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The North American Vexillology Association is devoted to the scientific and scholarly study of flags. For many of us, it’s difficult to go far without seeing a flag. Whether at our local library, town hall, driving around or even at our homes- flags are everywhere. American flags, US state flags, corporate flags, POW flags, school flags and others are banners which symbolize much more than the fabric on which they are printed and poles on which they flag. Flags show our pride. They identify the things that are important to us and callout our allegiance, patriotism and support. The study of flags, vexillology, is the primary focus of NAVA, the North American Vexillological Association.

Photo via the Chaco Culture National Historical Park

When Carrot-Top employee Carol McAdoo began her position here as a Customer Care Professional two years ago she never imagined the impact she would have working with our customers. Nor did she fathom how our customers would impact her own life and sense of community. Carrot-Top’s clients cover a broad section of military, businesses, schools, cities and towns across our nation and around the world. Carol, like many of our Call Center Experts, quickly began to see that each client has a different story and experience of what being an American is and means. Two years ago, in preparation for Memorial Day 2014, Carol and our entire family here at Carrot-Top, was impacted by such an experience when we learned of the powerful actions of veterans and volunteers in one American community. Working with Visalia Public Cemetery’s Avenue of Flags, Carrot-Top and its employees saw how people came together to not only honor our heroes but to also demonstrate how local citizens can participate in an act of honor that resounds across our country and the globe.

Above and beyond the specifics of the HB2, Carrot-Top Industries Inc. as a company, is expressly against any law that serves to separate or alienate our friends and neighbors in North Carolina.

This Sunday millions of people around the world will gather to watch one of American sport’s greatest moments, Super Bowl 50. Football is America’s game and it’s as popular in Los Angeles and New Orleans as it is in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The Super Bowl celebrates this by connecting fans across the world and pitting two of its finest teams against one another while highlighting two of our nation’s cities- Denver and Charlotte. In this instance, football’s best team lays claim its crown but it is also a time when families, friends, co-workers, congregations and rivals gather together and share in the love of the game. There will be heated arguments, huge victory celebrations and sad faces of defeat but the shared hope of going for it, excelling and winning—or even perhaps losing, is the hope that makes communities strong, cities proud and nations great. Carrot-Top congratulates the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos for their successful pathways to the Super Bowl Championship. We also salute their home cities of Denver, Colorado and Charlotte, North Carolina. Whether your team wins or loses, Super Bowl 50 is a crowning moment and milestone our nation will share with the world.

Throughout the year Carrot-Top and its employees are approached with ways in which our corporate family may give back to our community and others. Carrot-Top explores opportunities where we might contribute to the well-being of organizations, our customers and all individuals. This year, our efforts included our work with National MS Society, Greater Carolinas Chapter during their annual Bike Rides and Fundraising Campaign. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a painful and debilitating condition that affects 21 million people. It causes problems with, vision, balance and muscle control. Although its affects individuals differently, it leaves many families with puzzling questions about how to cope with seemingly insurmountable physical, financial and health challenges. The disease is not only difficult to diagnose but currently has no cure. We at Carrot-Top want to help change that.

President Barack Obama recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 of the nation’s most accomplished artists, sportsmen, civic leaders and citizens. The award is the nation’s highest civilian honor and is presented to Americans who have made remarkable contributions to the “the security or national interest of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or significant public or private endeavors.” “These men and women have enriched our lives and helped define our shared experience as Americans.” (President Obama, whitehouse.gov)

The Carolina Panthers(11-0) remain undefeated with recent wins over the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. The unbeaten record is a first for Panthers as they now stand as the only unbeaten team in the NFC and one of only two undefeated NFL teams. The other undefeated team is the New England Patriots of the AFC East. The perfect record paints a pretty picture for the Panthers but the road taken has been nothing close to pretty or easy. The team, led by quarterback Cam Newton, has overcome costly mistakes to reach the perfect mark. Plays by Carolina standouts Luke Kuechly Josh Norman, Greg Olsen, Jonathan Stewart, kicker Graham Gano and others have shown the Panthers’ pride and kept the team focused on their true goal- a superbowl championship. Get your Carolina Panthers NFL team flag today. Carrot-Top features flags of all 32 NFL teams and NCAA college sports team flags. Get yours now.

Carrot-Top wishes to express its most sincere condolences to the family of the Honorable John Howard Coble and the citizens of North Carolina’s 6th Congressional district. Mr. Coble served the people of North Carolina throughout his lifetime in such posts as Secretary of Revenue, a member of the North Carolina House of Representative and a member of the United States Congress. Mr. Coble was a former member of the Coast Guard, graduated from Guilford College and later received a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was first elected to Congress in 1984 and became the longest serving Republican Congressman in the history of North Carolina. The 6th district includes portions of Guilford, Alamance, Durham, Granville, and Orange counties, and all of Caswell, Person, Rockingham, Surry, and Stokes counties. John Howard Coble died on November 3, 2015.

