The objective is to arrange visits to places of interest providing variety in the club programme.
Suggested Places
- Museums (national, local or smaller specialised museums such as transport or maritime museums). Tie the visit in with a guest speaker who may have given a talk at the previous meeting on, say, ‘Birds of New Zealand on stamps’. Check the ‘Birds’ section out at your museum. Invite the speaker along as well.
- NZ Post facility – Post Shop, Philatelic Sales Counters or Mail Sorting Centre.
- Library. Check out the section on philately. Also the non-fiction area where there are books to help with knowledge for a thematic subject and the specialized section on the local area for those interested in postal history.
- Printer – a printing works or a newspaper production factory. Check out different types of printing, e.g. offset and letterpress.
- Another stamp club. Encourage both clubs to put on displays with 2 – 5 minute talks from selected members.
- Ensure that the club secretary writes a ‘thank you’ letter to the organisation or place visited.
Social activities
Has your club, or any individual member, used knowledge of philately to help people outside of the hobby? If not, you may wish to consider one or more of the following ideas.
Hospital Visits
Philately in any form is an ideal hobby for long-term hospital patients and, with a little effort, your club could significantly improve the quality of life experienced by such patients.
This help may take a variety of forms starting with a simple, relatively low level, talk to a group of patients on a suitable subject. In most cases an interesting theme will be more successful than most other types of collecting. Any patient showing an interest may then be encouraged individually with donated accessories and material.
An appeal to all club members should produce whatever is required without the necessity of arm twisting. Local dealers may also be willing to donate the odd item for such a cause. At the very least an approach to the almoner of your local hospital will result in a different afternoon or evening’s activity for people who will be appreciative.
Retirement Homes
The residents of any retirement homes in your area will appreciate a similar effort and there may well be a significant number of long-term stamp collectors in such homes.
Specialised talks
No, definitely NOT the sort of super-specialised talk designed to baffle the general collector. But how about offering to entertain your local gardening, photographic, cactus, athletics or golf club with a talk or series of talks related to their hobby or activity.
In return, of course, they may well be prepared to talk to your club about their interest. The opportunities and variety available to any club prepared to put in the work is as endless as it is rewarding.
All talks should first and foremost be entertaining, a demand which requires club organisers to be careful in selection of ‘volunteers’.
Other Groups
Other groups liable to enjoy this type of activity may be approached by contacting the obvious groups (eg Rotary, Jaycees, Lodge, Kiwanis, etc) in your area plus the other organisations you or your members know of. It is possible members of many of these organisations are represented in your existing club membership.