NOTE: These rules were adopted by the American Philatelic Society's Board of Directors on August 22, 2001, and are effective on that date. They may be changed by vote of that body. The rules are administered by the APS Committee on Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges (Hereafter called "The Accreditation Committee").

A. OBTAINING CERTIFICATION

To become a certified World Series of Philately (WSP) show, a major National exhibition must fulfill the following requirements:

1. An organizing committee seeking certification of its exhibition as a WSP event must apply to the APS National Headquarters, Director of Shows and Exhibitions, and to the Chairman of the Accreditation Committee, setting forth the name of the exhibition, the date and location of the event, and the name and address of the general chairman. Attached to the request must be copies of the most recent exhibition prospectus, program, and list of award winners (hereafter called "Palmares"). To obtain certification, the show must first comply with all general requirements of a World Series of Philately exhibition for four years. During these years, the show is a Trial Exhibition, and its Grand Award winner is not eligible to compete in the WSP.
   
   
2. After successful completion of the fourth year's event, the organizing committee may apply to the APS Board of Directors for certification as a WSP show, and the Board may approve that application if there is a vacancy in the Board-authorized limit of thirty-five WSP events.
   
   
3. When there is no vacancy in the thirty-five show limit, shows that have successfully met the requirements for certification will be placed on a waiting list in order of certification. They will then be given WSP certification as slots become available, IF they have continued to meet the general requirements for WSP exhibitions while on the waiting list.
   
   
4. Once certified, a WSP exhibition retains its certification provided that it continues to meet all general requirements as outlined below.

B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EXHIBITIONS

1. The exhibition must be an established and recognized major show that takes place on at least an annual basis. If a show is held more than once during an exhibiting year, only one of the shows shall be eligible to send its Grand Award winner to the WSP for that year. (The exhibition year is defined as July 1 through June 30 immediately prior to WSP competition.)
   
   
2. WSP shows are responsible for checking with the APS Director of Shows and Exhibitions before finalizing selection of dates or date changes in order to avoid conflicting with other WSP show dates. (See E-2d).
   
   
3. No more than one show from the same city and immediate surrounding suburbs is certified as a WSP event.
   
   
4. WSP events are expected to maintain a general level of excellence in all aspects of show management. General guidelines for achieving this include:

   a. A diversity of dealers from around North America (and abroad, if desired), and diversity of material for sale, that will make the show a desirable place to visit.
   

   b. An appropriate venue, with adequate bourse and exhibit space, meeting rooms, parking, security, heating or cooling, and lighting. Convenient refreshment and lodging services appropriate to a convention are expected.
   

   c. Publicity for the event that is timely, informative and widely distributed.
   

   d. A show awards event of a type and standard that gives proper recognition to those being honored - especially the exhibitors and show committee/workers. Note: an evening banquet is not required, but a palmares (awards listing) is mandatory.
   

   e. Medal level prizes (in addition to ribbons and certificates) that are of quality and style appropriate to a National level exhibition.
   

   f. A range of seminars and society meetings for show attendees that has depth, breadth, quality and diversity.
   

   g. Participation by the APS, one or more national societies, and/or local stamps clubs (e.g. a society table with literature, meetings and seminars, social events and/or exhibits and special awards, etc.).
   

   h. A suitable show program, i.e. more than a bare-bones list of exhibits and dealers.

5. Events qualifying after 1997 must be three-day events. Currently qualified shows of only two days' duration are encouraged to expand to three days if/when possible.
   
   
6. Five classes of exhibits may be offered at WSP shows: General Class, One Frame Class, Youth Class, Philatelic Literature Class and Non-Competitive Class. Within General Class are the following Divisions:

   a. Postal Division - Includes exhibits of the following type of material: Traditional, Postal History, Aerophilately, Astrophilately, Postal Stationery, or Special Studies.
   

   b. Revenue Division - Includes exhibits of the following type of material: Traditional Revenue, Revenue History, or Special Studies.
   

   c. Thematic Division
   

   d. Display Division - Includes Display Exhibits or Social Philately Exhibits.
   

   e. Illustrated Mail Division - Includes exhibits of Advertising Covers, Patriotic Covers, Corner Cards, Cacheted or Commemorative Covers, First Day Covers, or Maximaphily (Maximum Cards).
   

   f. Cinderella Division - Includes exhibits of Charity Stamps (Christmas seals, charity seals, wildlife conservation stamps, etc.); Promotion Stamps, Poster Stamps, or other types of Cinderella material not included in any other Division.

