Stamp Club

Mr. Ashby first met with Mrs. Kaczmarek, Principal at John Mills school in Sept. 1989. After explaining his ideas about forming a stamp club, Mrs. K gave permission for an informative assembly at school. One hundred students at Mills signed on to the club.

 

At that time we met during Social Studies periods, and with such a large group we met twice weekly. A charge of $3 was assessed each student. Two years later this was dropped and the program became a free program.

 

 
At our meetings we would select stamps, which Mr. Ashby provided. Then we learned to soak, properly dry and mount the stamps. Second year students were instructed in preparing exhibits, which included 16 pages of material on a subject of their choice. These exhibits were displayed at local stamp exhibitions. In our third year we received funding from World Columbian Stamp Exposition, a group dedicated to supporting beginning collectors. This support has continued through the years.

 

We have attended many stamp shows as visitors as well as exhibitors. One year one of our student exhibits competed with 300 adult exhibitors and received " best graphic presentation of the show". Quite a feather in our caps. At another show we met the Governor of Illinois, Jim Edgar, stamp collector.

 

In 1998 Mr. Ashby was honored by receiving the Ernest Kehr Award, presented by the American Philatelic Society, as the major contributor to youth stamp collecting in the U.S. for that year.

 

Our program is now an after-school program and includes John Mills School, Elmwood School, and St. Celestine School. We have approximately 100 students in the program. Mrs. Ashby is now assisting, and brings a gentle touch to the program. As a new collector she adds interest which the students pick up on.

 

We provide all equipment and stamps necessary, Twice a year we attend Field Trips to stamp exhibitions. Both events are free, and bus transportation will be provided free of charge. We also provide the materials for creating the exhibits they do.

 

 

 

Links to Stamp collecting information and sites: