Philatelic Society of Lancaster County
The James Buchanan Chapter #173 of the American Philatelic Society 
Chapter #118 of the American Topical Association 
Welcome – Enjoy your Visit!
Our Society is an award-winning, non-profit community organization dedicated to promoting stamp collecting as a hobby for education & fun, from teens to adults, from beginners to postal historians, serving members from PA, MD, DE, NJ, CA, the U.K. & beyond. To learn more about Membership Benefits and to become a member, click JOIN US or reach out to Dr. Charles J. DiComo, PSLC President at charlesdicomo@gmail.com.
SOCIETY PROGRAMS 2026
We meet in-person the second Wednesday of each month at Landis Homes, 1001 E. Oregon Rd., Lititz, PA (directions below). Doors open 6:30 PM. We hold a brief business meeting, followed by door prizes, the keynote speaker, Show, Tell & Ask, where members & guests share their favorite stamp, cover, or philatelic item. There are refreshments, snacks, giveaways, and a bourse. Come early: share, buy, sell, or trade.
*** Added Bonus For All Far & Wide: We host a Virtual Zoom meeting on the fourth Wednesday of each month, with a keynote speaker and Show, Tell & Ask. Visitors always welcome! Contact Paul Petersen at +1 (717) 299-5640 or pcpetersen@comcast.net for more info or to sign-up to present.
April 22, 2026: (Zoom) “The Greenland Parcel Post Stamps,” by Dr. Jaume Balsells.
Widely recognized as Greenland’s first adhesive stamps, these highly popular stamps were issued by the Danish government-owned Royal Greenland Trade Office (KGH) under authorization of the Danish Post. They were used to pay postage for shipment of parcels by the KGH between Copenhagen and Greenland and vice versa between 1905 and 1938. This was a limited service to a remote part of the world, running only a few sailings a year during the summer months and serving primarily the few hundred Danish nationals residing in Greenland during the early years of the XX century. Parcels consisted mostly of personal items and newspapers, which were the only way for Greenland residents to keep abreast of news from Denmark and the rest of the world. The presentation will cover the history of the stamps, philatelic aspects of interest such as printings, varieties and errors, postal history and usages both postal and fiscal.
May 13, 2026: “The Decimal Era of Canadian Postal History,” by Ronald E. Majors, OTB, Ph.D. The decimal era of Canadian postal history (1859-1868) took place after the pence era ended. Due to its proximity sharing a 5,500 mile border with loosely organized provincial governments and the Hudson Bay Company, Canada began to align itself to the United States and adopted the cents and dollar as its official currency. The US Civil war brought Canada provinces closer together on the issue of slavery, already forbidden throughout the British Empire since 1833. In fact, over 50,000 Canadian joined the Union Army and Navy with only a few joining the Confederate effort. Near the end of the decimal period, Confederation (1867) brought together the loosely held provincial districts. Later, other geographical entities such as British Columbia and Newfoundland joined the Confederation.
Other processes and changes to improve mail delivery throughout the decimal era took place. Special postal rates arose such as cross river ferriage rates, neighboring town rates, parcel post for small packages, soldier’s rates, photograph rates, non-letter mail such as circular rates to improve business mail were instituted. Money letters were replaced with registered mail with more security features to allow closer tracking. To improve business results, the postal regulations allowed the introduced new and more innovative ways of advertising, using illustrated covers. Colorful and sometimes beautifully engraved envelopes promoted religious-, patriotic-, military- , manufacturing- and special interest-themes. But probably the biggest area of attention was the continued use of stampless covers, especially to exotic places for which postage rates were sometimes misunderstood or unknown. Often stampless covers help us understand the postal rates that were in effect at the time. It is estimated that approximately 50% of the mail was sent stampless and the postmasters at the recipient side of the mail business were entrusted to collect the “proper” postage for a given mailing destination. A small penalty was imposed for the use of stampless letters. This talk will give an overview of Canadian decimal franked and stampless mail to some very rare and distant locations and rates.
