Welcome readers to todays offering from The Philatelist. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Today we get to talk about a great organization that helped build communities in the USA and around the world and how it tries to find ways to continue as communities diversify and fragment.
This stamp is from mid 50s USA, a time when the USA was the world’s dominant superpower. This stamp sure shows it. An ancient Greek like strong arm holding a giant torch that shines it’s light on the whole globe that centers on the USA. Wow. I can see why this might rub some the wrong way. In terms of a time capsule from 60 years ago, one has to be impressed with the sheer audacity of having such confidence in ones ideals. That this is not a religious organization can even let the stamp take on a Ayn Rand look. No doubt this type of thing is what President Trump would hope make America great again could put back together. Or for that matter Putin in Russia. Not having much luck in either case, now days it just upsets too many people.
The stamp today is issue A513, an 8 cent stamp issued by the United States on February 23rd, 1955. It was a single stamp issue honoring the 50th anniversary of Rotary international. According to the Scott catalog, this stamp is worth 25 cents whether it is mint or used. I am not sure why the denomination is 8 cents when the first class postal rate was 3 cents, I doubt it was semi postal with the excess going to Rotary, the USA doesn’t do that.
The rotary club started when a group of businessmen began meeting weekly for lunch to socialize, network, and organize service opportunities for the community. It was called rotary because the meeting place would rotate. It was only open to males over 18 and membership was by invitation only. The motto was and is service above self. There were no racial or economic requirements for membership even in the early days. The idea caught on. By 1920 the organization was international with local clubs even in Calcutta and Shanghai.
Much good work was accomplished. Actions like scholarships and fighting illiteracy were common activities for local chapters. Speakers were often brought in to the weekly meetings to educate and interest the leaders involved in the club. A wider mission of eradicating polio in the world saw over two billion babies inoculated with the vaccine developed in 1950s America.
As time past all this good work and fellowship were not enough to inoculate the organization as times changed. Woman were not allowed to join or attend the weekly meeting. Wives of members were allowed to participate in the quarterly socials and in club organized service missions. There was even a sub organization called the inner wheel for them. Even though there were many woman only service organizations that far predated the Rotary, a lawsuit was brought and the Supreme Court decided in the 80s the Rotary club must be open to female members. It was thought that the career benefits of the organization must be open to women. I don’t think it will really be a surprise that opening up to woman did not increase membership but rather made it decline. Fellowship is such an important part of the success of such an organization, forcing in people is the end of that. And less is around that binds a community together.
The rotary club continues it’s good work in slightly smaller form today. There was no USA stamp to honor the 100th anniversary of the organization in 2005. The Postal Service instead was celebrating Muppets, amber alerts, and xmas cookies around then. Lowered expectations I guess.
My drink is empty so I will open the discussion in the below comment section. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.