A beautifully designed “Celebrate Scouting” stamp was released almost three weeks ago at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.

During the official release ceremony on July 27, United States Army Fort A.P. Hill Commander Lieutenant Colonel John Haefner encouraged this as an opportunity for Scouts of all ranks to write letters to active military soldiers, as well as veterans who’ve selflessly served our nation in the past.

“Remember what it is like to open a letter, especially all you veterans,” Haefner is quoted as saying by the Army News Service. “Letters are just like … the home. The home is always bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.”

Wondering how your Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, or Venture Crew can make the most of this good turn opportunity?

Local VFW, American Legion, and military bases are the places to start for names and addresses of individuals who’d be interested in hearing from you. It’s best to make these requests as a group — to avoid burdening resources. Give some thought ahead of time to just how many names your unit can reasonably expect to follow-through with on letters. Start small.

Next, because youth protection and privacy are top priorities throughout the Boy Scouts of America, I recommend that all writers use the return address of their Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, or Crew Advisor. Or their meeting location or the address of their Charter Organization, if practical.

OK, so what do you write?

Well, there are all sorts of ways to be personable without getting into too much personal disclosure. What were your impressions during the last Go-See-It with your first-grade Tiger Den? How’s planning going in lead-up to your next big crew outing?

Swap camping stories, from cooking to time in the tent with your Troop: Here versus there.

You can also start off by tying things to the Scouting stamp itself. It was designed by illustrator Craig Frazier, and depicts a Scout surveying the land from a mountaintop with the silhouette of a Scout peering through binoculars behind him.

More generally, if you collect Scouting memorabilia or stamps, note that first-day-of-issue postmarks are still available. The process for getting yours — one or several — is straightforward. Purchase one Scouting stamp for every envelope you want postmarked. Affix the stamps, and address each to yourself. Or friends, family members, and more. Then place the stamped, addressed envelopes into a larger envelope, which you’ll mail to the following address:

Scouting Stamp, Postmaster, 117 Milford Street, Bowling Green, VA 22427-9998

Upon receipt, that Postmaster will apply first-day-0f-issue postmarks, then mail your letters. There is no charge for this. But all requests must be postmarked by Sept. 27.

As we continue to celebrate this, the 100th year with the Boy Scouts of America here in the United States, the new Scouting stamp is a great way to encourage the old-fashioned value of letter writing. With pride in our organization.

And a great image for reaching out to those who mean the most to us.

Dell Deaton is a local volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, Great Sauk Trails Council. He currently serves as district vice chair for membership and as Chaplain in his son's Troop. Wood Badge C-60-08, Beaver Patrol. Former Cubmaster, Ann Arbor-based Pack. Check out /scouting_dell to Follow me on Twitter.

Professionally, Dell Deaton is a Christian divorce (and alternatives) counselor based in Saline, Michigan. Personal life: Re-married, father of one, with three dogs. Other interests include Ian Fleming and James Bond wristwatches, on which he is an internationally-recognized expert.