Symbols and Identity

 

Are you ready to take a look at what some of your fellow Howard Countians envision for a new flag? Here you go:

Design submissions for new Howard County flag

Where did they come from?

The Flag Commission accepted designs via an online application portal between April 1, 2024 and June 30, 2024. Individuals of all ages were invited to submit up to three original designs for the new official Howard County flag.  

Participants in the design process were required to describe their personal connection to Howard County, including how they live, work, or play in the county. Parents or legal guardians were required to submit on behalf of individuals under the age of 18.

In accordance with the Commission’s Design Guidelines and Criteria, each design submission required a brief narrative describing how the design represents Howard County, including its enduring appeal, symbolism, and color choices. Designs were required to be rectangular in shape and crafted at a 3:5 ratio. During the month of July, the Commission conducted a threshold eligibility review to exclude from public posting and consideration any submissions that did not comply with the Guidelines and Criteria.

Back in February I saw a post on Twitter that introduced me to a new word. In reference to the Howard County announcement, they commented that:

A 19-member flag commission which does not contain a single vexillologist will seek public input. 

I confess I had never bumped up against “vexillologist” before. From  Wikipedia:

Vexillology is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.

A person who studies flags is a vexillologist, one who designs flags is a vexillographer, and the art of designing flags is called vexillography. One who is a hobbyist or general admirer of flags is a vexillophile.

Not only was this word new to me, it’s a relatively new word itself. Its first known usage was in the late 1950’s.

Is the inclusion of a vexillologist an essential part of creating a new flag? And how exactly does one get certified?

I’d love to hear what you think. My first impression was that I was inclined to like all the hand-drawn ones the best. I suspect my many years as a teacher have something to do with this. Aside from that, none of them particularly grabbed me. I think part of this is that viewing so many at once induced some kind of visual “overkill”. It’s rather like trying to assess more than two or three perfumes or colognes on one shopping trip: your brain can process only so much before all the information runs together.

I’ll try again in smaller chunks this time.

One more thing. I read a Facebook post recently where someone was writing up a restaurant experience. They began by saying that everyone raves about the food at X but honestly we weren’t all that impressed. The writer went on to give examples as to why the food was, in their opinion, just “so-so.” Yet their conclusion was “the food at X is trash!”

Huh?

I mention this in reference to the flag submissions because, for some people, it’s a quick trip from “these didn’t particularly appeal to me” to “these are all trash.” Don’t be that person. No one’s saying you have to gush with unfelt enthusiasm. Let’s discuss elements we liked or didn’t like, or things we wished we had seen that weren’t represented in the submissions. Are there colors that appealed to you? Which ones, and: why? 

The Commission will be hearing feedback on the proposed designs on Monday, September 30th at 6:00 pm at the George Howard Building. You can also send your questions or comments about the flag design and selection to flag@howardcountymd.gov .

Village Green/Town² Comments