· ,

MAYA MEWS John R.B. Szala Editor 197 Jefferson Ave. Salem, Mass. 01970

VOLUME XVI, No.4

® Ib££d QJ~ntinuing Jrllt£sbtnt QJlf1irr~ in J\m£tirn J\bupts JJflag

The governing body of the First Church in Salem at its meeting on 8 June 1983 approved and adopted a flag designed by its pastor, the Rev. John R.B. Szala.

The colors of the flag, red and white, were taken from the red Cross of St. George on a white field" the standard under which the Puri­tans sailed to Salem in 1626.

Emblazoned in red on the white half of the fly is the seal of the Church which was officially adopted on 3 June 1981.

The Cross on the seal is centered within the familiar quatrefoil which is employed on the exterior and interior of the church building. It proclaims that the congregation has from its founding remained a part of the Christian faith. Beneath it is an open Bible, the inspiration and guiding light of the founders and present-day members. On its open pages is the Hebrew word, Shalom, meaning "peace" from which the city of Salem derives its name and which was given to it by the Church's first Teacher, the Reverend Francis Higginson.

The seal was artistically executed by another NAVA member, Mr. Alfred Znamierowski.

The flag is now flown over the impressive tower of America's oldest continuing Protestant Church and is a focal point for the numerous tourists visiting the historic metropolis.

JULY-AUGUST 1983

VANCOUVER'S NEW FLAG It has long been the aim of the Council and

numerous citizens to have the City of Vancouver adopt its own flag. The need for such a flag becomes more pronounced with the forthcoming celebration of the City's 100th Birthday and with the City's hosting of Expo '86 in the same year.

The design was developed by Robert Watt, Director of The Vancouver.Museum, and a Fellow of the Heraldry Society of Canada. It arises from the present official City symbols, the Coat of Arms and the Civic Badge. These symbols are a Crpwn grant of 1969 based very largely on unofficial symbols created in 1903. The colors and the devices that appear on them have, therefore, been part of the life and history of Vancouver for much of its first century.

The basic elements of the design are a chevron of green to represent the land on which the City is built and the forests from which a good deal of its prosperity has arisen. The alternating wavy bars of blue and white symbolize the sea, which, as the City's motto suggests, is the other principal founda­tion of the City's growth. Both elements, land and sea, combine to give Vancouver its splendid setting and the heritage of a landscape which has been so important to the life of its citizens.

The shield represents Vancouver's status as a corporation and it is made: of gold because that is one of the City's official colours. Placed upon the shield is a representation of the City's Badge as a specific mark of civic government using a symbol that is unique to this community. Contained within it are a crossed axe and oar honouring the two origi­nalindustries.

This flag was approved by Council on May 17, 1983.

THE FLAGSTAFF

PRESIDENT

NOTES FROM JOHN M. PURCELL NAVA PRESIDENT

George Cahill has reminded me that in the November­December, 1962 issue of this publication, I neglected to include one other person in my thanks for gifts to NAVA during NAVA-16 in Pittsburgh. That person is Dave Cornish of Collegeville Flag Company, who presented to NAVA a beautifully crafted banner displaying the NAVA seal, which was prominently placed behind the speaker's rostrum at our annual banquet. Dave also volunteered to make for us a 5' X 6' nylon NAVA flag for us to use in future meetings. The omission was inadvertent on my part and I apologize to Dave for not including his name in the original list. I'm sure we are all no less appreciative of his company's fine generosity, in any case, and I hope that though the thanks are belated, they will be accepted as genuine.

A reminder to those of you who are planning to attend NAVA-17 in New York October 14-16 this year (and I hope that includes most of you)-be sure to bring along your personal flag for display at the banquet This custom of NAVA's began after our joint meeting in Ottawa in 1971 with the Canadian Heraldry Society. It was there that we noticed the impressive display of CHS members' arms on shields across the wall of the dining hall and decided that we might do something similar with our personal flags, which many of us had already designed. The next year in Chicago we had our first display, and each year after that we have continued the custom. In 1975 at our business meeting Cleveland, Ohio, the custom was made official by vote of the members present.

Our best displays of personal flags have been in Baltimore (1974), Cleveland (1975), and Toronto (1976), where a dozen or more flags each year were displayed. In 1978 in Mont­gomery, many of the personal flags were on exhibit in Tumbling Waters Museum of Flags and so were unavailable for the banquet. Since then only a few members have brought personal flags to the banquet each year for one reason or another.

