• Introduction
  • Welcome
  • About BNAPS Education
• Novices
  • Youth
    • Introduction
    • Canada’s Art and Artists on Canadian Stamps
    • My Favourite ... Cartier, 1534-1934
    • Collect Canada’s 1953–57 Wildlife Stamps
    • A Ship from History
  • Adult
    • Introduction
    • A Small Start Can Build a Grand Collection
    • Canada's prime Ministers series of 1951-1955
    • The Admiral Stamps of Canada
    • An Introduction to Canadian Machined Slogan Cancels
• Experienced Collectors
  • Stamp Collectors
    • Introduction
    • Grenfell on Stamps of Newfoundland and Canada
    • Bluenose is Still Considered Canada’s Finest Stamp
    • The Open (or Shut) Case for Booklet Collecting
    • 1946 Stamps Show Canada’s Return to Peace
    • Issues of WWII: King, Country, and Conflict
    • The 1932 Medallions are Modern Classics
    • Canadian Stamps Marked Montreal Olympics
  • Postal Historians
    • Introduction
    • Canada’s ½¢ Small Queen had Multiple Uses
    • Covers Commemorated the Royal Visit of 1939
    • Some 19^th Century Mail That Took it on the Chin
    • Markings on Canadian Naval Mail of WWII
    • Crashes, Fires, and War Interrupted the Mail
    • Paquebot Covers: Mailed on the High Seas
• Exhibitors
  • Introduction
  • Aid to Exhibitors and Judges
  • Getting Started in Philatelic Exhibiting
  • Use resources to help solve puzzling covers
• The Press
  • Commercial publications
    • Introduction
    • Stamp Society Supports Youth Philately
  • Society publications
    • Introduction
    • Stamp Society Supports Youth Philately
• EDUCATION SECTION MAP

Aid to Exhibitors and Judges
by the BNAPSPacific Northwest Regional Group (EEX1)

At a meeting of the Pacific Northwest Regional Group of BNAPS in 2005 there was a discussion about the difficulty some judges had in understanding just exactly what exhibitors were trying to show.

One judge made a comment that some exhibitor synopses were very hard to understand. He said some are a simple paragraph with little or no information, some are the title page, and some are long winded epistles that are very hard to understand.

The region decided that with the help of these BNAPS accredited judges they would develop a template for the use of exhibitors.

The template they developed is shown below. It has been approved by the BNAPS Judging committee and is presented as a tool for the exhibitor.

This template is not a mandatory tool for presenting an exhibit synopsis but is recommended as good practice.

If you are an exhibitor, use this template as your guide to ensure that the judges are better informed about your exhibit. This template will also let you showcase your important material in a way that will explain to the judges why certain material is important to your exhibit.

If you are a judge, this template spells out in simple terms what the exhibit is, where to find pertinent information, and what and why certain material is important to the exhibit.

We urge all BNAPSers to use this template when putting together your synopsis.

Synopsis Template

• This is the tool used by judges to find your exhibit in the display area. It should be self explanatory, short, and to the point.

• Insert a simple one line sentence statement of purpose;
• Define "stamps" vs. "use of stamps" (postal history) vs. "a rate study";
• If outside of the above, define the purpose of what you are exhibiting;
• Make sure you explain what research is involved or has accomplished with this exhibit.

• How the exhibit flows or the sequence of the exhibit. E.g. from the start date to the end date, domestic mail followed by international mail, mail via one transportation method to another, etc.

• Define the period of use;
• What is difficult to show or define from this period? Is there something in this collection that's hard to find and is shown in your exhibit, if yes, define it;
• If new research findings or observations are in the exhibit indicate what they are and where they are presented;
• If a postal history exhibit, were there events of significance: war; revolution; etc.? How did that significant event affect the mail. If a stamp exhibit, how are the stamps different because of that event.

• List the important items by frame;
• Express rarity in some definable manner ("1 of 10 known" - but be sure of your facts!);
• How are the scarce or difficult to acquire items identified?;
• Red dot, etc.

• If the material is original research, from your own study and observations, highlight this fact by noting the sources of your research within the text. E.g. "rates found in the Canadian Postal Guide 1937-38".
• List the reference material so a judge can review it. E.g. Hale, H.W.K. (1946). Canadian Locals. BNA Topics. Vol. 3: pages 4-10.;