Boy Scout Special Passport (USA) 1947 – Super Rare

Tom Topol Hours

I often get contacted by readers about passports, but this Boy Scout Special Passport was indeed special. This time, I got an email from a lady from the U.S. She mentioned Boy Scouts, but I was assuming it was just an entry in the passport. Boy (Scout), was I wrong! I learned today, as I never saw this type of passport!

Boy Scouts of America, Certificate of Identification, 1947The Special Passport Boy Scout Special Passport

from 1947 was issued to an official member of the delegation for the 6th World Boy Scout Jamboree in Moisson, France. This was the first jamboree to have been held after Baden-Powell’s death in 1941. It was originally planned to take place in 1941 in France.

Following the devastation of World War II, this event was aptly named the Jamboree of Peace. The Jamboree showed that even through the years of the war, the Scout Movement was still strong and growing. 24,152 Scouts attended the event from 38 countries. Boy Scout Special Passport

Baden-Powell Boy Scout Special Passport

was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the world-wide Scout Movement, and founder, with his sister Agnes, of the world-wide Girl Guide/Girl Scout Movement. Baden-Powell authored the first editions of the seminal work Scouting for Boys, which was an inspiration for the Scout Movement.

Lloyd Wagner Reckon

The travel document was issued to Lloyd Wagner Reckon July 14th 1947, passport no. 1045 (BS-1078). He was an accredited member of the delegation to France. There are visas from France, Netherlands, and Belgium. The text in the passport on page five is special, and only to find in this type. Boy Scout Special Passport

"This passport is issued to enable the bearer to attend the Sixth Boy Scout Jamboree. It is valid for travel to France and the necessary countries' en route, including the British Isles, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Italy. 

It is not valid beyond October 15, 1947, and will expire immediately upon the bearers return to the United States."

Remark

So far, this type has only been documented for the years 1959, 1957, and 1947, making it the rarest, and only the latter contains this unique text. Each of the mentioned years saw the issuance of only 1000–2000 copies. Even the archive of the State Dept doesn’t have one in its archive, as my contacts confirmed.