As the rush of the holiday season approaches and many people begin to finalize plans, it’s important to remember that some American families will not be together. Football games, family dinners, shopping and parades will take place as usual but America’s military families will not share these moments with their family member serving in our Armed Forces. For these families, missing a loved one is a big part of everyday life. The commitment our military men and women make to serve and protect our nation means many will miss countless laughs, hugs and smiles of the loved ones they left at home. For those at home, this absence is equally tough as spouses, sons, daughters and parents must adapt to a new way of life. These families are America’s heroes on the Homefront.

Photo: Andrew Mahone

Carrot-Top recently sat down with our Creative Manager, Latasha Anderson, and our Web Coordinator, Tabetha Carnahan, to discuss the benefits of street banners in any community and effective banner design. Latasha is a graduate of the Raleigh Art Institute and has over seven years of experience as a graphic designer. Tabetha has over three years of experience at Carrot-Top in sales and has led our website marketing efforts for the last two years. In addition to answering our frequently asked questions, we have an online Comprehensive Street Banner Guide that provides further assistance to our customers.

July 1, 2015 and July 20, 2015 mark both the end and beginning of the relationship between the US and Cuba. For the first time in half a century, an American flag is flying on Cuban soil. More than 50 years after President John Kennedy and Cuban President Fidel Castro drew solid lines of separation in our hemisphere dividing the two nations; the walls of mistrust are starting to come down. Cuba and the US reopened their embassies in Washington, D.C. and Havana last month. Much like the fall of the Berlin Wall, the opening of the embassies signals a new era of optimism for better relations, good will and hopefully commercial opportunities. Cuba, beleaguered and pressured by US and international sanctions for decades, will hopefully see much needed economic growth and expansion. The nation boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the world, but many note that potential human rights violations and widespread poverty have mired the life of Cubans for decades. One report asserts that many Cubans earn as little as $20 a month. The curtain of communism has fueled such intense animosity between our nations that citizens in both countries are still in awe that Cold War disputes and hostilities are starting to thaw.

As Principal Smith stood at the main entrance of his high school he anticipated the flood of students on the busses pulling into the parking lot. He began to mentally review his check list. The teachers have arrived. Coach says this year’s team looks strong and they are sure to make it to the district playoffs. The school has never looked better. Maintenance installed a beautiful U.S. flag on the flagpole this morning and the custom Waterhog entrance mats, with the school’s mascot, look great inside the double doors. Newly installed signs line the walls to help guide lost freshmen to their homeroom and visitors may easily identify the main office. The auditorium is ready with our new custom achievement banners and the (PTA) Student Council was able to get a new custom tent and table throws to continue their fundraising efforts at all school and community events. This year will be a success!

When it comes to soccer, it’s the women who have led the way. Perhaps it was Mia Hamm and the world Cup team of 1999 who started it, but soccer-- sometimes called the world’s sport-- truly has begun to take hold in the U.S. Admitted or not, we owe a great deal of that progress and popularity to the US Women’s National Soccer Team, both the current team and those prior. Their triumph not only symbolizes how much we as Americans love to win, but it also demonstrates that success is not just about winning. It’s about class, professionalism, focus and hard work. The women of the US National Soccer team have proven once again that a team is always greater than the sum of its parts and that Americans don’t settle, blame others or make excuses. We work harder.

With the recent controversy surrounding the raising and lowering of flags, one has to wonder what flags mean to us. Clearly flags are more than mere banners of cloth stitched together to look nice, but rather they are symbols which carry weight, meaning and responsibility. If our flags do truly matter, our care of the American flag reflects how we see them in our daily lives, and how we see ourselves as Americans. According to the Flag Code, flags are the representations of living nations and therefore are living emblems themselves. Their maintenance and upkeep should mirror our allegiance to them. When caring for our U.S. flag, remember that it is not just an arrangement of stars and stripes but rather it is a symbol of unity connecting all Americans together. Our flag may be red, white and blue but it symbolizes an American heart that beats pure gold—encompassing our collective struggles, triumphs, victories, and defeats. How we care for, maintain and protect our American flag ultimately reflects how we care for our country, ourselves and each other.

All around the United States, events will take place to honor the brave soldiers who put their lives on the line in defense of our nations and rights. Many events surrounding our national memorials are gearing up to celebrate these brave individuals. A short drive from Carrot-Top Industries, in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, a Veteran Monument honoring heroes of the World War I and II as well as the Korean War is erected.

When you think of that morning, the deafening scrape of metal on metal, like a freight train slamming it’s brakes, and the thick clouds of ash that fell like snow, you see easily why people were filled with fear and reacted instinctually by running for safety. As these great buildings, wonders of the modern world, threw daggers of glass that showered like glitter over thousands of people, not everyone ran out. Some reflexively ran in.