The National Philatelic Exhibitions of Washington, DC (NAPEX) will sponsor the annual American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (AAPE) North American Youth Champion of Champions competition at its annual show June 6-8, 2003. The AAPE Youth Championship features youth grand award winners at nationally accredited shows, as listed in the United States or Canada, with at least a national level silver medal. The youth age limit now extends through age 20. The 2002 show (Orlando, FL) hosted 50 frames and NAPEX expects from 50 to 100 frames in 2003. Since 1997, NAPEX has supported this show by sponsoring five awards. These awards are for the best (1) Title Page, (2) expression of Creativity, (3) Topical (excellence in philatelic knowledge), (4) Thematic (outstanding knowledge of subject matter), and (5) Research. President Doug Lehmann states "We started our support of AAPE in 1997 under the leadership of then President Steve Luster. Now, the entire NAPEX family can see the remarkable results of this initiative by showcasing these exceptional exhibits. We also want to acknowledge Ada M. Prill, AAPE Director, for presenting our application and the entire AAPE Board of Directors for choosing NAPEX. We hope the AAPE can return to our future shows on a more frequent basis."

The NAPEX 2003 theme will also salute youth. The 3-day show cancellation will state "AAPE Youth Champion of Champions." All three show covers will depict youth engraved or lithographed designs. NAPEX will hold a design contest at local schools to select a design for its 17th annual souvenir card. This youth design will also adorn our website and official program. The contest winner and other designs will be released about March 2003.

An exhibit prospectus is available by writing Exhibits Chairman, Mr. Paul Magid, at Post Office Box 6363, Washington, DC 20015 or email exhibits@napex.org. Forms are also available on the NAPEX homepage, www.napex.org. Participation in the NAPEX exhibition is open to collectors of any philatelic affiliation. Entries close March 31, 2003.