A point of view:

Poor speakers kill societies

Is stamp collecting dying?

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No, but it is changing, and philatelic societies

need to change with it.

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There is an interesting article on the BBC website:

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49632306

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The bit I can’t forget is: 

"I would never join a club or  society; my perception is that they are mainly full of people my parents'

age, are a bit nerdy and I don't want to be viewed that way.”  

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We need to change that perception.

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There are lots of things we can do. First, be friendly. If you see someone you don't recognise, go up and say hello. some clubs are very much a clique of 'insiders' and make the rest of us feel very much like outsiders. Recently one national stamp society wrote in their programme that the meeting at Stampex was going to be in their 'usual room' without any suggestion which room that was. So fine if you know useless if you don't. Insiders and outsiders.

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A few years ago we had a guest speaker at the Epsom and Ewell and only nine or 10 members turned up. That was embarrassing for everyone; but as he droned on it occurred to me that it was amazing that so many attended.

So I started asking, unofficially, what members liked, or did not like, about meetings – poor speakers topped the poll.

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Speakers may be ready and willing, but they must also be able. Everyone would perform much better if they understood the basics of how to give a presentation so ought to know everything on this page of the Surrey Federation’s website:

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https://www.surreyphilately.org.uk/notes-for-speakers

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