Bahamian Pride – Cheryl Strachan, author of Flying The Pride, a thorough protocol for flying the Bahamian flag, presents a copy of the book to Governor General Arthur Hanna. Among the lesser known facts: Only the Governor General can announce a state of national mourning that signals when the national flag should be flown at half-mast. (Photo by Tim Aylen)
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Most of us would be shocked at how much we
don't know about the Bahamian flag. Sure, we know the colours, or we think we do. We know what they stand for, or we think we do. But do we know that it takes an announcement from Government House to proclaim national mourning, signalling an appropriate time to fly the Bahamian flag at half-mast? Did we realise that a flag has to be hoisted all the way up before being lowered to half-mast on such occasion, or that in the case of a state funeral, the flag is flown at half-mast only until the funeral service is over and hoisted to the peak again until evening?
Those facts and dozens more are crammed into a fascinating new book by Cheryl C. Strachan. Called Flying The Pride, A Protocol for the Proper Display of the National Flag and Official Flags of The Bahamas,
the 40-page guide is a must-have for anyone who owns a business that flies a flag even on rare occasion, operates a social or civic club, maintains school or other public property or is responsible for flag etiquette at any time. A graduate of The College of The Bahamas, Strachan -- who also holds a B.A. in Business and Professional Management from Nova Southeastern University – got the idea for the book when, as a businesswoman, she frequently ordered flags from abroad and never seemed to get the same colour twice. That was more than 10 years ago and she's spent a decade researching flag etiquette. What started out as a desire to set the record straight became a passion.
The book has a full page of photos that tell all – flags in prominent places flown incorrectly, mostly because of positioning. And there's a glossary that would make you a star in Scrabble, terms like fimbriation, a narrow edging or border, often in white or gold, on a flag to separate the two other colours. As for the term fly, it's not of insect origin when it comes to flag talk. It's the half or edge furthest away from the flagpole. And regarding the right position for flying the Bahamian flag, it should be to the observer's left and above all other flags. It should never be draped across a vehicle but if stuck by magnet to the roof a car as often seen around Independence celebrations, it should be displayed to the driver's right. For all of this information and much more add this book to your collection.
Printed by Compusec Printing in Grand Bahama, Flying The Pride is available at Compusec Printing in Freeport and Beyond Flags in Nassau and can be purchased after September 15, 2008.
