The 50-star US Flag Behind the Scenes Account

Posted on August 6, 2014 by greg

We would later on find out that a 17-year old sophomore boy from Ohio would be credited as the original design genius of the current 50-star US flag. Here are some behind the scenes events pertaining to it.

Upon the submission of the hand sewn 50-star flag by Mr. Robert Heft to his teacher, the reception of the would-be masterpiece would be quite uninspired and lacked enthusiasm. Mr. Heft was told that anybody could come up with a flag and was just given a B-Minus. As a challenge, perhaps as a serious gesture or a somewhat jeering tease, the teacher challenged Robert Heft that the grade may be raised if he was able to let congress approve of his design.

Normally, anyone would be disheartened and discouraged with the coldness of the reception, but not Robert. He forwarded the design to his locality’s congressman, Representative Walter Moeller, who worked to have the design accepted as soon as Hawaii and Alaska were added to the United States Union.

This 50-star American flag was first flown during the Independence Day celebration of 1960 at the US Capitol. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, then the US president attended the celebration with Rep. Moeller, as well as the creator Mr. Heft. Since then, it has been flown and hoisted all over the US.

Amusingly, he then created the 51-star Union afterwards, considering if Puerto Rico ever joined the United States. He still keeps his original 50-star US flag and has turned down offers even if it reached a tad bit shy of a half million.

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Facts about the 50-star American Flag Design

Posted on August 5, 2014 by greg

We are all aware with the current stars and stripes. The US flag, with its 50-star design was created a little way before the necessity of having 50 stars were needed to represent the country. Call it coincidence or just mystical, the accounts to its creation are nevertheless a noteworthy read.

The first design of the 50-star American flag, according to many accounts is credited to a young 17-year old sophomore from Ohio. It was the year 1958, a few years before Alaska and Hawaii were still to be included in the United States and the country still having an official 48-state count.

With just a simple assignment in high school given by their teacher Mr. Stan Pratt, the 50-star flag was the brainchild of one of the students named Robert Heft, who would be then creating the design for the current 50-star American flag. What is even more amazing is that the assignment was nothing about making a flag or something like it. The project was a freeform delegation by their teacher. While the other students were busy trying to create their masterpieces, Robert Heft already had the idea implanted in his mind for creation.

So he used the flag that his parents had – a 48-star flag design. He proceeded to cut the layout compartments apart and set them to be laid out so as to allow the arrangement of the stars accommodate two new stars, while maintaining the closest organization possible with the original. He hand sewn them together, submitted the first 50-star American flag, and the rest is history.

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The 50-star American Flag Factoids

Posted on August 4, 2014 by greg

We all are familiar with the current American flag – thirteen interchanging horizontal white and red stripes, coupled with a rectangular patch of royal blue on the upper left corner filled with 50 stars to denote the 50 states that are part of the jurisdiction of the USA. Here are some small facts on its creation.

It was a 17 year old boy by the name of Robert Heft who designed the first 50-star American flag. Hailing from Ohio, he was then a sophomore in high school when he hand sewn this piece of iconic symbolism in 1958. This happened even prior to the inclusion of Alaska and Hawaii – which makes this somewhat mysteriously a coincidence or some sort of foreseen future.

The creation of the 50-star American flag design was just an assignment to them by their teacher Mr. Stan Pratt. The teacher told them to have a project of their choosing and will be graded for creativity. While others were fiddling with their minds on what to do, Robert Heft already knew the exact ting he would be doing.

So he took his parents’ then 48-star US flag, cut the compartments apart, and rearranged the stars to allow two more stars to be added in an orderly manner. Call it a touch of clairvoyance or just mere coincidence, his simple modification gave way to the pattern being used as the present day American flag when Alaska and Hawaii were included in the roster of states under the US sovereign.

It was since 1912 that the US flag was last modified. His small, simple, yet bold gesture would be part of history, perhaps as a mere coincidence but still awesome nonetheless.

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World Flag Respect

Posted on August 1, 2014 by greg

The total number of nations that have made their sovereign known throughout the globe has increased progressively over the centuries. Each nation being represented with their national pride embodied into their respective country’s flag is among those recognized as world flags for other countries to acknowledge. While the creation of new nations are not as fragile and volatile as during the olden times of heavy bloodshed and conquering, the amount of blood, sweat, and tears are still as important when founding a new nation.

