Si Quæris Peninsulam Amœnam, Circumspice
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July — December 2000 Vol. 33 • No. 3-4 July — December 2000 Issue #168 TM SI QUÆRIS PENINSULAM AMŒNAM, CIRCUMSPICE “If you seek a pleasant penninsula, diately followed by a Parade of Flags See KEY to photo on page 2. look around you,” the state motto of through the MSU Campus. Jul-Dec 2000 Michigan, took on a special mean- Presentations were excellent, and ing for the NAVA members who at- included the Driver winner “Michi- INSIDE THIS ISSUE: tended the 34th Annual Convention gan Flags Project” by Kevin NAVA 34 Retrospective & Photo held October 6-8, 2000 in Lansing, Harrington, and presentations by Dr. Neighborhood Flags Editorial the capital of that state. A most wel- Henry Moeller, David LeGallant (read Physiology of Flags Vexibits come trip to the State Capitol that by Andy Biles), John Purcell, Kennedy’s Flags New Flags featured a tour of the Historic Flag Beatrice Jones, Dick Gideon, Gus The Whiskey Flags Vexilliana Archive was the highlight of the week Tracchia and John Schmale. A video Iroquois Observations Comments end. presentation of 4 year old vexi-whiz Native Symbols in Eastern Canada Held on the Campus of Michigan kid Hunter Blain and a French movie Coast Guard Ensign Funny Times State University, the meeting took “Drapeaux” were also shown. New RCMP Division Flag place in the Kellog Center, a first- Next year’s meeting is now being Members in the News Chumley class facility. planned for Hampton Roads, Vir- 2000-01 Officers Flag Art The convention opened with the ginia. Make your plans now! NAVA New Georgia Flag New Stamps usual flag raisings and was imme- Conventions are too good to miss! NAVA 34 Photos Letters —1— NAVA News 33/3-4 EDITORIAL Members and readers will no doubt have noticed the lateness of this publication. Following the An- nual Convention, which took consid- erable time from other things, your President/Editor was involved with the production of Raven 7, which you will see shortly, and we believe it is one of the best ever. This issue, a double issue, brings us close to being on schedule. You can help. Send in your articles (pref- erably on disk or by email), short bits, letters to the editor, etc. We are also contemplating some additional features. Any one who is interested in helping, we are look- ing for a Book Review Editor (we get many books and would like some- KEY TO NAVA 34 PHOTO ON PAGE 1 one to read them and comment), a 1. Truman Pope; 2. Kevin Harrington; 3. Tom Gregg; 4. Carita Culmer; Members in the News Editor, and a 5. Patricia Edwards; 6. Joyce Schmale; 7. Dave Martucci; 8. David Ott; New Flags Editor. If you are inter- 9. Lou Ellen Compton; 10. Martin Francis; 11. Beatrice Jones; 12. John ested, please email [email protected]. Schmale; 13. Gus Tracchia; 14. Larry Fast; 15. Bernie Couture; 16. Lee Also note that we have started a Herold; 17. Henry Moeller; 18. David Breitenbach; 19. Robert Kidd; “Members Only” area on our web 20. Christine Kidd; 21. Kerry Chartkoff; 22. Rich Kenny; 23. Peter Edwards; site. Some of the material in this is- 24. Bob Coykendall; 25. Kevin Murray; 26. Janet Martucci; 27. John Purcell; sue, in color, will be posted there. If 28. Kin Spain; 29. Richard Monahan; 30. Whitney Smith; 31. Andy Biles; you have not yet received your ac- 32. Peter Kindermann; 33. Joe Donovan; 34. Mark Ritzenhein; 35. Dick cess code, contact [email protected] as Gideon; 36. Harry Oswald; 37. Glen Compton; 38. Pam Fast; Not Pictured: Peter Orenski and Sam Wilson. well. , Norfolk VA, 12 Sept. 2000, page B3 VA, , Norfolk The Virginian-Pilot —2— July — December 2000 THE PHYSIOLOGY OF FLAGS—A HYPOTHESIS by William Trinkle This brief article is grounded upon front of an auditorium, again “above actions of raising the eyes upward a basic assumption. Flags are a form our heads”. It is standard in Chris- and/or of tilting the head backward of symbolic expression which have tian churches, and not uncommon toward the neck there are physiologi- existed throughout recorded history, in other religious experience, that cal changes in the body which re- and quite possibly before. An “ulti- the “holy place,” the altar, is raised sult in an experience of what is above mate” question, possibly “the” ulti- above the general floor level of the us in different and more positive mate question is why? Just what is church, requiring at least a tilt of the manner than we perceive objects at it about flags which have given this head or eyes upward. Humankind our level of sight