Flag connoisseurs say it is time for a brand new metropolis of Minot flag.
Mayor Tom Ross agrees and says one thing new is within the works.
A survey performed in late 2022 by the North American Vexillogical Affiliation (NAVA), a company of greater than 1,000 flag fanatics and researchers, requested respondents to price the designs of 312 flags created up to now 5 years, together with the Minot metropolis flag , which was unveiled on the State of the Metropolis occasion in February 2018. The maroon flag bears the Metropolis of Minot brand.
The 308 NAVA members and a pair of,544 public contributors who voted within the ballot gave the Minot flag a 1.39 out of 10, or an F grade, for its design. It may be comforting to know that 46% of the flags within the survey bought an F. Solely 15% bought an A and 16% a B.
“What that tells us is that it is a possibility to enhance.” Ross stated of the survey. He stated the town’s public info workplace has been tasked with recommending an improved and extra trendy metropolis brand that can be included into a brand new flag design and different metropolis communications.
A well-designed metropolis flag can foster civic pleasure and neighborhood cohesion, in line with NAVA.
Whereas there aren’t any guidelines, NAVA gives some normal rules for flag design: hold it easy; use significant symbols; persist with two or three fundamental colours normally; no letters or seals; and both be distinctive or use similarities to indicate the connection.
One signal that a flag design is an efficient one is that it’s lovingly adopted by its folks, stated Steve Wheatley of Illinois, NAVA’s second vp. It could possibly seem on t-shirts, mugs, first responder uniforms. A flag that wants enchancment is one which the general public would not know exists or, if it does, is not desirous about utilizing it, he stated.
“Persons are extra desirous about flags than they have been 20 or 30 years in the past. What makes flags vital is that folks care about them.” Wheatley stated.
Minot’s authentic historic flag was designed in 1916 by the City Criers, a department of the Chamber of Commerce. It features a blue stripe representing the sky, a gold stripe for grain and a black stripe for lignite. “Why Not Minot” it was printed inside a circle reduce in inexperienced to symbolize the town’s parks.
As cities and cities proceed to undertake new or redesigned flags, NAVA hopes the outcomes of its survey present neighborhood leaders, designers and others with invaluable details about current profitable and attention-grabbing designs which might be nicely obtained by the general public and broadly used.
Wheatley stated the flag evaluation survey was to not go judgment on the flags, however to level out the place enhancements could be made to instill a way of pleasure in the neighborhood.
“Most individuals see a flag on daily basis, whether or not it is of their college classroom or outdoors the submit workplace or outdoors somebody’s dwelling, and most of the people take them without any consideration. To me, what’s so great is, the extra you examine flags and learn about flags, that data is form of an open sesame to the historical past and the concepts and the tales behind the person flags.” he stated.
For full survey outcomes and signage photographs, go to https://nava.org/2022-survey.
NAVA is a flag research and promotion group with an educational journal, a quarterly journal and common conferences. Along with guiding flag design, she is concerned in flag preservation efforts in museums and archives.