POPPY

Description: 1. WOODEN BOX, PAINTED BLUE. BOX IS SPLIT INTO TWO BY A VERTICAL DIVIDER. ON ONE SIDE OF DIVIDER BOX HAS NO LID AND CONTAINS POPPIES. ON OTHER SIDE OF LID BOX HAS A LID THAT SLIDES ON. ONE END OF BOX, AND LID, HAVE "41" PAINTED ON IN WHITE. SIDE OF BOX HAS "ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION" STENCILED ON IN YELLOW PAINT; PAINT IS SMUDGED. OTHER END OF BOX HAS "BR 4" STENCILED ON IN GOLD PAINT. BOTTOM OF BOX IS PAINTED TURQUOISE AND HAS "177" WRITTEN ON IN RED FELT PEN. 2. POPPIES. A TOTAL OF 114 POPPIES. EACH POPPY HAS 3 PIECES. FRONT OF POPPY IS RED FELT, AND BACK IS LINED WITH RED PAPER, W/ BLACK PRINT. BACK OF EACH POPPY HAS THE LOGO OF THE "BRITISH EMPIRE SERVICE LEAGUE" AND "VETCRAFT" ON IT. EACH POPPY ALSO HAS A SMALL BLACK, FELT CIRCLE FOR ITS CENTER, AND A STRAIGHT PIN THROUGH THE MIDDLE. THE POPPIES ARE FLAT. 52 OF THE POPPIES ARE IN A CLEAR ZIPLOC BAG.

History: CADETS WORE BOXES ON STREET CORNERS AND IN BUSINESSES AS PART OF "TAG DAY", KICKING OFF ANNUAL LEGION POPPY CAMPAIGN. IN 1921 THE POPPY WAS ADOPTED IN CANADA AS A SYMBOL OF REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR. SIX YEARS LATER THE CANADIAN LEGION BECAME THE SOLE DISTRIBUTOR OF POPPIES, SPEARHEADING A MAJOR NATIONAL CAMPAIGN OF POPPY SALES TO COINCIDE WITH REMEMBRANCE DAY. MANUFACTURED BY VETCRAFT INDUSTRIES, THE SILK (LATER PAPER AND PLASTIC) POPPIES OFFERED A MEANS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR DISABLED WAR VETERANS. THE REVENUE FROM THE POPPIES ALSO BECAME A VITAL SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR THE LEGION, REDISTRIBUTED TO ASSIST VETERANS, EX-SERVICE PEOPLE, AND THEIR DEPENDENTS. SEE P19970073015-GA FOR LEGION HISTORY.