Terms and Conditions Governing their Sale and Disposition of the Proceeds.
Practical experience in the Red Cross Christmas stamp campaign in the season of 1908, and in the distribution of the proceeds from stamp sales, has shown the necessity of certain changes in conditions and methods. The rules which will govern in the sale of stamps and disbursement of proceeds from July 1, 1909, until further notice are as follows:
Rule 1. The American Red Cross will appoint agents to sell the stamps and dispose of the proceeds. The stamps will not be sold to agents but will remain the property of the Red Cross until sold at retail by the agents. Agents will be such State branches and sub-divisions of the Red Cross and such anti-tuberculosis societies or other organizations as may be appointed.
Rule 2. Before entrusting the sale of Christmas stamps to any society, the Red Cross will require satisfactory evidence of the reliability and standing of the society and its ability to creditably carry out the Red Cross purposes in the expenditure of the proceeds from stamp sales.
Every State branch or subdivision and every other society desiring to sell Christmas stamps is required to first submit to the Central Committee a statement of the particular anti-tuberculosis work which it proposes to support or promote with the proceeds from the stamp sales. If the organization desiring to sell stamps intends to expend the money itself, the statement should make plain the exact character of the work proposed to be carried on. If it intends to turn the money over for expenditure to one or more other societies or agencies, the names of such other societies or agencies and the kind of work for which the money will be expended by them should be explicitly stated.
All the information called for in rule 2 should reach the National office of the Red Cross during the summer in order that there may be no delay in the appointment of agents or the forwarding of stamps when the selling period arrives.
Rule 3. The appointment of agents will be for the period ending March 1, 1910. During the term of its appointment an agent shall have the exclusive right to sell Red Cross stamps within the city (including suburbs) in which such agent is situated and the expenditure of the proceeds of the sale of stamps will be under the immediate direction of such agent, in accordance with the general plan approved by the Red Cross.
Rule 4. The American Red Cross will supply Christmas stamps to agents free of charge. It will also supply, free of charge, posters and printed matter intended to assist in the sale of stamps.
Rule 5. When the stamp sale is ended the agent will return all unsold stamps to the National office of the Red Cross. The Red Cross must pay for all stamps printed whether they are sold or not. Unsold stamps returned are a total loss. In view of this all agents are requested to order stamps with the utmost care. It is expected that all orders can be promptly filled. There will, therefore, be no necessity for trying to make a first order large enough to cover all the demands for the entire season. This advice is especially urged upon agents who have not heretofore sold the stamps.