Fremont Stamp Club News

August 2013 - Volume 35 Number 8

2013 Officers We are on the web: www.fremontstampclub.org

Published monthly by The Fremont Stamp Club Mailing Address: P.O. Box 8450 Fremont, CA 94537 Meetings held on the second Thursday of each month at 7 PM in the Cultural Arts Center 3375 Country Drive, Fremont Please address correspondences to FSC editor at the above address or email to: [email protected]

Ken Goss Dave Epps Theresa Goss Bill Beeson Ken Goss Ray McCoy

President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Editor Past President

Board members:

Don Ehlers Jim Sauer Alan Baker

Al Harris Mike Watson

Stamp Shows Great America Stamp Show Napredak Hall 770 Montague Expressway San Jose, CA August 31

10AM to 6PM

September 1

10AM to 4PM

Presentation “Austria PTPO, Printed to Private Order, for the 75th Anniversary of the UPU”

Santa Clara Coins, Stamps & Collectables Show Santa Clara Convention Center 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara

By Jim Sauer

September 6

10AM to 7PM

September 7

10AM to 6PM

September 8

10AM to 4PM

**There is an admission fee**

Page 1

Fremont Stamp Club News President’s Column

My church bulletin was interesting this Sunday, the message began: “We love to collect things! We collect everything from shoes to stamps to newspapers to cars.” And I find it humorous that our hobby was in the mind of the writer whose spiritual message was concerned with possessions and that we cannot take them with us. I make no comment concerning any religious view of collecting and possessions, but I wanted to share the mention of collecting stamps. But if collecting were a sin, I’d be in deep trouble. I want to thank Alan for his article you will find on the next page. When thinking of using a postcard to communicate, I have come to a few observations. Having worked in Silicon Valley now almost 20 years, I have seen the omnipresent migration from the analog communication of yesterday, to the digital communication of today. Consider Alan’s postcard; it contains a political message, intended for an audience of people with a like minded viewpoint, or to

August 2013 - Volume 35 Number 8

attract and inform others of this particular cause. So what were the steps for this message? Penny postcards were purchased, then in turn the message was printed on the text side. The postcard then needed to be addressed, deposited at a post office or mail box, processed by the postal service and delivered by a mail carrier. Very analog, very human. Quaint and inefficient by today’s digital standard. In today’s world, one could send an e-mail to a mailing list, post on a blog or website, send a text message...the options are many. But from where I sit, we communicate in quantity today but the quality is lacking. I filter and delete all unsolicited email, but will take a few more seconds to look over a letter in my mailbox, even when the mail is junk. There is something about the more tangible communication of the analog mail. And I most like letters from my stamp collecting friends. After typing this, I am starting to feel a bit old...but I am okay with that.

Thanks to Dave for a great talk in July. See you at a meeting! Ken

Fremont Stamp Club - 2013 Calendar Month

Program

10-Jan

“Show and Tell” and Linn’s 2012 Stamp Poll

14-Feb 14-Mar 11-Apr 9-May 13-Jun 11-Jul 8-Aug 12-Sep 11-Oct 14-Nov 12-Dec

NO MEETING—Valentines Day Spring Club Auction APS Slide Show - “The Penny Postal, Gone But Still Collectible” "Ephemera: One Collector's Approach” by Alan Baker APS Slide Show - ”The American Revolution: A Glorious Undertaking” “Dave’s Bottom of the Box” and Show and Tell “Austria, Printed to Private Order for UPU 75th Anniversary” “Fall Classic” Auction National Stamp Collecting Month Club Election Christmas Pot Luck and Bingo Page 2

Fremont Stamp Club News

August 2013 - Volume 35 Number 8

A Penny for Your Thoughts by Alan Baker

Back in the old days a penny went a long way. In fact you could mail a postcard for one penny until 1952 when the rate went up to two cents. I recently purchased the penny post card shown below. It is a great piece of history as the content addresses the isolationist movement in the US prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was sent on October 18, 1939 just after the German invasion of Poland. The sender is unknown but most likely a member of an isolationist (non-intervention) organization. The recipient is "J.R." at the American Legion Headquarters in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Contrary to popular belief, there was strong opposition to our involvement in the war against the Axis powers prior to Pearl Harbor. How strong? A Gallup Poll held in June 1941 showed that only 21% of Americans thought we should enter the war. The controversial issue prior to 1941 was providing aid to Britain, not entry into the war. There was a great deal of anti-British sentiment as seen on the postcard. It is a stamped message with various people replying to John Bull, the British version of Uncle Sam. Some names are recognizable such Eddie Rickenbacker and Charles Lindbergh. I had to look up Sol Bloom. He was a New York congressman known for his pro-British sympathies. Interestingly there is a reference to the Soviet invasion of Poland which happened the month before the card's mailing. It appears that the isolationists were wrong judging by history. Not necessarily so. By entering the war in December 1941 we saved many lives by not entering the conflict at an earlier date. Our participation proved necessary and timely.

Page 3

August 8th Presentation

Austria PTPO Printed to Private Order, for the 75th Anniversary of the UPU By Jim Sauer

P.O. Box 8450, Fremont, CA 94537

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