7. General Class exhibits will make up the bulk of a WSP show. Within General Class, Postal Division must be offered at WSP shows as a minimum requirement. WSP shows are encouraged to offer all other divisions, or may choose to limit their show to one or two Divisions in addition to Postal Division. Provided these minimum requirements are maintained, show committees may accept or reject exhibits based on the number of available frames, the requests of convening specialist societies, the wish to balance the show, or other specific needs the show wishes to fulfill. WSP shows are encouraged to accept exhibits in Youth Class and may accept exhibits in One Frame Class (See B-12). Philatelic Literature Class is only offered at selected shows and requires use of a separate, specialized jury.
   
   

8. Any show that wishes to exclude exhibits based on Division (other than the National Topical Stamp Show, restricted to thematic exhibits; and Americover, restricted to First Day Covers) must request permission in advance from the Chairman of the Committee on the Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges. To assure broad national appeal, shows must strive for diversity in exhibitors and subjects shown.
   
   

9. Exhibitors are limited to a maximum of two competitive multi-frame exhibits of not more than ten frames (160 8½ x 11 pages) each, for a maximum total of twenty frames. Shows may elect to prohibit more than one exhibit from any exhibitor, and may establish minimum and maximum frame allocations. Exhibits that require special frames or configurations of frames may be entered at the discretion of the show committee. Oversized pages may be exhibited but the maximum allocation must remain at ten frames per exhibit.
   
   
10. Each World Series show must present at least 2,500 pages of philatelic material. Of this, at least 2,000 pages must be in competition and judged according to APS national level WSP standards. Successful shows will seek a venue (B-4-b above) and recruiting techniques that allow them to comfortably exceed this bare minimum, 156 ¼ 16 page frames.
    
    
11. Five levels of award (Gold, Vermeil, Silver, Silver Bronze, and Bronze) shall be available to all exhibits in the General and Youth Classes that are judged according to national level WSP standards. One Frame Class exhibits may be judged using five levels of award, and a Platinum level may be added at the discretion of the show committee. Noncompetitive exhibits may be given some token of appreciation at the sole discretion of the exhibition committee.
    
    
12. Court of Honor exhibits shall be awarded an honorary Gold show medal or other equivalent keepsake. An exhibit that has been transferred out of competition after having won a Grand Award at a WSP show within the same Champion of Champion qualifying year is also considered to be a Court of Honor exhibit and should receive a Gold show medal or other keepsake.
    
    
13. A Grand Award (and one or more Reserve Grand, if desired) shall be awarded at each WSP show, selected from any exhibit entered in General Class.
    
    
14. Organizers must provide program time and a properly prepared space for a judges' critique of the exhibits during show hours and preferably on Saturday afternoon.
    
    
15. Time and space should be provided for an APS Judging Seminar, to be arranged if one is desired or if the Accreditation Committee requests one. The event(s) should be listed in the show program.
    
    
16. All WSP shows must provide at no charge, an APS recruiting booth of at least normal dealer booth size, in a location easily accessible to visitors entering the show.
    
    
17. WSP shows must submit (preferably on an Accreditation Committee form) their proposed panel of judges (with, if they wish, a recommendation of who is to serve as jury chair) to the Chairman of the Accreditation Committee, at least six months before the show dates. While this regulation does not preclude preliminary contact with prospective jurors, it is intended that the Chairman approve this proposed panel before "official" invitations are issued to any of the jury. Any changes to or additions to the jury after approval by the Chairman must also be approved. The Chairman of the Accreditation Committee reviews the proposed panel to determine:

    a. That all jurors are properly qualified.
    

    b. That a balanced panel with varied expertise has been selected.
    

    c. That the needs of specialty societies meeting at the show are met.
    

    d. Whether there is an individual on the proposed panel qualified to serve as jury chairman. The selection of a jury chairman will be in accord with the show committee's expressed wishes if possible, but the final determination is reserved to the Chairman of the Accreditation Committee.

18. All World Series of Philately shows must submit, within thirty days of the end of the show, the following items to the Chairman of the Accreditation Committee and to the APS Director of Shows and Exhibitions.

    a. A complete WSP report on the show, on an Accreditation Committee form.

    b. A copy of the exhibit prospectus.

    c. A copy of the program.

    d. A complete palmares.

