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Spring Lake, North Carolina (U.S.)

Cumberland County

image by Ivan Sache, 13 March 2008

Description of the flag

See also:

Description of the flag

The town of Spring Lake (8,098 inhabitants in 2000; 960 ha) is located in Cumberland County, central North Carolina. Nestled between Fort Bragg (established 4 September 1918) and Pope Air Force Base (formally established on 18 September 1947; first airfield set up in 1919), the town became in the 1920s a bedroom community for Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base.

The flag of Spring Lake is shown on the municipal website as horizontally divided blue-white with a vertical red stripe along the hoist, therefore recalling the flag of North Carolina, and the municipal emblem overlapping the three fields. The municipal emblem is seal-shaped, with a red border; it shows on a white background three poles with the flag of North Carolina, the US flag and the flag of North Carolina, and in front of them a representation of the US coat of arms (?). On the edge of the emblem is written "UNITY FOR PROSPERITY" (top) and "TOWN OF SPRING LAKE" (bottom), all in blue.

The origin of the flag is presented on the municipal website as follows:
On January 23, 1978, Spring Lake’s Mayor Hobson and the Board of Alderman heard from the Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce an initiative to sponsor a student contest for the establishment of a town flag and motto. The contest would involve drawings and slogans to be judged by the Chamber. The ultimate decision over the flag’s content, appearance and logo, would be made by the Board of Alderman. The Board concurred, embracing this as an opportunity to spark interest in our local government and to expand participation by our youth in municipal affairs.
[...]
Marvin Mauldin, Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce appeared before the Mayor and Alderman on June 12, 1978, to present the results of the student contest. Mr. Mauldin described the Flag and Motto as a composite of three student drawings, which were derived from the submissions of these students: Patty Adams, Jay Byrd, and Juanita Yarnell. The motto heard by the Board was, “Unity for Prosperity,” and was an instant hit. The source of the motto is unclear, but has been attributed to the inspiration and effort of those Students, Faculty and Chamber Members that participated in the contest.
[...]"
http://www.spring-lake.org/history/flag.html.

As published in "The Fayetteville Observer", 11 March 2008, Patty Adams, now living in New Jersey as Patty Archie, "sparked some controversy last month after she said she was the sole designer of the flag and motto, despite sharing the prize in a 1978 contest held by the town’s Chamber of Commerce with fellow students Jay Byrd and Juanita Yarnell. Archie presented the board with a letter from former mayor Vernon Hobson, who was in office when the contest was held, that Archie says verifies her claim. [...] In the letter, Hobson wrote, “One of (Patricia’s) noteworthy achievements was the winner of Spring Lake’s Chamber of Commerce Town Flag design contest.” The board took no action on the matter and Mayor Ethel Clark said, “We need to look further into it.” “Nobody knows what ‘Unity for Prosperity’ means but me,” Archie said, referring to the town’s motto.
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=288197
Ivan Sache, 13 March 2008