Posted June 21, 2015
Fifty years. Five decades, Half a Century. No matter how you say it, it's a big deal. In 2015, the Canadian Society of Military Medals & Insignia (CSMMI), celebrates reaching this milestone. From humble beginnings in 1965, our two founders Harvey Mitchell and Don Barnett, felt there was a need for this organization, and together with sixteen other charter members met in Milton for the first official meeting. You can get an account of those early days and the development of the CSMMI through an article by Don Barnett called Some Early Memories posted under the About/History section. Today, the Society continues to be strong with a membership base that spans Canada and extends into the USA and overseas.
To mark this significant achievement, the CSMMI has launched its 50th anniversary logo. Designed by CSMMI member Lawrence Stasiuk, the logo is a compilation of symbols from our hobby. The circular form was picked as it is a dominant shape found amongst medals, badges and buttons. The full name of the Canadian Society of Military Medals & Insignia is wrapped around the perimeter in a style found on medals and other insignia. The font selected was Copperplate Gothic chosen to represent the engravings and impressing of named medals. The Society logo with its crown is placed at top centre as crowns are customarily done. The colours red and white are symbolic of Canada's national colours, and together with the blue is a nod to the previous Canadian colours. The dates 1965 - 2015 illustrate the year it all began and the large 50th draws attention to this significant milestone in the Society's history.
We are grateful to our charter members who had the vision to create and develop our Society. We thank all past and current members who have grown the CSMMI and managed its affairs. This year, we have earned the right to feel good about ourselves and to take some time to celebrate. If you have the opportunity to attend the Annual Two-day Convention or one of our monthly shows this year, we hope you will share a story or two from the past or perhaps provide your thoughts on our future.
Web Editor