Let me start by being very straight forward and clear with the membership. So far, this year has been a very bumpy and unsatisfactory year for the Society. Several members of the Board of Directors and the editor of our Bulletin have had unforeseen personal difficulties which resulted in the normal and necessary Society functions to not happen.

The Board of Directors held a Zoom meeting on July 27th with the intention of addressing the problems we have encountered this year. Allow me to summarize the results of the meeting and what has been accomplished.

The Chairman of the Board will manage the governing responsibilities of the Society until the next election which will be at WESTPEX in April 2023. Andrew Urushima has managed both the secretary and treasurer positions. He has cleared up both the membership list and with it the treasurer's backlog of problems. He has agreed to continue as treasurer. Andrew presented an up-to-date treasurer's report and the Society is financially sound. This report is available to anyone who wishes to have a copy. Dan Lubelski will coordinate with Andrew and manage the billing of Bulletin advertisers. There has been a smooth transfer of the Polonus Store from Ed Andrews to Roger Stanford.

We need to separate the secretary and treasurer functions. Our long-time member Terry Kurzinski has agreed to accept the position of secretary of Polonus.

After a long and tedious search, we have a new editor of the Bulletin, Mark Maestrone. Mark is the editor of several journals of specialist societies and is well prepared to produce an excellent Bulletin.

The areas of responsibilities of each member of the Board needs to be clarified so that the Board can function with a clear sense of direction. It will be the responsibility of the Chairman to ensure each Board member accomplishes their assigned tasks. With this in mind, the Polonus By-Laws need to be revisited as there have been important changes over time. Roger Stanford will manage this review with the help of other board members.

An immediate task that needs attention is preparing for the next annual meeting at WESTPEX. Several deadlines have already been requested by their Organizing Committee. The Chairman and Andrew Urushima, who is "on site", will manage this along with Regis Hoffman who in responsible for soliciting and managing exhibitors. The scheduled 2022 annual meeting at Rocky Mountain Stamp Show in Denver did not happen and we had only four Polish exhibits (two by the same exhibitor) for only 27 frames. This reflects negatively on the Society and we cannot allow this to happen again. Exhibit if you can, attend if you can. We need members to staff our Society Table and be the face of Polonus to the attendees.

In order to have more contact with our members, Andrew and I will experiment by sending a Newsletter between issues of the Bulletin. Please let us know if you enjoy reading it.

We are a relatively small society, a bit over 200 members, and, like many other philatelic societies, an aging society. The survival of Polonus is dependent on attracting new members and having current members participating in society's activities to the extent possible. I firmly believe we have a dormant but potentially enthusiastic membership. Please suggest ideas how this can be accomplished as we go forward together. Your input would be greatly appreciated... AND necessary.

All the Best,

Dr. James Mazepa, RDP
Chairman of The Board
Polonus Polish Philatelic Society

By Ronald J Klimley
Ron.klimley@gmail.com

Our 2022 annual Polonus members meeting is just around the corner . . .What?! Didn't we just have an annual members meeting at chicagopex? The short answer is "yes," we did hold our 2021 annual members meeting four months ago. The reason for this quick turnaround is our schedules, like most societies, have been in a state of change as a result of events over the past two years. The good news is, things seem to be easing slightly, some travel is possible, and hopefully this means the opportunity to see even more of you in Denver!

At the time of this message, there are 29 dealers committed to the Denver Rocky Mountain Stamp Show (RMSS), and for the fifth year in a row, it will host the George Brett Cup Competition. For those who don't know, the George Brett Cup is an invitation-only exhibition of top-level twentieth century exhibits. This competition, sponsored by the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, is always a treat with its marvelous exhibits, all with new, yet classic, twentieth century material. We had a wonderful turnout in Chicago. I hope to see not only members I was able to chat with there, but some of you who were not able to travel to Chicago. With RMSS in Denver, hopefully it is easier for our west coast members to attend! Polonus at RMSS

Your board is still working on the Polonus event schedule for RMSS, but there will be meetings and seminars as always. I encourage you to check with the society table when you arrive at the show for a full schedule. Why should I attend RMSS

