Category Archives: Non Stirling Events

A Tribute: Ross Wood FAP (1945 – 2018)

Although not a member of the Stirling Philatelic Society, Ross often attended our Annual competitions as a Judge. Ross was a man generous with his time and encouraged members to further their exhibiting. Ross was a stalwart of the philatelic community and dedicated to the hobby. The committee and members extend their deepest condolences to his wife and family.
Glen Stafford (WAPC PRO) has compiled a list of some of Ross’s achievements below:

Vale: Ross Wood FAP (1945 – 2018)

I am having extreme trouble writing this Vale for Ross Wood, as he was a very close personal and philatelic friend. I met him for the first time in 2000 when he judged my novice class exhibit at Philatelic Society of Rockingham and Kwinana Districts. Along with John DiBiase, he encouraged me to be involved with organised philately. He encouraged and mentored me in organised philately over the following 18 years.

Ross Wood provided outstanding services to organised philately in many executive capacities. Some of his roles included the following:

He served for 38 years at the Philatelic Society of WA (PSWA) in the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee Member;
25 years on the Western Australian Philatelic Council (WAPC) in the positions of President, Vice President, Public Development Officer and Secretary;
17 years with the Australian Philatelic Federation (APF) in the positions of President, Vice President, Immediate Past President and Secretary.
Ross was the APF’s Aerophilately Commission Delegate – a role he had held for the past 15 years. Ross was also the longest serving APF executive.

At the international level, Ross had been the current President of the FIP Aerophilately Commission in addition to being an internationally qualified judge for both FIAP and FIP exhibitions in the areas of Postal Stationery and Aerophilately.

From 2009 to 2015, Ross served as the President of FISA (Federation of Aero and Astro Philately) and had been a FISA Board Member since 2009, representing Australasia.

Ross had been the long-time editor of several philatelic publications including: PSWA’s Stamp Hinges journal for 30 years; the WAPC’s Stamp Groper journal for 21 years; and, more recently, The Australian Aerophilatelist for the Australian Airmail Society.

Ross must have known how to squeeze more than 24 hours into each day, because he had also found time to hold more than ten exhibiting / judging workshops at the state and national levels. He had run Aerophilately exhibiting workshops at the national level, such as the one held during the Canberra 2010 show. Also at the international FIP level during Melbourne 2013, PhilaKorea 2014 and Singapore 2015. Ross also championed the successful introduction of the new state-level ‘Subject’ class in recent years.

In 1997, his strong contribution to the WA philatelic world was recognised with Ross being awarded the EM Hasluck Medal – the highest philatelic award in WA. He had also been awarded life membership in both the Western Australian Philatelic Council and the Philatelic Society of WA.

In 2016, Ross was awarded the highest honour that Australian Organised Philately can give with an APF Fellow of the Australian Philatelic Order (FAP).

To top it off, for those of us who had the pleasure to know him as a personal friend, he was not only a collector, judge and exhibitor; he was a tireless worker, volunteer and a top bloke. We had many jovial late nights together in various places around the world discussing stamps, horse racing and his beloved Collingwood Football Club.

Ross, you will be sadly missed by the whole philatelic community.

Glen Stafford

Collecting Western Australia

You may not be aware that there is a specialist study group of Western Australia stamps and postal history.

The Western Australia Study Group meets once a month on the 4th Thursday except December at Philatelic House, Wellington Fair, Unit 19, 40 Lord Street,East Perth. See Map If you have an interest in this area you would be welcome to attend up to three meetings before committing to join. The group is friendly and each evening’s meeting is conducted with a show and tell of recent acquisitions a ‘5 minuter’ of an in depth subject a member has researched, a review of a publication, the evening’s display conducted by the presenter and a review of the evening. There is no buying or selling at these meetings. Enquiries can be made to Arthur on 0419 843 943.

2018

25 January, Members: ‘Western Australia and the Letter D’.
22 February, R.D.: ‘Northam, York, Newcastle, Toodyay’
22 March, R.C.: ‘WA Postal Stationery’.
26 April, B.N.: ‘Great Britain used in Gibraltar’.
24 May, T.S.: ‘The SWAN of De La Rue’.
28 June, J.DB.: ‘Postal Notes in Australia’.
26 July, Members:‘Western Australia. Recent Acquisitions’.
23 August, A.T.: ‘Perforations and Roulettes’.
27 September, Members: ‘Selected Non-Western Australia’.
25 October, B.H. & G.S.: ‘WW2 in Western Australia’.
22 November, Members: ‘Postal Markings of WA Rivers, Lakes and other bodies of water’.

