RyanElementary School

The Parts That Make Up Our Flag Display

Most people won’t be too familiar with the various parts that makeup the flag and the flagpole. In fact, the flag and the flagpole may be the only terms they really know. There are a lot of different components though that combine to form the whole flag display. As members of the flag troop, learning the various parts makes us better troopers.

The design of the current U.S. flag is specified by Title 4 of the United States Code, Chapter 1 (4 U.S.C.) (1947): “The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field.” 4 U.S.C. § 2 outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states, with no distinction made for the shape, size, or arrangement of the stars. Executive Order 10834 (1959) specifies a 50-star design for use after Hawaii was added as a state, and Federal Specification DDD-F-416F (2005) provides additional details about the production of physical flags for use by federal agencies.

The Anatomy Of A Flag

The Hoist End
The hoist end is the edge part of the flag connected to the flagpole or staff.

The Header
The header is the part of the flag closest to the pole and is generally made of a folded material that overlaps the flag itself and contains the grommets or loops which are used to attach the flag to the halyard.

The Grommets
The grommets are located in the header and are used to easily and conveniently attach and detach the flag from the halyard.

The Canton
Technically the canton can be any quarter of the flag. In modern flag design though the canton is usually in the top left corner (upper hoist), which is the position of honor. The canton often houses a specific design element. The canton of the American flag features the blue field with the fifty white stars. The canton of the US flag is also called the Union.

The Fly End
The fly end is known as the flapping part of the flag that flies in the wind and can get easily frayed.

The Field
The field or ground represents the main body or area of the flag. The flag’s field, sometimes called a ground, refers to all fabric between the fly and the hoist.

The Anatomy Of A Flag

The Finial
A finial or a staff ornament is a decorative piece attached at the uppermost part of the flagpole.

The Truck
Trucks are the caps affixed at the top of a flagpole and usually have holes in order to attach pulleys or a housing in order to hold the pulley and hoist the flag up and down.

The Pulley
Pulleys are either attached on the outside of the truck or housed inside of it and are used in conjunction with the halyard to hoist the flag up and down.

The Pole
The main part is, of course, the pole. Poles come in a variety of materials including steel, aluminum, fiberglass and even wood. Flag fabrics are mostly attached to a supportive object such as a staff, a flagpole, a mast, or a flagstaff. Generally, when a flag needs to be flown outdoors, it is attached to a flagpole for support.

The Halyard
Halyard of a flagpole is the cable or rope used to raise and lower the flag on the flagpole.

The Snaps
Snaps are clips tied on to the halyard, used to attach the flag to the halyard.

The Cleat
The cleat is mounted a few feet from the base of the pole and is used to secure the bottom loop of the halyard to the pole. The cleat on the Ryan flagpole is housed in a cleat box, which can be locked.

The Collar
The collar sets at the base of the pole and provides a decorative finished look to the top of the foundation.

The Base
The base of a flagpole is one of its most important parts but is also the one that is never seen. It is the foundation of the flagpole and is generally made of concrete and should extend into the ground approximately 1/10 of the length of the exposed amount of the pole.

Sources
https://affordableflagpoles.com/flagpole-anatomy/