Published June 11, 2020
Norman Council Approves New City Flag
A few years ago I had the chance to have my eyes opened to the importance of a great city flag. My friend Gabriel Bird headed this project with valor, and I loved getting to watch him make this happen. We'd love to introduce you to the new Norman City flag, and if your down needs a new flag you don't need to reinvent the wheel! This is a limited supply of flags currently, and I intend to give out a few in the near future, so let me know if you would be interested in flying one! Just below is a video with Norman Weekly interviewing Dr. Gabriel Bird, and below that is the video that we presented to the Norman City Council before the new flag was unanimously voted in. And finally there is an article posted in the Norman Transcript about the new flag. We hope that you like it!
Norman council approves new city flag
A citizen-led flag committee revealed the winner of its new city flag competition during a Norman City Council meeting Tuesday night. The flag was unanimously approved and will be formally adopted on Sunday, which is Flag Day.
Norman flag committee founder and co-chair Dr. Gabriel Bird, DDS, said the committee received about 115 designs from 58 residents, then the committee selected the top five. From there, 2,389 residents ranked each flag from lowest, 1, to highest, 10, during April.
Bird said the winning flag received an average score of 6.03. The other flags each ranked within two points of the winning design: first runner-up — 5.88, second runner-up — 5.48, third runner-up — 5.27, and fourth runner-up — 4.13.
The designer of the winning flag, who received a $500 prize sponsored by the Norman Board of Realtors, wishes to remain anonymous, Bird said.
Norman Realtor and flag committee co-chair Grady Carter said he enjoyed being “part of a common goal for progress in our community, especially during such a difficult time for so many.”
He said his favorite symbolism on the winning flag is a surveyor's compass, “depicting our community’s drive toward intentional living.”
“I’m very proud to be a Normanite, and I love that we had so many people participate, compared with other communities who have changed their flags,” he said. “We are excited to start flying a new Norman flag at our house.”
Bird said the city will not have to pay for current city flags to be replaced. Private and donated funds will cover those costs. The current flag will transition to being used only as a logo on streets, vehicles and letterhead.
“I am excited that the old flag will continue to serve as the city seal and remain part of our landscape. I have long appreciated the work of the original flag project in 1995 and admire those involved. I hope to carry on their legacy of citizen driven civic involvement,” Bird said.
Bird emphasized that the new flag is copyright free and can be used by anyone. Durable 3-foot-by-5-foot flags are available for purchase at Sublime Signs inc., 912 N. Flood Ave. in Norman.
“It has been an honor to lead the project to redesign Norman’s flag. When I took this project on, I set out to apply a system that eliminated as much of my personal preferences and generate a flag that could truly be for the citizens of Norman without any one person driving it through. I feel like we’ve accomplished our goals to bring Norman an exciting new flag,” Bird said.
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Subscribe TodayArtist's design notes
Formal symbolism:
The emblem is inspired by our namesake, Abner Norman who first surveyed its land for development, it is taken from the central element of a circumferentor, or surveyor’s compass. A symbol of Norman’s steadfast pioneering spirit.
The compass rose itself has its origins in ancient meteorology and serves to symbolize Norman’s role as the home of the National Weather Center providing weather data for the entire nation as well as our leadership in meteorological research.
The eight points, or “winds,” of the compass rose represent Norman’s eight wards, contained within a unifying circle (which can also be viewed as an O for Oklahoma).
Eight points also represent the core principles we hold dear in Norman. Seven of which are represented on the outgoing flag: (in no particular order)
- Optimism; forward and future thinking. (Formerly signified by the white starburst.)
- Industry; Strength and innovation from a local to international scale. (Formerly signified by the mechanical gear.)
- Energy; The energy of Normans people as well as the States leadership in oil, natural gas and solar energy research and production. (Formerly signified by the lightning bolt.)
- Education; From our excellent public school system to our vocational and technical campuses to the world class University of Oklahoma, education is a value Norman holds in very high regard. (Formerly signified by the pencil.)
- Agriculture; From historic heritage to the current industry, agriculture is very significant to Norman. (Formerly signified by the wheat stalk.)
- Arts and entertainment; From the bustling local art scene to the abundance of entertainment options, the city of Festivals is a center of arts and entertainment. (Formerly signified by the music note.)
- Native Culture; Norman is nothing without the majesty of our Native American heritage that predates our city and continually shines to make Norman a special place. (Formerly signified by an eagle feather.)
- Amending an eighth principle; Inclusivity; ringing the virtue of our city motto “Building an inclusive community.” Norman strives to be a place welcoming to all. We acknowledge both the successes and failings of our past and move forward with equality and inclusivity in mind.
Additionally there is great meaning in the eight pointed star as it has it appears in many different cultures across the globe. Most relevant to our region, the inscribed eight point star resembles the Native American hope symbol. Wherein the eight pointed star represents hope and guidance, the circle represents protection.
The central emblem is placed toward the hoist and rendered in white, the white represents omni potential and optimism as we move forward in time crafting an inclusive community. A blue pale at the hoist represents the natural beauty around us, the waters and ecosystems of Lake Thunderbird, the Canadian river, and the blue sky above us. A red field represents the passion — for education, culture and community — that defines the residents of Norman.
Etiquette:
The Flag of the City of Norman, when flown alone, should be flown in a manner similar to the considerations of our state and federal flags with the same considerations for staff placement, illumination, storage and maintenance and weather conditions.
When flown with state and federal flags should be flown in accordance with the grouping and placement requirements of those flags.
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