In the topic dedicated to the promotion of youth education in Romania, Romfilatelia introduces into circulation on Thursday, April 20th, this year, the issue of postage stamps entitled enthusiasts Romanian Scouts, consisting of 2 postage stamps with the face values of Lei 2.90, and Lei 11, respectively a First Day Cover and a set of maxicards for maximaphily.
Scouting (an activity organised under the coordination and guidance of a scout organisation), has a well-known and well-established tradition in Romania. The centenary of this activity was celebrated in our country in 2013, recalling the fact that in the summer of 1913, a few students from the “Gheorghe Lazăr” High School of Bucharest formed the first scout patrols, experimenting scouting in the Bucegi Mountains.
Officially, “Romanian Scouts” Association was founded on May 12th, 1914. Benefiting from the direct support of King Carol I and Princes Ferdinand and Carol, the organization grew visibly, and in 1916 it succeeded in having more than 9,000 scouts grouped into 34 legions and 56 cohorts.
In the World War I, the Romanian Scouts were organized in the “War Scouts Body”, acting as sanitary workers, stretcher-bearers, messengers, telephonists, postmen, etc.
After the end of hostilities, at the Second World Conference on Scouts (Paris, 1922), Romania joined the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), as a founding member.
Romanian philately is present in the interwar period to promote the activity of the Scouting through several philatelic issues, mentioning here: Scouting Exhibition (1931), five postage stamps (run printing: 200,000 series) and National Jamboree, Sibiu (1932), six postage stamps (run printing: 47,412 series). The most recent issue dedicated to this topic was released in 2017, under the title The sixth National Jamboree of Romanian Scouts, compound of four stamps. It is worth noting that alongside images showing concrete activities of the Scouting, four stamps show portraits of Prince Nicholas, King Carol II and Prince Michael (the future King Michael I) as a recognition of the support and direct participation in the life of the organization.
The Association of Romanian Scouts went through several reorganizations, under the name of “Straja Țării” (Country Guard) or, “Cercetășia României” (Scouting of Romania), and was disbanded in 1940 with the abdication of King Carol II. The establishment of the communist regime followed, when the activities specific to young people were centralized under the leadership of the Pioneer Organization and the Union of Communist Youth.
Re-established in 1990, the Romanian Scouting received in 1993 the recognition of the WOSM (World Organization of the Scout Movement which counts more than 50,000,000 members in 216 countries and territories).
Guided by the 10 Scout Laws, each member must have in mind, among other things, love of country, helping fellow people, protecting nature and wildlife, respect for parents and teachers, the desire to learn for oneself and to teach others, to have as a permanent goal “at least one good deed a day”.
Note that the motto of the Romanian Scouts is GATA ORICÂND! (adapted from the motto Be prepared by Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout Movement).
Romfilatelia thanks the representatives of Romanian Scouts Organization for their documentary and photographic support granted to the development of this issue of postage stamps.