Swedish Thanksgiving 2010

Flag of Sweden at a

Car Dealer ship in the USA

Swedish-American history is often overlooked. The Swedish were the first Old World people to take up permanent residence in the Delaware Bay in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Western New Jersey. This chapter of Nordic-American history ran from 1638 until 1655. The first run of Nordic American history took place at the turn of the first millennium with Leif Ericson around 1001 AD.

American history books gush over Spanish, English, French, and Dutch settlement in the New World. Why don't the Swedes get some kind of Colonial American Glory? Why isn't there some romantic Swede-Native American story that is told over and over, like the Mayflower or Pocohantas? Can you think of any honored Swedish Colonials? If the Swedes didn't come to America, we probably wouldn't have Lincoln Logs or Log Cabin Republicans.

Perhaps Peanuts could do a Holiday Special commemorating the Swedish landing at the Delaware Bay. It was in the wake of Sweden that America's first colonial capitol came to be - Philadelphia.

Worried about what to bring to the next Thanksgiving? How about Swedish Meatballs?

The Colours of Sweden at an
American IKEA in Pennsylvania

In honor of things Swedish we can appreciate the two Flagship Companies of Sweden: IKEA & VOLVO. If you ever visit these places you may find a Swedish Flag flying over head. Swedish flags do not create any issues but imagine if Honda or KIA dealers were to fly the flag of Japan and Korea at their dealerships?

However the lovable and mostly neutral Swedes can get away with displaying their nations colours.

Thanks to Swedes/Finns and Frank Loyd Wright's Son we have Lincoln Logs
the Finns were still united with Sweden when they colonized the Delaware Bay & they brought over "Log Cabin" technology that Brits were ignorant about

Here the Colours of Sweden are honored in the flag of Philadelphia, which is the oldest official City Flag in the Entire USA

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Outside Links

Interested in driving a VOLVO? Click Here www.volvo.com

Shop for chic and cool furniture here at IKEA www.ikea.com/us/en/

Forget video games and noisy electronic toys!!!!!!
Get this kids Lincoln Logs at this place www.knex.com

Joint GWAV & CBFA Meeting 2010, Part V

John Purcell holding up an odd misprint
of the Ohio State flag that
requires some assembly with scissors

The final presentation was given by John Purcell, a former NAVA president and primary author of American City Flags - 150 Flags from Akron to Yonkers. Purcell's presentation was entitled Colors and Controversy: The Flags of Our 50 States - How Our States Got Flags and Why It Took So Long.

Purcell gave us an overview of the how the fifty states got their flags. For a good majority it was mostly due to need. At functions where state representatives met, in all sorts of events from athletic, social and political - the various delegations often needed a state flag to represent their group.

However each state flag has its own particular story. Some flags were not created for a caucus need, but rather for state pride and or historical reason.

I asked Purcell which state flag reflects the design of the US State flag the best? Before Purcell could respond several people volunteered an answer - 'Ohio, Texas, and Georgia.' But Purcell's choice of which state flag looks most like the federal flag was, "Hawaii."

An open question? - Which US State flag looks most like the US national flag? Ohio, Texas, Georgia, or Hawaii? Post your answers here!

TEXAS

Two big red and white stripes, Texas trumps the flag of North Carolina since NC has dates and letters on it.

HAWAII

Hawaii's basic design is like the US flag with a canton and stripes. But no stars and blue stripes? And a British Flag!


GEORGIA

13 Stars like the Betsy Ross design, and three big stripes. However its the design of the first Confederate Flag.



OHIO

Stars and stripes! but the shape is wrong and there is a red dot with a white circle around it?

Joint GWAV & CBFA Meeting 2010, Part IV

The flag of Cedar Springs caught every ones attention

since it had a pair of red long johns

The fifth presentation was given by David Breitenbach and it was entitled Michigan City Flags. Breitenbach showed us a diverse array of city flags found all around the great state of Michigan.

The city flags of Michigan followed the typical design of a city seal on plain background.

A vexillological masterpiece of chaos in order
I like it!












