At our 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM), it came to our attention that no one knew where the SCMA seal had ended up. Texts, emails, and phone calls could not resolve the mystery, and so we embarked on a journey to re-design the official seal. Changes in legislation meant that the seal was no longer a legal requirement for an incorporated society such as SCMA (Incorporated Societies Act (2022 Act)). However, totems and symbols are important, and so upon deliberation, the National Co-ordinating Group (NCG) commissioned public theologian Michael Toy to replace the seal.
The design of the seal features three distinct elements. The first and most obvious is the acronym, SCMA, standing for Student Christian Movement Aotearoa. The second is the date SCM New Zealand was established—1921. Though the movement had been active in New Zealand since 1896 as a wider Australasian body.
The third feature of the seal is a sketch of the harakeke plant, also known as New Zealand Flax or Phormium tenax. This plant was chosen as it is emblematic of many threads of Aotearoa’s history that are essential to the core mission and values of SCMA. The harakeke plant is a symbol of resilience, whānau, and interconnectedness.
The plant was first used by Māori, who used not only the fibre for daily use but also had a use for every part of the plant. This echoes the Pauline idea that every member of the body is necessary for the life of the church. The fibre is incredibly durable, and the story of its manufacture intersects the story of trade unions, pacifism, and biculturalism.
For more on the incredible history of harakeke:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/300706000/back-issues-flax-in-the-manawat