YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
A yearslong effort to replace the city of Springfield's flag may be coming closer to a conclusion.
The city yesterday began collecting public input on a potential flag change. In addition to weighing in on the current flag in place since the late 1930s and a 2017 submission from Springfield Identity Project, participants have the opportunity to submit their own designs, according to a news release. The results will be shared with Springfield City Council to advise further action.
“A city flag should elicit feelings of civic pride,” said Cora Scott, the city's director of public information and civic engagement, in the release. “City Council wants to know if Springfield citizens connect with the current city flag, or whether it’s time to reimagine it with a new design and symbolism.”
Public input through an online survey is being accepted through Aug. 18. Paper surveys also are available at Springfield-Greene County Library District branches, The Coffee Ethic, Mudhouse Coffee and Hotel Vandivort.
Springfield Identity Project's proposed flag features a compass crown representing the city’s history as a crossroads. Its three stars represent the city’s connection with nature, entrepreneurial spirit and Ozarks culture, and the white stripe embodies Route 66 and the Ozarks plateau, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.
Hotel Vandivort co-owner John McQueary, a founding member of Springfield Identity Project, has been among the most vocal proponents of the new flag. The flag is painted on the main building at the downtown hotel, and merchandise featuring the design has been sold by local retailers such as Five Pound Apparel.
The current flag, adopted in 1938, had the words "Springfield Missouri" along with red, white and blue stripes and four white stars. The red bar symbolizes cooperation, the white bar symbolizes achievements and the blue bar represents civic pride, according to the survey page. The white stars symbolize the city's achievements in religion, home, education and industry.
Utah-based gourmet cookie chain Crumbl Cookies opened its first Springfield shop; interior design business Branson Upstaging LLC relocated; and Lauren Ashley Dance Center LLC added a second location.
I appreciate this Springfield Flag Movement's initiative and energy, but their process and selected design misses the mark. This is a small group push hoping to gather community support rather than a community-wide effort. There has been some support generated by this movement in the past five years, but its main supporters are downtown establishments and young people, I haven't seen much beyond downtown. Clergy, military, law enforcement, education, community non-profits, city leadership, large businesses, and the general public should be part of the process for selecting a design. In my opinion, this small group's selected design is a much better fit for a Downtown Springfield flag than a City of Springfield flag. It is working fine as it is now for generating Downtown Springfield pride. If the Springfield community wants to replace the current city flag, it must be selected by the whole community. The Springfield Business Journal has published many articles on this in the last few years and the cities who were successful in developing and adopting a new city flag followed a different path of community inclusion. My fear now is that through this less than representative survey, the Springfield Flag Movement design will be "selected". I would prefer a much more public call for submissions and then take a real vote with all the contenders.
I'm going to guess that fewer than 5 people who have a preference to keep the current flag could have told you it was the official flag without some sort of prompting (like reading this article). It's dated, doesn't fit the good design elements of a flag, and doesn't display nearly as well as the new design. I personally have never seen the current design until this article. I imagine it is flown outside of city haul, but don't know of any businesses that fly it, or have it displayed in their business.
I see the new design often - including both downtown and non-downtown businesses, and I personally think it displays much better than the current design. I am not in any way associated with the group that created the new design.