The Girl Scouts of America honored their founder and celebrated the launch of a new stamp Wednesday afternoon at the Savannah Theater.
The event had to be moved indoors due to the heavy rain that fell late in the afternoon.
Inside, Richard Pratt, the great-nephew of Juliette Gordon Low, presented the Medal of Freedom, awarded posthumously to Low by President Barack Obama on May 29.
The Medal of Freedom is the highest distinction a civilian can earn. Low was one of 13 recipients this year.
Pratt called it “a great honor for the Gordon family.”
The U.S. Postal Service and Girl Scouts of America also unveiled a new stamp.
Katherine Keena, program manager for the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, said a stamp is an excellent way to capture the history of the Girl Scouts.
“Stamps are one of those things that are the oldest in American history,” Keena said.
“They really have, from the beginning of American history, been the most representative things about our culture, about our heroes [and] about what we stand for. Our most famous artists, musicians, politicians and writers — I challenge you to find somebody who has never heard of the Girl Scouts.
“The United States Post Office really looked at the 100th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts and said, ‘We really need to mark this glamorous, instrumental, productive and patriotic past. The present was our year of the girl, and our future, our newest campaign, together, we’re going to get the girls to where they need to be next.’”
Krista Hogstead, 14, from Pine Island, Minn., said she doesn’t usually use conventional mail. But she said this day was “very special” because she saw Low’s birthplace and the unveiling of the stamp.
She said the new stamp will “probably change” how often she uses the USPS, and that she’ll ask her parents to go to the post office to buy some stamps.
Secretary to the Postmaster Amy Wing filled in for Postmaster Denise Holguin, who was out of town.
Wing was happy to hear about Hogstead’s declaration.
“I think that’s fabulous,” Wing said. “Anything we can do to promote stamp sales, we’re all about. We’re also encouraging stamp collecting. This particular stamp has helped encourage people to collect.
She added that any stamp sales are good for the service because of the revenue it will bring — collectors from across the country have sent requests for caches with a special second day cancellation.
Low’s program has affected more than 60 million women and girls in the United States. Keena is “incredibly excited” the Medal of Freedom will be on display at the birthplace.
“Like Girl Scouting being honored by a stamp, recognizing our founder, even posthumously, with this award is incredibly exciting and we’re very proud to be able to exhibit it at the birthplace.”