Scouting Around for Europa Stamps

9 May 2007

The stamps feature photographic images by Red & Grey Design representing Scouting past and present and celebrating the evolution of scouting In Ireland over 100 years. Both are available, together with a special First Day Cover (€2.33), at the GPO, Dublin and main Post Offices, on-line at www.irishstamps.ie  and by telephone at (01) 705 7400.

The scouting movement dates from 1907 when Major-General Robert Baden-Powell held the first camp for boys on England’s Brownsea Island. The Scout movement is now one of the largest voluntary youth organisations in the world, with over 25 million members in 145 countries.

Ireland has a long-established Scouting movement and in 2004, the interdenominational Scouting Association of Ireland and the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland amalgamated to form Scouting Ireland, the national scout association.   It has 40,000 members across three main categories: Beavers (aged 6 – 8); Cubs (aged 8 – 11) and Scouts (aged 11 – 15).

Every year members of the European PostEurope organisation issue stamps on a common theme so as to encourage cooperation between postal bodies, particularly in the area of stamp design and stamp collecting.   Europa Stamps are particularly popular with stamp collectors worldwide.  Past themes for the stamps have included Holidays, Gastronomy, Festivals and Integration.