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Friday Night Banquet!
Greeting each person as he or she entered the Friday night banquet at AMERICOVER '98 was maitre d' -- uh, convention chairman Steve Ripley. (Left)
Attending the banquet were Gordon and Mary Morison. Mary served as a
secretary of the AFDCS for many years, and still compiles the annual index
of First Days, the official journal. Gordon, a former Assistant Postmaster
General for Philately, is now retired and a Vice President of the American
Philatelic Society.
Writer and American Philatelic Society Historian Herb Trenchard accepts his
Philip Ward Award for scholarly writing on first day covers from AFDCS
president Tom Foust. Herb won for his series of articles on the first day
ceremonies for the 1940 Famous American series, which is currently being
serialized in THE CEREMONIAL, published by the American Ceremony Program
Society.
Grand Award (and the only Gold Medal exhibitor) Alan Warren (left).
Virtual Stamp Club member Tom O'Hagan (right) picks up a
Cachetmakers Contest Award from AFDCS president Tom Foust during the
AMERICOVER '98 banquet, for one of his S&T Cachets.
First-time exhibitor John Hayner (left) did quite well at AMERICOVER,
winning the awards for most-popular, best first-time exhibitor, and best
topical exhibit.
Dottie Graf and Mike Mellone were caught by surprise by the award; they had
not been planning to attend the banquet, and were not dressed for it, much
less to receive an award. At right is presenter Dick Monty, chairman of the
Board of Directors and a past president of the American First Day Cover
Society.
Equally surprised, if better dressed, were AMERICOVER '98 chairman Steve
Ripley and his assistant, Betty Buchanan.
Since Steve and Mike, with the help of their Significant Others, took over producing the AFDCS conventions (renamed "AMERICOVER") in 1992, the profit the AFDCS realizes from the shows has increased significantly. Dealers must be happy, too, because the commercial bourse this year sold out months in advance. And collectors continue to fly and drive (and sometimes train) from all over the country every year to attend AMERICOVER, wherever it is.
Visit more of AMERICOVER '98 right here!
Text and Photos © 1998 Lloyd de Vries