AY Honors/Flags - Advanced/Answer Key

2. What is the study of flags called?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexillology

3. Know and identify the following basic types of flags and list one flag for each type

a. Badge

b. Bicolor

two base colors, either side by side or one above the other. The Vatican flag is a good example using yelow and white side by side.

c. Burgee

A burgee is a distinguishing flag, regardless of its shape, of a recreational boating organization. Yacht club membersfly them and exchange them on the first visit by a member of one club to another club.

d. Canton

where it exists, the upper inside section. The Stars and blue field in the Stars and Stripes form the canton.

e. Couped Cross

a cross on a flag that does not extend to the edge of the flag. The Swiss national flag has a white couped cross on a red field, and the international red cross has a red couped cross on a white field (the reverse of the Swiss Flag).

f. Cross

two intersecting lines. The UK flag consists of three different crosses on top of each other.

g. Pennant

h. Quartered

the flag is divided into 4 sections or quarters of either solid colors or solid colors with designs. The Royal Standard of Spain flew over much of the new world as well as Spain. The red-and-white quartered flag has a golden castle on the red and a red lion on the white. The castle and lion represented royal houses Castile and Leon, from which the King of Spain descended. Panama and the Dominican Republic as well as the US State of Maryland use quartered flags today.

i. Serration

two colors meeting at a sarrated line. Bahrain and Qatar are two national flags with this feature.

j. Triangle

three sided feature. Many countries include a triangle on thier flag incuding South Africa, Bahamas, Cuba, East Timor, Sudan and more.

k. Triband

about 30% of the worlds national flags are considered tribands. Sometimes the bands are three different colors, but some have just two colors with one of the colors between bands of another color. Often additional symbols are imposed on top of one or more of the bands. The Canadian flag is a triband, with the maple leaf over the center white band. France has a three color triband without any extra decoration.

l. Guidon

4. Choose three national flags, including your own, that combined have all the following colors. On those flags, what do the colors represent:
a. Red b. Blue c. Black
d. Green e. White f. Yellow

1. Canada Red: From the Cross of St George ( an element in the UK flag) White: French royal emblem. Together the official colors of Canada since 1921 long before the Maple Leaf was designed.
2. USA Red: White: Blue:
3. MalaYsia: Red: equal states White: equal states Blue: Unity of the Malaysian people. Yellow: Malaysian Royalty.
4. Republic of China:
5. South Africa: The colors have no official meaning but Black, Gold and Green were part of the African National Congress flag and Blue, white, red and green were on the previous South African flag. Therefore it is commonly understood the colors represent a blending of the black and white societies and the design suggests moving forward.

A useful reference on the potential meanings of flag colors: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/flags/colors.shtml

6. Learn when and why a flag is flown at ½ staff.

Flags are flown at half mast or half staff (term varies by country) as a sign of mourning, respect, or distress. The tradition may relate to leaving room for the invisible flag of death. In some areas the flag is left one flag height from the top of the pole, while in other places it is moved to half way up the pole. When raising a flag to half mast one should raise it briefly to the top than lower it to the half mast position. When taking down the flag, raise it to the top briefly and than lower to the base.

The rules and reasons depend in the country. This wikipedia article provides information on the customs in many countries. Half mast

8. Teach proper techniques for folding and storing flags
a. National flag b. State/Province flag
c. Christian flag d. AY/Pathfinder flags

Canada

There are no rules or protocol for folding the Canadian flag other than doing it respectfully.

United States

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Flag folding

11. Learn how to properly & respectfully dispose of a torn/worn National flag. Be part of a ceremony to properly dispose of a National flag

Canada

If you are considering if your flag has reached the point it needs to be replaced, it is time to replace it. Flying a flag with rips, tears, or stains is disrespectful. There is no official protocol for disposing of an old Canadian flag but respectfully burning it privately is suggested. A camp fire, brush fire or a wood stove are all acceptable. Burning the flag with garbage would be unacceptable as the flag should not be combined with garbage.

Modern flags are often made from more durable nylon so they last longer. According to DuPont’s ‘Material Safety Data Sheet’ burning nylon produces: “Hazardous gases / vapors produced in fire are formaldehydes, ammonia, carbon monoxide, cyclopentanone, oxides of nitrogen, traces of hydrogen cyanide, incompletely burned hydrocarbons.” Some suggest cutting up the flag (now it is not a flag) and recycling it - perhaps into new flags.

United States

There is no official protocol for retiring a US Flag other than that it be done by burning and that it be done respectfully. Here is an outline for a ceremony that you might consider using.

• Kindle a fire near the center of the area where the flag will be retired. Assign someone to tend the fire, seeing that it does not get out of control and that it is sufficiently robust to consume the flag completely.
• Six Pathfinders march forward, with one carrying the flag.
• The flag is unfolded and held horizontally while Taps is played.
• While five of the Pathfinders hold the flag, the sixth one removes the union (blue field) with a pair of sharp scissors.
• The union is placed on the fire.
• The top-most red stripe is then cut from the flag (and the remainder of the flag is still held horizontal to the ground).
• The red strip is placed on the fire.
• Each stripe is then removed, one at a time and placed on the fire.
• When the fire has consumed all the parts of the flag, it should be put out completely.
• When it is cool enough to do so, any grommets that were part of the flag should be collected and buried.