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Flag and Etiquette
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Do It Right! |
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Approval Process for New and Revised Squadron Burgees
Nearly all squadrons of USPS, similar to yacht clubs everywhere, have designed burgees to enable their members to identify themselves with their squadron. Universally, these are triangular pennants with the hoist two-thirds the fly. Designs are simple and bold so as to be distinguishable at a distance. It is preferable that the burgee have a pattern that reads correctly from both sides.
Squadron burgees must be approved by the by the national secretary (who has been delegated that responsibility by the Governing Board) upon recommendation by the Flag and Etiquette Committee. FECom, in turn, requires the approval of the squadron and the squadron's district. A new squadron or a squadron desiring to modify its design should make introductory inquiry of the assistant chairman of the FECom to ascertain whether its proposed burgee meets fundamental technical requirements and general USPS guidelines. Following that, the squadron must garner approval from its district. When the above steps have been completed, a formal petition may then be made to the assistant chairman of the FECom and must include:
- Certificates from the squadron and district commanders (or secretaries) acknowledging approval at those levels, with dates.
- A brief discussion of the heraldry or significance of the design.
- Either a digital image of the design, with accurate portrayal of its colors, measuring approximately 7 x 10 inches on the fly, or a picture of similar size that can be scanned into such an image. Trasmittal of either of these may be by any appropriate method. Should this be difficult or impossible, the squadron should consult the assistant chairman of FECom, who will work to achieve a satisfactory result. A FECom member will edit the depiction as required to render a suitable copy for projection at a Governing Board meeting and inclusion on the FECom web page.
FECom will take the proposed design under advisement and will endeavor to work with the proposing squadron if it deems the design defective. Ultimately, it will report its assessment and recommendation to the National Secretary.
A 12 x 18 production sample of the burgee must be provided to FECom within six months of the burgee's approval.
In additions to design criteria noted above, a squadron burgee should not contain a spelled name. Its motif should be based on the squadron's name, some local geographic or historic feature or in some other way reflect the squadron's area of operation.
Color combinations should be selected from the standard basic colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white and black. Intricate designs and a multitude of colors should be avoided from the standpoint of costs of manufacturing and reproduction on printed matter. A proposed burgee must not conflict with any other burgee of a U.S. or Canadian squadron [View Current Squadron Burgees] or with a burgee or private signal already recorded in a recognized reference work such as the International Burgee Registry or the former Lloyd's Register of American Yachts. Further, it should be remembered that arranging for manufacturing and supply of burgees is solely the responsibility of the individual squadron.
The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) provides 5 principles that should be followed when designing any new flag in Good Flag—Bad Flag, How to Design A Great Flag. It uses actual flags to demonstrate what a good flag looks like and what a bad flag looks like. Squadrons should review this information closely because FECom uses these guidelines when evaluating new burgees.
When a squadron dissolves, merges or consolidates, its burgee is deemed to be retired unless through merger or consolidation the design is adopted by the surviving unit. FECom is to be consulted in the latter event.
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