NAVA 54, Vexitbit—Alex Gilkey: A New Kenyon Flag

Alex Gilkey presented a smooth version of the Kenyon College flag.  Kenyon College is a private Episcopal college located in Gambier, Ohio which is in the heart of Ohio near Columbus.  Gilkey proposed a streamlined armorial banner as a new flag for Kenyon College.   Currently, a blue flag with a white letter K represents the college in addition to a gold fringed flag with the coat of arms.

The shield was adopted in 1937 with the motto 'Valiantly Bear the Cross.'  There is an open book to represent learning.  Behind the book is a Bishop's staff.  The lower pattern represents Lord Kenyon's family coat of arms.   Also the crosses are indicative of Christianity.

Gilkey proposed a flag that is composed of the chevron with three white crosses.   It is a would be armorial banner for the Lord Kenyon. 

NAVA 54 Vexibit—Peter Loeser: A Blue Jay World Series Championship Flag 2015

Pete Loeser gave a delightful presentation about a mysterious Toronto Blue Jays flag.  Apparently in some other quantum universe the Toronto Blue Jays went on to win Baseball's World Series in 2015...not!

Loeser pointed out that flags are often made before the eggs have hatched.  Much like when Truman beat Dewey in 1948 for the US Presidential Election or more recently when Newsweek printed magazines touting that Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 US presidential election.

The Jays lost in the American League Championship to the Kansas City Royals.  Nonetheless, these erroneous flags were made and sold.

Make no mistake that in the future, persons will apply the Mandela Effect to this flag and assume that this flag represents a crossing over point, where in some other Universe the Jays win.

The most famous examples for the Mandela Effect include the spelling of the Bearstain Bears vs Bearstein Bears and whether or not standup comic Sinbad from Michigan was in a movie as the Genie Shazam.

For the record, the Jays lost to the Mets in 2015, and the Mets lost to the fairy tale winners of 2015, the Kansas City Royals.

Loeser's Website: http://www.loeser.us/flags 

#8. A Flag Incident in San Francisco—Jim Ferrigan

Jim Ferrigan replayed his award winning presentation about A Flag Incident in San Francisco in 1984.  Back in 1984 the Confederate flag flew along side several other flags at the San Francisco State House.  Attempts to get it removed peacefully were ignored, so a left leaning socialist group conducted a civil disobedient raid to remove the Confederate flag—which was a kin to the first version of the Confederate Naval Jack.

Many in the public do not realize that the popular Confederate flag is not the official flag of the Confederacy.  The popular Confederate flag is the de facto flag of the Confederacy and is usually associated with official battle flag of the Confederacy.  But this flag mostly closely resembles the second Naval Jack of the Confederacy. 

In 1984 Ritchie Bradly dressed in Northern Civil War attire and proceeded to take down the Confederate flag at the San Francisco State House.  You can see him standing in front of a reproduction of the  'Union Fort Sumter' flag of South Carolina, where the official start of the US Civil War began.

Richard Bradly was a part of a left-wing socialist organization.  His demonstration of active civil disobedience took place with supporters who wished to see the Confederate flag removed from the San Francisco public property and promote a worker's socialist agenda.  One banner reads: 'DOWN WITH THE CONFEDERATE FLAG OF SLAVERY & THE KKK!  LABOR BLACK LEAGUE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE!  Another banner reads: 'FINISH THE CIVIL WAR!  ONWARD TO A WORKERS STATE!'

You can see the flag being torn down by Dick Bradly.  He was later released and the drama continued with a new flag, and several others until it was finally replaced.  The Confederate flag was one of many that represented the heritage of California.

Although the Confederacy never saw any military action or gained traction in California, other nation states were able to make an impact on California that would have made a better replacement like the Russian-American Company due to the colony at Ft. Ross; or the Argentina flag when Hippolyte Bochard occupied Monterey in 1818.  There was also the early US occupation of California in 1842 when Catesby Jones seized Monterey, when the US only had 26 states.

