In the early 1950's, stamp clubs in Toronto were mainly concerned with the philately of British North America. Some prominent local philatelists felt the need for a society which would cater to a broader range of interests.
This prompted Herbert Dubé and a few keen philatelic friends, to take action. A first meeting to discuss the formation of a "serious philatelic study society" was held at the King Edward Hotel on October 20, 1954.
Those present were:
Herbert Dubé, Jules Reissman, Robert Lyman, George Wegg, Russell Waines, Douglas Patrick & James Law.
At this inaugural meeting it was decided "to create a group of mature and advanced philatelists with diverse specialized interests" and that the group would be known as the "PHILATELIC SPECIALISTS SOCIETY OF CANADA." A Constitution was written and from the outset, certain rules were established. Membership would be by invitation, with no more than two members specializing in any one country or field of study.
One of the original stipulations was that "stock books, etc. must not be displayed during, or before any meeting nor must there be any blatant trading."
The first elected officers were:
Herbert Dubé President
Jules Reissman Treasurer
Russell Waines Secretary
A list of 43 prospective members had been prepared and it was agreed to approach 23 of them at once. New members at the second meeting were Arthur Blakeley, Dr. Richard Maresch, Frank Seger and Hans Reiche of Ottawa, who happened to be in the hotel.
The Constitution was approved and confirmed in March 1955. It was subsequently amended in June 1964, May 1976 and again in April 2007. Further minor revisions have been made in subsequent years to meet the needs of current conditions.
The PSSC has continued to thrive and presently boasts a membership of over 150 specialists from all regions of Canada and several from outside of Canada.