If you have not designed your personal flag yet, you might give it some thought over the summer before the banquet and have it made in time to bring along. Personal flags vary in design as much as the persons who are NAVA members, but each is symbolic of some aspect of the individual's life. Collectively the flags are fascinating and very colorful; they make a grand show when on display. Bring your personal flag (and a pole with stand to display it properly) along with you this year, and let's try to make our banquet in New York this year really a "banner year"!

A note of thanks, too, is due 10 Phil Allen of Berkeley, California, who donated his time and talent to the design of the eye-catching NAVA-17 flag featured in the last issue of NAVA News. Phil gave us an interesting and well-researched talk on the National Football League penalty flags at our last annual meeting. Thanks, Phil, for a colorful symbol for our next meeting!

Page 2 NAVA NEWS/JULY-AUGUST 1983

Flag Facts & Fancies The American flag's most widely used nickname is the "Stars And Stripes," but historians have not been able to discover where that originated. The epithet, "Star Spangled Banner," was first used by Francis Scott Key in 1814, while "Old Glory" came from a Salem, Massachusetts sea captain named William Driver.

Soon after the first flag was adopted in 1777, a congress­man from New Jersey named Francis Hopkinson claimed credit for designing it Not until 1870 did William Canby, a grandson of Betsy Ross, come forth to state that it was his grandmother who really put the first 13-5tars and 13-stripes version of the national emblem together.

Betsy Ross was a Philadelphia seamstress who made flags during the Revolutionary War, but most historians today be­lieve that her grandson's tale is legend - not fact.

The stamp shown above, issued in 1952, shows the Flag Committee consisting of General George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross watching as Betsy wields a needle and thread on our U.S. flag.

But it commemorates a non-event that never happened -most probably. . STAMPWORLD,JULY1983

FLAG FEATURES The United States honors its flag on June 14, but the individ­ual states also have flags to honor. How many of these can you identify, given only their major design elements?

1. What state's flag features the Big Dipper?

2 .... an anchor? 3. . . . a grizzly bear? 4 .. , . a type of palm tree? 5 .... a torch? 6 .... the state's nickname

Modem Maturity June-July 1983

("The Sunshine State")? 7 .... the head of a

President? 8 .... an Indian shield? 9 .... a buffalo?

10 .... an ancient Indian sun symbol?

j ~ ~ :n UJ z ffi c z -< ~

MAYBe CI/lCL-ES

o~ 5iMS o~ 50t'1ETttI~G ...

~ ~---------------------------------------------------------from: THE DIXON EVENING TELEGRAPH

Dixon, Illinois 14 June 1983

via: Lynn Knights

&s£x GtnuatU C!t1yr1111ic1.es. A source of pride in 'Old Glory'

B1 PHYLLIS SBUTZEB Publlc Service Director Euu IIlItitute

It has been a source of pride in Essex County that a Salem man, Samuel Driver, was the first person to name his cherished American flag "Old Glory."

As early as June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, sitting in Philadelphia adopted a resolution declaring:

"That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars in a blue field, representing the new constellation. "

The resolution was adopted following the reception of the report of a special committee appointed to suggest a design for the flag. A description follows:

"The stars of the flag represent anew constellation rismg in the West. The idea is taken from the great con­stellation Lyra, which signifies harmony. The blue signifies the covenant of the United States a,ainst oppression. The stars in a circle symbolizes the per­petuity of the Union. The thir­teen show the number of united colonies. The red is a symbol of defiance and daring, and the white for purity."

The flag was made according to this design and first carried in the Battle of Brand)'wine on September 11, 1777. There is a tradition that the first flag with these stars and stripes was sewn by Betsy Ross of Philadelphia at the request of General Washington. There is also the story 16at George Washington altered the six-point star to the five-point model which IIrs. Ross copies.

Flags of different designs had been in use prior to the adoption of June 14, and continued in use

for some time after that. As the Washington coat of

arms contained stars and stripes, it has been suggested that the National flag draw its inspiration from this, but the Congressional committee on the design for the flag does not support this view.

The new flag was hoisted on the naval vessels of the United States and first saluted by a foreign power when the "Ranger," commanded by Captain John Paul Jones arriving at a French port on February 14, 1778, with the flag flying.

