The Girl Scouts of the USA celebrated its 100th anniversary February 8, 2012, and the Postal Service™ will celebrate this milestone by issuing the Celebrate Scouting 45-cent First-Class Mail® Forever® stamp Saturday, June 9. The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony takes place during the Girl Scouts Rock the Mall event in Washington, DC.
Postmasters are encouraged to coordinate with local Girl Scout troops and elected officials that day to conduct first-day-of-sale ceremonies. If that’s not convenient, special dedication ceremonies can take place anytime after that. (The term “second-day-of-issue dedication ceremony” is no longer used.)
Included in this kit are the following elements that can be used to conduct and promote an event:
n Background information on scouting.
n Sample media advisory (for distribution no later than 3 days prior).
n Sample news release.
n Sample stamp dedication speech.
n Information on ordering stamp images.
n Government Relations contacts for assistance in contacting elected officials.
n Corporate Communications managers for assistance with event publicity.
For more information on the Girl Scouts of the USA, visit www.girlscouts.org. Postmasters can obtain local scouting contact information at this link: http://www.girlscouts.org/councilfinder/
Scouting Background
Among the first advocates for a sister scouting movement to the Boy Scouts were the girls who demanded inclusion in the Crystal Palace Boy Scout Rally, the first rally of its kind, held in London, England, in 1909. A year later, Boy Scout pioneer Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes Baden-Powell helped organize a scouting group for girls, The Girl Guides Association. Together they adapted his guidebook Scouting for Boys, and in 1912 they published the first official girl scouting manual.
In the U.S., the scouting movement for both boys and girls began about a century ago. Since that time, millions of youths have learned to find their way in the world with the skills and confidence they acquired through scouting.
Sample Media Advisory
This Media Advisory is for distribution no later than 3 days prior to the event.
CONTACT: : [NAME]
(O) XXX-XXX-XXXX
(C) XXX-XXX-XXXX
@usps.gov
[NAME] Post Office Salutes Girl Scouts on Forever Stamp
WHAT: [FIRST-DAY-OF-SALE OR SPECIAL DEDICATION] ceremony for the Celebrate Scouting 45-cent First-Class Mail® Forever® stamp. The event is free and open to the public.
WHEN: [TIME, DATE]
WHERE: [LOCATION]
[ADDRESS]
[PROVIDE WEBSITE LINK OF LOCATION IF AVAILABLE]
WHO: [NAME(S) AND TITLE(S)]
BACKGROUND: The U.S. Postal Service® honors the Girl Scouts by issuing the Celebrate Scouting stamp to coincide with the Girl Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary.
[PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE EVENT SUCH AS THE NAMES OF VIPs AND NUMBER OF GIRL SCOUTS THAT WILL BE ATTENDING, ETC.]
# # #
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office™ Boxes. The Postal Service™ receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com®, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
Follow the Postal Service on Twitter @USPS and at facebook.com/usps.
Sample News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USPS Contact: [NAME]
DATE (O) XXX-XXX-XXXX
(C) XXX-XXX-XXXX
XXXX.X.XXXXX @usps.gov
usps.com/news
[LOCAL BOY SCOUT MEDIA CONTACT NAME]
(O) XXX-XXX-XXXX
(C) XXX-XXX-XXXX
[EMAIL ADDRESS]
DRAFT
Girl Scouts Get First-Class Stamp of Approval
[Name] Post Office Celebrates Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary
[CITY, STATE] — The [NAME] Post Office™ celebrated the adventure and spirit of scouting during a special dedication of the Celebrate Scouting Forever® stamp to honor the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
“The [NAME] Post Office is proud to celebrate Girl Scouting’s role for girls for more than 100 years,” said [TITLE AND NAME]. “Scouting builds confidence and self reliance and develops tomorrow’s leaders. We’re here today to raise awareness of this fine institution by dedicating the Celebrate Scouting stamp.”
Joining [NAME] at the dedication ceremony were [TITLE AND NAME] and members of [SCOUT TROOP NUMBER IF APPLICABLE].
[INSERT QUOTE FROM PARTICIPANT(S) HERE.]
Celebrate Scouting, the “sister” stamp to the 2010 Scouting stamp, pays tribute to scouting organizations for the opportunities and pleasures they have provided millions of youths worldwide. The stamp features a large silhouette of a girl with binoculars looking into the distance. A scene within the silhouette features a scout in mid-stride on a serious summer trek, in an environment composed of large redwoods, a lake and a distant forested mountainside. Working with art director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, illustrator Craig Frazier of Mill Valley, CA, created the stamp art.
Among the first advocates for a sister scouting movement were the girls who demanded inclusion in the Crystal Palace Boy Scout Rally, the first rally of its kind, held in London, England, in 1909. A year later, Boy Scout pioneer Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes Baden-Powell helped organize a scouting group for girls, The Girl Guides Association. Together they adapted his guidebook Scouting for Boys, and in 1912 they published the first official girl scouting manual.
In the U.S., the scouting movement for both boys and girls began about a century ago. Since that time, millions of youths have learned to find their way in the world with the skills and confidence they acquired through scouting.
Some of the earliest scouting experiences provided opportunities to hike, camp, study first aid, and learn to tell time by the stars. While scouts still enjoy those activities, today they explore and apply new advances in science and technology, with outdoor experiences offering opportunities to study ecology and discover new ways to protect the environment.
