Interested in preserving philately's wonderful history, serving a good cause, and having old-fashioned fun at the same time? Join us today!

 
2008 Conflagration
at NAPEX on June 6-8

The VFP will hold its Second Annual National CONFLAGRATION at the Washington, D.C. area's bigtime World Series of Philately exhibition. Watch for information that will be sent to all members in the mail. The highlight, of course, is our big annual DINNER! Also, don't forget to attend our annual meeting on Saturday! More on this in our mailing coming to you.
Meanwhile, you can sign up right now for the annual dinner (which will be shared with the members of the American Revenue Association)at the fabulous JR's Stockyards Inn very near our hotel.
Here's the scoop on the dinner: Choice of appetizer: French Onion soup or She Crab soup. Choice of entree: Prime Rib or Fresh Fish. Choice of dessert: grasshopper pie or ice cream. The cost is just $47.00...and you can reserve your spot(s) (spouses and companions invited, too!) by sending in your check and specifying your meal choices.
Send to: Battalion Chief Eric Jackson, P.O. Box 728, Leesport PA 19533
.

Be SURE to wear your VFP LAPEL PIN!

NAPEX Hotel Info

The McLean Hilton Hotel at Tyson's Corner is a wonderful hotel, very, VERY nice...with an attractive $120 per night rate. Call the number below and ask for the special NAPEX rate. Phone: 703-761-5111 or FAX at 703-761-5100. This is one of the finest hotels among all World Series of Philately shows. Free parking, too!
Hilton McLean Virginia Hotel - Tysons Corner Hotel - McLean, VA Hotels

Hilton McLean Virginia Hotel - Tysons Corner Hotel - McLean, VA Hotels

Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel

 




B.R. McIntyre was the Fire Plug of the Visiting Firemen of Philately when, as secretary of the organization, he issued this membership card to W.F.Page in August of 1934.
Membership Benefits
  • A special distinctive Gold Cloisonne Lapel Pin given to each Fireman upon joining. See the VFP logo above for the design of the pin.
  • Colorful Membership Card
  • The VFP Annual Conflagration held at a major national stamp show. (First Annual: The Sarasota National Stamp Show, Sarasota, Fla., in February 2007)
  • Quarterly Fire Drill Newsletter
  • Nominating Privileges for the Annual VFP National Sparkplug Awards
  • Camp Fires, Bonfires, and other such warm activities when and wherever Firemen gather. Wear your pin always!
Wherever two of more Visiting Firemen are together, it's a campfire!
  • Herman "Pat" Herst was an original Visiting Fireman and wrote about it in his books. In its early days, the chief purpose of the VFP was simply to have some plain old fun!
  • Originally founded as an organization of collectors and dealers who frequently attended stamp shows, the VFP began in 1933 as a social organization.
  • The membership dues were simple: If you were invited to join the VFP, all you had to do was pick up the dinner tab for all the other Firemen on the night you joined.
  • Things will be a bit different with the new VFP, but the main purpose remains the same: Philately is meant to be fun and, wherever Firemen gather, wear your VFP pin proudly and build your own CampFire with fellow Firemen you meet.
  • Where the 21st Century VFP differs from the old is in our KEY PURPOSE: to preserve and study our hobby's heritage and to encourage development of its emerging leaders.
There's More!
Watch this website for more news about impending VFP activities and how you can not only participate, but help us further develop this great new organization.
Contact Us...
Need more info? Well, there's no reason why we can't provide it! Just drop us a message at FireChief@visitingfiremen.org and we'll respond.
 
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After 60 years, the Visiting Firemen of Philately Is Reborn in the Spring of 2006...
After months of careful behind-the-scenes planning, six hobby leaders have organized a Founding Council to create the rebirth of The Visiting Firemen of Philately, an organization originally founded in 1933 as an association of collectors and stamp dealers who frequently attended stamp shows across America. The early VFP, which existed for less than 20 years, included members from all walks of philately, from local stamp club members to respected philatelic leaders like Lester Brookman, ASDA Executive Secretary Peter G. Keller and Herman Herst Jr.
The NEW Visiting Firemen of Philately will begin accepting members during the WASHINGTON 2006 International Exhibition over the week of May 27-June 3.
The VFP’s purpose: to foster the preservation of the history, heritage and artifacts of the hobby, to encourage the development of philately’s future leaders and to just plain have some good old-fashioned fun. Numerous events, including an annual Conflagration, a newsletter, and website, are being planned. Dues are a once-in-a-lifetime fee of $50.00. For more information, see below or Email us at FireChief@visitingfiremen.org.

Philatelic Leaders form the
VFP Founding Council...
Six of American philately's best known leaders have joined together to become the Founding Council of the Visiting Firemen of Philately.
The six members of the  Council are APS president Janet Klug, APS past presidents Randy L. Neil, John M. Hotchner and Dr. Peter P. McCann, American Philatelic Congress president Stephen D. Schumann, and prominent philatelic literature dealer and publisher James E. Lee.
The council's chief responsibilities are to create the VFP By-Laws and initiate the original governance of the organization---as well as formulate and begin the initial meetings and activities.
How you can join the VFP...
Every philatelist devoted to our hobby's best interests---its history, its wonderful heritage and engendering its future---is warmly invited to join the VISITING FIREMEN OF PHILATELY. (And wait, the word, "Firemen," in this case, has nothin' to do with gender, by the way; it's an ancient term redeployed here.) Joining is easy. Our dues are a once-in-a-lifetime payment of $50.00. You can pay your dues in three ways:
  • Send your check for $50.00 to: The Visiting Firemen of Philately, P.O. Box 6552, Leawood, KS 66206-0552. Please send the bucks...as we're not set up to accept credit cards.
  • See any member of the VFP Founding Council on the floor of WASHINGTON 2006 (or anywhere else) and ask her or him for a membership application. Sometimes, you can even write your check for 50 clams right on the spot...and get your lapel pin just as quickly!
  • Ask any Fireman you see at a stamp show. Most well-intentioned and upright Firemen will carry with them a membership application or two.
Subscribe to the neatest stamp magazine
ever published (Hyperbole? You be the judge!)


This great new national magazine for both stamp collectors and dealers featured the Visiting Firemen of Philately in its very first issue last May. The American Stamp Dealer is issued ten times per year with a low introductory subscription price of only $14.95. Check out their website...and see what all the hype is about.