MAFIKENG 100 Years
Bophuthatswana, Mafikeng · 1985-03-11
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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front
info card
This cover is postmarked on 11 March 1985 in Mafikeng, with a special postmark bearing the Scout fleur-de-lis emblem. It carries a Bophuthatswana definitive stamp from the wildlife series depicting a lizard, used here in connection with the Mafikeng Centenary Scout Camporee held from 9 to 16 March 1985. The Camporee marked a century since Mafikeng's founding in 1885, but the town's connection to Scouting runs deeper still: it was during the Siege of Mafeking in 1900 that a young Colonel Robert Baden-Powell organised local boys as young as nine into "Siege Cadets" to free up men for the firing line, an experience that directly inspired his founding of the Boy Scout movement in 1908. As part of the centenary, an Eternal Flame was lit at Baden-Powell's birthplace in England and carried by relay all the way to a new memorial in Mafikeng.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet shows an illustrated hand gripping a Scout staff topped with a fleur-de-lis finial, set against a bold orange, blue and white graphic design. Large orange numerals reading "100" dominate the composition, with "The Mafikeng Centenary" wrapped around them in blue and orange lettering. Below, the cover reads "Mafikeng Centenary Scout Camporee, 9th–16th March 1985" alongside a small leopard emblem.
Information Card
MAFIKENG CENTENARY BOY SCOUTS CAMPOREE, COOKE'S LAKE, MARCH 1985 Boy Scouts from many parts of the world will be united in Mafikeng from 9 to 16 March 1985 when a CAMPOREE has been arranged to coincide with the centenary celebrations of this historic town. On 11 March 1885, General Sir Charles Warren laid out the village of Mafeking near to the "Place of Stones" (Mafikeng) on the Molopo River where Kgosi Montshiwa and the Barolong people had settled in the early 1850s. The original germ of the idea that eventually led to the forming of the Boy Scouts was born in the mind of Lord Baden-Powell when, as the colonel in charge of the British defences during the famous Siege of Mafeking in 1900, he organised a group of youths in the town into a useful body known as the "Siege Cadets". The men of Mafeking were needed for the firing line and the more of them that could be released from other duties by "boy power", the better. The original cadet corps was started with a group of 18 boys, some as young as 9 years old. They were fitted out with khaki uniforms and forage hats scrounged from army supplies, and trained for their various tasks by means of games and competitions. Soon they were able to perform the duties assigned to them, which included carrying military messages, delivering civilian mail, acting as orderlies and taking turns at look-out posts. The boys showed amazing eagerness to accept responsibility and carried out their tasks with thoroughness and lack of fear, often risking their lives in the line of duty. The Siege Cadets were recognised as an official part of the Mafeking defences. The Boy Scouts concept bloomed some years later when a number of young lads in England, spurred on by tales of the great soldier's military exploits, urged him to form an organisation based on the principles and ideals which have subsequently made Scouting famous. In 1908 Lord Baden-Powell officially founded the movement that is known so well throughout the world today. The town fathers of Mafikeng cordially invite the International Boy Scout Association to be part of these centenary celebrations. THE ETERNAL FLAME In order to create a lasting tribute to Lord Baden-Powell and Scouting's wonderful image, a flame will be lit at his birthplace in England and Scouts will run with it to Southampton Docks, where a member of the great man's family will travel by sea with the flame to Cape Town, South Africa. There another group of Scouts will run with the flame up to Mafikeng, where a memorial is to be erected to honour Lord Baden-Powell and Scouting. The flame will light an "Eternal Flame" which will burn in a niche in the memorial. At the end of the Centenary Scout Camporee, the Scouts attending will be invited to take coals from the Eternal Flame of Scouting in Mafikeng back to their own countries where similar Eternal Flames may be lit.
Theme: Heritage
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.3 (ZAR)
Estimated value: ~US$0.1
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 256 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
