On October 4th, the Society elected its twenty-third president, David M. Cvet. David (whose surname, for the uninitiated, is pronounced Ss-vet) was born in 1955 in Welland, Ontario, his background being Slovenian. He attended the University of Toronto, receiving a B.Sc. degree in biochemistry/genetics and computer science. His initial employment took him into the biology area, with six years of diabetes research at the Banting/Best Institute, but he subsequently concentrated on the computer-science field, with a career in Information Technology (IT) spanning the years between the mainframe, super-computer era and today's PC's. During his career he ultimately achieved positions as Chief Technology Officer for a number of technology companies.
Interests in Medieval History
Despite what might be seen as a wholly modern approach to training and employment, however, David's avocation has taken an apparently opposite direction. Since his teens, he has been fascinated by the mediaeval period, and especially by the fighting techniques of the late Middle Ages – the age of that mock-warfare sport known as the tournament. While the horseback events of the tournament – the jousts and melées – are better known, David's interest has been devoted primarily to the man-to-man contests conducted on foot. These are more akin to the Asian martial arts with which most Canadians are familiar, but with the major distinction that they were carried out with steel weapons by men wearing full armour.
His interest in this rather arcane subject led David in 1988 to found the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA) in Toronto, an active group of which he remains President. He is also a Director of the Association for Historical Fencing.
He has also written on the subject of historical martial arts, his first popular publication entitled "The Art of Longsword Combat" published freely on the Academy's website to promote historical martial arts training, experiencing over 14,000 downloads worldwide. Other publications include articles in the Journal of Western Martial Art entitled "A Brief Examination of Fiore dei Liberi's Treatises - Flos Duellatorum & Fior di Battaglia" and "The Measure of a Swordsman" and "Historical European Martial Arts: Alive and Well", New York Carver.
David's interest in Medieval History prompted him to co-found the "Friends of the Medieval Studies Society" of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), with Dr. Robert Mason, ROM in 2004. It is a volunteer organization within the ROM which is oriented towards the promotion of the medieval period through lectures, presentations and programs for ROM members and for the public. The connection led him March 2007 to stage the first Mediaeval Tournament at the ROM, an event that engaged large and enthusiastic audiences throughout most of the afternoon.
Interests in Heraldry
Since the period of the tournament coincided (by no means accidentally) with the birth and expansion of heraldry in Europe, David's fascination with the martial arts of the period naturally led to a corresponding interest in heraldry – a major part of the pageantry surrounding these popular events. In 2003, he joined our Society and in the following year was granted his own arms, including the banner seen here.
On his entry to the RHSC, David's ancient and modern skills coalesced to the Society's enormous advantage. He immediately took on the role of webmaster and completely redesigned its website to the form in which it is seen today – arguably the best heraldic website in the world. Not satisfied with using his technical skills to further heraldry, David has determined to improve his own heraldic knowledge by enrolling in the Society's Heraldry Proficiency course and passing the first stage of the process to a Licentiate of the RHSC. He became for a time president of the Toronto Branch and has now progressed to the presidency of the national society.
David's most recent heraldic venture involves his country of origin, Slovenia. This has involved the foundation of the Societas Heraldica Slovenica in partnership with the Slovenian Academy of Science and Arts and the Slovenian Genealogy Society. It should be noted that, four days after his election as our president in Montreal, he was on a flight to Ljubljana, partly to help in the development of that Society.
"At 6-foot, 7-inches, in full armour and clasping a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other, David Cvet might seem a pretty scary character. However, remove the arms and armour and what you will find is a gentle man – in both senses of the word – a man who is sufficiently confident of himself that he can be equally confident and considerate of others. He has also shown that, when he attaches himself to an organization, he is prepared to work his heart out for that organization."Kevin Greaves, CD, MD, FRHSC
Honours
- 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (NS)
- 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
- 2009 Honorary Fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
- 2004 Grant of Arms, Canadian Heraldic Authority, Ottawa