Posted 11 years ago
blunderbuss2
(199 items)
When I moved to "Statia", St. Eustatius, Neth. Antilles ('79), I soon found out that there was no island flag. I decided that there should be a contest for a design for our flag. After studying the history, came up with my design (above). I approached people in gov't. with the idea & showed them my entry & even pledged 200 guilders to the winner with other businesses(all 4) & individuals also pledged. I didn't win.
My entry was based on the facts that the island had surrendered 22 times without firing a shot so the field should be white, right. There are 5 1/2 islands in the Neth. Ant., so 5 1/2 red stars (St. Maarten is half dutch & half French. Since when anybody traveled & the name St. Eustatius can up, people would always say,"St. who?" or "St. what?" so the question mark (blue) is self-explainatory. Unreasonably, they chose a diff. design!
Actually it surrendered 23 times, but that's another story.
Your unique design would certainly have spured them on to find a flag design representative of the 5 1/2 Islands.
Yours might have raised more questions than it answered. :-))
Walks, because of their history, when I arrived I found that everybody thought their flag was all white.
Your post made me go do a little reading, sounds like they didn't really care who was in power as long as business continued as usual.
Did you have to come good on the prize money?
After seeing my entry, they didn't have the contest. Statia just came up with a flag a few yrs. ago.
The dutch approach was after surrendering, "Now, let's make a deal" and they always come out on top. The expression should actually be "Dutching somebody down".
Thank you Phil. Anyone loves it when there talent is appreciated. Even if it is a little warped.
I love it, perfect!
Thanks everybody. I thought my design was very symbolic of Statia's history. The Island Council thought otherwise when I explained those symbolisms. Imagine island pride from an island that surrendered 22 time! That doesn't include the unrecorded 23rd time.
The 23rd time, was that when you arrived on the Island? ;-)
I arrived arrived with a bunch of half drunk friends once. When we got to the immigration shack, the officer offered me his pistol butt first and said, "We surrender Lucas". Told him, "Put your gun away Brown". In those days it was a fun island.
And now we know the rest of the story!
Or is this a late April fools joke?
True story Walks.
5 1/2 stars! great story!