May 17, 2026: Outdoor Society Bourse (tentative)
May 27, 2026: (Zoom) “Collecting National Airmail Week Material: More Than Meets the Eye,” by Jim Haxby. At first glance, the subject of National Air Mail Week (NAMW) philately seems simple enough. In 1938, numerous post offices around the country used rubber stamps to apply cachets of local significance to air mail covers that were dispatched during a special week in May, 1938. But when we look a little deeper, we find that not all covers were quite so straightforward. Some towns had more than one cachet design. Some had a different cachet color for each day of the week. And sometimes a common cachet design was used throughout a particular county. Moreover, there was extensive correspondence between postmasters in which they traded separate impressions of the NAMW cachets. This presentation is a general introduction into the intriguing world of National Air Mail Week material.
June 10, 2026: Society Auction
June 24, 2026: “Philatelic Artist John Coulthard,” by Rick Barrett. Many may be familiar with the name John Coulthard; he was a talented artist, a passionate collector, and was well-recognized in philatelic circles for nearly four decades, starting in the 1930s. PSLC member and award-winning author Rick Barrett will provide a deep dive into his entire life in his usual engaging and fast-paced fashion!
July 8, 2026: “Wreck & Crash Mail: Not a Macabre Collectible,” by Mike Wilson. Mike will start with an overview of air crash mail by showing a sample of 10 covers, ranging from a Balloon Monte cover from 1870 to a Boeing 707 crash in 1962. He then takes a deeper dive on three covers, covering both their postal and social histories. After some concluding comments on air crash mail, he will present rare covers from two other genres of catastrophe mail: a train crash cover from 1891 (one of only two known covers to exist) and a shipwreck cover from 1900 with a seldom seen German cachet.
July 22, 2026: (Zoom) “Stamping our way through History on America’s 250th Birthday!” by Steven J. Rod.
August 12, 2026: Club Picnic, Freedom Memorial Park, Millersville, PA.
August 26, 2026: (Zoom) “A Journey to the Ney Post Office: A Rural Mountain PO in Late 19th Century PA,” by Scott Ney.
September 9, 2026:
September 23, 2026: (Zoom) Topic to be Determined, by Gary Loew
October 14, 2026: Society Auction
October 28, 2026: (Zoom) An open discussion about philately and stamp collecting: how do you do it, what do you want to share about it, and what do you want to know about it, led by Rob Sternberg.
November 11, 2026: Society Open House & Exhibition, hosted by Len Kasper.
November 25, 2026: (Zoom) “Elmer Long & His ‘Department Store of Philately'”, by Rick Barrett. Renown philatelic columnist George Van Den Berg wrote in 1945 “Is there any collector in the country who doesn’t know of Elmer Long?” He was a PROLIFIC advertiser with an amazing retail outlet in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. PSLC member and award-winning author Rick Barrett takes us back to a time where everyone knew Elmer Long, and details his life story. This is one you won’t want to miss!
December 9, 2026: Society Holiday Dinner.
December 23, 2026: (Zoom) Topic to be Determined, by Cemil Betanov.
STAMP SHOWS, BOURSES & GATHERINGS 2026
April 19, 2026: K2 Lancaster Stamp Show, on Sunday from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Farm & Home Center of Lancaster County, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster, PA 17601. Affiliated Dealers: K2 Stamp Mobile (K2 Stamps & Collectibles), Doug McCullough, Frank Soeder, Leslie Botte, Hugh Clark, David Lengyel, Wayne Gehret, Tony Coccio, Jack Zerby & Ward Wilcox. Table fee is $120 for 8 feet “L’s” (8″ front & 8″ side) with an 8″ back table. Setup starts 8:00 AM. For more info, contact Kevin Kellman at k2stamps@gmail.com or +1 (301) 524-9562.
