Portland Association Publication 1

Portland Flag Association “Free, and Worth Every Penny!” Issue 41 August 2013

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Updating the Portland Flag’s Specs?

Updating Portland’s Specs? 1 By Ted Kaye unit too short to fill the 36:60- at Camp Withycombe 2 More than ten years ago, the Port- unit proportions of the entire flag. Constitution of the PFA 3 land Flag Association encouraged July 2013 Flutterings 4 When we add this to the issue of the redesign of the Portland city Flags in the News 6 “what are the precise colors?”, flag. Doug Lynch, who designed The Flag Quiz 7 given the outdated Ameritone the original flag in 1969, worked references in the code, the time Portland Flag Miscellany 8 with his neighbor, Sam Adams may have come for us to propose Next Meeting Announcement 8 (then the mayor’s of staff), a revision to the city. to craft the 2002 ordinance direct- www.portlandflag.org ing the changes to the city code. Portland’s flag is already being manufactured and flown more In an error I noticed too late, and and more widely—and those flags which has since been highlighted should (and usually do) use the by Max Liberman and David correct specifications. Koski, Doug apparently mis- counted squares on his quadrille Who is up for working on an paper, resulting in internally ordinance to correct the city code, inconsistent specifications. The to bring the words into consis- height of each quadrant was one tency with practice?

Each man...went into action under the first he happened to see… —Julius Caesar, “The Conquest of Gaul” If you wish to compliment the editor, to contribute in the future, contact Ted Kaye at 503-223-4660 or [email protected]. If you wish to complain, call your mother.

2 The Tabloid Flags at Camp Withycombe By Ted Kaye I recently attended a large meet- ing at Camp Withycombe, the Oregon National Guard base in Clackamas County.

It’s the home of the 41st Infantry Division, famous in the Second World War as the “Sunset Divi- sion” (for which the Sunset High- way is named).

The event, the Governor’s Executive Briefing on military employment and the National The flags of the State of Oregon, the United States (48 stars, 1912-1959), and the Guard, featured retiring Major 41st Infantry Division, with battle streamers, decorate the gymnasium foyer at General Raymond F. Rees, Camp Withycombe, the Oregon National Guard base. Oregon’s adjutant general.

Flags figured in the ceremonies, and as part of the permanent dé- cor of the facilities. Not only did the color guard enter with due ritual, the stage held a large dis- play of military flags.

The Oregon Military Museum is raising funds for a new building there—some of the current The military color guard folds the Large flags hang from the rafters of displays also contain flags— as Miss Oregon the gymnasium as the band plays (in tiara) looks on. the national anthem. mostly from WWII.

The full complement of military/service flags on stage at the ceremony.

August 2013 Portland Flag Association Publication 3 Round-Up Former NAVA webmaster and prominent vexillological publisher Dick Gideon maintains American Vexillum, an on- magazine. It exemplifies the original meaning of “magazine”—it is a “store- The Koru flag, designed by the house” of flag information, and Austrian architect Freidensreich updated daily. Hundertwasser in 1983 as an alternate New Zealand flag, intrigues PFA The Timbers Army, the rabid fan To view, it visit member David Ferriday, another base of Portland’s major league www.gideonflags.com/AVM/; architect who designs flags. In a soccer team, continually flies new Maori “koru” pattern, it depicts and unusual flags. This one is a to ask for occasional notifications a curling fern tip. repurposed custom U of O flag. of postings, e-mail Dick at gide- [email protected].

Constitution of the Portland Flag Association

1. Purpose 3. Membership or other activities. The PFA does not maintain a treasury, hold The Portland Flag Association Membership of the PFA is open assets, or engage in any other (PFA) is an unincorporated vol- to any person interested in financial transactions. untary association, first organized living in the region of in 1995, dedicated to the pursuit Portland, Oregon. Members are 6. Associations and advancement of vexillology responsible for the payment of The PFA supports the purposes (the study of flags) in the region dues as agreed by the association. of the International Federation of Portland, Oregon. A member may resign from mem- of Vexillological Associations and bership at any time. 2. Organization the North American Vexillologi- 4. Activities cal Association (NAVA). PFA Decisions for the PFA are made members are encouraged to be by consensus of its members. The PFA conducts activities such members of NAVA. A member may be appointed to as publishing a periodical, main- represent the PFA to the Interna- taining a website, holding routine 7. Flag tional Federation of Vexillological meetings, and pursuing other ini- The PFA flag adopts the colors Associations and other organiza- tiatives. All activities are accom- and a fimbriated V-shaped ele- tions, with full power to act on plished by members who volun- ment from the Portland city flag behalf of the association, and the teer their time and resources. and the bold V-for-vexillology editor of the PFA’s publications 5. Finances symbolism of the NAVA flag. may sign credentials to certify this appointment. The PFA has no Membership dues are applied to Last amended 11 July 2013 other formal leadership structure. the cost of the PFA’s publications

