For the first 40 years, the Slovenian Summer Camp was known by a number of different names.  Some of these names were accurate while others were almost nicknames or endearments.  Over the years, the camp has been known as "Farma", Cerkvena farma, "Letovišče", and the "Farm" to name a few.  With the changing times, the need to portray a more professional image became important especially when dealing with outside agencies. 

In 1997, on behalf of the Committee, John Kuri Jr. initiated a logo contest.  Up to this point, the Camp had no official emblem that it could call its own.  The goal was to adopt a logo that symbolized the meaning of the Camp that was easily recognizable and would be something the members would be proud of.  In addition, the Committee wanted the project completed in time for the 40th anniversary.

The contest ran for an entire year and numerous entries were submitted, all of which were exceptional.  Since there was no clear-cut winner and all the logos submitted symbolized a different facet of the Camp, the Committee asked Peter Hočevar, a graphic designer, for assistance.

After many drafts and versions, the design in this book was selected.  The overall concept of the emblem is that of a branch from which is growing a linden leaf (a symbol of Slovenia) and a Canadian maple leaf.  The branch itself is a representation of the Caledon Hills where SSC is located and the striping represents the sky.  The cross within the maple leaf demonstrates the religious aspect of the SSC.  This subtly refers to Frederick Baraga who lived and worked in the Great Lakes region.  When looking at the leaves and the branch as a whole, one can see that the linden leaf is like a tree that casts a shadow in the shape of a maple leaf while the veins on the maple leaf form a cross pointing to the tip of the maple leaf (i.e. downhill).

As a whole, the goal of this logo design represents the essence of SSC, which includes religious, national, and recreational aspects (the recreational represented by the overall resort feeling of the logo and the reference to nature) while maintaining legibility when reproduced in various sizes.  The colour version was originally designed for use on clothing and as such has a colour selection that can be modified to suit the current fashion trends, and the black and white version throughout the book is used for our official correspondence.

The logo, first used in the spring of 1998, was officially unveiled as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations in July of 1998.  It was well received by all members and since then has started to appear on clothing, pins, and awards.

(With thanks, this article was written by John Kuri Jr. and was taken from the SSC 40th anniversary book.)