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Friday, September 2, 2011

ICV 24 - International Congress of Vexillology, Day 2 - 14th Presentation by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, Netherlands

Day 2 - Speaker #16
NETHERLANDS

The fourteenth presentation was given be Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg and was entitled On a Scale of 1 to 10.

Muijzenberg from Friesland gave us a splendid presentation about the methodology of judging a flag for its effectiveness on a scale of 1 to 10. Ten being judged and excellent flag and one being a judged a horrible flag.


The K Scale was shows where a flag receives points from 0-2 on five aspects.
1. Simple
2.Meaning
3. 2-3 Colours
4. No letters, no seals
5. Distinctive or related

Huijzenberg notes that some criteria are subjective, does not address meaning, and is limited by its base list. There is need to globally validate the criteria.


ICV 24 - International Congress of Vexillology, Day 2 - 13th Presentation by Lee L. Harold, USA

Day 2 - Speaker #15
USA - Minnesota

The thirteenth presentation was given by Lee L. Herold and was entitled Why Flags? Searching for an Essence of Flag.

Herold began his presentation with thoughtful quote from Tolstoy about political dissent. He went on in a deliciously poetic and cerebral prose on the deeper meaning of flags and what they have to offer.

ICV 24 - International Congress of Vexillology, Day 2 - 12th Presentation by Scot Guenter, USA

Day 2 - Speaker #14
USA - California

The twelfth presentation was given by Scot Guenter and was entitled The Rise and Fall of Worldface: Social Networking, Stereotyping, and the Power of Flags.

Dr. Guenter gave a humorous belly aching presentation of the short history of World Face and its use of flags. World Face was parody site in a similar manner to Unencyclopedia is to Wikipedia. In this case World Face is only open to specific nation states. The humor stems from the classical formula of the juxtaposition of tweets and posts that mimic the international tensions between nations. This personalization of nations as virtual face book people has resulted in political bickers.

Basically it face book became an online virtual computer doll program where nations were mocked rather acutely and successful in a Face Book format. The playful use of a copy cat face book modeled the trappings of a website.

ICV 24 - International Congress of Vexillology, Day 2 - 11th Presentation by Marcus E.V. Schmoger, Germany

Day 2 - Speaker #13
GERMANY

The eleventh presentation was given by Marcus E.V. Schmoger and was entitled Political Party Flags of San Marino.

Schomoger gave us a vivid account about the story behind the Arms of San Marino and its use by political parties in San Marino, a little known micro-nation within Italy. The pattern is similar to Croatia with socialist and communist parties using traditionally red, and now white. But the common theme irrespective of party affiliation is the use of the three towers that can be found on the national coat of arms for San Marino.

ICV 24 - International Congress of Vexillology, Day 2 - 10th Presentation by Zeljk Heimer, Croatia

Day 2 - Speaker #12
CROATIA

The tenth presentation was given by Zeljko Heimer and was entitled National Identity in the Political Party Flag in Croatia.



Heimer gave us an over view of the various political flags within Croatian Politics. Heimer was greeted to wide range of applause as he just recently learned that he was no longer a Captain in Croatian Army but rather a Major. Heimer began the presentation by telling us that the political field and climate of Croatia is similar to the general temperature of Europe. Meaning the span of political parties is similar in France, Denmark and Croatia that has socialist to conservative christian parties.

Since the colours of the Croatian flag are red, white, and blue in a similar tone to flag of the Netherlands, most political parties have adopted those colours. It is a light generalization to note that the colours also represent the various ethnics within Croatia. Red is associated with Croatians, white with Bosnians, and blue for Serbs. Also yellow is often associated with social liberal parties.

Left leaning parties used to have red in their flags but nowadays white is the preferred colour of choice. Blue flags are traditionally left leaning as well but with a Christian overtone.

Another Generalization about the Croation

ICV 24 - International Congress of Vexillology, Day 2 - 9th Presentation by Jelena Borosak-Marijanovic, Croatia

Day 2 - Speaker #11
CROATIA

The ninth presentation was given Jelena Borosak-Marijanovic and was entitled Sokol Flags: The Symbols of the Croatian Sokol Movement up to 1914.

One of the earliest modern educational movements for scouting and physical fitness originated with the Czech Nation in the early 1860s. In the modern age, this effort to recruit youth with mental and physical challenges allowed communities to build foundations for political causes. Eventually the Sokol movement evolved into pan-Slav movement.

In a similar vein, in the United States of America - youth are indoctrinated with sports as a fundamental aspect of nationality and critical component of national pride. At the moment, men's football is the alpha-golden chalice of optimus prime vocations.

Jalena - her slide that reads
'The First Croation Pan-Sokol "slet" in Zagreb, Croatia (1906)'

The association with Croatian national pride and gymnastics was not an outspoken motivation of the Sokol Movement, however the marriage of sport and national or civic pride is an ancient theme that goes back to ancient Greece.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

ICV 24 - International Congress of Vexillology, Day 1 - 8th Presentation by Donald T. Healy, USA

Day 1 - Speaker #10
USA - Arizona

The final presentation for the day was given by Donald T. Healy and entitled San Diego's Indian Tribal Flags.

Donald T. Healy at the Speakers Podium

Healy showed us a spectacular collection of Native American Flags. We were informed that San Diego County has the most Native American reservations out of all the counties in the United States - 18. Subsequently we were witness to a vast collection of Native American flags.

An interesting note was that the La Jolla Band flag was overseen by President Grant.