4 The Vexilloid Tabloid July 2013 Flutterings You Need to Know In our July meeting, hosted by David Anchel described the pos- Ted Kaye, 11 PFA members en- sible origin of a Timbers Army joyed a lively evening of flags and flag shown in The Oregonian (see related topics. page 3)...a design with green and yellow rays ordered and rejected Ted, as host, led us through intro- by a University of Oregon fan, ductions and moderated our dis- relegated to the seconds bin, then cussion. He distributed the new repurposed by a Timbers fan. Portland Flag postcard (layout by David Koski and printing by He also related how a customer of NitroPrint in N.W. Portland). Elmer’s has ordered flags com- PFA members will use them to memorating major league soccer promote adoption of the flag. teams on the West Coast—some with designs so dreadful he de- Members voted in a change in the clined to identify the company. PFA constitution (see page 3) to specify who verifies our represen- David Ferriday brought several A Portland Timbers flag ordered by a tative to FIAV, and confirmed flag-related items, including a customer of Elmer’s Flag & Banner, Dave Anchel, proprietor. Max Liberman in that role. large Miller Light banner and a flag that appeared to come from a Max missed the meeting, as he contrada (neighborhood) of Siena, ing nautical flags in the 1960s is in England studying before Italy, used in the famous annual from the Schnitzer ship disman- attending the International Con- horse race, the Palio. He also tling operation for 25 cents gress of Vexillology in Rotterdam. shared an alternate flag for New apiece, eventually amassing 300. He has taken a PFA flag with him Zealand (see page 3). A professor of English, professor for when he speaks on behalf of of Law, and a U.S. Forest Service our application for membership Long-time N.W. Portland resident ranger, he recently toured in FIAV, the international federa- and new PFA member Sam Oak- Moldova speaking on “protecting tion of vexillological associations. land told how he started collect- public lands”, on behalf of the

Ken Dale discussed how the components of flags are often used as graphic elements to evoke but not recapitulate their design.

Ken Dale makes a point with a Name that flag—David Ferriday unrolls a mystery flag, probably a contrada flag flag-themed napkin. from the Palio in Siena, Italy.

August 2013 Portland Flag Association Publication 5

Liam Cushman displays his newly- acquired German flag, a gift from Patrick Genna.

Liam Cushman, attending a PFA meeting for the first time, described his interest in the flags of Germany, the UK, and Italy— whereupon Patrick gave him a German flag. He will attend NAVA 47 in Salt Lake City.

Patrick Genna shared many im- ages of flag use he had culled New PFA member Sam Oakland shares his custom-ordered Richard III banner. from recent news, and tried to stump the crowd with the flag of U.S. State Department.. battle with Goodwill Industries about its policy against selling a Venice, Italy. No luck! Sam shared some of the many U.S. flag “as-is”—because of un- custom-made flags he’s acquired, certainty about “what the buyer focusing on the Nordic countries, might do with it”. Channel Islands, Orkneys, and historical flags. He described his A big fan of the Tour de France bicycle race, Mike Hale has been watching videos of each day’s ac- tivities and drawing the flags he sees—often freezing the frame to capture the image—then looking Patrick Genna and the Venetian flag, them up if he doesn’t know them. with David Koski looking on. He shared his sketchbook with dozens of flags, lamenting that his grandkids had made off with his good colored pencils. Luckily the first images he showed were of Brittany and Corsica!

Mike then related the interesting A Tour de France fan, Mike Hale has been drawing the flags flown— history of the “Moor’s Head” on Corsican flags. including Brittany and Corsica. The PFA’s flag hangs proudly.

