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What is the Stewart Logo?
| The spark for this series was an observation by Membership Chairman, Monroe Stewart back in 1990 that some new members thought the CSSA logo (or, not quite properly, its shield) was that of a Scottish “parent organization”; or even that it was a genuine Stewart relic. Not so. It was first introduced in 1980 as a cooperative product of then Chairman Donald Macleay and J.C. Thompson, genealogist, heraldic specialist, and author of the prescriptive So You Want to Wear the Kilt? The theme of the logo is the unity of Clan Stewart ties between Canada, the United States and Scotland. The maple leaves and stars are self-explanatory. The blue and white checkered belt fesse chequy in heraldic terms, is to be found everywhere in ancient and modern Scotland, from police cap bands to the Royal Stewart crest.To the best of our knowledge, the checkered belt is not used by any other clan organization in the United States, thus making it so distinctive that it has become shorthand for Clan Stewart and the Stuart family. The name of our Society’s newsletter is reflective of this unique identification. Look for the fesse chequy (Pron: fess checky) on CSSA letterheads, tent signs, membership cards, brochures and CSSA pins. |
What Does “Suas Stiubhart!” Mean?
Suas Stiubhart! (pron.: SOO-us SHTOO-urt) is Gaelic for “Up (with) the Stewarts!” It was the Stewart battle cry and sounds great when a couple dozen of us shouts it out at a Parade of Tartans.
Is CSSA Related to the British Stewart Society?
The short answer is “no”. While CSSA maintains cordial relations with the much older Stewart Society, the two organizations are not, and never have been, affiliated except in common interest. An expression of our regard for the Stewart Society is that its Presidents have been extended Honorary Membership in CSSA; and wherever possible, we provide publicity for their interesting activities such as their anniversary celebrations and their AGMs in Scotland. Membership requirements for the two Societies are markedly different. Many CSSA members, however, are also members of the Stewart Society and even hold regional offices.
The CSSA Badge…Or is It?
One of the first things many new members do is buy a “Galloway” pin to wear as proud identification. While Galloway is the senior of surviving branches of the Stuarts/Stewarts, we owe no allegiance to it or any other. The problem is that a badge has never been formally adopted by Clan Stewart for any official or identifying purpose. Moreover, the use of the Galloway pin for Stewarts unaffiliated with a particular sept seems to have “jist growed”, possibly encouraged by vendors and perhaps by veteran members who believed it had been adopted for official CSSA use. What then should be worn as a badge? Preference is certainly that it be the badge of any sept with which one prefers to be affiliated: Appin, Atholl, Bute, Galloway, or other smaller clusters. (The concept of sept, by the way, is strongly suspect.) We use it, although it has no historic heraldic validity, mainly because most other North American clan associations do. Perhaps it may help a little in that search for unity with our forebears we seek when we join a heritage organization. |
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Do Royal Stuarts still exist?
No. No matter what your family tradition. The last of the Royal Stuarts, the Cardinal Henry, brother of Charles Edward, “The Bonnie Prince”, died without issue in 1807. Several claims have been made to the lineage, but none has been substantiated, and none is accepted by Clan Stewart. Clan Stewart recognizes NO Chief of clan, nor Chief of the Stuarts.