19. It is strongly recommended that APS dealer members in good standing be given preference for WSP show booth space.
    
    
20. No World Series of Philately show may enter into any agreement with dealers that results in a restraint of trade or granting of a monopoly. While uniform criteria may be required to select which dealers shall have space, the criteria shall not prevent a dealer from selling items similar to that of another dealer. For example, one dealer may not be given the exclusive right to buy and sell first day covers, Nepalese stamps, or philatelic literature.
    
    
21. The APS encourages all WSP shows to establish, publicize, and staff a booth/table/area devoted to the encouragement of youth and other beginners; with free literature, inexpensive or free stamps, and appropriate activities that teach hobby fundamentals.

C. EXHIBITOR REQUIREMENTS

1. Exhibitor must be a person or a private (personal) corporation. Each exhibit entered in competition must be the property of the individual exhibitor, or of members of an immediate family (spouses, parent-child, brother-sister), and must be truly based upon a single collection; not two separate collections melded for purposes of exhibit. Joint owner exhibits must be entered as such in all cases.
   
   
2. All Grand Award winners at WSP shows are expected to enter their winning exhibit in the next WSP competition. A maximum of ten 16-page frames may be entered, regardless of the number of pages shown at the time the Grand Award was won. The exhibit may be improved between the winning of the qualifying Grand Award and entry into the WSP competition.
   
   
3. A Grand Award-winning exhibit in a WSP show is not eligible to enter competitively (including 'only' to seek special awards) in another WSP show in the same exhibition year. Up to two such exhibits (twenty frames maximum) in a court of honor may be counted as part of the frame count for WSP show certification purposes. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to notify the show committee that a previously accepted exhibit must now be withdrawn from competition due to its having won a Grand Award.
   
   
4. Exhibits that have won a Grand Prix National or International award, have won three Large Gold awards in FIP-patronage International exhibitions, or have been exhibited in the FIP Championship Class shall be ineligible to compete in any WSP competition or in the Champion of Champions competition. However, such exhibits are welcomed in Courts of Honor, and may as noted in number 3 above, count toward fulfilling frame requirements.
   
   
5. An exhibit that is purchased intact may not be exhibited intact in competition at a WSP show for two years from the date of purchase. This restriction is waived if the addition of new material and text has substantially altered the exhibit. The Accreditation Committee is the venue to determine whether an exhibit is in or out of competition, should that become an issue under this rule, and its decision is final.

D. JUDGING REQUIREMENTS

1. Only APS-accredited judges, and APS approved apprentices, may serve at WSP exhibitions. In addition to APS-accredited judges, the APS recognizes judges accredited by the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, the British Philatelic Trust, the Australian Philatelic Federation, and FIP judges who are members of the APS. The usual jury will consist of five accredited judges and up to two apprentices. Changes to increase those numbers may be approved in advance by the Chairman of the Accreditation Committee.
   
   
2. Normally, a ratio of at least two accredited judges for every apprentice judge must be maintained. Apprentice judges' medal level votes and nominations for special prizes are solicited for purposes of evaluating their abilities, but their opinions do not count in the awarding of medal levels or special awards.
   
   
3. At least 60% of the jury members must live outside the metropolitan area of the exhibition.
   
   
4. Remuneration to all accredited judges shall be as follows: free entry to the show, complimentary tickets to the awards banquet (or other awards ceremony) for the judge and accompanying spouse or guest, and a minimum of $250 for expenses to each judge who travels more than thirty miles to the show. Remuneration of apprentices shall not be less than free entry to the show and a complimentary ticket to the awards event. If more than 4,800 pages are shown, the minimum remuneration shall be at least $300 for accredited judges.

E. LOSS OF WSP CERTIFICATION

1. Loss of WSP Certification will occur automatically if:

   a. A show fails to attain the required page count for two consecutive years, or twice within a five year period. (See B9-10)
   
   b. A show fails to provide its required report (See B19) before the next scheduled staging of the exhibition.
   
   c. A show fails to submit its jury list for approval (See B18) prior to the staging of the exhibition at which they will serve.

2. The APS Board of Directors may, at its sole discretion, withdraw or suspend WSP certification, or place a show on probation, if:

   a. A show establishes a pattern of late and/or incomplete required reporting. (B18-19)
   
   b. A show does not maintain the National status of its exhibition and exhibition-related activities. (B9-17)
   
   b. A show does not maintain the level of excellence expected of a WSP show. (See B4)
   
   d. A show places itself on dates already announced to the APS for another WSP show within 1,000 miles distance. (See B2)