Daily BrewPoppy pins a handy idea, but not officially supported by the Royal Canadian Legion
Finally, there’s a way to wear a poppy, the international symbol of Remembrance, to honour Canadian veterans without stabbing yourself on the pin.
Legion branches in Calgary are selling little black pins which have a clasp on the back that will safely attach the poppy to your clothing. Great, right?
Not so fast. According to the Royal Canadian Legion, the poppy should be worn as distributed. The black centre is held on with a straight pin that is also used to attach it to the wearers’ lapel.
Poppypins.com claims their black pin with a gold edge is safer. “The reason this pin was developed was that many parents were reluctant to let their children wear a poppy because of the hazards the straight pin might pose,”claims the website, which is not affiliated with the Royal Canadian Legion.
The website only sells the black centre, not the whole red poppy, and they still urge customers to support the Poppy Campaign each year. A request for comment went unanswered.
Calls to the legion branches in Calgary showed that most are selling these black centre pins, with the majority charging $3.00, but prices range from $2.50 to $5.00. Some branches also mentioned they have booths set up at Bankers Hall in downtown Calgary, and at store entrances.
At one branch, a representative told Yahoo Canada that selling the pins is frowned upon officially, but each branch can do what they want, and that they are catering to the people. They have sold the pins in previous years.
What does the Royal Canadian Legion think of this? Bill Maxwell, a spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Legion, answered our questions about the pins.
“Our concern would be that they’re profiting from the poppy campaign itself,”says Maxwell. “And if it’s a commercial product, then they’re selling these things and they’re making a profit and presumably it’s going back to the manufacturer —we’d have to look further into who they are.”
“The Legion’s position is that the poppy should not be defaced in any way,”he says, adding that while they prefer private citizens don’t alter the poppy, they’d rather see someone use a Canadian flag pin or other addition to the poppy rather than to not wear one at all —“it’s their choice.”If one is in uniform, they would wear the poppy as is, says Maxwell.
How many poppies are distributed?
Over 20 million were sent out this year.
How should poppies be worn?
It should go on your left side, close to your heart. Take your palm, put it just below your shoulder, that’s where a poppy should be.
What about the kids?
Poppy stickers are available for children or seniors or anybody in the service industry who can’t use a pin on their clothing.
Is the poppy just used in Canada?
No. Poppies had been associated with the victims of the nineteenth century Napoleonic Wars, according to legion.ca, but the widespread use of poppies was inspired by John McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Fields.
A French woman visiting the United States borrowed the idea of wearing a poppy as a sign of Remembrance, and sold handmade poppies to raise money for the children in war-torn areas of her country.
It has been used by Canada since 1921. The British Legion has a different type of poppy but all Commonwealth countries have the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.
Where do the donations go?
Poppies are distributed freely, but the donated funds from the poppy campaign are put in trust at all legion branches. Every legion branch has a poppy trust fund. The use of those funds is described in the poppy manual. It’s very tightly prescribed.
The funds are used for veteran services, including services for all kinds of currently serving veterans, and those in need. The service bureau in Ottawa has case workers and there are service officers in a lot of our branches right across the country. And you don’t have to be a legion member to partake of their services.
Are they made in Canada?
Yes. The poppies distributed in Canada are manufactured commercially with strict quality control for the legion.
Would the legion consider selling this type of pin?
No. It has to be distributed to Canadians for the campaign, you want to have it as inexpensive as you can.
We have the poppy saver, which holds the poppy on; we have poppy pins; we have the Lest We Forget poppy pins and other things like that.
What do you do with your poppy after November 11?
If you’re at a ceremony, such as the Ottawa National Ceremony, people take the poppy and put it on the cenotaph or in Ottawa on the tomb of the unknown soldier as a tribute.
The Poppy is trademarked
The trademark of the poppy was registered on June 30, 1948. The Legion was granted trademark copyright of the Poppy symbol through an Act of Parliament.
The 54 page Poppy Manual spells out inappropriate uses on the poppy image, including: in the foreground of barbed wire; on floor tiles; medical vehicles or equipment; Remembrance Day signage used by corporations or retail outlets; clothing; music CDs; the promotion of alcoholic beverages; tattoos.
