Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke

In 2001, the United States Postal Service declared April to be National Card and Letter Writing Month.

“Expanding the traditional weeklong celebration to a month gives the Postal Service more opportunities to increase the awareness of the importance of card and lettering writing,” the Postal Service said in a media kit published in the March 22, 2001, Postal Bulletin.

The tradition continues this year, and the Postal Service is working with Scholastic Corp. on a program for third- and fourth-graders. Details can be found online at www.scholastic.com/letterwriting.

The website gives information on how to address and prepare a letter for mailing. Three templates that can be downloaded and printed include a design for a card and a page for an envelope. The cards and envelopes can be cut out and put together for use.

Pictured above is one of the greeting card designs showing a cartoon mailbox.

Lesson plans are provided on the website covering the subjects of letters to elders; letters across the distance; and letters of encouragement, admiration, celebration and gratitude.

At the bottom of the website is this important reminder: “Don’t forget to get stamps for your letters!” Pictured with the reminder is the 2018 Scooby-Doo forever stamp (5299).

I don’t think the choice of that stamp was a coincidence. The Postal Service has a Scooby-Doo stationery kit for sale on its website https://store.usps.com. The kit comes with 12 pieces of stationery, a pane of 12 stamps and a set of stickers to seal the envelopes. The kit sells for $21.95 and is item No. 565526. Other stationery kits are also available.

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