Category — Flag Status

Colonial Flag Company is celebrating  the Utah State Flag’s birthday in a big way.  Company seamstresses have produced a gigantic Utah State Flag which was raised today, the 9^th of March, on the 80 foot flagpole in front of the Utah State Capitol by Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell.  The 20 by 30 foot flag, which weighs over 22 pounds folded, will fly all day in honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the adoption of the Utah State Flag.

The huge flag has had a big impact.  The Utah State Senate has been considering House Bill 490 to officially designate March 9^th as Utah State Flag Day.  However, with the State Senate overburdened by critical legislation, it seemed likely that the session would end without the Senate taking action on H.B. 490.  Seeing Colonial’s huge flag flying on the centennial anniversary day of the Utah State Flag inspired the senators to suspend the rules and pass House Bill 490.  Consequently from this year forward, March 9^th is officially recognized as Utah State Flag Day.

On Thursday, March 10^th the huge flag will be raised in front of Colonial Flag Company Headquarters and Showroom located at 9390 South 300 West in Sandy, Utah.

The flag, sewn entirely on site in Sandy, is a beautiful example of the flag-making art.  It is double appliquéd so that the image is perfect on both sides.  The pattern, produced by Colonial Flag’s graphic artist, David Rindlisbach, honors the first color version of the Utah State Flag adopted in 1913.

Although the story of the Utah State Flag stretches back to 1903, its official history began on March 9^th in 1911 when the design of the first flag became law.  While the first design was a white emblem embroidered on a blue field, the current color version was adopted in 1913.  An error made in the design of a Utah State Flag produced in 1922 has been repeated by flag-makers until this year.  Less than a month ago the Utah Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 2 to correct that error.  However, the Resolution allows existing flags to be used until they need to be replaced.

Consequently, at this first celebration of Utah State Flag Day, the gigantic Utah flag is one of only a relatively small number of correct Utah State Flags in existence.  The others are part of Colonial Flag Company’s initial order of the correct pattern, and are available for sale at Colonial Flag Company’s Showroom located at 9390 South 300 West in Sandy.

Because of Colonial Flag Company’s efforts there were correct flags on display to celebrate the Centennial of the Utah State Flag, the first Utah State Flag Day.  We are proud to be a part of honoring the Utah State Flag on its centennial.

Since April 30, 1789, this country has had a President. Washington to Obama makes 44 individuals. And then there was Grover Cleveland our 22nd & 24th President. At the end of Cleveland’s first term in 1889, Mrs. Cleveland turned to the servants at the White House, as she was leaving and said “we will be back,” she was right.

Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President of the United States.

Their lives were hard in the early years of the Presidency as the seat of Government was moved from New York to Philadelphia to something that was to be called the District of Columbia. A piece of ground between Virginia and Maryland, we now call Washington, D.C., the District or many other things when we get angry. The District was named to honor Columbus, but re-named Washington City for George Washington after his death.

President’s for the first 150 years were plagued by office seekers and members of Congress seeking some favor for an individual or their states. Not much has changed but access to get to the President has become nearly impossible. People in the 19^th Century could walk right into the White House (The Executive Mansion as it was known before 1901) and ask to meet with the President. Limits on their powers and flexibility on what they can do has also been limited by Congress in an effort to place some checks and balances in our system of government.

We use to honor President’s such as Washington and Lincoln on their birthday’s February 12^th & 22^nd but Congress felt we should honor all former President’s with one day in February.

George Washington, 1st President of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States.

Four President’s have surrender their lives in performing their duties, all died by assassin’s bullets. Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy. Others have die in office like William H. Harrison who only served 31 days to Franklin D. Roosevelt who served longer than any other man.

Presidents have the burden of organizing a government after they are elected. The former President takes all their papers and files with them, the new President come to an empty desk and always a large list of problems. He only has ideas that he wishes to develop into policy and supporters who will help him achieve his goals.

Presidents George H. W. Bush, Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton, and Carter in Oval Office.

It has been an honor to have worked for 5 President’s; I have enjoyed it, but still don’t understand why an individual would want such a job with the problems and dangers that the job comes with.

Once a year we honor these men, showing them the respect they deserve, honor them, fly the Flag!

President Obama has ordered flags at half-staff to honor the victims of the shooting in Arizona.  Below is the text from his proclamation:

“As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on Saturday, January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, January 14, 2011.  I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.“

Watch the video below of the moment of silence observed at the White House.