The American Numismatic Association was well represented in
the activities of the 60th anniversary convention of the Royal Canadian
Numismatic Association held in Toronto, Ontario, on August 13-16, 2014. Leading
the delegation from the ANA, in keeping with this year’s joint ANA/RCNA
“Hands Across the Border” promotion, was president Walter Ostromecki
from California.
Participating in the annual RCNA “Education
Symposium” on Wednesday, August 13, Ostromecki was joined at the morning
session by ANA past president Clifford Mishler from Wisconsin and former board
member Wendell Wolka from Indiana. The symposium commanded an attendance in
excess of 40, a record for the event, a pre-convention feature dating back more
than a decade.
Wolka led off exploring the topic “Parallels in
Canadian and United States Banking” and paper money issuance. Ostromecki’s
topic was “Connecting Hobbyists Today Through Coins and Currency.”
Mishler closed out the session providing a “Hands Across the Border”
treatment focused on the prominent role Canadian collectors played in the
development of the ANA over its first 75 years.
Participating at the ribbon cutting ceremony opening the
convention to the public on Thursday, August 14, Ostromecki used the occasion
to reward two Canadians with “Points of Numismatic Light Program”
recognitions. One went to wooden money enthusiasts Al and Marian Munro from
Alberta, and the other to Fred Freeman from Ontario. He also used the occasion
to salute Dan Gosling from Alberta with a Presidential Award in recognition of
his many years of central involvement with the RCNA and “Hands Across the
Border” ANA interests.
Brett Irick from Michigan is an ANA member who is the very
involved chair of the RCNA Club Services committee, which met for breakfast on
Friday morning, August 15, again with a record attendance of more than 40 club representatives
from across Canada and the U.S. present. Mishler addressed that assembly with a
presentation emphasizing the desirability of “Selling Collectors on Club
Membership Benefits.”
Wolka served as master of ceremonies for the convention
closing banquet on Saturday evening, August 16, injecting an lively American
flavor into the proceedings. Mishler stood in for Ostromecki in extending formal
greetings from the ANA, the president having had a conflicting weekend
commitment requiring his attendance at the annual Blue Ridge Numismatic
Association convention in Dalton, Georgia.
Additional ANA members participating in convention
activities from south of the border included two additional past ANA board
members. They were Joe Boling from Indianapolis, who exhibited and pulled down a
first place recognition in his category, and Michael Turrini from California,
who is presently serving as an RCNA director, in which capacity he has been
engaged for well more than a decade.
Another
involved ANA member participating was William Kamb from Ohio, who has also been
a RCNA board member since 2003. Others included Lloyd Chan from California, who
assists in the conduct of the annual young numismatist programming, and Phil
Carrigan from Chicago, an actively involved exhibitor and judge at RCNA
conventions.
