GBPS Competitions

Introduction

1. R. A. G. Lee Cup, donated by Ronald A. G. Lee, the founder of the Society, for an entry devoted to stamps.
2. Martin Willcocks Award, donated by Martin Willcocks who was President 1980-1982, for an entry of postal history.
3. MacPherson Cup, donated by Revd R. MacPherson who died in 1977, for an entry on any philatelic subject by a member who has not received any previous award in competitive philately.
4. Theo Jones Open Class Salver, presented in memory of Theo Jones who died in 1996, for an entry on any philatelic subject, which can contain material not eligible for inclusion in the other Competitions.

General Rules

1. Entrants must complete an entry form for each entry they intend to submit. The form must be received by the Competition Organiser by the date specified thereon. Arrangements for the receipt of entries are given on the form.
2. While every care will be taken of the entries, the Society and its officers accept no responsibility for loss or damage to any entry while it is in the possession of the Society. Members are advised to make their own arrangements for the insurance of their entries.
3. Entries will be returned by the same means as they are received unless other arrangements have been made with the Competition Organiser. The cost of returning entries will be paid by the Society.
4. Entries must be the sole property of the entrant.
5. Entrants may submit more than one entry in any Competition and for more than one Competition for which they are eligible.
6. Entries that have previously won an award (excluding the Secretaries' Cup) in any of the Competitions cannot be entered again unless a substantial amount of material is different.
7. The Competitions shall be judged by three judges, one of whom shall be the President, a Vice-President or a Past President.
8. The Judges shall be absolved from declaring a winner if they consider that none of the entries deserves an award or if there is only one entry in the Competition.
9. The Judges reserve the right to re-allocate an entry or to exclude any sheet they consider to be ineligible in the Competition for which it is entered.
10. The sheet size should normally be not more than 290 mm high and 230 mm wide, but larger sheets may be accepted if they can be adequately displayed. The Competition Organiser should be consulted first.
11. All sheets must be enclosed in an individual protective cover and numbered on the front top-right corner.
12. The first sheet should be used as an introductory page, defining the subject and scope of the entry. An entry will not be penalised if the first sheet does not contain any philatelic items.
13. Winners can retain the trophy for one year; it shall be engraved with the winner's name at the Society's expense. A winner will also receive a certificate signed by the President of the Society.

Special Rules

	R. A. G. Lee Cup Entries should comprise adhesive or impressed stamps of Great Britain and can include used or unused material, postal stationery, essays and proofs, the whole devised to illustrate some aspects of the pre-issue stage, the design or production of the stamps or characteristics of the issued material. Entries eligible to be entered in the Willcocks Award Competition should not be included in the R. A. G. Lee. This Competition is open to all members of the Society except the winners of this Competition in the immediately preceding two years. Each entry shall consist of the equivalent of sixteen sheets. Judges shall mark the entry in line with the current ABPS marking structure (see Table 1).
	Martin Willcocks Award Entries should comprise sheets illustrating an aspect of Great Britain postal history. Material can range from pre-adhesive entires and letters up to postally used covers of the present day. Entries may include postal markings and cancellations on loose stamps, pieces or covers, and material illustrating postal rates or routes. Unused adhesive stamps or postal stationery should not normally be included. This Competition is open to all members of the Society except the winners of this Competition in the immediately preceding two years. Entries shall consist of the equivalent of sixteen sheets. Judges shall mark the entry in line with the current ABPS marking structure (see Table 1).
	MacPherson Cup This Competition is intended for those members of the Society who wish to gain experience in competitive philately. This Competition is open to all members of the Society who are not winners of an award above Diploma level in any National or International Competition; previous winners of this or any other of the three Society Competitions or of the Secretaries' Cup are excluded from this Competition. Each entry shall consist of the equivalent of from nine to sixteen sheets. Judges shall mark the entry in line with the current ABPS marking structure (see Table 1). (The minimum requirement for the MacPherson Cup to be presented will be 70 marks.)
	Theo Jones Open Class Salver This Competition is intended to give opportunities to show interesting exhibits relating to Great Britain which stimulate the committed and the new collector. It is designed to allow the inclusion of material that is beyond the scope of the other Competitions. This Competition is open to all members of the Society, whether or not they have won it previously. Entries shall consist of the equivalent of sixteen sheets. Entries may be of any philatelic subject and may include up to 50% of non-philatelic material, such as postcards, labels, photographs and items illustrating postal-related or revenue-related social history. Judges shall mark the entry in line with the current ABPS marking structure (see Table 2).
	The Secretaries' Cup This is a non-competitive trophy that can be awarded at the Judges' discretion to an entry selected from any of the Competitions (but does not have to be awarded). It is awarded to an entry which, in the opinion of the Judges, shows particular promise. It does not have to be awarded to an entry that has won another trophy, but equally it is not intended to be a consolation prize to a runner-up. The aim of the Judges in awarding this trophy shall be to encourage progress in collecting and exhibiting.
	Overseas Members’ Awards These Competitions are open to all overseas members of the Society, and take place every three years, i.e. 2012, 2015, 2018, etc. There are two awards: a) for stamps, and b) for postal history as per the R. A. G. Lee Cup and Martin Willcocks Award. Each entry shall consist of the equivalent of sixteen full-size colour photocopies of sheets. Note: Material of which colour is a significant feature should not be included. Judges shall mark the entry in line with the current ABPS marking structure (see Table 1).

Marking

Notes

1. It is important that entrants have given careful thought to the subject selected for the Competition entry so that an appropriate balance, depth and breadth is maintained.
2. The first sheet, the introductory page, is designed to be used by the entrant to define the subject and scope of the entry.
3. For display to the Judges and members each entry will be arranged in four rows of four sheets. However, in the MacPherson Cup, if fewer than sixteen sheets are submitted the entrant can specify in a note to the Competition Organiser how they are to be displayed.
4. Entrants should consider the overall appearance of their entry when the sheets are displayed.
5. The Judges, if requested by individual entrants, will comment on the entries if there is opportunity so to do.
6. If you have any queries regarding the rules or want advice on preparing your entry, contact the Competition Organiser.

GBPS Annual Competitions Entry Form