Overview of Club and Society meetings

An easy overview of Club and Society meetings in WA
For information on venues and contact details click here Please check with the Secretary of the Club before attending

* Except December   ** Except January

Armadale-Kelmscott Philatelic Society 4th Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm – Wendy 9397 6525
Airmail Circle (2015 – 3 meetings only) 5th Monday of a month at 7.30pm – Ross 9294 3356
Bridgetown Stamp Clubs 1st Thursday each month at 4.30pm Phil 0435 046 796
Bunbury & District’s Stamp Club 3rd Thursday of each month at 7.00pm John 9725 4993
Busselton Stamp Club 1st Monday each month at 5.00pm Kevin 9754 2992
Canning Stamp Club 4th Monday of each month* at 7.30pm Tony 9457 7565
Daytime Stamp Club 1st Thursday of each month** at 1.00pm Ross 9341 3576
Denmark Stamp Clubs 1st Wednesday of each month at 5.00pm
Fremantle Philatelic Society 2nd Wednesday each month at 7.30pm Ross 9284 7125
Kalamunda Stamp Club 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm Richard 9291 8484
Mandurah Philatelic Society 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5.00pm Bruce 9534 8846
Northern Districts 2nd Monday of each month* at 7.00pm Valerie 9342 1989
Northern Suburbs Daytime SC 3rd Thursday of each month at 1.30pm Graham 0488 461 857
Philatelic Society of WA 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm  Gavin 0419 963 017
Philatelic Society of Rockingham & Kwinana District 3rd Tuesday of each month* at 7.30pm –
Trevor 9593 3813 (December’s meeting is the second Tuesday)
Philatelic Forum 1st Monday of each month** at 7.30pm   John 9294 4277
Postmark Circle 2nd Monday of each month at 7.30pm  Brian 9384 1056
Stirling Philatelic Society 4th Wednesday of each month* at 7.30pm Graham 0488 461 857
Victoria Park Stamp Club 1st Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm Barbara 0438 352 677
Wanneroo Stamp Club 3rd Monday of each month at 7.30pm John 0466 661 541
Western Australia Study Group 4th Thursday of each month* at 7.30pm  Arthur 0419 843 943
WAPC Executive Meeting 1st Tuesday of each month** at 5.30pm Ross 9294 3356

Judges and Exhibitor Training Workshop

On Sunday 30th June the Western Australian Philatelic Council will be conducting a Judges and Exhibitor Training Workshop between the hours of 9am and 4pm. Everyone is welcome and there is no charge but if you would like to attend please send Ross Wood an email to rosswood@bigpond.com or phone 92943356 as he needs to know the numbers so he can prepare the number of course notes and know how many people to cater for with morning and afternoon tea or coffee.

The workshop this year is not aimed at the absolute beginner in the art of displaying and exhibiting as it was last year but will include the new "Topical" class that is being organised for the Swan River Stamp Show at the University of Western Australia on the 19th and 20th October, 2013. This  class will enable those of you that collect just stamps to enter the exhibition.

The workshop is aimed at enabling those that wish to become judges how the marks are determined from the material shown. It is good for all exhibitors to know how the marks are determined as well as this will ensure that you as an exhibitor have done your best with the material that you have to gain the maximum number of marks.

All classes will be covered, though more emphasis will be placed on the more popular classes of Traditional, Postal History (including marcophily and the new social division), Postal Stationery and Aerophilately. There are new rules in the Postal Stationery class as well as  the changes to Traditonal and Postal History classes that were changed over the last few years and these will be discussed in detail.

Though morning and afternoon teas will be provided it is a Bring Your Own lunch. It is also important that you take along a display or some material that you believe could be made into a display or exhibit. A large number of course notes will be provided and Ross cannot guarantee to cover every detail of every of class but you will be provided with this material so that you will be able to use it for later study. If you have specific enquiries contact Ross beforehand.

If you are interested in exhibiting you are urged to attend so you can gain the best possible marks, if you wish to become a judge then this course will ensure that you have the necessary background to fulfil this wish.