Semi-Postals are stamps that serve two purposes. First, they have a value, as other stamps do, which prepays postal services. Second, they provide funds for a particular non-postal charity or public purpose. When these stamps are purchased, a fixed amount is collected for each of the two purposes. The costs are typically represented on stamps with both costs, such as: 32 + 8. The cost of such a stamp is 40 currency units (such as cents or pence), where 32 units can be used for postage and 8 units will be applied to the specified cause. (Exception: The US Breast Cancer semi-postal fees were not printed on the stamp - the stamp did not indicate the combined sum of postage and contribution.)
The Scouting Movement has sometimes been the recipient of the funds collected in excess of the postal value. Particularly as the early Scout stamps were being issued, at least some of the additional fee collected went to the benefit of the country's Scout program. Here are some examples of semi-postals which provided some or all of the secondary charge to Scouting.