Scouting History Through Postcards

Scouting can generate so many interests. For a few, that interest became Scout postcards. The World Scouting Museum is fortunate to have acquired some of the largest collections in the world in large part because of the friendships of Dr. Lynn Horne.

The World Scouting Museum’s collection of Scout Postcards (all of which will eventually be available for viewing on this site) has four sources:

Lynn Horne’s collection accumulated between 1975 and 1989.
Marv Gershenfeld’s collection, was purchased by Lynn after Marv’s death in 1989.
Claude Marchal’s Collection, purchased from Solange after Claude’s death.
Those purchased by the museum after 1999.

Lynn Horne’s aunt, Dorthea, introduced him to philately on his 8th birthday when she gave him 2 stamp albums: US and Worldwide. Because of his interest in Scouting he soon began to collect the topic “Scouts on Stamps”. By age 10 he had joined the Scouts on Stamps Society International (SOSSI) of which he is now a lifetime member. Before 1975, he had some postcards in his collection, like the one issued by the USA for the 1967 World Jamboree in Farragut Idaho. In 1975, after he saw Marv Gershenfeld’s collection, he actively began to collect Scout Postcards.

Marv’s collection was amazing to me—so many cards of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Girl Guides from all over the world, going back to the early teens. I started to avidly collect this area, but never dreamed one day I would be able to have all of Marv’s collection“
Dr. Robert Lynn Horne

The World Scouting Museum is proud to share online the collection of Marvin (Marv) Aaron Gershenfeld, MD. Below is the interesting story of Marv’s scouting background.

Biography Of Marvin Aaron Gershenfeld, MD

(as told by his widow Matti Gershenfeld and friend Lynn Horne)

“Marv” (as all of his friends called him) was born in Philadelphia on June 21, 1923. He lived there his entire life. Marv had appendicitis at age 6. It had such a profound effect on him that he decided in the hospital to become a physician. He never wavered in this resolve.

Even though the Philadelphia Area Council was extremely active, he was never in Scouting as a boy. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a B.S. degree before entering the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He graduated in 1947, and the next day married Matti Kibrick.

They had four sons, all of whom became members of Troop 185. Dad got his first exposure to Scouting when he also joined the Troop, first as a member of the Troop Committee, and later as Assistant Scoutmaster. He progressed from going on camping trips with his sons to going to Scouting events without them.

Lynn met Marv shortly after he graduated from Medical School while Marv was serving as Chief Medical Officer for the 1975 National Order of the Arrow Conference. Marv had already served under Hal Yokum, MD (Silver Buffalo recipient in 2007) as Chief Medical Officer for the Staff Health Center in 1973 at Jamboree East. Marv continued to serve as CMO of the Staff Health Center at the 1977 Jamboree (with Lynn working for him), the 1981 Jamboree, and at Wilcox Health Center for the 1985 National Jamboree (again with Lynn). Lynn served under Marv at the NOAC Medical Center in 1977, but Marv insisted that he switch roles with Lynn at the 1979, 1981, and 1983 NOACs, which led to Lynn receiving the OA Distinguished Service award in 1986.

Marv received many honors from the Philadelphia Area Council, including the Silver Beaver.

In the process of helping his sons advance in Scouting, he became interested in collecting “The Order of The Arrow”. Collecting became a major passion — collecting, talking, meeting, trading, learning, and teaching. He amassed what at the time was the largest collection of “Order of the Arrow” patches ever assembled. “When the boys moved on their rooms were taken over by the patch collection,” says Matti.

His interest in collecting Scouting memorabilia expanded to “Scout Post Cards” from around the world, and that was how he met and became friends with Claude Marchal. It was clear that either Marv or Claude had the largest collection of Scout Postcards in the World. They never did determine whose collection was the largest, but both collections were later merged by Lynn, whom Marv introduced to Claude. Marv had more cards from the US and Claude had more from Europe.

Lynn has always believed Marv had a premonition of his death, because when Marv was asked to again serve on the 1989 Jamboree Medical Staff, he repeatedly declined, saying “No, I won’t be there for the Jamboree.” “That was so unlike Marv — he NEVER turned down a request to serve others”, said Lynn.

Two weeks before the Jamboree began, Marv died suddenly at age 66 in his home while taking an afternoon nap.

Lynn’s own father, also a Vigil Honor member who was never a Scout as a boy, died in 1972. Marv served as his friend and mentor, both in medicine and in Scouting, beginning in 1975 when Lynn first moved to Philadelphia. “Marv personified the concept of Cheerful Service that Erner Goodman always spoke of”, said Lynn.