We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Bill Potts Memorial Trophy for this year was Orest Minishka , chosen by secret ballot by the entire club. It's doubtful if anyone was surprised (except perhaps Orest). As we all know, whenever a project is under way, you may be sure that Orest has his shoulder to the wheel - and may even be a chairman in the first place. At flea markets and such gatherings, he also chats up not only Mid-Island but Alberni and Victoria as well, passing out leaflets as to their meetings. For these reasons, the "Steady Eddie" award. Well deserved.

 

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All of you will have noticed that the September Journal was late but only some know why . After all this time, Canada Post decided that our mailing was too heavy - by 2 grams - and, taking their time (6 days to be exact), they landed the entire mailing back on Jeff's doorstep the day before the meeting, allowing no time for any re-mailing to be done. Two grams isn't much; the auction sheet formerly enclosed weighs 3 grams!

 

When the Journal began nearly 5 years ago, your editor was careful(?) to find out just how much could be mailed. The envelope and several sheets of the legal-size paper were weighed at the local post office. Three sheets was away under; four sheets under; five sheets was right at 30 grams and might have been a problem. So, four sheets plus the half-sheet for the auction should have been O.K. But it wasn't. Apparently, the weight of the staples weren't taken into account (I'm not kidding!).

 

Therefore our options, from worst to least worst, are: (1) pay and charge for the extra postage needed which at 37¢ + GST = 40¢ x 12 = $4.80 per head per year makes it an obvious non-starter. (2) Return to a 12-page Journal rather than the present 16; also something to be avoided if possible, or (3) go back to printing the auction sheet in the Journal as before - which is the present course of action.

 

This last causes your editor/"publisher" to lose his "time cushion" of a week or so - which has been needed on occasion over the past couple of years. Therefore, items to be included in the auction must have their listing in his hands no later than 16 days after the past meeting. Which is to say, two weeks from the following Saturday night. Time constraits simply will not allow the assembly of the rest of Journal , its printing, envelope stuffing and mailing on time after that. Even then, everything is contingent on all the processes working correctly and quickly the first time. So, if some future Journals seem to be waterstained, it might be caused by sweat, tears or holy water.

 

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The speaker at the October meeting, brought at great expense from several blocks away, will be our own Phil Harris who will speak to us on the collecting of foreign currency notes. Don'tcha miss it.

 

Wayne Jacobs is numismatic expert. He is the award winning author of numerous articles. He is the secretary and editor of the "Mid-Island Coin Club Numismatic Journal"of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island , British Columbia. The MICC journal are hosted here: MICC webpages Copyright 2006 Wayne Jacobs. This article may be reprinted freely for non commercial purpose only if the resource box is left intact, linking back to us.