HUTCHINSON, Dr. Robert David

Peacefully on April 20, 2012, in his 88th year in Ottawa surrounded by family members.

Predeceased by his wife, Jo Hutchinson (nee Reade). Oldest son of the late Ada (Armitage) and William Hutchinson. Proud brother of Richard (Beryl) Hutchinson of Forest, Ontario. Predeceased by brother Ted and sister Jean. Cherished Father, with the late Jeane (nee Bryson), of David (Louise) Hutchinson, Richard (Julia) Hutchinson of Sydney, Australia, Patty (John) Scrivens of Ottawa and Margot (Bud) Jorgensen of Alliston Ontario. Loving and proud Grandfather to Bob (Elizabeth), Chris (Rocio), Stefani, and David of Ottawa., Mark (Sophie), Timothy (predeceased), James, Georgina, Sophie, Alexandra (Michael), Andrew, Charles, Holly, Katie, Sophie all of Sydney and Grand Bob to Katie and Benjamin of Ottawa. Great Grandfather to Charlotte, Heidi, Isabella, Daniel, Ayla and Maia. Lovingly remembered by his brother's children, Sue, Lee, Cindy and Carla, their partners and children, and by many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, step-children, step- grandchildren, friend and sister-in-law Nancy Hooper, and so many dear friends.

 

Well remembered as a respected professional geologist with an international career in business and government. Dr. Hutchinson was instrumental in establishing the geological proof of continental drift theory. In his commercial career he led the discovery team at the Ok Tedi copper gold deposit, one of richest in the world. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario and his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin. A keen golfer and Life Member of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club he was also a highly regarded stamp collector and is fondly remembered by family and friends for his enjoyment of golf, bridge and cottage at Grand Lake. A memorial service will be held at the Church of St. Bartholomew, 125 MacKay Street, Ottawa, on May 3 at 11 a.m. Reception to follow service. A private family interment will take place prior to the service. Contributions of indigenous living flowers or plants or donations to a charity of your choice are graciously accepted.

 

(Ottawa Citizen)

MINIEX 2011 - A Report

 

MINIEX 2011 provided some surprises, but exceeded our expectations. The attendance (84 persons were counted) is the best in the last eight years. Our hard-working panel of judges “ Ian Kimmerly, Ron Lefebvre and Mark Starowicz “ cheerfully provided exhibitors with much appreciated written evaluations. The Auction, though only 244 lots were entered, ran smoothly and without problems due to the skillful organization provided by Auction Administrator Wayne Perrin and his merry band of volunteers. This year we introduced a special MINIEX cover and also a magnificent set of covers illustrating the War of 1812“ the year's posted theme. Our exhibits continued to increase - we had at least two in each of the categories. Todd Sturgeon did double duty this year, not only presenting the evening's program “ What If ?“ which explored the great opportunities for the hobby that are being opened up by the Internet, but also once again creating the wonderful series of plaques awarded to the various exhibitors who won highest standings in their class. Nicole Lacourse's Whale of a Tale was voted Best In Show and took the special prize generously provided by Ian Kimmerly, while another APO member, Jonathan Gauvreau, won the First Time Exhibitor/Youth award, which also received a special prize awarded by Ron Lefebvre. The RA not only sent along Nancy Kirkwood, who handles MINIEX for the Centre and was very helpful, but also supplied cakes instead of donuts, an improvement widely commented on. And our volunteers! Yvon Richard contributed his usual unstinting service, Dick Logan and Michel Lavoie took on extra duties at short notice, several members willingly moved an acre of chairs and rearranged the exhibit panels. To say nothing of the crew who handled the Auction“ too numerous to measure. 

 

All in all, a good evening.

 

MINIEX “ Some details

 

MINIEX, which has been a popular feature of the regional philatelic scene for almost forty years, is a useful and attractive annual event that that is designed to showcase and celebrate the activities and work of members of the stamp clubs in Ottawa/Gatineau and the surrounding area. In its current form it includes exhibits, an auction, and a public program.

 

Exhibiting

 

Members of the various clubs in the region are invited and encouraged to create and present exhibits in a variety of categories, currently BNA (which includes Canada); World; Postal History; Topical (any topic, any form of presentation); A Posted Theme, which changes from year to year; New Exhibitor (any length of exhibit); and Other (Display, Post Cards, etc.).

 

Guidelines for exhibitors

 

For all MINIEX exhibitors the rule is that what is shown must be an exhibit offered for the first time outside the member's home club. MINIEX especially welcomes first time exhibitors, and also encourages exhibits that consist of philatelic material that is easily affordable by all.

 

Each exhibit is assessed by a panel of judges and given a grade: Platinum (95-100 points), Gold (85-94), Silver (70-84), Bronze (1-69). The assessment by the judges is based on the following guidelines and percentages:

 

1. Does the Exhibit set a goal and successfully reach it, that is, does it do what it sets out to do - tell a story, explore an argument or thesis, analyze an issue - whatever: 40%.

2. Overall presentation: 30%.

3. Condition and quality of the material (regardless of value): 10%.

4. Scope of the material (philatelic elements): 10%.

5. Personal research, philatelic and related knowledge: 10%.

 

All exhibitors are given a record of the grades (with relevant points) assigned by the judges. In each category the exhibit earning the highest number of points is awarded a prize, and, in addition, a Most Popular Exhibit award covering all exhibits in all categories is determined by an attendee ballot vote.

 

The MINIEX Auction

 

The Auction, which is organized by the OPS and run by volunteers from the OPS and the RA Stamp Club, is a popular feature of MINIEX. A member of any club in the region may offer up to fifteen lots in the MINIEX Auction. All sales are subject to a seller's 15% fee. The regulations covering the Auction, together with the MINIEX lot sheet required to enter a lot, are appended.

 

The Program

 

Each year MINIEX presents a program consisting of a presentation related to stamp collecting, which can take the form of a guest speaker, a display, an organized discussion, a panel exploring a subject or participating in a debate, or all of these.

 

Organization

 

MINIEX is organized and administered by a joint committee of the RA Stamp Club and the Ottawa Philatelic Society. The Committee makes it a point to consult regularly with the membership of the clubs and to encourage suggestions for changes and developments of the event. It is to be particularly noted that the overall and continuing success of MINEX is the result of the work of the ongoing company of volunteers who each year undertake to present the various elements that make up the evening.

 

Recent history

 

In the past few years MINIEX has concentrated on developing its exhibiting arm, improving the Auction, and providing a varied program that appeals to the wide ranging interests of both stamp collectors and philatelists.

 

The Auction

 

 The Auction, which can accommodate up to about 400 lots, has over the years become about as efficient as it is possible to make it. Lots are received from 6 p.m., viewed from 7 to 8 p.m. and by 9 payments and payouts begin.

 

Participation varies. In 2011, for example, the Auction was swamped with lots “ almost 400 being received “ well in excess of the usual average of 300 lots. In 2012 there was a surprising reversal – only 244 lots came in, 175 originating with the OPS (or 130 if one counted as APO 45 lots that came from OPS members who are also members of the APO), 30 lots from the RA Club, and the remaining lots from elsewhere. While it is not possible to conclusively state the reason for the decline in offerings, analysis shows that several regular consignors were absent in 2012, three of whom in a regular year would enter as many as 65 lots, which would have brought the 2012 offerings to the yearly Auction average. On the sales side we also lost a couple of major buyers (who were in fact among the volunteers working the evening and so had no time to bid) which may have contributed to the decline in sales. There are undoubtedly other factors at work, the multiplicity of stamp auctions in the area and the opening of new opportunities for sales on the OPS website among them. The 2012 Auction is a reminder that while MINIEX can offer an opportunity the results of that opportunity depend on events beyond our control.

 

  That said, the work of those who organize and conduct the Auction, in the past few years under the direction of Wayne Perrin, has been first-rate, and deserves the resounding thanks it regularly receives.

 

The Exhibits

 

  Another area to which attention has been paid are the exhibits. Exhibits don’t just happen, but need a concerted and continuing program in the various clubs. In the OPS and the APO in particular, the past few years have seen efforts to develop interest in and incentives to encourage members to become exhibitors, and to show their work at MINIEX. While all three of the major clubs have experienced and skilled exhibitors, the objective has been to encourage new exhibitors, with, for example, a place for one-page exhibits, by opening a special theme category which in 2010 was Ottawa, in 2011 Any topic with the stipulation that no item in the exhibit shall have a retail/cash value exceeding $5.00, and in 2012 The War of 1812, by suggesting that exhibits can be built without relying on rare and expensive materials, and more generally, by encouraging collectors to try an exhibit and discover how much fun it can be assembling one. To a degree all of this has been successful in increasing exhibits, which have in the past few years tripled in number.

