An Outline of the Washington Chapter Medallion Project
By Tom Brannon and Kevin Guinn, February 2020
Things actually started when Charles Russell gifted to Frederick Renner a colored version of the “Trail Boss” sketch. At Renner’s suggestion, the “Trail Boss” became the logo of the Society for Range Management.
In the 1970s Larry Lilly, a member of the old Mid-Columbia Chapter, carved on juniper boards the Trail Boss logo for the PNW plaques and other awards. These carvings are magnificent.
Then we got the idea to offer bronze medallions as a way to raise money for youth scholarships. Th Mid-Columbia Chapter had to get permission from SRM parent society to us the logo for our project. We sent in one of Larry’s carvings to be cast. Hugh Barrett perhaps handled getting the casting done. Later we decided to offer buckles with the logo. Both the medallions and the buckles were offered to the parent society, other sections, and chapters of SRM. The keeper of the medallion project started with Hugh Barrett, then passed to Tom Brannon, then to Bob Leonard, and now to Kevin Guinn.
The price for the medallions and awards was kept low for affordability. But for the past five years or so prices have been raised to keep the project sustainable. Currently Washington Chapter is charging cost plus 40%, a policy set by the Board late in 2020 and initiated in awards sold beginning in 2021. The markup is split between the Chapter’s general fund and its scholarship program, and in 2021 was approximately $270 to each fund.
Haglund Trophies in Wenatchee is doing the engraved plates and mounting medallions and plates to either solid walnut boards or to composition boards. We are using black plates with either gold or silver lettering to color coordinate with the medallion. The final products are striking!
Our main customers for awards are PWN Section and the SRM parent society. This accounts for 2 large medallion plaques and 4 small medallion plaques annually. Also, the California Section occasionally purchases a stack of the large medallions.
Note: the small medallions on hand are hard to count as they are wrapped in tissue paper and stacked in layers. As of February 9, 2022, it looks like we have in stock, approximately:
Large medallions – 6 (plus 2 more for making a new mold when needed)
Small medallions (pewter/silver) – 55
Small medallions (poly bronze/gold) – 90
No later than 2024 we will need to have more large medallions made. But if we decided to advertise with other SRM Sections and Chapters we would need to have more large medallions made this year. We could advertise just for the small medallions. Also, Kevin has a belt buckle that could be used to make a casting mold if we decide to sell belt buckles.
