The Sister City activities include home-stay programs, children's art and photograph exchanges, and visits between local government officials. The arrangement is part of the international Sister City's Association. The City Seal During this country's formative days, a serpent on a City seal was used frequently, as was a circular shape with the city's name surrounding the border. The Seal of the City of Springfield consists of this circular shape surrounded by a rope border. The center focuses on a shield bearing alternating stripes, wrapped by the traditional serpent.
Rays of light shine from the shield to the inner border.
In 1953, so the story goes, a young Springfieldian released a box of cobras from a pet shop on the City square. The cobras were subsequently discovered in various locations around the City, creating quite a stir and giving Springfield national attention. The event prompted City officials to redraw the City seal's traditional serpent to resemble a hooded cobra. However, by 1954, when the publicity died down, the seal was returned to its original design. This seal is imprinted with a gold stamp on official proclamations and City documents.