AFDCS Receives $2,000 Grant For Education Programs
 http://www.dragoncards.biz/art/AFDCS4.gif" ALIGN="RIGHT">The Martin Sosin/Stratton-Petit Foundation has awarded a $2,000 grant to the American First Day Cover Society (AFDCS) for its youth education program. The money will be used to promote youth cachet design and other youth activities.
It's the third year in a row the AFDCS has received a grant from the foundation.
"As Youth Coordinator for the American First Day Cover Society, I am thankful for the grant award which will help perpetuate education of our youth and instill future interest in our wonderful hobby," said Lee Taylor.
"In previous years, the grant money from the Martin Sosin/Stratton-Petit Foundation has been used to purchase art supplies and stamps for the creation of commemorative and first day covers," Taylor added. "The youth become interested cachetmaking through contests sponsored by local chapters of the American First Day Cover Society."
Each year, the AFDCS and its chapters sponsor the "Every Cover Has A Story" contest, which students taking a single philatelic cover and writing a one-page essay about it. The winning entries are displayed at the Society's annual convention, Americover, and the top entrant receives a Junior Membership in the AFDCS.
"Participation in these contests has steadily increased over the past three years with many young people entering repeatedly throughout the years," Taylor said.
The Society also has an active youth table at each Americover, with games, cachet-making opportunities and guidance from adult philatelists, many of whom have degrees in education.
In addition, two categories in the AFDCS' annual Cachet Contest are reserved for children.
The American First Day Cover Society, with more than 2300 members worldwide, promotes the study and collecting of FDCs, commemorative envelopes that serve as "birth certificates" for stamps. The stamps are affixed to the envelopes, and then postmarked on the first day they are available for sale.
The AFDCS was founded in 1955 and now has more than 48 chapters in the U.S. and Australia. Besides its annual convention, the AFDCS publishes reference materials, handbooks, produces its own first day covers (while encouraging members to produce their own), holds several auctions each year, and conducts the largest meeting and show dedicated to FDCs in the world. It also publishes the award-winning journal First Days eight times a year.
For more information about the AFDCS, visit its Web site at www.afdcs.org or write to the AFDCS at P.O. Box 16277, Tucson, AZ 85732, e-mail AFDCS@aol.com
|
) 
on Feb-24-08
at 23:57:24 PST
) 
)
on Feb-24-08
at 20:38:33 PST
) 
)
on Feb-24-08
at 18:33:51 PST
.jpg){kind=link}
