Guidelines for the Assembly and Evaluation of Youth Exhibits Traditional

Main aspects to consider in the evaluation of the Youth exhibits based on the Evaluation Sheet and the Age Groups.

Youth exhibits should conform to the general guidelines for the respective adult classes with scoring for evaluation of different criteria adjusted according to Age Groups.

In the older Age Groups, we will expect the compliance with the recommendations for the youngest Age Groups.

In Age Group « C » the exhibit should, in general, follow the recommendations indicated in the Regulations of the following Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Aerophilately and Revenue.

Exhibits expected to be shown in an International Exhibitions should have the plan written in one of the officials F.I.P. languages: English, German, Spanish and French.

1. Treatment

1.1 Importance, plan, structure

AGE GROUP “A” (10 to 15 years)

• The title will show the subject to treat related to the extension of the exhibit.
• It should be adjusted to the content and include all the possible aspects.
• An introduction to the exhibit with some explanations about the theme of the collection should be included in the page of the plan or in the first page of the exhibit.
• The material should be adjusted to the title and plan, deepening the different chapters according to the extent of the exhibit
• There must be a balance in the development of the chapters and sub-chapters, with the same extent. It is not suitable a sub-chapter of ten pages and another of one only.
• The title should limit the extent and the period considered.
• The choice of the subject, and consequently the choice of the title, will give the importance of the theme treated.
• Regarding the importance of the choice of the theme, it should be necessary to comment it with the monitors and the Jury members.
• All the exhibits must have a plan that:

o should structure the exhibit in chapters and sub-chapters o should be balanced in the number of chapters and sub-chapters o should be logic, with the development that will follow an order that could be chronological, or regard a town, a region, a postal or an air route a change in postal rates, postal or historical periods, etc.

o The plan should not include some chapters as:

• Appends
• Conclusions
• Different items
• The material should be adjusted to the intended explications, and not repeating some similar elements to illustrate the same concept (e.g. when speaking about a type of cancellation, it is not correct to show three pages with the same cancellation, but it is correct if the exhibitor show the changes in the cancellations during the years, if he give the explanations on the different periods of usage. The exhibitor should explain and not only accumulate the material.
• The explanations given should be emphasized according to the plan.
• The exhibitor should avoid giving explanations out of the development (e.g. one explanation not necessary about the geography or the history of a country). On the contrary, an explanation about the development of the mail in an occupied zone during the war will be appreciated

GROUP “B” (16 to 18 years)

In addition to what is expected from a group A exhibit, the following also applies:

• The plan should be strictly compliant to the content of the exhibit
• It should be specially rigorous:

o Scientifically correct o Technically correct o Well studied and documented

• The division in chapters and sub-chapters should have a greater degree of coherence than in the A Group
• The explanations will be strictly referred to the content of the development.
• The exhibitor should follow the title and the plan deepening the different sub- chapters according to the extent of the exhibit.
• An improved development should include the philatelic material according to the subject:

1. A Traditional exhibit includes all aspects of philately. This must be developed according to a logical plan leading through the exhibit. It may include aspects of the history of the stamp such as the way from the essays via proofs to the issued stamp with its printing phases and all kinds of varieties. It includes all types of appropriate material, even material which might be used to form an exhibit of one of the special classes. The usage of the stamp must normally be demonstrated throughout the exhibit but this might also be a special section of the plan. Then it must be well balanced with the rest of the exhibit. The usage means the different ways of cancelling, the postal rates and also routes if needed.

2. Postal History exhibits may be presented in one of the following ways:

A. Postal History exhibits which contain material carried by, and related to official, local or private mails. Such exhibits generally emphasize routes, rates, markings, usages and other postal aspects, services, functions and activities related to the history of the development of Postal Services.

B. Marcophily (Postmarks) exhibits showing classifications and/or studies of postal markings related to official, local or private mails on covers, adhesive stamps and other postal items.

C. Historical, Social and Special Studies exhibits that study postal history in the broader sense and the interaction of commerce and society with the postal system.

3. A Postal Stationery exhibit should be arranged using appropriately chosen unused

and/or postally used items of postal stationery from a particular country or associated group of territories.

4. A revenue exhibit comprises embossed, imprinted or adhesive tax, fee or credit

stamps issued by or under the origination authority of a governmental authority. Such exhibits will display one or more of these types of stamps and will make reference to the reasons/regulations of the service, transaction or any other matter being considered.

