On July 27, the USPS releases the Celebrate Scouting Stamp, which recognizes the 100th Anniversary of Scouting in America. The USPS will join the Scouts at their annual Boy Scout Jamboree at Ft. A.P. Hill, Virginia for a stamp dedication ceremony at 11:30am. All Scouts in attendance will receive special commemorative items. 45.000 Scouts are expected to be at this year’s jamboree, which is almost double normal jamboree participation.
The stamp is not only a tribute to Scouting and its importance in America: the USPS and the Boy Scouts also share a rich history.
Boy Scout Stamp 1950
Boy Scout Stamp 1960
Boy Scout Stamp 1985
Scouting Stamp 1998
(Stamp pictures courtesy Beyond the Perf magazine)
Boy Scout cachets number in the hundreds. Here's an early example taken from SOSSI.org (to see a full list, click here.)
And let's not forget the Scouting Stamp Collecting Merit Badge:
Earning this badge is no easy endeavor. There are eight ardous tasks that a scout must complete. Step eight is the following (which also came from the SOSSI site)
8. Mount and show, in a purchased or homemade album, ONE of the following:
A collection of 250 or more different stamps from at least 15 countries.
A collection of a stamp from each of 50 different countries, mounted on maps to show the location of each.
A collection of 100 or more different stamps from either one country or a group of closely related countries.
A collection of 75 or more different stamps on a single topic. Some interesting topics are Scouting, birds, insects, the Olympics, sports, flowers, animals, ships, Christmas, trains, famous people, space, and medicine.) Stamps may be from different countries.
A collection of postal items discovered in your mail by monitoring over a period of thirty days. Include at least five different types listed in requirement 3.
If you are a current or former Alabama District Postal employee, Postmarks would love to hear about and share your scouting experiences.