 

  However, more attention needs to be given to enlarging the community of collectors who exhibit, which might benefit both from more explicit programs of exhibit development in the clubs, and possibly also from a cooperative effort of the clubs to encourage and support exhibiting.

 

  Attention has also been given to the standards used to judge MINIEX exhibits, and to ways in which exhibitors can benefit from the process. In clarify the judging criteria advice was sought from experienced philatelic judges. Grades were set out, and specific points were assigned to the various elements being judged. In 2012 an evaluation form was introduced which was given to exhibitors to help them understand how their work was being assessed, and to suggest ways in which it might be improved. In the last two years a variety of judges have been invited, including novices and in 2012 a distinguished person who though not in fact a collector is greatly experienced in producing work to appeal to people, with results that in the opinion of the Committee have been refreshingly positive.

 

The Program

 

  In developing each year's program the emphasis in the past few years has been to broaden the scope of subjects tackled, and to develop methods of presentation that concentrate on greater involvement of the audience. Some members prefer a formal philatelic lecture on a given, ordinarily focused subject. Others find an examination of broader topics related to stamp collecting more useful. With the hobby being subjected to demonstrable challenges, including a loss of membership by many clubs, uncertainty as to where new collectors are likely to come from, and major adjustments in the whole philatelic community many of which are centred in the electronic revolution that pervades every aspect of the modern world, the Committee has looked for ways to help those interested in stamps (like the members o the APO, the RA Stamp club and the OPS, among others) better understand these challenges and opportunities so we are better equipped to deal with them.

 

  Given the broad range of interests represented by the persons who regularly attend, it seems preferable in developing the Program element of MINIEX to continue to look at the broader subjects and leave the programming of more detailed subject matter to the individual clubs.

 

Finally 

 

  The present MINIEX Committee has attempted to ensure the widest possible input into MINIEX, reporting regularly to the RA and OPS, consulting on various matters with both individuals and small groups, presenting plans for the coming season as early as possible both for review and approval, including the Auction Administrator in deliberations, processes it believes are essential to successfully develop and operate an activity of this kind. We especially stress the role played by the many volunteers from all the clubs, whose combined, enthusiastic and invariably cheerful contribution is what makes MINIEX not only work, and work well, but also a joy to be associated with.

 

  MINIEX 2013 is scheduled for Thursday, February 7, 2013.

 

Robert Pinet & Jack Gray

Co-Chairs

 

02-23-12

 

The MINIEX Auction - Rules and Regulations

 

- A member of any club in the region may enter lots in the MINIEX Auction.

 

- Members wishing to enter items in the auction must register, giving their name, phone number, email address, and club, information that is required to ensure that all lots remain connected to their correct owners. Registration of lots will begin at 6.00 p.m. and end at 7:00 p.m.

 

- All items entered should have a MINIEX Auction lot sheet securely attached to it. The lot sheet is available on-line at www.ottawaphilatelicsociety.org

 

- A member may enter up to 15 items in the auction.

 

- Members will be assigned their lot numbers when they register.

 

- Up to 400 lots may be entered in the auction, and when the registrar has assigned 400 lot numbers no additional lots will be accepted.

 

- If there are not 400 lots by 7:00 p.m., members who have already entered 15 lots can enter an additional number of lots. Therefore when members register their initial 15 lots, they must inform the registrar if they have additional lots they wish to enter. If there are not 400 lots by 7:00 pm, the registrar will call members with additional lots back to assign additional numbers. This will be done in the order that the initial lots were registered; i.e.: 1^st come, 1^st served.

 

- Members filling in the lot sheets should identify the year of the catalogue they used to value their item; for example: Scott 2008.

 

- Persons wishing to bid must register when they arrive and pick up their bidder’s number.

 

- Viewing at the auction begins at 7:00 p.m.

 

- Persons who wish to bid must write their bids in the spaces provided on the lot sheet using the bidding increments at the bottom of the MINIEX lot sheet.

