The U.S. Postal Service today gave scouting ‘a stamp of approval’ to honor 100 years of the U.S. scouting movement. The Celebrate Scouting stamp, which will be sold in the summer of 2010, coincides with the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary.
The new stamp design was unveiled Thursday during an event at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. The design, created by illustrator Craig Frazier of Mill Valley, CA, depicts the spirit and outdoor adventure of scouting through a backpacking scout and a large silhouette of a scout surveying the landscape.
Since the creation of the international youth scouting movement some 100 years ago, hundreds of millions of children have benefited from opportunities for adventure, skill building, leadership, personal development, and community service provided by scouting organizations.
“I’m very proud to represent the United States Postal Service as we unveil the artwork for the scouting commemorative stamp to be released in 2010 and to recognize what scouting has done for boys and girls alike for more than 100 years,” said USPS Sustainability Vice President, Samuel M. Pulcrano. “I learned a great many things from scouting when I was a boy, and many of those lessons came from my father who served as my assistant scoutmaster. The experience made such an impression on me that I now serve as assistant scoutmaster for my sons’ troop.”
Joining Pulcrano at the unveiling event were Allen Kane, Director of Smithsonian National Postal Museum; Jim Terry, Boy Scouts of America Assistant Chief Scout Executive; Bob Mersereau, Boy Scouts of America National Director of the 100th Anniversary; Kevin Coleman, Manager, Information Policies and Procedures, USPS; Sen. Dick Lugar, R-IN; and Ernest Green, member of 1957 Little Rock Nine, who helped integrate the nation’s public school system, and Honorary Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America National Hall of Leadership. Green was one of nine African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, AR. He was the first black to graduate from the school.
The Postal Service appreciates the efforts of a number of individuals, including Rep. Pete Sessions, R-TX, Sen. Dick Lugar, R-IN, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-MO., and Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., in working toward creation of the Celebrate Scouting stamp and their leadership on scouting.
In conjunction with the Celebrate Scouting announcement and Veteran’s Day observances, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) announced it will begin a nationwide effort to support U.S. Armed Forces personnel serving overseas and veterans by sending letters and care packages using the Priority Mail Flat Rate Box through the Postal Service. Local DC-area scouts mailed letters and shared news about the scouting stamp from the museum this morning. The letter writing campaign continues the BSA’s longstanding tradition of service and performing “a good turn” daily.
“We are grateful to the USPS for commemorating scouting’s contributions to our nation for the past 100 years,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America. “To continue our tradition of service, we are honored to launch our letter writing campaign to support our troops serving overseas. Regardless of our age, we never outgrow the joy of receiving a personal letter in the mail. It is the least we can do for the service men and women to whom we owe the deepest gratitude for their service.”
The new Celebrate Scouting stamps will go on sale nationwide and will be dedicated in July 2010 at the Boy Scout Jamboree at Ft. A.P. Hill, VA.
The Boy Scouts of America will celebrate its 100th anniversary on February 8, 2010. To mark this milestone, the organization has undertaken nationwide celebration efforts that reintroduce the organization to today’s young people and families, reinforce the value of scouting, and reconnect with the millions the organization has impacted. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.
Source: USPS Press Release 09-095
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November 12th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
What do you think of the design? So far it seems most people are disapointed since it doesn’t mention the anniversary or even Boy Scouts.
November 12th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
@Dan – Good point. Wouldn’t want to offend everyone for having values, now would we?
November 12th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I am disappointed in the design. It looks like a generic scout stamp, not one truly honoring an achievement of the Boy Scouts of America. How politically correct the USPS is.
November 13th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Very disappointing. I do not think that the general public will in any fashion know that this stamp is to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Agreed. The design seems rather generic. When anyone unfamiliar with the Boys Scouts sees this stamp I doubt they will connect it with the BSA and certainly not with the 100th anniversary. Given today’s controlling political attitudes I can’t help but suspect this was done on purpose. *sigh* At least I won’t have to worry about rushing out to buy some. I’ll be giving these a pass. VERY Disappointing.
November 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
If it’s the thought that counts, well, I’ll say hats off to the USPS. I’ve always believed it was the process that really matters, however, and it looks like the drawing went through every political correction committee available. In fact, the corners of a bandanna being tied in behind the neck combined with the western frontier scenery make this appear to be a scout for the U.S. calvary circa 1840 — not a U.S. Boy Scout of any era. Lastly, what’s the reason that Scouting News fails to CAPITALIZE the first letter of Scout and Scouting as advised in the BSA’s webpage (http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/LOS.aspx)?
November 15th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
@Richard – We try to follow the “Language of Scouting” guide, however if we are posting press releases we do not change the text of the release. In the above case, this is a repost of a press release issued by the USPS.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Add me to the list of those disappointed by this highly inappropriate commemoration of BSA’s 100th anniversary. Only the USPS could celebrate this event without mentioning Boy Scouting or the anniversary or even including any identifiable Scout symbol!
I am also disappointed that national BSA representatives participated in the unveiling ceremony. When they saw the stamp design they should have asked the USPS to go back to the drawing board!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:16 am
@Richard: You’re right on target regarding the figure in the image. One the parents in my unit asked me why the BSA put a cowboy on their commemorative stamp. A comment that I’ve heard about a dozen times now in some form or other.
This of course highlights another issue: Most of non-scouters I’ve spoken with about the stamp are under the mistaken impression the the BSA chose the image.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Is this stamp suppose to honor 100th anniversary of BSA? USPS had a stamp for the other anniversaries, why are they going so PC now? This stamp is terrible. How could National even want to be part of this stamp promo? If the USPS came out with a better stamp in honor of 100 years of BSA then National could have made more money by selling limited edition framed sets, etc… Someone at National missed a great marketing opportunity here. And can someone explain to me what is meant by the picture on the stamp and “Scouting”? Is the person an old western scouting land? I don’t get it. I guess I’ll go to one of the online custom stamp websites to design and print my own stamp to honor 100 years of BSA.