U.S. #4470
44¢ Garfield
Sunday Funnies
Issue Date: July 16, 2010
City: Columbus, OH
Garfield makes being lazy, fat, and selfish seem like virtues. Cartoonist Jim Davis’ comic-strip cat captured the attention of the world in 1978. Since then, Garfield has become the most widely syndicated cartoon in the world, appearing in over 2,500 newspapers.
Cranky and sarcastic, the orange tabby makes no apologies for his dim view of the world. But with an owner like Jon Arbuckle, hopelessly incompetent and with a tragically bad fashion sense, it’s hard for Garfield to be impressed by humans. Dogs are no better, if slobbering Odie is any example. Dim-witted and having a tongue like a soaked sponge, Odie seems forever destined to be booted off the end of the coffee table by Garfield.
Surrounded by such companions, Garfield is comforted by the things he loves most – steaming pans of lasagna and his teddy bear, Pooky. Garfield also enjoys squashing spiders with a rolled-up newspaper and making fun of Jon and Odie. The mice in the house don’t take Garfield seriously. Nermal, the World’s Cutest Kitten, likes to remind Garfield that he’s getting old. But whenever things get too crazy, or the alarm clock goes off on a Monday, Garfield crawls back to his bed and does what he does best – take a nap.
Future Farmers of America Stamp
US #1024 pictures a future farmer, wearing a jacket with the organization’s emblem, standing before a farm with rolling hills in the distance.
On October 13, 1953, the US Post Office issued a 3¢ stamp honoring the 25th anniversary of the Future Farmers of America. It was issued at the place the organization was founded – Kansas City, Missouri.
US #1024 – Classic First Day Cover
The Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act was passed in 1917 to give federal funds to states for high school classes in certain vocations – agriculture, family and consumer sciences, trades, and industries. Just a few years later, in the early 1920s, Virginia created a Future Farmers of Virginia Club for the boys in those agriculture classes. Over time, other states created their own Future Farmer organizations.
Item #57345C – Jimmy Carter was part of the FFA and later hosted organization leaders when he was president.
As more of these state groups were formed, they realized the next step would be to create a national organization. Therefore, in 1928, a group of these agriculture students met in Kansas City, MO, for the third annual National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students. During that convention on November 20, 33 students from 18 states met at the Baltimore Hotel in Kansas City and officially formed the Future Farmers of America.
US #4789 – Johnny Cash was in the FFA in the mid-to-late 1940s.
Also known as the FFA, the organization they founded provided support for agricultural education and leadership training for high school students. After granting charters in 48 states across the US, the National FFA Foundation was established in 1944.
US #4470 – Garfield creator Jim Davis was chapter president in the FFA.Four years later, the FFA participated in an international exchange program with the Young Farmers Club of Great Britain. Today, the FFA sends more than 350 students to 25 countries annually to share knowledge and promote agricultural careers. In the US and its territories, there are 735,038 (685,226 of whom are alumni) members in 8,817 chapters, making it one of the largest youth organizations in the country.