Under the guidance of adults and with the support of their peers, scouts are encouraged to meet challenges and test their mettle. Whatever their individual strengths and interests, they develop a deep appreciation for community as they strive to become better citizens of the world.
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 Post Offices, at The Postal Store® 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 larger envelopes addressed to:
Celebrate Scouting Stamp
Special Cancellations
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282
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 August 9, 2012.
Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service™ also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and postal 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:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
There are six philatelic products at www.usps.com/scouting available for this stamp issue:
n 469461, First-Day Cover, $0.89.
n 469465, Digital Color Postmark (DCP), $1.60.
n 469484, Uncut Press Sheet, $81.00.
n 469491, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
n 469497, Panel, $9.95.
n 469499, Cancellation Keepsake (DCP w/Pane), $10.95.
# # #
Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service® is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com®, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
Follow the Postal Service on Twitter @USPS and at facebook.com/usps.
Sample Stamp Dedication Speech
[POSTAL SERVICE OFFICIAL’S NAME AND TITLE]
United States Postal Service
“Celebrate Scouting”
Special Dedication Ceremony
[DATE]
[CITY, STATE]
Thank you, [NAME], for that kind introduction. And thank you all for joining us for today’s event. [OPTIONAL: ADD A BRIEF COMMENT ABOUT HOW THIS LOCATION RELATES TO SCOUTING.]
I also want to thank all of our special guests for joining us in beautiful [CITY/TOWN/LOCATION/TYPE OF SETTING].
In particular, I’m glad that our good friend [NAME OF ELECTED OFFICIAL] is here, along with [ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED].
I am honored to be here representing the United States Postal Service.
We at the Postal Service know that there is no better way to focus attention on important topics in our nation’s history than to feature them on postage stamps.
That is why I am delighted to be here with all of you to dedicate the Celebrate Scouting commemorative Forever stamp — the sister stamp to our 2010 Scouting stamp.
But we are here to do much more than just dedicate a new postage stamp…
We are also here to celebrate 100 years of instilling girls and young women with the ideals of courage, confidence, and character;
We are here to celebrate 100 years of building self-esteem;
We are here to celebrate 100 years of girls and young women serving their communities; and
We are here to celebrate 100 years of girls and young women achieving their dreams.
In short, we are here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts! From its modest beginnings a century ago, Girl Scouts of the USA has grown to a membership of 3.2 million girls and adults. In fact, more than 59 million women in the United States today are former Girl Scouts.
And the Girl Scouts have given us many individuals who have risen to the top of their fields in government, education, athletics, media and entertainment. Olympic swimmer Janet Evans; astronaut Mae Jemison; television journalist Katie Couric; tennis champion Venus Williams; Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor; and former First Lady of the United States, U.S. Senator from New York, and our current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are just a few. [OPTIONAL: ADD NAMES OF FAMOUS LOCAL FORMER GIRL SCOUTS.]
Indeed, a remarkable 64 percent of women leaders in the United States were once Girl Scouts!
On the Celebrate Scouting stamp we’re dedicating today, illustrator Craig Frazier features a large silhouette of a girl with binoculars looking into the distance — perhaps sighting a soaring bald eagle or a faraway destination.
The scene within the silhouette features a girl in mid-stride with a walking stick, shorts, and backpack on a serious summer trek.
The environment is composed of large redwoods, a lake, a distant forested mountainside, and small ferns in the foreground. The sky has a dramatic blue gradation as it appears in early morning or late evening.
It’s a beautiful stamp, and from this day forward, it will travel on letters and packages to millions of households and businesses throughout the country.
And remember — if you purchase these wonderful new stamps today, or at some time in the future, it will be good for First-Class Mail postage forever, no matter what the rate is when you put it on the envelope.
It’s the Postal Service’s way of creating a lasting tribute to the Girl Scouts — and we are pleased and proud to immortalize a truly great organization on a United States postage stamp.
So now, on behalf of the United States Postal Service, I would like to officially dedicate the Celebrate Scouting commemorative Forever stamp!
[Unveil Stamp. Pose for Pictures.]
Ordering Stamp Images for the Event and Media Use
Postmasters can order poster-sized enlargements of the stamp image by contacting Maggie Kasper of Dodge Chrome at maggie@dodgechrome.com or by calling 240-247-1814. For easy online ordering, visit www.dodgechrome.com/uspsstampart. Postmasters should contact Susan McGowan, susan.mcgowan@usps.gov, 202-268-3118, or Zy Richardson, Lindsay.n.Richardson@usps.gov, 202-268-7841, to obtain high-resolution images of the stamps for media use.
Government Relations Contacts
Postmasters wishing to invite elected members of Congress to their event should contact their Government Relations Representative at 202-268-xxxx
Corporate Communications Managers
Following are contacts for each area to request Corporate Communications assistance in publicizing events:
Capital Metro
George Maffett
george.t.maffett@usps.gov
301-548-1465
Eastern
Paul Smith
paul.F.Smith@usps.gov (Eastern Area Office)
215-863-5055
Great Lakes
Victor Dubina
victor.dubina@usps.gov
216-443-4596
Pacific
Don Smeraldi
don.a.smeraldi@usps.gov
858-674-3149
Northeast
Maureen Marion
maureen.p.marion@usps.gov
860-285-7029
Southern
Earl Artis
earl.c.artis@usps.gov
214-819-8704
Western
Teresa Rudkin
teresa.rudkin@usps.gov
303-313-5130
— Public Relations,
Corporate Communication, 5-31-12