May 23-May 30, 2026: Boston 2026 World Expo, at the Boston Convention & Exposition Center (BCEC), Boston, MA. For more info on the show, visit or contact Executive Director Mark Butterlineat mark.butterline@boston2026.org or President Dr. Yamil Kouri at Yamil.Kouri@Boston2026.org.
Overview: Boston will be the world’s center of philately for eight days in 2026, as the twelfth international philatelic exhibition of the U.S. gathers at the BCEC. To be held during Memorial Day week (May 23–30, 2026) in the Seaport section of the city, Boston 2026 World Expo will be a significant part of the country’s 250th anniversary festivities. In a 352,000 square foot contiguous exhibition area, Boston 2026 will be hosting a large dealer bourse, as well as a sizable postal administration bourse, and society presence. There will be an FIP competitive exhibition of approximately 3,500 frames, plus other special/court of honor exhibits, as well as a large FIP literature competition. Boston 2026 will be hosting hundreds of meetings/presentations in 40+ meeting rooms of various sizes. A large opening ceremony and closing awards dinner will be staged using the BCEC’s banquet room facilities. Travelers from out of town will appreciate that Boston’s Logan Airport and Amtrak’s South Station are less than 15 minutes away from the BCEC, and that eight show hotels will be within walking distance. And best of all, attendance is FREE!
July 19, 2026: K2 Lancaster Stamp Show, on Sunday from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM at the Farm & Home Center of Lancaster County, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster, PA 17601. Affiliated Dealers: K2 Stamp Mobile (K2 Stamps & Collectibles), Doug McCullough, Frank Soeder, Leslie Botte, Hugh Clark, David Lengyel, Wayne Gehret, Tony Coccio, Jack Zerby & Ward Wilcox. Table fee is $120 for 8 feet “L’s” (8″ front & 8″ side) with an 8″ back table. Setup starts 8:00 AM. For more info, contact Kevin Kellman at k2stamps@gmail.com or +1 (301) 524-9562.
August 7-9, 2026: BALPEX 2026 88th Annual Stamp Exhibition & Bourse. Location: BWI Marriott Airport, 1743 West Nursery Rd., Linthicum Heights, MD 21090. Five minutes from the BWI terminal via free Marriott shuttle and five minutes from the BWI Amtrak/MARC station. Times: Friday & Saturday, 10AM – 6PM, Sunday, 10AM – 3PM. Free admission and Free parking. Easy in-and-out ground level venue. BALPEX is a World Series of Philately Show. For more information on BALPEX 2026, call +1 (410) 465-5712 or E-mail: balpex@verizon.net
December 13, 2026: K2 Lancaster Stamp Show, on Sunday from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Farm & Home Center of Lancaster County, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster, PA 17601. Affiliated Dealers: K2 Stamp Mobile (K2 Stamps & Collectibles), Doug McCullough, Frank Soeder, Leslie Botte, Hugh Clark, David Lengyel, Wayne Gehret, Tony Coccio, Jack Zerby & Ward Wilcox. Table fee is $120 for 8 feet “L’s” (8″ front & 8″ side) with an 8″ back table. Setup starts 8:00 AM. For more info, contact Kevin Kellman at k2stamps@gmail.com or +1 (301) 524-9562.
SOCIETY PROGRAMS 2027
We meet in-person the second Wednesday of each month at Landis Homes, 1001 E. Oregon Rd., Lititz, PA (directions below). Doors open 6:30 PM. We hold a brief business meeting, followed by keynote speaker, then Show, Tell & Ask, where members & guests share their favorite stamp, cover, or philatelic item. There are refreshments, snacks, and a bourse. Come early: share, buy, sell, or trade.
*** Added Bonus For All Far & Wide: We host a Virtual Zoom meeting on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Visitors always welcome! Contact Paul Petersen at +1 (717) 299-5640 or pcpetersen@comcast.net for more info or to sign-up to present.