or below. Not being method of expression not only its has always looked upward to the a scientist, the writer can only guess longevity in human experience, but sky, the night sky with its stars, at the possibilities. Could it be that its increasing popularity. Here, it is moon, planets and the day sky with looking up has an effect upon the postulated that there very well may its sun, clouds and blueness and blood flow to the brain or elsewhere be a physiological basis for the perceived the sky with awe. To see which results in the special experi- meaning which humankind has had the sky one must look up. Christians ence of up? This effect could either no difficulty experiencing in the us- at least symbolically look to the sky be a constriction of blood flow or an age of flags. as the location of “heaven”. What is increase in such flow. Is it that one Humans experience the universe it about up that we apprehend as or more of the up actions causes via their senses — sight, sound, somehow special, and does this up some type of alteration in the pro- smell, touch, taste — and through factor also apply to flags flying in the duction of one or more hormones? their emotions and thoughts. The wind? The writer believes that the Is there some sort of pressure placed writer at some distant time recalls up element does apply to flags and upon one or more of the bodies or- learning that the sense of sight is is a facet of what has provided flags gans which has some effect which our primary sense. It is the sense with their establishment among the results in the unique experience of through which we experience in a inherent symbolic expressions of what it is that is up? cognizant manner the world around homo sapiens. But what is it about It must be left to the scientists in us. A flag is unquestionably a man- up? our midst to answer the physiologi- ner of expression which The writer has no medical, nor cal questions regarding the up fac- predominanthly appeals to the sense physiological education or experi- tor of human experience. However, of sight. There is little experience of ence of any nature upon which to the writer does not believe that it is flags which is typically experienced ground the hypothesis, and yet be- much of a leap of faith to say that through the senses of smell, touch lieves the up factor may be able to looking upward toward our flags fly- or taste and the sound of a flag in be explained by the nature of the ing in the wind has played a signifi- the wind, while significant, is a sec- human body, and specifically of the cant role in the development of flags ondary perception. head, neck and eyes. Specifically, it as a common method of symbolic Flags are predominantly experi- is postulated that in the physical expression by humanity. enced flying from a flag pole or mast, above our heads. It is this “above our ADDITIONAL 18th C. US FLAG IMAGE heads” which leads the writer to hy- The entry in the survey should pothesize a physiological factor in read: the pervasive use of flags. When we 23.1 American Colours in Heraldry think or feel of another human be- by William Fox (manuscript) ing as a hero or model or mentor, British; 1785; Original in the files we describe this reaction as “look- of the Flag Research Center. ing up” to the hero. As children, our This watercolor painting includes shortness in stature physically re- the heraldic blazon. quires that we actually look up to Stars: 13 multipointed (probably our parents and the other adults intended to be 8-pointed) de- with whom we have contact. The scribed as W, arranged in rows of writer undertands that among our An additional contemporary 18th 3-2-3-2-3 (staggered). presidential candidates in the United Century image of the United States Canton: B, extends to the 4th States, the taller candidate almost Flag has come to light to add to the stripe. “Rests” on a R stripe. always wins. Our popular heroes, Survey published in the last issue Stripes: 13 described as R-W, 7 R entertainers, are experienced in per- of NAVA News. It is from a hand and 6 W. son typically on a raised stage at the drawn manuscript in the FRC files. Image source:FB XII:2, Summer 1973, pg. 57. —3— NAVA News 33/3-4 VV EE XX II BB II TT SS by John H. Gámez The New York Times. March 5, Braggs headquarters flag” sold for that the flag tattoo would be too con- 2000. Southern “nationalists” waved $17, 600 at an auction in Delaware, troversial to enter into evidence. Confederate flags a day before Presi- OH. In addition to the flag was at- (Submitted by Charles A.