GROUP “C” (19 to 21 years)

In addition to what is expected from a group B exhibit, the following also applies:

• The plan should follow the regulations of the different competition adult classes: Traditional, Postal History, Aerophilately, Postal Stationery, Revenue, etc.
• A greater maturity in the main aspect of the theme will be expected.
• Coherence and concision are requested, with the treatment with the most suitable philatelic elements.
• The most complex aspects of the material will be correctly identified (marks, watermarks, errors, perforations, different proofs, etc.)
• A personal contribute to the development of the theme. This implies a personal development, different in the main aspects and in the knowledge shown.

2. Knowledge

2.1 Philatelic knowledge

GROUP “A” (10 to 15 years)

• The philatelic knowledge will be shown using a basic philatelic dictionary, with the knowledge of the name of the material employed (type of stamp, postmarks, postal stationery, booklet, machine label, etc.).
• The explanations will be related to the plan and developed in all the pages of the exhibit.
• The information given will be concise, according to the plan. Some pages overcharged with the philatelic text are not admitted. The exhibit is not a book.
• In the exhibit there should be some basic explanations about the perforations, watermarks, postmarks, etc.
• The exhibit should include a range of postal material, as letters, postal stationery, ordinary and special cancellations, air mail postmarks, etc., in accordance with the type of exhibit.
• Circulated material shall be preferred, avoiding the material prepared for philatelists.
• The use of a basic philatelic vocabulary with the correct identification of the elements used

(postal routes, postmarks and cancellations, etc.).

• While the use of the catalogue and the philatelic literature is necessary, the exhibitor shall not refer to catalogue numbers for identification purpose (e.g. it is not correct to write “numbers from 31 to 51 of the catalogue Yvert” to identify an issue).
• The exhibitor shall indicate the basic postal rates

GROUP “B” (16 to 18 years)

In addition to what is expected from a group A exhibit, the following also applies:

• The philatelic vocabulary shall be precise.
• The study of plates, varieties, surcharges, meters, printing proofs should be started and correctly explained.
• The philatelic text should have no subjective appreciations, it is not correct a text as: “A beautiful cancellation used from 1920 to 1925 in the city of London, birthplace of…“.
• The base of a traditional exhibit will be the stamps, as for a postal history exhibit will be the genuine and really circulated postal documents
• The characteristic of the issues should be pointed out: colour varieties, perforation, paper, printing method, special postal rates, etc.
• In a postal history exhibit will be emphasized the postal routes, handstamps, postmarks, free flanking mail, censure, etc., with concise explanations.
• The explanations of aspects clearly shown in the pieces should be avoided (e.g. cover from this city to this other city, when the city of the sender and these of destination are clearly readable on the postal document). The exhibitor should also avoid giving some information with no postal sense (e.g. cover sent to the doctor of this city, when the addressee did not have the right to a special treatment, as the free franking or a special postal rate).
• In an exhibit with technical classifications the exhibitor should identify them (e.g. some varieties in the overprinting), but without losing the “fil rouge” of the explanation.
• Some postal elements not easily recognizable should be emphasized using a small arrow or another similar sign at the side of the piece (stamp or cover).

GROUP “C” (19 to 21 years)

In addition to what is expected from a group B exhibit, the following also applies:

• The deepening of the theme according to the extent of the exhibit shall be as that requested to the senior exhibitors.
• The aspects few known shall clearly demonstrate the personal research (e.g. the research of some elements about the postal material few studied in the past).
• The theme will be developed by using a great variety of stamps and existing postal documents (e.g. if the exhibit regards the varieties of an issue, the exhibitor should include all the possible varieties, as perforation, colour, printing, paper, etc.).

2.2 Studies and Research

GROUP “A” (10 to 15 years)

• The use of a basic philatelic vocabulary with the correct identification of the elements used

(postal routes, postmarks and cancellations, etc.).

• While the use of the catalogue and the philatelic literature is necessary, the exhibitor shall not refer to catalogue numbers for identification purpose (e.g. it is not correct to write “numbers from 31 to 51 of the catalogue Yvert” to identify an issue).
• The exhibitor shall indicate the basic postal rates

GROUP “B” (16 to 18 years)

The exhibitor should precisely explain the different postmarks, postal stationery, perforations and all the other kinds of postal elements, emphasizing the use of the philatelic literature too.

