The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society has awarded the 2009 Tracy Simpson Cup for Outstanding Service to the Society, to Joe H. Crosby. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Joe for his many years of service in several roles for the United States Philatelic Classics Society.

Joe was a member of the board of directors and is a co-chair of the Chase Fund Committee. For many years now, Joe has called many of the members of the Society who had not paid their annual dues, and managed successfully to keep many of them in the fold, with this personal touch. Volunteers such as Joe are an integral part of our Society's ability to function and deliver its membership the best possible services.

Again, thank you Joe for the example you have set and the quality of your work. I hope the illustration of your efforts serves to motivate other members to follow in you footsteps and they seek to serve their fellow collectors as well as you have done.

The Susan M. McDonald award for 2009 is given to David D'Alessandris for his article on Mail Between the United States and St. Pierre and Miquelon appearing in Chronicle 221

David D'Alessandris explores pre-UPU mail between the United States and one of the scarcest and most difficult of all foreign-mail destinations: the French Islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. D'Alessandris' article presents well- rounded and easy-to-understand description of the problems involving mail between the United States and St. Pierre, including letters from St. Pierre to the United States. The article presents never-before-published color images (including a useful map) and a detailed analysis of rates and routes and a census of known covers both ways. Crisp and well-explained illustrations support the story: altogether, a first-rate piece of postal history research.

Lester C. Lanphear III was introduced to philately at the age of eight by his stamp collecting grandfather. After a career move to Los Angeles in 1966, he discovered stamp shops and started collecting used United States classic stamps. By 1970, Les had transferred to San Diego and had begun to participate in organized philately by attending stamp shows and joining the local stamp club, the Philatelic Society of Los Angeles. He became interested in United States booklet panes and, finally, in 1975, began his life-long collection and study of United States Officials.

Similar to other collecting areas, besides stamps, Officials include essays, proofs, special printings, covers, and even postal stationery. Unlike other collecting areas, Officials were issued for each executive government department, including Agriculture, Executive, Interior, Justice, Navy, Post Office, State, Treasury and War. Les has collected and studied all the departments and is best known for his departmental covers. He has exhibited virtually all areas of Officials both domestically and internationally, beginning with the The Interior Department in 1990. That was the first United States Official exhibit to ever receive an international gold award. In addition, his showing of U.S. Departmentals was the first United States Official exhibit to receive a national Grand Award and has since received two international large gold awards.

In 1977, soon after he began studying Officials, Les met postal historian and writer Charles Starnes. Through a mentor relationship with Starnes, Les continued to learn much about Officials, particularly covers and postal history. Starnes encouraged Les to write and was fortunately successful. Les has been the assistant section editor for the Officials et al. section of The Chronicle of the U. S. Classic Postal Issues since 1995. He has written many articles, primarily concerning the postal history of United States Officials and United States Penalty Clause Mail. His articles have won both of the writers' awards for The Chronicle, the Mortimer L. Neinken Award in 1995 and the Susan M. McDonald Award in 1997.