Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico — The Postal Service is celebrating the adventure and spirit of scouting during a special dedication of the Scouting stamp to honor the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. A second-day ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at the Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, NM. The stamp unveiling will begin at 11 a.m. at the Villa Philmonte Gazebo at the Philmont Scout Ranch located four miles south of Cimarron, NM, on Highway 21. The event is free and open to the public

“The Cimarron Post Office is proud to celebrate scouting’s role for boys and girls alike for more than 100 years,” said USPS Marketing Manager Margaret Romero. “Scouting builds confidence, self-reliance and develops tomorrow’s leaders. We’re here today to raise awareness of this fine institution by dedicating the Scouting stamp.”

The Postal Service is proud to partner with the Philmont Scout Ranch to celebrate this commemorative stamp. Representing the Philmont Ranch will be John Clark, General Manager, High Adventure Program, Mark Anderson, Director of Programs, together with Ed Pease and Gene Klingler, MD, representing the Philmont Ranch Committee, along with invited friends and neighbors of the Ranch.

Following the unveiling of a large likeness of the new Scouting stamp there will be panes of 20 stamps available for sale by the USPS. Representatives of the Philmont Museum will also offer for sale souvenir cachet envelopes with a special first-day-of-sale postmark on the Scouting stamp at a cost of $5.00.

Stamp artist Craig Frazier of Mill Valley, CA, worked under the direction of art director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, to create the image. The 44-cent First-Class stamp depicts two different scouts in clothing and accessories that are often part of the outdoor scouting experience — hats, packs, boots, and binoculars. At first glance, one sees the large silhouette of a scout peering through binoculars. Within this figure is another scout perched atop a mountain taking in the vista.

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. These groups offer young people communities in which they can learn collaboratively and have fun in partnership with adults.

Historically, scouts had to find their way by the stars or map, to notice tracks and interpret their meaning, and to fend for themselves. Many of today’s youth scouts continue to learn these and other skills, both outdoors and indoors, and enjoy hobbies made accessible to them through scouting.

The Boy Scouts of America celebrated 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, visit www.scouting.org.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Scouting Stamp
Postmaster
117 Milford Street
Bowling Green, VA 22427-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by September 27, 2010.

Ordering First-Day-Covers
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept.6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products
There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• 465461, First-Day Cover, 82-cents.
• 465465, Digital Color Postmark, $1.50.
• 465491, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
• 465499, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $10.95.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.