• The important documents used should be shortly cited in the first page of the exhibit.
• The exhibitor should know and explain all the different postal rates, including the air mail rates or other specific postal services.

GROUP “C” (19 to 21 years)

• Every document is correctly explained, with a technical vocabulary showing the correct use of the specialised literature available.
• A specialised study, correctly explained, about a stamp, a plate, a variety, an overprint, etc, should be included in the exhibit.
• All postal documents shown are really circulated, when possible with a correct documentation (receipt of posting, receipt of delivery, specific postal marks), with the detailed explanation of the postal rate and/or the circumstances.
• A full range of postal documents regarding the chosen theme is included in the exhibit.
• Forgeries or postal manipulations with their aspects are clearly explained.

3. Material

3.1 Condition and cleanliness of material (stamps and documents)

GROUP “A” (10 to 15 years)

• The stamps employed will be in a good condition: stamps broken, with oxidation, discolored, with missing perforation are not suitable. If used stamps are employed, the cancellation must be readable.
• The use in the same page of mint and used stamps without reason must be avoided.
• The use of “cut-off” of postal documents (stamps, postal stationery, air letters) without justification is not admitted. This can be allowed to show the use of fractioned stamps in some case due to the missing of stamps.
• The special cancellations, meters or postmarks must be shown with the framing or other characteristics clearly readable (e.g. in an exhibit about stamps the cleanliness of stamps is most important, in an exhibit about postmarks the text of the postmarks must be clearly readable).

GROUP “B” (16 to 18 years).

In addition to what is expected from a group A exhibit, the following also applies:

• Stamps are well centred and in a very good condition.
• The use of clean and readable cancellations, with a real postal use as in the stamps as in the postal documents is preferred.
• The use of repaired material or heavily cancelled should be avoided.

GROUP “C” (19 to 21 years).

In addition to what is expected from a group B exhibit, the following also applies:

• Postal documents should be well verified in order to avoid fakes or forged documents.
• The use of material in a bad condition should be justified (e.g. for a unique piece, or very rare, or material regarding postal crashes).
• The material must be clean, with good perforation.

3.2 Presence of interesting philatelic material.

In order to state the degree of interest of the philatelic material, we can see the following comparison, on the left we have the less interesting material, on the right the more interesting material, always regarding the kind of exhibit:

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 Less interesting material More interesting material Modern postmarks and cancellations Old postmarks and cancellations Detached stamp Stamp on cover Cover cancelled to order Cover sent by the Post Office with the correct rate Cover with exceeding franking Cover with a correct franking Normal postal services Special postal services (registered, urgent, etc.) Mixed franking Franking with the same type of stamps First day cover Genuine postal document Common material Unusual material Common variety Unusual variety

GROUP “A” (10 to 15 years)

• Some postal documents stated in the column 1 are acceptable but should be replaced by those in column 2 if possible.

GROUP “B” (16 to 18 years)

In addition to what is expected from a group A exhibit, the following also applies:

• The majority of postal elements should be those of column 2.
• We can have in the exhibit a philatelic study of a mean difficulty.

GROUP “C” (19 to 21 years)

In addition to what is expected from a group B exhibit, the following also applies:

• All postal documents must be those of column 2.
• The material shown should be appropriately chosen within the available material and the unusual material should be preferred.
• Rarity shall not be considered in terms of the economic value of the pieces but their interest in the development of the exhibit.
• The material rarer can be included with an expertise certificate.

4. Presentation

The following points must be followed by all youth exhibitors according to their age group.

• Nice presentation of the exhibit
• White or light colour pages are recommended
• The numerical or alphanumerical classification in the plan must be clear and non-repetitive
• The page of the plan can contain non-philatelic material
• Text must be equally distributed on all pages
• There should be no pages with too much or few text
• Frames, stamp mounts and other enhanced elements must be fit to the size of the corresponding document
• A photocopy of the reverse of the documents is recommended when it is necessary for the development of the theme.
• Different fonts should be used for titles and philatelic texts
• Text must have a suitable and legible size
• Errors in writing or orthography will be specially considered.

CONCLUDING PROVISIONS

In the event of any discrepancies in the text arising from translation, the English text shall take precedence.

These Guidelines for the Judging of Youth Exhibits at FIP Exhibitions have been approved by the Youth Commission Bureau members during the Conference meeting on 8 August 2022. It has been approved by the FIP Board and ratified at the FIP Congress on 9 August 2022.