Lanarkshire Philatelic Society

"President’s Evening"

Mr Robert Forrest

"Boy Scouts"

The opening meeting of the Lanarkshire Philatelic Society on Friday evening (1^st September) was one of laughter and reminisces as members viewed a truly wonderful display on the theme of "The Boy Scouts".

There were stamps, covers, miniature sheets and postmarks all illustrating the subject. The first postcard was of the Founder of the Movement – Lord Baden Powell, who was born in 1847.  He wanted to pass on his scouting skills to boys  and, after a camp attended by 20 boys on Brownsea Island in 1907, the Scout Movement was born. 2 years later the first Scout Rally held at Crystal Palace, London was attended by 11,000 scouts!

The display showed stamps and covers celebrating the many Jamborees held throughout the world – the first held in Olympia, London in 1920; International Scout Conferences; Birth centenary of Baden-Powell;  Anniversaries – 25^th, 50^th, 75^th, 100^th of the founding of the Movement in 1947 – others of the founding within their own country. Also covers and stamps for various Jamborettes.

Some 216 countries around the world have issued stamps celebrating Scouting in its various activities; camping; canoeing; mountain climbing; sports of all kinds – and even an illustration of fixing a tent peg – and also Evening Prayers. The display included stamps from Tristan da Cunha – the most remote inhabited island in the world; also stamps from Bophthatswana – a country that has disappeared from the map!

A set of covers that provoked much discussion was that of knots!  Great – and entangled – memories!

In 1912, while on board the "RMSP Arcadian" cruise ship – bound for New York, Baden-Powell met Olave Soames who, later that year, became his wife. She was the co-founder (with Agnes Baden-Powell) of the Guide Movement. Various stamps illustrated the activities of the Guides through the years – and also showed mixed events at Jamborees and other Anniversaries.

While expressing some entertaining personal Scouting memories of his own, Dr Brian Dow did give warm thanks for such a wonderful and truly interesting display which evoked many memories.

Our next meeting in the Caledonian Bowling Club, Motherwell Road, Hamilton, is on Friday, 15^th September, 2023, at 7:30pm when 2 of our members, Mr Walter Simpson & Mr. Andy Napier, will present “Gibraltar” & “Fiji, The King George VI Definitives” respectively. 

Anyone with an interest in stamps, postal history, postcards etc is very welcome to attend.