This is the reason why world flags should retain their essence of being respected, and should be taught in the academe. As modernization and globalization has stepped into the formation of the global culture and trends, it seems that the values of nationalism and patriotism have been neglected by the younger generations. Irresponsibility from the guardians and older people has left some younger generations to not care so much of the value and importance behind each nation’s flag. This also includes rendering respect to others as well.

While many of these young ones protect their own nation’s flag, they may disrespect or irresponsibly mock other world flags without understanding the implications. Even for the most mundane and shallow of reasons, the sense of nationalistic pride just becomes merely pride and a battle of national representation. This borders racial discrimination and gears towards hate crime just because of misunderstood meaning of nationalism. Academic intervention of rendering respect and good values towards own and other world flags should be a main and persevering concern to each generation that comes by.

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World Flag Pride

Posted on July 31, 2014 by greg

Modernization and the changing values system have seemingly veered off some of the people to retain and recognize the values of world flags, some to the extent of disrespecting them. Each national flag is a symbol embodying the independence and identity of each country and its citizenry. In all instances, the symbolism boils down to a history of shed blood, sweat, and tears by each of the countries’ founding fathers. These people were responsible to the realization of each country’s existence, and may have had offered their lives for it on many accounts.

This is the reason why world flags should be rendered and retained with the highest amount of respect and care, for it were not for the people behind the existence of such sovereign flags, we would not be enjoying the liberties and freedom as a person, as a citizen, or even as a human being. I believe that the education system needs to emphasize the value of rendering respect to the nationhood, as well as to the embodiments that carry the nationalistic pride such as the flag, national anthem, and the constitution. These three are the foundations that keep a nation as it exists among others.

Not only should respect given to one’s own flag, but also with all others recognized as a world flag. All of these flags have their own equal or equated amount of fought-for independence. This merits each of these flags to be recognized and respected as they should with one’s own. Making sure that each of these world flags do not touch the ground carelessly, or left to be soiled and dirtied negligently is a must for everyone as it is what keeps the nation self respecting and warranting of the same respect from others.

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The Meaning of the US Flag

Posted on July 30, 2014 by greg

Quoting from the Pledge of Allegiance, the words are embodied in the most essential way in the US flag. Even without the actual words imprinted on the national flag, the symbolism of the figures and pattern on the Old Glory is a direct symbolic testament to the ideals that governs the pledge itself.

The Stars and Stripes, as it is fondly called is a literal representation that holds a deeper meaning to the essence of liberty and justice. The evolution of the current day US flag underwent some major changes, especially as more and more states were recognized and founded throughout the years. Initially being only 13, these states have grown in number as liberty and equality was refined more and more.

This one nation flag holds a current 50 strong collective of semi independent states, with only the national laws superceding them. Each state represented in the US flag’s fifty stars has its own local governance and rules, but submits to a common law as a nation. With this power and limited sovereignty, each state has its own state flag, depicting its own added meanings and essences of existing under the national flag.

From a humble thirteen to a mighty 50 strong, the US flag retains its original ideals and purpose as it was first embodied in a very important document that started a revolution to create this current superpower – the Declaration of Independence.

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The US Flags

Posted on July 29, 2014 by greg

The American or US flag is a staunch symbol of strength, power, glory, and freedom, among many other virtues encompassed by its image. Commonly referred to as the Old Glory, it is also referred to by others as the Stars and Stripes. For over two centuries since it was first officially flown as a symbol of an independent nation, it bore the aspirations and inspirations of millions of people.

Currently, the national image of the US flag is composed of thirteen alternating horizontal stripes of white and red (seven red and six white). These are the representation of the initial 13 colonies which stood up for independence from the colonial British rule. The fifty stars in the upper left corner stands for the fifty states that comprise the current nation that we recognize. The colors white and blue signify purity and innocence, and vigilance and perseverance, respectively.

While the US flag is constitutionally recognized as the highest level of embodiment of the nation in the form of a flag, the US states’ flag are classified to be secondary, as well as other forms of officially recognized flags for the US. For instance, the capital of USA – Washington DC, has its own flown emblem to signify its importance and existence. The commonwealth of Puerto Rico is associated with the US as well.

