CZ156 – 1962 4¢ Girl Scouts
Birth Of The Girl Scouts Of The United States Of America
On March 12, 1912, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low held the first meeting of the Girl Guides, the forerunner of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.
Scouting groups were first started in England in 1907, when Lord Robert Baden-Powell began the Boy Scouts movement. When girls became interested in belonging to a similar group, he helped his sister Agnes Baden-Powell organize the Girl Guides program. Scouting quickly spread to other countries.
A British Boy Scout helped American businessman William D. Boyce find his way in London’s fog. When the boy refused his tip, telling him he was merely doing his “good turn” for the day, it left an impression on him. So Boyce then worked with others to found the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. The Handbook for Boys was published that same year. Some of the Scouts’ early contributions to their communities and their country were made to support Americans during World War I.
Juliette Gordon Low was a member of a prominent family in Georgia. Following the death of her husband, Low traveled to Europe in 1911 and met Sir Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes. Low had long dreamed of an organization that would get girls out of their houses to experience the outdoors, while learning important skills to make them self-reliant and resourceful.
That August, Low began working with Agnes and the Girl Guides, and eventually formed a Girl Guides patrol near her home in Scotland. She taught the girls how to spin wool, care for livestock, tie knots, and read maps. She also taught them knitting, cooking, and first aid. Additionally, she had her military friends teach them about drilling, signaling, and camping.
In early 1912, Low brought Baden-Powell back to America to expand the scouting movement. When she returned home to Savannah, Georgia, Low called her cousin with exciting news. “I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we’re going to start it tonight!”
That something was the “Girl Guides.” And she held the first-ever meeting of the Girl Guides of America on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia. (The name was changed to the Girl Scouts the following year.)
The first registered member of the American Girl Guides was Margaret Gordon, Juliette’s niece. Low’s first Girl Scout meeting included 18 girls, but by the next meeting there were 108 girls enrolled. By 1915 the organization had grown to include 5,000 girls. Because of the quickly growing numbers of girls, the organization was divided into three groups according to age. Today, there are even more groups. These levels are “Daisies” for the youngest girls (5-7 years old), “Brownies” (7-9), “Juniors” (9-11), “Cadettes” (11-14), “Seniors” (14-16), and finally “Ambassadors” (16-18).
Low was so committed to Girl Scouts, she sold her pearls to help support it. Later, 25¢ national dues were adopted to help support the organization.
During World War II, Boy and Girl Scouts were actively involved in selling U.S. Defense Bonds, growing Victory gardens, and collecting waste fats (to make ammunition) and scrap metals. In addition, they learned a wide variety of skills while earning badges.
Over the next 100 years, the Girl Scouts of the United States of America instilled values such as honesty, courage, community service, and citizenship to over 50 million young women. In 1994, the group was named the eighth most popular charity or non-profit in America, with 41% of Americans polled saying they “loved” the Girl Scouts or “liked them a lot.”
Canal Zone Stamps Chronicle America’s Rise as a World Power
If you’ve never collected Canal Zone stamps before, now’s the time to start. These intriguing stamps are historic links to our nation’s past. With Mystic as your collecting partner, it’s easy to own stamps documenting this remarkable American engineering feat!
With military assistance from the United States, Panama declared its independence from Columbia on November 3, 1903. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was negotiated, than ratified in Panama on December 2, 1903. The United States followed suit on February 23, 1904, clearing the way for a long-anticipated canal project across the Panama isthmus.
Almost immediately, administrators began preparations for the tremendous influx of people who would eventually assemble to work on the project. Faced with the knowledge that most of the work force would be imported to the region from America and Caribbean countries, authorities quickly established a postal service to serve their needs as well as those of the Canal Commission.
On June 24, 1904, postal service was established as part of the U.S. Department of Revenue under the supervision of the Treasurer of the Canal Zone, Paymaster E.C. Tobey. On this day, post offices were opened in Ancon, Cristóbal, Gatun, Culebra, and Balboa. Railroad station agents operated as postmasters.
A small supply of 2¢, 5¢, and 10¢ Panama stamps were overprinted “Canal Zone.” Only ordinary mail was handled by the Canal Zone postal system. Mail destined for Central and South America and the West Indies was turned over to the Panama postal service to be forwarded, while mail sent to the United States and its territories and possessions were sent to the U.S. aboard vessels departing for New York.
Overprinted Panama stamps were in use for less than a month. On July 18, 1904, they were replaced by U.S. postage stamps overprinted “Canal Zone.”
In December of 1904, Secretary of War William Taft ordered the overprinted U.S. stamps to be withdrawn, and replaced them with overprinted Panama stamps. Taft’s executive order was reversed in 1924, when overprinted U.S. stamps were placed in use again.
On October 1, 1928, the first permanent issue Canal Zone stamp was issued. The 2¢ stamp featured Lt. Col. George W. Goethal, the Canal project’s chief engineer and first Canal Zone governor.
In 1929, the first Canal Zone Airmail stamp was issued and in 1941, a series of Officials were produced. On October 25, 1978, the last Canal Zone stamp was issued.