October 29, 2001 Scoutmasters of River Trails: With the problems many of our government officials are facing today concerning the mail, I have made some phone calls to the offices of Congressman Gephardt, Senator Carnahan and Senator Bond concerning the handling of their mail. Letters written to Congressman Gephardt and Senator Bond and sent to their Missouri addresses will be opened providing: 1. The boys include their return address on the envelope. 2. The envelopes need to be typed. 3. The return addresses should also include a reference to their troop affiliation, such as Joe Smith, Boy Scout Troop 735, 123 Maple Drive, High Ridge, MO 63000. Senator Bond's office said any envelope that is handwritten will be looked at closely before it is opened, but if the boys include a troop reference it will help. Senator Bond's office also said they would be looking for these letters as well. Congressman Gephardt's office will also open his mail. Senator Carnahan's office does not open the mail. They return it. However, they will accept faxes and e-mails. I am including the address, fax numbers and e-mail address for all these individuals. You may wish to pass this information on to your boys. However, since one of the requirements is they address the letters properly, please encourage them to look up the proper salutations themselves. Your boys need to know the names of their senators and congressman. Please do not just give them this information; encourage them to go on a fact finding mission to learn this information. The Honorable Richard A. Gephardt 11140 South Town Square Suite 201 St. Louis, MO 63123 Fax: 314-845-8675 E-mail: gephardt@mail.house.gov The Honorable Christopher "Kit" Bond 308 E. High, Suite 202 Jefferson City, MO 65101 Fax: 573-634-6005 E-mail: Kit_Bond@bond.senate.gov The Honorable Jean Carnahan Fax: 314-436-9640 E-mail: carnahan@carnahan.senate.gov Please remind the boys the letters, if handwritten, must be in ink and legible. All letters should be checked for spelling errors, and ready to mail, fax, or e-mail after they have been approved. If you have any questions at all, please phone me at home at 636-343-9267. Sincerely, Jean Stephens Merit Badge Counselor Citizenship in the Nation |
Open Letter from a Citizenship merit badge counselor about addressing mail. |
