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Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
Toronto · 1950–2025
The Society’s Records

Awards and Ribbons

← History & Records · 34 awards · People of the Society →

The awards the Society gave, as its own newsletter defined them, with the members the competition records show receiving them. Where the records name no recipient, none is invented here.

Craftsman Ribbon

Awarded for outstanding craftsmanship.

Craftsman Ribbon is given at the Annual for articles displayed at the Annual Convention. The Fellows judge the pieces for outstanding craftsmanship. There is no monetary award for these awards. The pieces must have been made in the last year and not have been shown in any other Annual to qualify.

Recorded recipients

Salon Ribbon

Awarded for unique, original or outstanding idea or work.

Salon Ribbon is given at the Annual for articles displayed at the Annual Convention. The Fellows judge the pieces at the Annual for their unique, original or outstanding idea or work. There is no monetary award for these awards. The pieces must have been made in the last year and not have been shown in any other Annual to qualify.

Recorded recipients

Irva Ford Memorial Award

Awarded for best molded piece.

This award is given for the best molded piece at the Annual if there is not a Biennial that year.

Recorded recipients

Robert Muma Memorial Award

Awarded for best tooling or colour work.

For the best tooling or colour work awarded at the Annual. The amount given for this award is $50.00 and is paid from the CSCL General funds.

Recorded recipients

Best in Show

Awarded at the Annual meeting. This is selected by the Fellows. The amount given for this award is $50.00 and is paid from the Draw fund. A Bronze Zelaitis pin is also awarded.

Recorded recipients

Best General Member Piece

Awarded at the Annual meeting. Requires a MINIMUM of 5 individual General members that have entered a piece of their work. The amount given for this award is $50.00 and is paid from the Draw fund.

Recorded recipients

Best Branch Display

This is voted on by the member’s at the Annual meeting. The amount given for this award is $50.00 and is paid from the Draw fund.

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

Workshop Award Al Foss Award

Awarded for best piece of work resulting from a CSCL Workshop.

Awarded at the Annual General Meeting for the best piece of work resulting from a CSCL Workshop by a General Member or Member-at-Large who is not a Fellow or Associate. The piece must be submitted at the closest Annual General Meeting after the CSCL Workshop took place. Requires a MINIMUM of 5 individual members that have entered a piece of their work. The amount given for this award is $50.00 and is paid from the Toronto Branch Al Foss fund.

Recorded recipients

Weston Trophy

Awarded for Carving, molding, finishing, colouring, lacing, whatever each piece entails.

Awarded at the Annual meeting. This is a branch award. The number of pieces is reviewed each year at the annual. It is judged prior to the Annual on a minimum of 4 pieces submitted by 4 members of a competing branch unless the number is changed. It is judged for all aspects of leather crafting. Carving, molding, finishing, colouring, lacing, whatever each piece entails. The critique is read at the annual during the general meeting and the Weston Trophy is presented to the winning branch. Each winning entrant receives a ribbon.

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

Ontario Crafts Council Award

Awarded for best design at the Annual.

This is given for the best design at the Annual. This is selected by the Fellows. The award is a one-year membership to the Ontario Crafts Council. The Application for OCC along with a picture of the winning article is sent in by the CSCL for the winning entry.

Recorded recipients

Betty Heacock Memorial Award

Awarded for best piece by a new or novice member.

Is given at the Annual for the best piece by a new or novice member. This award was established by her family in 2005, in memory of Betty Heacock. In 2001 she received an Ontario Volunteer Service Award for her 47 years of service with The Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft. She was a vital contributing member of the former Barrie and Toronto Branch and then a Member-at-large. Betty, who served as Treasurer on the executive, demonstrated, competed and exhibited throughout the province. Her commitment to leathercrafting helped keep alive this heritage craft.

Recorded recipients

Woodstock Heritage Award

Awarded for beauty of leather using traditional techniques.

Awarded at the Annual for the leather article that stresses the beauty of leather — “less is more,” using traditional leather crafting techniques and eye-catching. Paid from the funds of the former Woodstock Branch.

Recorded recipients

Zelaitis Pin

Awarded for highest score on the Associate Status Exam.

Given to the new Associate with the highest overall percentage on their successful Associate Status Exam, which consists of four pieces judged by the Fellows.

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

Best Fish Skin

Awarded for best work in fish leather.

Awarded by the Fellows for the best piece made in fish leather.

Recorded recipients

CSCL Executive Award

Awarded for most functional piece at a Biennial.

Awarded at a Biennial exhibition for the most functional piece.

Recorded recipients

Judges Special Choice Award

Awarded for most originality and panache at a Biennial.

Awarded at a Biennial for the entry showing the most originality and panache.

Recorded recipients

Fred Brown Award

Awarded for best dyed article.

Awarded for the best dyed article. Named for Fred Brown, a Fellow of the Society and early teacher of dyeing and finishing techniques.

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

Moore-Pearsall Award

Awarded for best belt.

Awarded for the best belt in the competition.

Recorded recipients

John Mather Award

Awarded for a memorial award of the Society.

A memorial award of the Society; won by Ruth Haig FCSCL in 2005.

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

Tandy Leather Award

Awarded for a sponsored competition award.

A competition award sponsored by Tandy Leather (Factory, Mississauga).

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

Wearable Award

Awarded for best wearable piece.

Awarded for the best wearable piece, presented by the Toronto Branch.

Recorded recipients

Hard Sculpture Award

Awarded for best hard sculpture.

Awarded for the best hard sculpture; won, for example, by Kim Winchester for a Growling Bear.

Recorded recipients

Non-Traditional Piece Award

Awarded for best non-traditional piece.

Awarded for the best non-traditional piece; given in memory of the late Hilda Darbyshire FCSCL.

Recorded recipients

Jack Meharg Award

Awarded for best belt (biennial).

Awarded at the Biennial for the best belt, in honour of Jack Meharg.

Recorded recipients

Bruce White Award

Awarded for a biennial award.

A biennial award of the Society, in honour of Bruce White.

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

Michigan Soft Leather Award

Awarded for best soft or coloured leather piece (biennial).

Awarded at the Biennial for the best soft leather or coloured piece; supported by Michigan Leather Artisans.

Recorded recipients

Don MacLeod Belt Buckle Award

Awarded for the best belt buckle.

Recorded recipients

London Jewellery Award

Awarded for the best jewellery.

Recorded recipients

Best Fellow

Awarded for the best piece by a Fellow member.

Recorded recipients

Anne Hook Award

Awarded for best coloured work.

A cash award of $100 for the best coloured work, presented at the Annual. Named for Anne Hook. Recorded in the Summer 1992 bulletin, which prints the award as "ANN HOOK AWARD" in its list of winners and "Anne Hook Award" in the report of the meeting.

Recorded recipients

Best Hard Sculpture

Recorded recipients

  • Kim Winchester 2021 Competition - Growling Bear Wall Sculpture - Fellow

CSCL Judges Special Award

Recorded recipients

Capital Findings Award

Recorded recipients

Mary Zatyko Award

Recorded recipients

Definitions transcribed from the award tables printed in the Canadian Leathercrafter. Recipients taken from the Society’s competition records. Some awards were recorded under a shorthand name in one source and a formal name in the other; where the newsletter’s own definition makes the pair unambiguous they are shown here under the formal name.