 

- A lot will be sold to the highest bid on the lot sheet.

 

- Bidding will close at 8.00 p.m. sharp.

 

- Successful bidders will be able to pick up and pay for their purchases once the evening’s program is completed. MINIEX Auction will retain 15% of the sale price of each lot sold.

 

-Sales receipts and unsold lots will be available for pickup after the payments from successful bidders is completed.

 

- The Auction is administered by the Ottawa Philatelic Society. Rulings and decisions of the MINIEX Auction Administrator appointed by the OPS are final.

 

 

 

A series of thirty (30) different covers have been produced exclusively for the MINIEX 2012 show.  Each cachet cover illustrates an element of the War of 1812.  The cost of each cover will be $2.00 with only two of each of 29 designs being available at the MINIEX show.  Twenty covers of the design shown at top, will also be available.  All proceeds will go towards MINIEX expenses.

 

Following the show, the covers will be made available for purchase via the OPS website at $2.00 each or the complete set for $45.00.  If desired, contemporary postage can be applied so that the covers can be used for domestic mail.  This offer will extend through to the end of February and launch the United States Study Group month in March.  Details to follow.

 

Also a very limited edition set of covers (twenty-one have been produced with ten being available for sale) will also be made available at MINIEX honouring our guest judge, Mark Strowicz. Mark has a long career as a journalist and radio and TV producer, in 2000 created and produced the CBC’s Gemini Award winning 32-hour miniseries Canada: A People’s History, and is today head of Documentary Programming at the CBC.

 

 

TOPICAL FIRSTS : A NOTE

 

Sunday, November 27, 2011

 

This project is designed to identify as many Topical Firsts issued between the appearance of the first postage stamp in 1840 and the present as possible, a Topical First being defined as: The first presentation of the topic by a postage stamp or related philatelic elements created by a recognized national postal authority, from the Penny Black to the present.

 

As there is no definitive list of Topical Firsts, the topics assembled here have been gleaned from a number of sources. We started with the Checklists and Handbooks of the American Topical Association, and augmented these with both major and minor topical categories not included in the ATA inventory that were documented both through continuing research and, in a few cases, eccentric, even biased personal selection, topical collecting both inviting and permitting that kind of glorious freedom.

 

Determining what Topic qualifies to have a First can raise interesting questions, one of the primary being, is the First a stamp or element that directly depicts the Topic, or is simply related to it? Take Law for example: what is the earliest instance of a stamp that has something to do with Law? This project uses the broadest criteria – looking for anything related to Law as opposed to a direct representation, and so we list USA # 2 (1847) as the first stamp for Law, George Washington having been (among other things) a lawyer. Another area that creates problems are big topics that encompass a number of smaller topics. Watercraft, for example, is a huge topic, with at least 20,000 stamps in it, and from a collector’s point of view, has many sub-topics: sailing ships, canoes, submarines, shipwrecks, aircraft carriers, The Bounty, and so on and on. The approach in this list is to include all Topics that we believe some collectors have singled out for attention.

 

An associated problem has to do with a number of stamps that were issued after 1840 but which fall outside the definition above. It can (and will) be argued, for example, that the first bird is the 1847 local Basel Dove, the first ship the 1847 Trinidad privately issued Lady McLeod, the first bear the 1845 USA St. Louis Postmaster Provisional, elegant stamps that are beyond the reach of most collectors. For the determined and those waiting to win the lottery we will include issues such as these in a special section devoted to interesting topical firsts that lie outside the definition we are using.

 

Clearly, based on the two principles noted above, there is no end to gathering a list of Topical Firsts, and that is one reason we are putting the list on the Internet and opening it to everyone, to allow its timely updating and revision now and in the years to come.

 

This is a work in progress, and inevitably contains errors. We welcome corrections and suggestions for changes or for topics not covered, either to the Webmaster or Project Co-ordinator Jack Gray.

 

Our present list begins in 1840 with the Penny Black - the first Topical First - and ends with the most recent First identified - a 1998 stamp showing the ever-popular game of Monopoly. Stamps and other elements are identified by country, date of issue, and Scott number (where there is one), and in time we plan to include a broader range of information, including other catalogues.

