Vexi-Bits ICV 27 London at the Huxley Building

This year, there was the smallest of smallest Vexi-Bits at an ICV.  Usually Vexi-Bits take place in an informal matter.  Typically a NAVA person is chosen to organize an after hours meeting to discuss random flag topics, where each speaker gets 1-3 minutes to talk about his or her flag related item.  At ICV 27 Lodon, Vexi-Bits were set up at a last minutes notice.  But the schedule was already heavily booked with activities, consequently Vexi-Bits ICV 27 London ended up as a solo act.  But it was a powerful Vexi-Bit nonetheless, that may effect all other Vexi-Bits to come!

Ted Kaye, Holding a Vexi-Bit Flag: London ICV 27

Interestingly the solo Vexi-Bit saw the first design proposal for a Vexi-Bit flag.

The Vexi-Bit flag like the UK Union Flag is a combined flag, derived from three flags.  With the UK Union Jack, the three components that make up the British Ensign are the banners of Scotland, England, and Irish St. Patrick's Cross flag.  Likewise the three elements of the Vexi-Bit Flag are the NAVA flag and two of the International Maritime flags: the letter V and letter B.  Obviously V stands for Vexi, while the B stands for Bits.  The Vexi-Bit flag has a swallow tail design, as it is for the wholly red Letter B-Bravo flag.  Thus it is fitting that the first Vexi-Bit flag should manifest itself in the UK under a triplet flag, being a triplet flag itself.

Thus the Vexi-Bit flag declares subconsciously, "Victory for NAVA, Bravo!"

https://nava.org/

Random Flags at London

ICV 27 - Speaker 9: John Cartledge

 

Cartledge presented an overview on the particular attachments to the colour red.  Often described as passionate colour of life and blood, Cartledge gave a brilliant and often amusing battery of red's symbolism.  No doubt the associations are red are established deep in the collective mind as a leading brilliant colour that can easily catch ones attention.

ICV 27 - Speaker 8: Sekhar Chakrabarti

Variant of Dominant Political Party Flag as National Flag: Confusions and Controversies - a Case Study was title of Chakrabarti's paper.  Chakrabarti gave us a deeper story unto the unfolding of the national flag for India, which took many turns and twists before arriving at the modern day flag that we know today. 

ICV 27 - Speaker 7: Victor Lomantsov

Victor Lomantsov's paper was entitled Flags of Trade-Unions' Sport Societies in the USSR.  Although the Soviet Union was known for its big red flag, there was still a need to play sports.  Lomantsov gave us a general overview of the varied and colourful, and often non-communist, flags of the sports clubs in the Soviet Union.

ICV 27 - Speaker 6: Pierre-Jean Guionin

Pierre-Jean Guionin's paper was entitled The New Edition of Album des Pavillons et des Marques Distinctives.  Guionin gave his presentation mostly in French.  Guionin discussed the ins and outs of editing the important work for France's Department of Oceanography.  

ICV 27 - Speaker 5: Christopher Maddish

The title of the paper was Colour Coding and New Vexillological Avenues for Flag Design.  The framework for colour coding flags to numbers was presented.  Examples were given several areas including: longitude and latitude, altitude, chemistry, and even postal zones.  In the second part of the lecture other un-flagged areas were presented: geographic birthright flags, maritime flags areas without a flag, and many more.