#7. Neḥushtan at Sea: What is Fouling that Anchor?—Bard Cosman

Bard Cosman gave a fascinating paper on the icon of the fouled anchor.  He ascribed it to Biblical origins.  A popular design for flags and in heraldry is a snake on an anchor. Cosman described its connections and symbolism, that can swing between being a rope and being a snake.

Cosman showed us several examples of the snake on the cross or staff, which was known as the Brazen serpent or nehushtan. Although snakes and serpents are associated with evil it is quite ironic that this symbol has also become a symbol of good, almost like a Yin and Yang.

 Below Cosman showed us an illustration of the Anchor and it use as printer's marks as the 'Sacred Anchor' of Christ.

NAVA 54: Presenting NAVA 55:Next Year's Meeting at St. Augustine, again, by Amber Atteberry

Like all NAVA meetings, a presentation for the next NAVA meeting was given.  Amber Atteberry gave an overview of the facility at appropriately named Flagler College.  There is a planned visit to the oldest masonry fort in the United States: the Castle of St. Mark (Castillo de San Marcos).

Flagler college is supreme college of elegance. 

#6. United States Revenue-Marine and Customs Flags: A New Perspective—David B. Martucci

Can you spot the correct 16 striped Cutter flag?

David B. Martucci was the 6th presenter at NAVA 54.  His topic delved into the story of the Marine Revenue Cutter flag, which is now used as an Ensign by the US Coast Guard.  This flag can trace its origins back to when Oliver Wolcott, Jr. was the Secretary of the Treasury. 

This flag received it official prescription on August 1, 1799.  It described this flag with 16 perpendicular stripes of alternate red and white with the Arms of the United States in the canton to be dark blue and on a white field.

Martucci pointed out, since the official description of the flag in 1799 had 16 stripes because there were 16 states in the Union.  Likewise many flags of the USA had 16 stripes as well. 

By the time 1818 rolled around the US had 21 states.  Thus many US flags has 21 stars with 21 stripes.  With too many stripes, the US flag was given its final modern design algorythm by Captain Samuel Reid; it states that the stripes would remain as 13 for history and the canton would add stars as states were included. 

The Revenue Cutter Marine also appeared on the Seal of several government organizations.  From 1874 until 1900 it was on the right side of the US Treasury Department Seal as used on Customs Documents from 1874 to 1900.  Likewise the US Customs Service Seal used it sometime in the 1880s and 1890s.

Note that before income taxes, a lot of cash for the government was raised with this 'Guardian Paramilitary Entry Port Custom's Duty Force'  better known as the Revenue Cutter Service.

Dave Martucci at NAVA 54 Online with Library of Congress - Can you spot the correct 16 striped Cutter flag?

 Later in the day the Revenue Cutter Service flag for the Confederacy was shown during last presentation by Jim Farrigan.  The Confederate Revenue cutter flag had seven stars in the canton and looked remarkably like to flag of France, minus the stars. 

Further details of Martucci's presentation is scheduled to a appear in an up coming issue of Vexillum.  Martucci was the president of  NAVA from 1998-2004. 


 Link to Martucci's Website:
http://www.vexman.net 

#5. The Unwaved Flag in Churches—Benjamin Nickodemus

Benjamin Nickodemus gave a paper on an observation a European immigrant to the United States who experienced culture shock in many of the US Churches he visited.  The shocking element was the placement of the US flag near the holy of holy altars.  Not all churches in the US have flags in the church, but many set it on one of the flanking sides.  Although the US may pride herself on separation of the state and church, many churches are actively pro-inclusive to include symbols of the state in their church.

Nickodemus pointed out that many churches also fly the church flag along side the US flag, which is a white field with a blue canton and red cross.  However, Catholic Churches do not fly the 'protestant' Christian flag, instead they sometimes fly the Vatican flag, which is usually nowhere near the holy of holy altars.

Although the US promotes the separation of Church and State it may seem peculiar to some, that highest symbol of the state would be in a Church.  On the other hand, the use of Christian imagery within the state is ever so present.  Many legislative leaders are sworn in upon the Bible, likewise Christmas is a recognized Federal holiday.  Also note, US federal government does not recognize any Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Shinto or Native American Religious Holiday—only Christian Holidays.