CALL TO ACTION: We are starting to fill out our Speakers Bureau for 2027. Please reach out to Paul Peterson to present for an in-person meeting on the second Wednesday of the month, or a Zoom meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Member Renewal Policy: For existing members who want to renew their membership for 1 or more years, and/or make a donation to support our Society activities and programs, you can use PayPal-Friends by remitting payment to President Charles J. DiComo, PhD at charlesdicomo@gmail.com and denote in Notes section the reason for payment, your name, and now many years. Venmo can also be used @charlesdicomo. For new members, please mail/email your 
Membership Application along with a check or money order to Treasurer, Lou DiFelice.
Storm Cancellation Policy: Should there be a storm or the forecast of such on our in-person meeting evening, the Board will determine the status of the session. When decided, they will inform Paul Petersen, who will send out an all-Society email. Those not on email should call him at +1 (717) 299-5640 for further info.
MEETING LOCATION
The Crossings Meeting Room (2nd Flr.) and/or High Conference Room (Ground Flr.) at Landis Homes on 1001 East Oregon Road, Lititz, PA (Directions below).
- The Society meets in person monthly on the 2nd Wednesday (except August).
- Doors Open at 6:30 PM. Visitors Welcome!
- Come Early to Share, Buy, Sell, and/or Trade.
- Contact Paul Petersen at +1 (717) 299-5640 or pcpetersen@comcast.net for more information
DIRECTIONS TO MEETING LOCATION
Landis Homes is located on 1001 East Oregon Road, also known as Route 722. Route 722 runs in a somewhat East-West direction between the Lititz Pike (Route 501) and the Oregon Pike (Route 772). You can easily reach this facility from either direction.
(1) From the North or South via Lititz Pike: Take Lititz Pike (Rt. 501) toward Neffsville. Just 0.3 – 0.4 miles north of Neffsville is a traffic light at E. Oregon Rd. (Rt. 722). Turn east, and it is two miles to Landis Homes, which is on the south side.
(2) From the North or South via Rt. 222: Take exit for Oregon Pike (Rt. 272). On Oregon Pike, turn north for 0.3 miles. Turn left on Creek Rd. for 0.3 miles, and then left on Oregon Rd. Landis Homes is about 0.8 miles on the south side.
(3) Entering the Facility: Off Oregon Rd. there are three entrances to Landis Homes: an (1) East, (2) a West, and (3) a middle or Main. Enter here at the Main Entrance, the large building right in front of you is the Calvin & Janet High Learning & Wellness Center (this is the purple building on the map with #5 attached). Park here. The Crossings Meeting Room is on the second deck of this building, and is there is an elevator which you can take up one floor. The High Conference Room is on the first floor just past the front desk on your right.
Below are the driving directions from the Landis Homes website www.landishomes.org.
From Lancaster: Take Route 501 North (Lititz Pike) through Neffsville. At traffic light, turn right onto E. Oregon Rd. (Route 722 East). Continue 2 miles to Landis Homes entrances on the right.
From Lititz: Go south on Route 501. About one mile past the Lancaster Airport turn left at traffic light onto Route 722 East (also known as E. Oregon Rd.) and continue 2 miles to Landis Homes entrances on the right.
From Harrisburg: Take Route 283 East, approximately 30 miles, which leads directly onto US Route 30 East. Follow Route 30 East to the Lititz Pike Exit (Route 501 North). At the stop light, turn left onto Route 501 North. Follow 501 North through Neffsville. At traffic light for E. Oregon Rd. (Route 722 East) turn right. Continue 2 miles to Landis Homes entrances on the right.
From Philadelphia: Take Reading exit (Old exit # 21, at milepost 286) off the PA turnpike at US 222 South towards Lancaster. Continue south on US 222 to the Brownstown Exit. Go right (Route 772 West) a short distance to Rt. 272, which is at a traffic light. Turn left onto Rt. 272 South for 1.8 miles and turn right onto Rt. 722, East Oregon Road. (Speedway gas station is at the intersection.) Continue 1 mile to Landis Homes entrances on the left.
CJD 2026-02-16