 

The work on this list has underlined the fact that, though there were exceptions (especially in some of Britain’s colonies), topical philately had a slow start, with Queens, Kings, Leaders, Comfortable Symbols and National Wonders dominating the first fifty years. Toward the end of the 19th century postal authorities began to appreciate the possibilities of tapping a wider range of subjects (topics). The first specifically “commemorative” stamps celebrating “One Hundred Years” were issued by New South Wales in 1888. Events like the 1892 anniversary of the “discovery” of “America” were celebrated. While most of today’s major and popular topics achieved their Firsts by the end of World War I, the accumulation and range of new topics covered continued relentlessly, with almost 200 new topics - a third of the Firsts identified here - getting their Firsts in the twenty-one years between the wars. Some topics have proved to be huge - Watercraft (ships) numbers 20,000 + - while a few, like The World’s Largest Living Postage Stamp (Switzerland 1996), are confined to a few items. Large or small, the tide rolls on, and though since the end of World War II the number of new Firsts has declined, the entire topical field is being thoroughly serviced by the tsunami of new issues that engulfs us today.

 

Collectors who find any of the material presented in Topical Firsts useful are free to copy whatever they need for their own use. In due course three Topical First checklists will be available - one organized by Topic, one by Country and a third Chronologically – and will be posted on this website.

 

Topical Firsts © Jack Gray 2011

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The TRANS-MISSISSIPPI EXPOSITION is EXPOSED......

 

 Tuesday, October 11, 2011

 

On Thursday, October 6th, the United States Study Group of the Ottawa Philatelic Society held it’s monthly meeting with a discussion on the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition issue, lead by Hank van der Linde.

 

Hank provided a well researched handout, and spoke about the design and use of each stamp in the issue. Bob H. kindly brought his 1898 Trans-Mississippi issues for us to see. His set was complete, save for the $2 value. It was wonderful to see America’s most beautiful stamp, the $1 “Cattle in Storm” up close.

 

A set of the 1998 reprints were shown as well, and it was interesting to note the designs for the 2¢ value and the $2 value were switched at the last minute.

 

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, November 3rd. Our discussion topic will be Mail to and From Prisoner of War Camps in the United States, lead by Mike Powell.

 

Thank-you Hank and Bob for providing an interesting and informative evening.

 

We hope others will join us in November.

 

David Giles

 

US Study Group Chairman

 

Visitors can view the refernce handout provided at the United States Study Group meeting, by clicking the Trans-Mississippi stamp at upper left.

Significant "material" is currently being added onto the website which will roll out over the next couple of weeks.

First, I will be adding your own Homepage.
It is password protected which will remain unique to you.
This same password will now give you access to the member's area, marketplace, etc.
Each paid-up OPS member will have their own password and page.
I will build a page, grant a password and forward a message to ALL of the PAID members one at a time, beginning with the volunteers, then the Executive, and finally the members (in the order of their membership number).

 

Simply click the "OPS CONNECT" button (at left) and a list of membership names will appear in the list in the column at left. Simply click your name and submit your password. The production of the Homepages are now complete.

LIFE in a NORTHERN TOWN...

 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

 

Over the summer, a wonderful article appeared in "The Northern" philatelic journal by our very own Gord Richardson.  The article opens a new window on the postal history of West Lynne, Manitoba.  Gord has been researching the postal history of Manitoba for many years and is currently working to co-author further works on the subject.  With the kind permission of both the author and the editor, the article now appears in full in our "REFERENCE ARTICLES" section on this website and can be easily found by clicking the West Lynne postcard at upper left.

 

__________________________________________________

THE WORLD'S HOBBY SPEAKETH.......

 

Monday, May 9, 2011

 

The OPS is pleased to announce that a universal translator has been added to this website. The translating service is currently being offered through Microsoft Translator which is a component of the "Microsoft Bing". This translator has been posted on each page and can be found in the column at right. It provides full page translation for 36 different languages.

 

Select a language and see what happens !

 

The site ALWAYS will revert back to its original form. Of course, some technical terms may not translate directly. We would love to hear back from any second language OPS members as to whether this service works as intended.

 

ALSO, we have added several shortcut links now found on each page as well. By clicking "HOMEPAGE", "SITEMAP", "HELPFUL HINTS" or "AUCTION SERVICES" members and guests will be directed to our most popular headings. These may change or other added as trends demand.