No sooner does one Red Cross Christmas Seal Campaign end than
preparations for the next begins. While the public sees and hears of the
seal only during the months of November and December, when the seals are
on sale, a very large amount of preparatory work is necessary in order
that the sale may reach every section of the country and may be carried
on with the publicity and system which are necessary to success.
Although the returns from the season of 1912 are not yet all received,
the first important step toward the Christmas Seal Campaign of 1913 has
already been taken. This was a conference held in the offices of the
American Red Cross in Washington on February 28th and attended by many
of the principal State and city agents, who have demonstrated their
ability in past years and will be leaders in the campaign of this year.
It is gratifying to note that with each succeeding year the system and
methods of selling Christmas Seals are improving. In the first year
or two after the introduction of the Seals as a means of obtaining
support for anti-tuberculosis work, the venture was generally regarded
as one of those novelties which, after a transient popularity, drop
quickly out of use. Agents thought it scarcely worth while to undertake
the trouble and expense of systematizing their methods of selling and
accounting. Gradually the permanent value of the Seal as a method of
interesting a very large number of people in anti-tuberculosis work and
in raising large sums of money without unjustly burdening any givers
began to be apparent. From that time the methods of distributing, selling
and accounting for the Seals have been made the subject of careful
study. System and business methods have been gradually introduced,
with the result that instead of falling away, the sales of Seals have
increased with each year, while economies which have been introduced in
administration have increased the percentage of net profit.
In the winter of 1912 the first conference was held of agents for the
Seals for the discussion and interchange of experiences and for the
purpose of reaching an agreement upon questions of interest to all. That
conference was so prolific of good results in the Seal campaign of 1912
that a second similar conference was held on February 28th, as above
mentioned.
An idea of the thoroughness with which the agents are considering the
business of distributing the Seals may be gained from a mention of a few
topics considered at this conference. The first subject of discussion was
the design for the Christmas Seal of 1913 and the form which the Seal
should take. It was the unanimous opinion of those present that the Seal
should contain some pictorial design suitable to the Christmas season,
rather than a purely ornamental design of artistic merit, but without any
particular human appeal. Without exception the agents reported that the
design for 1912, containing a head of Santa Claus, had proved the most
popular yet adopted.
Another subject discussed was the character, variety and quantity of
advertising matter to be prepared. It was reported that an experiment in
selling Seals through penny-in-the-slot machines had proved unsuccessful,
and this method of distribution was disapproved. From many agents it
was learned that the sale of Seals through a simple mail order system
had proved successful and inexpensive. In many busy offices agents for
the Seals find it difficult to obtain a hearing by personal calls, when
a brief, well-expressed letter will receive a prompt and favorable
response. In certain cities fully half the Seals sold in 1912 were
disposed of in this manner.
It was found to be the consensus of opinion among agents that the
offering of prizes for the sale of Seals, especially individual prizes
to school children, is inadvisable. A few agents reported the successful
use of prizes for schools, but not to individual pupils, without apparent
disadvantages. All agreed that great care must be exercised in offering
prizes in order to avoid stimulating children to improper methods.
Several agents reported that citizens of their communities had complained
of annoyance because of the numerous calls at their doors by children
desirous of selling Seals. One agent described a method of avoiding this
nuisance which has proved completely successful in his community. This
method is for a citizen who has purchased Christmas Seals to paste one of
the seals on his door knob or front door. Any child approaching a door
and seeing a seal thus posted, understands that he is not to disturb that
household, as its supply of Seals is already purchased. By announcing
this system of protection through the press and in the schools it is said
to have fully accomplished its purpose.
Tn Ohio the State agent for the Seals adopted a method of awarding
prizes which is reported to have been extremely successful, not only as
a stimulus to the selling of Seals, but as an educational factor. The
agent offered to supply a visiting nurse for one month to each of the
twelve cities in the State of Ohio which sold the largest percentage
of Seals in proportion to its population. A trained visiting nurse was
employed by the State agent for one year and was sent in turn from city
to city among the prize winners, serving one month in each locality. Not
only did this prove an extremely popular arrangement, but in six of the
cities benefited by the plan in 1912, the public became so impressed
by the value of the visiting nurse that they arranged to employ nurses
permanently upon the withdrawal of the prize nurse.
It has been found by experience that the distribution and sale of
Seals can best be carried on through the appointment of State agents,
who in turn appoint, and are responsible for, the local agents. The
State agents return to the American Red Cross 10 per cent of the gross
proceeds of sales in their respective States. This 10 per cent is to
cover the expense to the Red Cross, which manufactures and distributes
the Seals and the large quantity and variety of advertising matter used
by the agents. The conference discussed at length the question of the
percentage which the local agents should pay to the State agents. This
discussion resulted in the conclusion that it is impracticable to fix
upon a percentage applicable to all States alike. Local conditions vary
so widely in different States that a percentage which would be fair in
one State might be unsatisfactory in another. The reports indicated that
the percentages charged by State agents to their local agencies vary from
2½ to 20 per cent on gross sales, although in one or two instances the
percentage required to be returned to the State agents has exceeded 20
per cent.