The popular observance of Flag Day was slow in coming. On June 14, 1917, President Wilson justified the declaration of war against Germany which had been made on April 6. In this elequent address he said:

We meet to celebrate Flag Day because this flag which we \lonor and under which we serve IS the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and our purpose as a nation. It floats in majestic silence above us in war and peace. Yet is speaks to us of the past. We celebrate the day of its birth. We are about to carry it into battle, to life it where it will draw the fire of our enemies."

Although this anniversay .is not a legal boliday, 1fbegan to be observed in one way or another throu,hout the country. Special exercISes were held in the public schools when children pledged allegiance. This, of course, was before the phrase "Under God" had to be deleted from the pledge along with school prayers.

Locally, it can never be forgotten that Samuel Driver of Salem took such pride 'in his banner that he always in letters and in conversation, referred to his flag as "Old Glory."

from: THE SALEM EVENING NEWS Salem, Massachusetts

11 June 1983

Logo used by Newfoundland to celebrate the 400th anniver­sary of its colonization by Sir Humphrey' Gilbert, the older half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. He came ashore on August 3, 1583, and two days later read the annexation proclamation and unfurled his Sovereign's banner.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR "I still have a brand new (never unpacked!) 3'x5' NAVA flag in nylon that I will sell for exactly what it cost me - way back when - $39.70. I'll pay the postage.

Fred L. Cary. Jr. 104 Eden Roc Circle De Witt. New York 13214

NAVA NEWS/JULY-AUGUST 1983 Page ~

Glossary 'red, white and blue' red, white and blue: From the spectrum. Good-government types are often called ''I'm still red-whlte-and-blue enough," said "white hats," a tag which produced the acro- I,

John Glenn during a meeting with Globe edl- nym L-WHAMO for Associated White Hat Lob- ~ tors, "to believe that, long-term, Americans byists of Massachusetts, a very informal State can outproduce anybody." The metaphor Is one House gathering in the early 19705. The "white that will be heard again during a presidential hats," however, were the vigilante groups that campaign year. flourished In the Midwest in the 1880s, made

It Is also a political color metaphor that up of migrants from Appalachia. sparkles especially well on the Fourth of July, "Blue" Is almost· never a complimentary summoning up with stars and stripes every term In political contexts, and politiCians al-' good old-fashioned American Ideal. It is, howev- ways want to avoid making blue jokes which er. a case of the whole phrase being greater - might offend bluenoses. and quite different - from the Individual words. Historically, there were the blue lodges of More often than not, the American political use proslavery Missourians; the blue cockade that of "red," "white" and "blue" has carried very }Vas a secessionist symbol in 1860; and the blue negative connotations. devils who were the fence-cutters of the west-

That Is most obvious with "red." The "red- ern range wars. Connecticut Federalists op-coats" were the bad guys In our revolution, and posed to the War of 1812 were called "blue the red-flag wavers of the French Revolution lighters," from Cmdr. Stephen Decatur's com-made everybody uncomfortable. In the 1920s. plaint that blue light signals were set up off and again during the Vietnam War era, Ameri- New London to alert the British blockade fleet can police departments maintained "red that he was attempting to break out to sea. squads" to Investigate and control radicals. What brings all three colors together In a

Anti-Communist enthUSiasts of the McCar- positive reference for politiCians, particularly thy era were accused of "looking for Reds un- candidates and Fourth of July orators. is the der every bed," while the one-world ban-the- American flag. There is no clear reason why its bombers who were often the targets of such, '--_______________ .J far-from-unlque colors have become a symbol searches felt It better to be red than dead. Even CHRI' OEMA'EST of patriotism - and it is unclear when ii was earlier, members of the radical wing of the Re- first used as other than a purely descriptive pubUcan Party around the time of the Civil sense. Nevertheless, Its meaning, from presi-War were called "Red Republicans." dentlal candidate, or common citizen, is never

In doubt. "White" fares better In political' contexts.

from: THE BOSTON GLOBE The word "candidate" Itself comes from the' Latin candtdatus, for the white togas worn by candidates for public office In Rome. 4 July 1983 I" "' ... North American Vexillological Association Oak, PA 19456

NAVA 17 NEW YORK CITY 14-16 OCTOBER 1983

Page 4 NAVA NEWS/JULY-AUGUST 1983

.. '-MARK HER ITA P.O. BOX HOUSTON,

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Oaks, PA

Permit No.9

Address Correction Requested Return Postage Guaranteed

LISS D/B/A FLAG CO.

521 TX 77231