensive Addenda to Vol. I. Vol. III, 1980-1984, was
also planned for early publication and Dr. David Huang was named
as Editor-in Chief of that new volume. Each new volume followed
the same format as Vol. I and was profusely illustrated and
documented to give Rotary collectors a complete reference
source.
In 1980 came the
deluge of worldwide issues observing Rotary's 75th Anniversary.
With it came PDG James Martin of Old Town, Maine, as President.
Membership shot up to near 400 and the annual dues to $5. The
Bulletin increased to twelve pages, improved its illustrations
and was issued five times a year. The Handbook's second
printing was sold out in 1981. An attractive set of cacheted
covers was designed by George Mann for the Dallas International
Convention. A third printing of the Handbook was ordered. A
Library of Congress Card Catalog Number was assigned to the
Handbook and the new volumes copyrighted.
J. Paul Van Nest
of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, was named Coordinator of Affairs
for the Toronto Convention. Peter Offer of Coventry , England,
was named First Vice-President, and PDG Bryce Kendall of Salem,
Ohio, as Second Vice-President. Dan Lincoln was elected
Treasurer and Huang and Atkinson were re-elected Sales Manager
and Secretary. New Directors all from outside the U.S. were
H.J.C. Van Beek (Netherlands), Moti J. Pariyani (India), Andres
J. Abad (Argentina), Amu J. Shah (Tanzania), and E.H. van
Broeknuzen (Netherlands). A new Slide film Program was prepared
with copies on loan from RoS, R.I., ATA, and A.P.S. without
cost. Vice-President Offer was named to serve as Coordinator
for RoS Affairs and the 1984 Birmingham Rotary International
Convention. New promotional pieces and Membership Applications
(in several languages) were prepared.
In the summer of
1983 RoS issued its "Century Edition" Bulletin. The course to
#100 was fitful but fun.
Rotary on Stamps -from the 80s into the new
Century
by R. J. Dickson
As the Rotary world began to issue more and more
stamps to honor the International organization, an "Addenda to
the Addenda" was added to the Bulletin to help keep members
up-to-date with new issue information. Rotary on Stamps
national groups sprang up in Argentina, Netherlands, Israel and
France in the early 1980's. Jerry Seufert of Long Island, New
York, represented RoS at the 1985 ASDA show in Madison Square
Garden in New York City. Visitors were able to view an exhibit,
purchase Handbooks and attend lectures on Rotary and stamps.
George Mann continued to design cachets for the International
Conventions in Kansas City (1985), Las Vegas (1986), Munich,
Germany (1987), Philadelphia (1989) Seoul, Korea (1988), and
more.
Bryce Kendall of Salem, Ohio became the
President, with Michael Gosney of Farnborough, England First
Vice-President and Ivan Kaldor of Rehovot, Israel Second
Vice-President. Atkinson and Lincoln were re-elected as
Secretary and Treasurer.
In 1985, Don Fiery of Hanover, Pennsylvania
became the Secretary-Treasurer and also was named Editor of the
Bulletin. A period of fiscal growth followed during which
several debts were paid off and a profitable sales program
inaugurated. The Bulletin celebrated its 30th Anniversary under
Don's leadership and membership continued to grow. A detailed
checklist was developed and published in the Bulletin - 8 pages
of small handwritten information listing all the stamps and
their varieties.
After a year's preparation, Ernst-Theodor
Juergens of Augsburg, Germany (a non-Rotarian) published a
240-page ftlll-color catalog of his Rotary collection, the most
thorough listing of all Rotary items to date. Dr. Dave Huang
prepared Handbook Vol. IV 1985-1991. Another new RoS
publication came into being when R. J. Dickson of Weems,
Virginia submitted his design for a Rotary album. Quickly
adopted by RoS, Dickson made his album available to all
collectors and introduced It at the Orlando Convention in 1992.
It has since been expanded to over 300 pages and includes
illustrations of all the stamps, souvenir sheets, and many of
the cinderellas. At the Orlando Convention, Dickson and Huang
began discussions of revising the Handbooks, with the
possibility of a new combined edition in mind. That new
publication evolved into this present RoS Encyclopedia.
At the 1996 Convention in Calgary, Canada, Edward
Robinson of Leeds, England was elected Chairman, R. J. Dickson
and Ivan N. Kaldor were re-elected Vice-Chairmen, Don Fiery was
re-elected Secretary- Treasurer. The Constitution and By-Laws
were amended to reaffirm our historical roots as a Study Unit of
the American Topical Association and as a part of the Rotary
International Recreational Fellowships program. Also, a new Life
Member category was established to strengthen the long-term
membership of RoS, the offices of President and Vice-President
were redesignated Chairman and Vice-Chairman in keeping with the
policy of Rotary International for its Fellowships.
The mid-1990s saw the loss of several long time
and outstanding members in the passing of Tony Dekom, Dan
Lincoln, Justin Bachrach, Bryce Kendall, and George Mann. Their
many contributions and friendship to many members will be
missed.
1999 saw the introduction of a new special album
for imperforate stamps and souvenir sheets, 2001 brought a new
book for the Conservation Year overprints, 2002 a new album for
Specimen overprints.
In the middle of 2003 RoS underwent a major
change with the retirement of Donald E. Fiery of Hanover,
Pennsylvania as Secretary- Treasurer, a position he held since
1985. Past Chairman and current Bulletin Editor and Director of
Publications Richard J. Dickson of Virginia, USA agreed to fill
the Secretary- Treasurer vacancy, and the offices of RoS were
moved from Pennsylvania to Irvington, Virginia. At the
Convention in Brisbane, Australia, the first RoS Catalog listing
all RoS items, many illustrated, was introduced. Prices are in
US dollars and reflect averages of sales and purchases as
reported by members.
In 2003, Rotary on Stamps received a gift from
Donald E. Fiery of his complete collection of RoS
commemoratives, covers, matchbooks, and other Rotary related
material. The new Secretary-Treasurer, Richard J. Dickson, was
named by Fiery to serve as the curator of this historic
collection. Since RoS is a US designated tax-exempt non-profit
organization, U.S. members may now donate their collections to
the Fellowship, and either take a charitable contribution tax
deduction in that year, or designate it as a charitable gift in
their estate plan. RoS will maintain an archival collection of
all RoS items donated to the Fellowship, with the provision that
we will sell duplicates to help offset our operational expenses.
Chairmen of Rotary on Stamps
1955 Ed Flatch, Jerry Husak USA
1956-57 Lauren R. Januz USA
1957-59 Daniel F. Lincoln USA
1959-60 Dr. Benjamin Steinberg
USA
1962 (Group Disbands)
1971-77 Dr. F. 0. Brasch USA
1980-82 Dr. James G. Martin USA
1984-85 Bryce Kendal1 USA
1986-87 Michael Gosney England
1988-89 George T. Mann USA
1990-92 Amu J. Shah Tanzania
1992-94 Dr. David T. Huang USA
1994-96 Dr. René Lagarde France
1996-98 Edward W. Robinson
England
1998-2001 Richard J. Dickson
USA
2001-05 Gerald L. FitzSimmons
USA
2005- Kenichi Hamana Japan
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