Fogetta'bout dat fancy dancy computah' power point skadiddle
Breitenbach treated us the historic classic slide projector

Link to past CBFA GWAV Meeting in 2008
cbfa.vexillology.info/May2008/photos.html

Joint GWAV & CBFA Meeting 2010, Part III

The second day of the joint GWAV & CBFA meeting took place at the historic West Virginia McLure Hotel in downtown Wheeling. The McLure Hotel opened for business on the 100 years after the birth of Betsy Ross in 1852. This hotel has bunked presidents, civil war generals, and many a famous West Virginian.

During the Civil War William Rosecrans drafted it for his HQ. Joseph McCarthy gave his infamous, 'list of Communist sympathizers' speech at this location. Previous guests include Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Marilin Monroe.

South Pacific Nation with British Union Flags
Australia - Fiji - New Zealand - Tuvalu

The first presentation of Sunday, November 14, 2010 was entitled The New Zealand Flag Controversy. It was given by William Belanich, Jr. An interesting flag that Belanich showed us was the proposed design that includes NZ that mirrors the current design.

Belanich spoke about the Aaron Nicholson Flag -
my favorite - that was designed in 2000 and recently had
a Native Kiwi cloud design added on the bottom in 2009

Belanich gave us an over view of the efforts to change the New Zealand flag. There are four nations in the South Pacific that still retain the British Union Flag in their national flag - Australia, Fiji, Tuvalu, and New Zealand. Which one will permanently abandon the British Flag? Tuvalu briefly broke the British South Pacific Flag cadence in the 1990s but later reverted to the UK sky blue design. Perhaps New Zealand and Australia would do the same?

I suppose if Scotland ever gets the gumption to separate from the United Kingdom, then that could solidify the South Pacific UK flags or push them to change their flag?


For one year, 1996-1997 Tuvalu
abandoned the British Flag but later
regretted the decision and returned
to the sky blue flag

Joint GWAV & CBFA Meeting 2010, Part II

The second speaker at the joint meeting between the Greater Waters Association of Vexillology and the Chesapeake Bay Flag Association was Dale Grimes, Jr. The title of his presentation was World War II Navy Flags Made on Mare Island.

Mare Island was the US Navy's first Pacific Naval Base. It is about 25 miles north of San Francisco. It functioned from 1854 until 1996. It's first Naval Commander was from Tennessee - David Farragut who became famous at the battle of Mobil Bay in 1861 with the quote, "Dam the torpedoes, full speed ahead."

Dale Grimes talking about his
historic and important Naval Flag Collection

However Mr. Grimes' presentation focused upon his vast collection of US Navy Flags of WWII. We were shown a delightful collection of banners and ensigns that 'saw' action in WWII.

Link to Dales Grimes Flags
cbfa.vexillology.info/Grimes/grimes.html

Joint GWAV & CBFA Meeting 2010, Part I

A joint meeting between two vexillological groups took place at Wheeling, West Virginia on the weekend of November 13, 2010. It was held between the Great Waters Association of Vexillology and the Chesapeake Bay Flag Association. The first day of the meeting took place at the historic West Virginia Independence Hall.

Nearly 150 years earlier a pro-Union Virginian congress met at this location, in spring of 1861. An important delegate of the 'Anti-Confederate Virginia Congress' was a cousin of Stonewall Jackson - John Jay Jackson.

1936 National Geographic Issue
Photo of an Authentic Son's of Liberty Flag?

The first speaker was Peter Ansoff. The title of his presentation was No Primary Reference: The Flag of the Sons of Liberty. In 1936 National Geographic published a photo of a supposed authentic Son's of Liberty Flag from the Revolutionary Era. However the sewing method and condition of the flag was inconsistent with flags made in the 1760s.

Mr. Ansoff also discussed the selection process for the NAVA 44 meeting flag.

Part of an Authentic Announcement
for Son's of Liberty Meeting from 1760s











You can learn more about the Sons of Liberty
On Wikipedia Here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Liberty

See Mr. Ansoff on Youtube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzK56PQDbKw

Blogging for a Year

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