Our club survives on the strength of its members. While we have added some strong new collectors to our ranks lately, it is one person in particular I would like to acknowledge in this month’s column. It should come as no surprise to casual participants that Jim Giacomazzi is deserving of this year’s APS-sponsored Spark Plug Award.
Jim is our current Vice President and Program Chair. He consistently (persistently?) scouts for presenters who add interest to our meetings. He also does at least one presentation himself every year. Jim manages large member auctions. He hosts “lotting” parties at his home, stores large collections for our club, identifies and prices innumerable stamps, and provides auction sheets to our members. Of course, he is auctioneer as well! Severin Morger and Jim provide material on a regular basis in the form of ten silent auction lots at each of our regular meetings.
This year, Jim coordinated our largest community service effort to date. At his urging, our club donated over $2,000 to worthy causes and charities. He has held a position on the PENPEX committee for many years. He was a past Secretary, helps with the snack bar, coordinates show publicity, and participates in the setup and breakdown each year.
Jim is editor of our award-winning newsletter the Stamp Chatter. He did not start with it that way. During his tenure it became nationally recognized by the APS. As if this is not enough, Mr. Giacomazzi actively encourages new members and attempts to identify those who may have an interest in joining our club.
Craig Butterworth, 2016 Club President
We all have our excuses for not doing as much as Jim. He has them too – but still manages to add a huge amount to our collective Sequoia Stamp Club experience.
Congratulations and a big Thank You to this year’s APS Spark Plug Award winner.
Craig Butterworth, Sequoia Stamp Club President