One question I am frequently asked is, Why should I attend a stamp exhibition; I don't exhibit? Firstly, it's an opportunity to see other collectors exhibits and get ideas for your own collection, whether you exhibit or not. There are always dealers with interesting items to add to your collection, seminars, and of course, society meetings. This year competing in the Brett Cup Competition is Dr. James Mazepa who was invited to show his wonderful exhibit, Warsaw Postal Administration: First and Second Provisional Issues November 1918 to June 1919. I am really looking forward to seeing this exhibit again. For me however, the best part of attending a show is simply the chance to talk with other collectors of Polish phialtely. So, even if you don't exhibit, I promise there are plenty of reasons to join us in Denver. Regis Hoffman, our Polonus Exhibits and Awards Chairperson would likely say, if you haven't tried exhibiting yet, there is no better time or place to begin than the show hosting our Polonus annual members meeting. If you are thinking about exhibiting, I encourage you to view the RMSS prospectus on their website: https://www.rockymountainstampshow.com/.

About the Rocky Mountain Stanp Show (RMSS):
Some may have attended the RMSS before and I want you to note
several changes this year.
There is a new show location:
Arapahoe County Fairgrounds
Exhibition Halls A & B
25690 E. Quincy Ave,
Aurora, CO 80016
The official hotel is:
Doubletree Denver-Aurora
13696 E. Iliff Place
Aurora, CO 80016
Show Hours:
Friday, May 27, 2022, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday, May 28, 2022, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, May 29, 2022, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

By Ronald J Klimley
Ron.klimley@gmail.com

Well after all of the challenges faced during the past eighteen months or so, we can finally begin counting down the days to Chicagopex! I for one, like many of you I am sure, am looking forward to being at a show again. Just the chance to reconnect with friends, search through dealer inventory, and check out some amazing exhibits is something I have been looking forward to for quite some time.

I would encourage you to check out the Chicagopex website for the latest information about events taking place at the show. As of this writing there are over 70 dealers signed up to be at the show and another ten post offices or societies. As in the past Polonus as a convening society will have a table at the show and I would ask that you please stop by and say hello.

For those of you who do not know Chicagopex 2021 is the 135th year for the show making it very special indeed. The show is scheduled to be held November19-21 at the Westin Chicago Northwest.


I also want to mention a few important Polonus specific events taking place at the show

Thursday	9:00PM	Location TBD
Polonus Polish Philatelic Society Hospitality Suite
Friday	1:00-2:00PM	Location CPS Booth
Book signing The History of Airmail in Poland by Jerzy W. Kupiec-Weglinski
Friday	9:00PM	Location TBD
Polonus Polish Philatelic Society Hospitality Suite
Friday	Evening	Location TBD
Polonus dinner - dinner at a restaurant nearby / stop by our booth for updates
Saturday	8:00AM	Location (closed)
Polonus Polish Philatelic Society Board Meeting (closed meeting)
Saturday	11:00AM	Location Windsor
Polonus Polish Philatelic Society Annual Members Meeting - check the Polonus website for the agenda
Saturday	12:00PM	Location Windsor
"Postal Systems in Liberated Poland - 1944-45," Dr. James Mazepa
Saturday	1:00-2:00PM	Location CPS Booth
Book signing The History of Airmail in Poland by Jerzy W. Kupiec-Weglinski
Saturday	9:00PM	Location TBD
Polonus Polish Philatelic Society Hospitality Suite
Sunday	12:00PM	Location Windsor
"1966 Polish Millennium Commemorative Stamp," Ron Klimley
Sunday	1:00PM	Location Exhibits
Tour with an APS Accredited Judge of Poland-Related Exhibits.

For further information or the latest updates please stop by our Polonus table.

The 2021 Polonus Polish Philatelic Society Annual Members Meeting

As mentioned in the schedule of events above our 2021 Annual Members meeting will be held at Chicagopex and I encourage those of you who can to join us for some updates about YOUR society.

Polonus is headed to Chicagopex and I hope to see you there!!!

Thank you all for your continued support of Polonus.

Ron