The US flag has undergone various changes from its first conception to the present day embodiment of its sovereign, yet it retains all the ideals and aspirations as initially written and embodied in the declaration of independence.

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State Flags of the US

Posted on July 28, 2014 by greg

The Star Spangled Banner, the American Flag, the Old Glory – these are some of the references attributed to the national emblem of the United States of America. Consisting of the thirteen red and white stripes, plus a field of blue filled with fifty stars, almost everyone who has come across this emblem recognizes the nation it symbolizes. The fifty stars in the upper left corner are attributed to the fifty states which comprise the nation, and each of these has its own state flag.

The original American flag only had thirteen stars as it was attributed to the first set of colonies which joined the call for independence of British rule. From 1777 to 1795, as the sovereign of the American nation was recognized across the globe, the flag evolved to add more and more stars as new states were created and added.

Each of these states has their own set of emblems, insignias, and designs on their respective state flags. Having their own sets of history and embodiment of either ideals or strengths, each state flag carries a distinct identity, which may be similar with others, but still hold on their own. Nevertheless, these state flags fall under the common ideals of liberty and justice for all Americans governed by the national flag.

Officially and legally classified as secondary next to the American flag, state flags should be hoisted never above the national flag at any time, nor should these hoisted down after the national emblem. It should remain at least a little lower than the level of the American flag, and should be put down and folded up first.

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Custom Flags in Marketing

Posted on July 25, 2014 by greg

Advertising and Marketing has had its application of using custom flag displays in the current marketing scenario. From the usual flag shape of a landscape-oriented design, the current offshoots of these shapes come in the form of feather and teardrop. As linked to the nature of banner stands, studies have been conducted with results indicating that the correlation of banner movement to patronage is highly linked.

This is one of the main reasons why these flags for advertising are mainly used outdoors. Since the wind is a free and cost effective means of turning any drooping flag into a lively entity – dancing randomly against the incoming wind, advertisers and promoters have sought this method from time to time. Thanks to a lightweight, yet robust design for the backbone and frame, these custom flags are held up while the wind makes a pass at it.

For those of you who wonder how this setup is applicable to the beach – given that the ground is very loose for mounting anything in place, ground screws make this possible. The frame is at the center of the flag and holds it upright, allowing it to swivel on its axis. This makes the flag setup spin as the wind blows, even adding to a more lively and eye-catching setup.

Advertising and marketing are some of the most important aspects of having a good business venture. Since getting the attention of potential patrons is the key to increasing potential sales, investing on these custom flags to catch their initial attention is a must and should be one of the main priorities of any self respecting business.

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Banner Stand Types for Marketing

Posted on July 24, 2014 by greg

Commercial establishments have seen a great deal and use for banner stands for their marketing and advertising needs. It is one of the most cost effective, and practical means of delivering advertising and promotional aids to the potential clients. In this modern world, the need for direct and indirect advertising for businesses has become as essential as being able to exist itself, mainly because of the great competition. Many entrepreneurs are constantly finding new means and ways to give them the edge over other competitors in terms of advertising, but the use of banner stands and streamers remain as essential in any marketing arsenal.

A perfectly place banner stand along a high-traffic area would definitely generate a larger than expected turnout of patronage and potential clients. And since these banner stands are supposed to be lightweight and highly deployable, the idea of being able to move them from place to place to maximize being noticed is addressed well. There are many designs of banner stands, but they mainly boil down into two main types.

The first type is the retractable banner stand. This design is similar to those pull down metal doors that have canisters with retractable rollers. In this manner the canister acting as a container is situated at the footing of the whole setup, and the banner is instead pulled out and raised up to the height of the frame’s crossbar for support. Putting it down is easy since the automated retracting device allows for the banner to slide back into a convenient and small footprint equivalent to the canister’s size itself.

The second type is the simple pole banner stand. This is a simpler and more inexpensive type as compared to the one previously identified. However, the tradeoff for the price difference is the lack of the retracting canister. The banner is hooked manually on the edges of the frame. Nevertheless, the trade-off of automation to the price is something each advertiser would have to consider then.

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