Five years ago, I wrote the following for this space:

I am writing this message for the May/June issue of the Collectors Club Philatelist during the third week of March. For more than two weeks, we have had our daily routines disrupted as we practice the latest neologism, social distancing. As you read this, you have a much better idea of how all this plays out than I currently do. I envy you. I hope my envy is well placed.

To paraphrase Dr. McCoy (from the Star Trek TV show), “I’m a stamp collector, not an epidemiologist,” so there is really nothing that I can add regarding these circumstances other than what I’ve heard. No point in parroting back my misinformation, so I am not going in that direction.

For many of us, the COVID-19 virus and the disruptions it gave rise to are a memory. Many of us strain to make it a more distant memory. Many lost friends and loved ones to that calamity. Many suffered from the disease and long Covid. Some have forgotten, and that is a blessing.

But on the positive side, it was from that horror that our virtual program series rose. Since that time, we have hosted more than 130 individual programs. These programs cover a huge span of philately, and we heard from an extraordinary group of presenters. Our presenters came from across the United States and from across the globe. Our viewers have been representative of a worldwide source.

In the beginning, we did not restrict viewership to only our members. How could we do otherwise in the face of the pandemic and everything shutting down? With the pandemic behind us, we have kept to this policy. What was true then is true today. One of our roles is to support the spread of this hobby we love and to support those who wish to know and understand more. Many of these non-members have elected to become members, and we are proud of them, as well as our outreach.

However, the more we consider those who participate in our virtual programs and continue to avoid membership but nevertheless are repeat viewers, the term “non-member” may not be the correct term to describe them. In a sense, they are members, but they neither pay us nor provide any formal paperwork. However, their ongoing alignment is clear. Our challenge is how to bring them closer and deepen the relationship.

For many of us, joining an organization is a natural step. This is true not only for philatelic organizations, but also for voluntary organizations of all kinds. The membership model is facing increasing pressure and is being overtaken by the fee-for-service model. Managing these transitions, which most voluntary organizations confront – whether they realize it or not – is challenging. The answers are not obvious, yet the challenge is present, and it is one that we have no choice but to face.

–Lawrence Haber