6 The Vexilloid Tabloid Flags in the News By Michael Orelove Portland City Flag at Half Staff

Foreign Flags at Half Staff Portland’s city flag was flown at Recently I saw a group of foreign half-staff recently in tribute to a flags flying at half staff at the newborn girl found dead at a re- Christian Copyright Licensing cycling center. Flags were low- International (CCLI) building in ered at City Hall, the Portland S.E. Portland. Building, the World Trade Center, Half-staffed flags in S.E. Portland. Pioneer Courthouse Square, and It was a half-staff flag day for the Jeld-Wen . American flag and since the U.S. Flag Code states in Section 7 (c) The City Council approved a “No other flag or pennant should resolution in 2009* to lower the be placed above or, if on the same flag in honor of children who die level, to the right of the flag of the from abuse, neglect, or homicidal th United States of America…”, violence. This marked the 10 CCLI also lowered the foreign time the city flag was so lowered. flags. At Pioneer Courthouse Square The flags were those of Canada, only the city flag flew at half staff. Great Britain, Australia, South * http://www.portlandonline.com/ Africa, and Brazil. saltzman/index.cfm?c=50067 The Portland flag at half staff. A Newspaper Editor’s International Flags William A. Hilliard, Jr., never saw a flag he didn’t like—and he has quite a collection.

As editor of The Oregonian 1987– 1994 and for a year president of the American Society of Newspa- per Editors, he traveled the globe advancing press freedom. In every country he would ask his hosts for a national flag.

He now often flies the flags from his Willamette Heights home in NW Portland (next door to your VT editor, Ted Kaye). They spark interest and wonder among passersby, especially when he features “pariah nations”. Some- International flags fly from the home of Bill Hilliard, retired editor of times he includes Portland’s flag. The Oregonian, as mementos of his global travels advancing press freedom.

August 2013 Portland Flag Association Publication 7 What’s that Flag? What Was that Flag? Answers to the last quiz

Can you name these seven flags By Max Liberman and identify the unifying theme?

Answers in the next issue…

Chuuk, Fed. States of Micronesia Governor of Tennessee, USA

Lipetsk Oblast, Russia

French Mandate of Lebanon

British Indian Ocean Territory

's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Lieutenant Governor of The theme linking these flags: all Prince Edward Island, Canada depict a tree of some kind.

8 The Vexilloid Tabloid Portland Flag Miscellany The flag of the city of Portland One omits the continues to spur variation and entirely (turning the central hypo- adaptation. The first two cycloid yellow), the other outlines examples shown here change the them in black (applying the heral- fimbriations—the narrow white dic “rule of ” to separate border stripes. the white from the yellow.

The third alters the colors slightly.

Fan art supporting the Portland Ultimate Frisbee is very popular in Timbers, our major league soccer Portland. One team, “Portland Janus Youth Programs, a social- team, uses a motif and color scheme Rhino”, sports an on the service agency on SW Alder Street, inspired by Portland’s city flag. back of its T-shirts. A version of the displays this banner in one of its front Portland flag on a silhouette of the windows. Its central element Note the flag is attached at its fly end. state of Oregon, it is notable for omit- accurately replicates the center of the Found by Patrick Genna. ting the white fimbriations, creating a Portland flag, but with black fimbri- compellingly simple variant design. ations on the white fimbriations! Source: https://pinterest.com/

September Meeting

The next meeting of the Portland Flag Association will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, September 12, 2013, at Mary’s Woods, the retirement vil- lage of John Schilke, 17400 Holy Names Drive, Lake Oswego.

See the map at right.

We look forward to seeing those of you who have missed recent meetings, and hear some new sto- ries, see some different flags, and Enter the DUROCHER parking lot. The number (17440) is over engage in provocative discussion. the entrance area of the apartment building. Park in an empty (free) space with a BLUE FLAG in the parking area. If nobody’s at the If you can’t get to the meeting, door, call John’s cell phone: 503-459-1213. perhaps you can give the editor something to share with readers. The Vexilloid Tabloid , founded in 1999 by the late John Hood, is published bi-monthly by and for the Portland Flag Association—Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. Find back issues at www.portlandflag.org.

August 2013