Astrophilately Activity Report in the Netherlands for the year 2011
2011 was a quiet year in the Netherlands for the collectors of astrophilately.
The "Ruimtevaart Filatelie Club Nederland” (RFC Nederland) (= Dutch Space Travel Philatelic Association), 35 year young, about 90 members including 2 honorary members, and a loyal member of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Bond van Filatelistenverenigingen (KNBF) (= Royal Dutch Federation of Philatelic Associations) as usual:
* published its quarterly magazine "Nieuwsbrief” (each issue: 16 pages, full colour, size A4, number 130 copies) and
* again organized 2 yearly statutory member meetings: a formal one in spring and an informal one in autumn, both:
- with an auction with space items; and
- an opportunity for our members to share experiences and to discuss topics in our field of astrophilately.
In the spring meeting Mr. Albert Jacobs –now commissioner- resigned as president of RFC Nederland; he (in principle for a year) was succeeded by Mr. Arie Olckers.
Only a few – or rather: fewer and fewer – members of RFC Nederland participated (and all successfully) in exhibitions (propaganda as well as competition) both in our country and abroad. "It’s (getting) too expensive for me” is the argument of several (or better: more and more) collectors.
And just like in previous years RFC Nederland stimulated lectures on astrophilately and Power Point presentations at the meetings of other KNBF members where possible.
Two well-known Dutch philatelic magazines, "Filatelie” (now too on facebook) and "Thema”, again regularly have paid attention to the articles published in the "R.F.C. Nieuwsbrief”. One foreign astrophilatelic magazine published an article, originally written for this magazine; and a few times non-philatelic publications published astrophilatelically related articles. The election for the best author of the R.F.C. Nieuwsbrief is still a success formula for grading up the high quality of this club newsletter.
In the "KNBF-Nieuwsbrief”, the Internet newsletter of the Dutch Federation, you could read some articles concerning astrophilately. If you are interested in the "KNBF Nieuwsbrief” (only available in Dutch) you can read, download or get a free subscription through http://www.knbf.nl This website and http://www.postzegelblog.nl too paid (and still pay) attention to astrophilately.
And finally, sad to say, the Dutch jury still needs new, hard to find, astro specialists.
Odijk,
Albert P.H.M. Jacobs,
Dutch delegate of the FIP Section of Astrophilately. | 
