IO – Scouting is considered to be able to mobilize youth around the world, and this is the basis for almost all countries to issue Scout series stamps. Scouting in Indonesia, known as Pramuka, is very popular among students.
In Indonesia, August 14 is celebrated as Scout Day, previously known as the scouting movement. The scouting movement has a long history and has an international name, the Scouting, or the Scout Movement.
This year the commemoration of the 59th Scout Day is an important moment where the Scout Day ceremony is held according to health protocols both at the local level to the national level.
During the pandemic, collecting stamps became a separate trend among Scout activists and students to collect philately items in the Scout series. Not only stamps, Memories, First Day Covers, Commemorative Covers, Letter Covers, Postcards, or objects of postal administration output are philatelic objects. Scouting philatelic objects are not only in demand by Indonesian collectors but also internationally, both scouting members in their respective countries or the general public.
Bambang Pamungkas, a Scout activist as well as a Scout coach in Yogyakarta, has been collecting scouting series philatelic items since junior high school. “I was interested in stamps or philatelic objects when I participated in the scouting test on special skills and I am currently directing my assistants to take the proficiency test on Philately in Scouts,” he said.
On the other hand, Sudjono AM, a Scout Guide from Pekanbaru Riau who has been living in Jakarta and is still active in the Scout invites learning again with unique and special objects, namely Stamps “As long as I am at home and have free time, I invite activists and students. Scouts that I know in several cities in Indonesia reorganize philatelic collections and learn more and specialize in Scouting themes and active discussions to be followed online. So that Scouts can also make Philately a fun and positive hobby,” said Sudjono.
Gita Noviandi, Secretary-General of the Indonesian Philatelist Association, succeeded in bringing home the 2016 Gold Medal in Singapore with the Scout theme entitled “One World, One Promise” collection. “I collect philatelic objects almost from all over the world and about Scouts. Starting from philatelic objects that show the history of scouting and its founder Lord Baden Powell, the founder of Indonesia’s Scouts, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, Scout skills, and activities and positive values of scouting as depicted in philately,” said Gita Noviandi who lives in Bandung.
Indonesia very often publishes Scout series stamps because of the importance of Scouting in Indonesia. The Indonesian Scout series has been published 19 times, from 1955 to 2019.