Many other subjects of material interest were discussed, and no doubt
exists that the conference will prove to have been of material value
to all who participated in it. The agents who were present were the
following:
Dr. William Charles White, of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Frank H. Mann, of New York City.
Mr. William J. Deeney, of Philadelphia.
Mr. Karl de Schweinits, of Philadelphia.
Dr. Hoyt E. Dearholt, of Milwaukee.
Dr. R. H. Bishop, of Cleveland, O.
Mr. D. Van Blarcom, of New York City.
Mr. Ernest D. Easton, of Newark.
Mr. Severance Burrage, of Indianapolis.
Mr. H. Wirt Steele, of Baltimore.
Mr. L. B. Meyers, of Charlotte, N. C.
Mr. James Jenkins, Jr., of Brooklyn.
Mr. William C. Smallwood, of Newark.
Mr. Roy L. French, of Baltimore.
Mr. Kendall Weisiger, of Atlanta.
Besides the agents above mentioned, there were also present Dr.
Livingston Farrand and Mr. Philip P. Jacobs, of the National Association
for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, and Miss Mabel T. Boardman,
Mr. Ernest P. Bicknell and Mr. Charles L. Magee, of the American Red
Cross.
The National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, as
in 1911 and 1912, has been appointed by the Red Cross as national sales
agent for the Christmas Seals. The appointment of State agents, as in the
past, will be in the hands of the national sales agent.
While it is not possible at this time to publish a complete statement of
returns from the Christmas Seal campaign of 1912, the following figures
will show the results reached by some of the leading agents:
PARTIAL STATEMENT OF THE RESULTS OF CHRISTMAS SEAL SALES FOR 1912
COMPILED FROM THE REPORTS OF AGENTS.
_Number _Number _Percentage
_Agency._ of of of
Seals Rec’d._ Seals Sold._ Seals Sold._
Arkansas 140,000 118,819 84.8
California 5,500,000 1,373,520 24.9
Connecticut—
Danbury 25,000 15,305 61.2
Hartford 250,000 148,035 59.2
Litchfield 40,000 32,960 82.4
Meriden 100,100 5,554 5.5
Middletown 75,000 34,741 46.3
New Britain 125,000 74,257 59.4
New Haven 600,000 228,220 38.3
New London 50,000 19,893 39.7
Norwich 120,000 82,694 68.9
Stamford 40,000 30,385 75.9
Waterbury 250,000 184,921 73.9
Delaware 75,000 42,746 56.9
District of Columbia 374,500 362,716 96.8
Georgia 1,800,000 770,770 42.8
Hawaii 400,000 179,995 44.9
Illinois 6,000,000 1,821,520 30.3
Iowa 1,500,000 410,440 27.3
Kentucky—
Covington 100,000 36,406 36.4
Cynthiana 10,000 1,205 12.0
Henderson 50,000 10,040 20.0
Lexington 140,000 61,505 43.9
Louisville 300,000 180,446 60.1
Owensboro 30,000 8,240 27.4
Paducah 100,000 48,349 48.3
Louisiana 600,000 281,784 46.8
Maine 1,500,000 304,884 20.3
Maryland 1,000,000 512,819 51.2
Massachusetts—
Boston 2,500,000 1,353,969 54.1
Holyoke 100,000 52,114 52.1
Pittsfield 100,000 71,345 71.3
Springfield 150,000 89,265 59.5
Michigan 3,000,000 1,078,464 35.9
Mississippi 500,000 153,220 30.6
Montana—
Billings 75,100 14,870 19.8
Great Falls 20,000 17,358 86.7
Nebraska 720,000 289,360 40.1
New Hampshire 190,000 100,180 52.7
New York—
Brooklyn 2,100,000 1,323,220 63.0
New York City 4,000,000 2,079,324 51.9
North Carolina 801,500 396,053 49.4
Oregon 1,000,000 124,536 12.4
Pennsylvania 2,000,000 1,297,531 64.8
Rhode Island 2,000,000 1,101,700 55.0
South Carolina—
Georgetown 10,000 400 4.0
Spartanburg 20,000 8,860 44.3
South Dakota—
Aberdeen 25,100 5,510 21.9
Sioux City 40,000 8,929 22.3
Tennessee 1,000,000 118,300 11.8
Utah—
Ogden 50,000 8,000 16.0
Salt Lake City 100,000 100,000 100.0
Vermont 125,000 65,786 52.6
Virginia 250,000 151,450 60.5
West Virginia 700,000 457,175 65.3
Wisconsin 3,000,000 2,896,840 96.5
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Total 45,871,300 20,746,938 45.2
The important position which the Red Cross Christmas Seal now occupies
as a means of support for anti-tuberculosis work in the United States is
indicated by the fact that the sales of the Seal, since its introduction
five years ago, have amounted to a total of more than $1,000,000. Every
year the sale has exceeded that of the year preceding. In 1911 the total
sale amounted to $339,656.08, and it is believed that the complete
reports of the sale in 1912 will show a considerable increase over that
amount.