The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-12-11
THE STORY OF THE CHRISTMAS
SEAL

When you buy your Christmas
Seals to fight tuberculosis, suppose
you recall with me where and how
the idea of the Christmas Seal origi-
mated. 1t is an interesting story and
one that will bear repeating.
Back in 1903 in little village of
Denmark, a postmaster, Einar Hol-
boell, got the idea of the Christmas
Seal as he was sorting the volum-
nous Christmas mail. He noticed
great variety of CHEEKY greetings go
ing to friends and relatives and he
wondered why these letters could not
carry a message Of health that would
bring funds with which to fight d.
sease. Out of that thought grew the
Christmas Seal. The king and queen
of Denmark gave patronage to Einar
Holboell's idea and in 1904 the first
seal became a reality. Other Scan
iinavian countries soon took up the
.dea and in 1907 an American wo-
man, Emily P. Bissell, living in Will
lnington, Delaware, read an account
If the Danish Christmas Seal in the
Outlook and decided that If his
plan worked over there, it was worth
rying in this country. And so, In
he Christmas season of 1907, Miss
3issell launched the first seal sale.
So successful was 1t and so enthusi-
astic was she over the inherent worth
If the Christmas Seal that she per-
,uaded the American Red Cross, with
which she was closely associated, to
nv out a nationwide seal sale in the
,all of 1908. To the surprise Of
everyone interested, this seal sale,
with very little organization, brought
N $4,000.
In 1910 the American Red Cross
:ook the recently organized National
tuberculosis Association into part
nership for the conduct of the Christ
mas Seal sale. For ten years, that
8, until 1920, this partnership exist
ed and each year the seals were sold
az Red Cross Christmas Seals under
the American Red Cross subsidy but
with the National tuberculosis Asso-
| citation and it's affiliated state and To-
cal associations reaping the benefits
\ from the sale. From Miss Bissell's
original sale of $4,000 in Whining
on, interest grew in every part of
| The United States until in 1919, the
asst year the Red Cross was asso-
dated with the seal sale, nearly 3d.
100000 was raised.
In 1920, the American Red Cross,
desiring to concentrate on its own
annual membership roll call. with
drew from the partnership. Since
then, the National Tuberculosis AS
ISOLATION has been sole proprietor of
The Christmas Seal in the United
States and each year it authorizes
the forty-eight states and thousands
of local committees to sell the seals
and to carry on the fight against tu-
berculosis Since 1920 the seals
have regularly borne only the double
barred cross emblem of the interna-
tional fight against tuberculosis and
| the American Red Cross Is no longer
in any way associated with the
| Christmas Seal sale.
More than forty foreign countries
have adopted Einar Holboell's idea
and have used or are now using
Christmas Seals as a means of sup
port for their tuberculosis programs.
In the United States practically all
the work of the state and local tuber-
culosis associations is supported by
the ANNUAL sale of these seals. BY
mutual agreement between the Ma
tional, state and local associations,
95 per cent of the gross proceeds
from the seal sale remain in the state
where the seals are sold.
| AS Christmas approaches and the
annual sale of Christmas Seals is car
ried on, you are urged to join with
the millions of men, women and
children throughout the length and
breadth of our country who are shar-
| ing their Christmas joy with others
by helping to fight tuberculosis. Buy
your Christmas Seals today!
|