April 2025 in preparation for the 65^th ANSDC Convenor, Nev McLachlan, wanted a small item about the Year Pins supplied in the Registration Pack, particularly for those who really didn’t know what the pins were for and to help promote the sale of the Convention Badges by the National Society.  Unfortunately he was not able to find the history of the Year Pin, so made some enquiries and now the story begins. .

April 2025

Ros Todd rang Ted Thomas and he was able to direct her to the correct National Convention when this took place. 

Prior to this there was a mention of badges made at the 11th National – “You will find the badges are self adhesive, you need only to lift the back at one corner and remove completely, the badge will then adhere to dress, blouse, shirt etc. ….. it was suggested that each dancer carry a small safety pin for emergencies.” (in case the adhesive doesn’t work)

Editors Meeting 14^th ANSDC

Suggestion received from Mr A Frost that the Square Dance Society of NSW produce a badge that could be sold to dancers and callers, the cost of same carried by the NSW Society and the profits to be used to defray future further rises in Review printing.  Mr Frost suggested the badge be based on a motif native to Australia.  Mr J. White advised the meeting that in America a National Convention badge was available, to which could be added a year badge for each convention the wearer had attended.  Further discussion ensued on this matter and it was finally agreed on suggestion by Mr G. Rigby that the shape of Australia would be considered a suitable basis for the main badge and that this meeting would make a recommendation to the Convention General Meeting that the suggestion be agreed to in principle by that meeting and that the matter be left in the hands of the Square Dance Society of NSW Executive Committee to finalise.  It was agreed that the monies raised from this effort would be held in Trust by the Square Dance Society of NSW to be defrayed against future increases in the cost of the Review, up to the amount held, therefore permitting the NSW Society to continue the distribution of the Review following any future price increases without immediately having to increase the selling prices to the States or carrying the load themselves.

It was finally agreed in general that the Square Dancing Society of NSW produce for the Adelaide Convention a badge based on the shape of Australia with provision for year badges, preferably in metal to allow durability and the badge to be kept as light as possible.  It was also agreed that there would have to be some manner of restriction on the distribution of past year badges to ensure that persons claiming same had actually attended the conventions concerned.

In the 15th Australian National Convention (SA) Minutes, badges came into being.

CONVENTION BADGE: Society of NSW was to produce a special Convention Badge.  President Charles Yaggs advised badges now on sale for $ 1.00 each.  There are small “year” buttons to attach to the larger convention badge.  Once five blue one-year buttons are obtained these can be replaced with a red five year button, which can later be replaced with a white ten-year button.  The cost of the “year” button is 50 cents each i.e. each blue one-year button costs 50 cents: each red five-year button costs 50 cents; each ten-year button costs 50 cents. 

When sending application forms to Sydney for previous year buttons, if five conventions have been attended, simply send 50 cents for a single red five-year button, not $ 2.50 for five blue one-year buttons.  If seven conventions have been attended, send 50 cents for a five-year button and $ 1.00 for two one year buttons, plus costs of postage on any order sent.

The badge was designed by the Executive of NSW and is financed by the Society of NSW and after recovery of expenses, profits will go towards paying for Review and then assist in avoiding price increases.

15th ANSDC – Adelaide 14 – 17 June 1974

The meeting passed a recommendation to this General Meeting requesting an agreement in principle that the Square Dance Society of New South Wales produce a small and presentable National Convention Badge, to which can be added each year, a bar or suitable token purchased at the Convention and representing attendance at the Convention of that year.  It was agreed that if this Recommendation is carried, the Square Dance Society of New South Wales, will produce with the initial orders, the sufficient year badges required by persons having attended Convention 1 to 14 and then would have sufficient bard produced each year for sale at subsequent Conventions.  It was also agree that all proceeds from the sale of this badge and yearly additions would be held in Trust by the Square Dancing Society of New South Wales to be offset against future Review cost increases up to the amount held.