BraveV5I1_0418_Final

Spring/Summer 2018 Volume 5 Issue 1 

BRAVE 

M A G A Z I N E B Y 

FLAGANDBANNER.COM 

INSIDE: 

American Hero: Buzz Aldrin, Human Hero 

Travel & Events: Summer Events in Arkansas 

Fun with Flags: Know Your Neighbors

Meet Kerry McCoy 

The story of 

FlagandBanner. 

com began with 

$400 and a young woman 

brave enough to knock on 

doors. Over the next four 

decades, Kerry McCoy lived 

the American Dream of 

entrepreneurship as she sold 

the most patriotic symbol of 

all, the American flag. 

What began in 1975, as a 

door to door small business 

in Arkansas, has now grown 

and expanded into a catalog, 

telemarketing, retail store and 

internet business. Although 

the company has changed, 

the focus remains the same… 

selling the American flag, 

made in America. 

McCoy’s story is inspiring. 

She was born to a typical 

middle-class family in the 

mid-south and had no formal 

education after high school. 

She found herself a business 

owner during a time when 

business was conducted by 

the good ole boys. She came 

of age during the Vietnam 

War, worked her way through 

a recession, and aligned 

herself firmly with the 

women’s rights movement. 

Through her years of 

Kerry McCoy, 

President of Arkansas 

FlagandBanner.com 

experience, Kerry has come 

to understand that business 

is creative and her tour de 

force has been the creation 

of FlagandBanner.com, 

BRAVE magazine, Up In Your 

Business radio talk show 

and saving The Dreamland 

Ballroom. She helms them 

all from the historic Taborian 

Hall in downtown Little Rock, 

Arkansas. This 100 year old 

building was a haven for 

African American businesses 

in the early 1900’s and the 

top floor Ballroom hosted 

music legends such as Duke 

Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, 

Etta James, BB King, Sarah 

Vaughn, Louis Armstrong and 

many more. 

From the time she 

purchased it, in 1990 to 

present, Kerry McCoy 

has worked tirelessly on 

renovating the old building, 

pictured to the right. Its 

history is now the subject of 

a PBS Documentary. Recently, 

the National Park Service 

Civil Rights Grant awarded 

the Friends of Dreamland 

(the non-profit that oversees 

its renovation) a half million 

dollar grant to make it ADA 

accessible. 

Kerry McCoy’s passion, 

energy, empathy and curiosity 

are contagious. Her skills as 

an interviewer are unmatched. 

Her radio show guests range 

from General Wesley Clark 

and Arkansas Congressman 

French Hill to Maxi Dominguez 

of Raiz Apparel and Brandy 

McNair of Bella Vita Jewelry. 

Peruse FlagandBanner. 

com to learn more about 

Kerry McCoy, to subscribe to 

BRAVE magazine or to listen 

to the Up In Your Business 

radio show. b 

2 | BRAVE MAGAZINE 

SPRING/SUMMER 2018 

BY FLAGANDBANNER.COM

Taborian Hall 1990 

when purchased. 

Dreamland 

Ballroom 

1990 

^ Taborian Hall, home today to Arkansas FlagandBanner.com, 

the Dreamland Ballroom and BRAVE magazine. 

CONTENTS 

OUR STATE 

10 Traveling Arkansas 

FOOD 

15 Modified Mixing 

FEATURES 

6 Little Hero: Patriot Kid 

8 Fortune's Freefall 

18 Dreams Come True 

22 Northern Exposure 

FUN WITH FLAGS 

29 Know Your Neighbors 

STAFF 

Kerry McCoy | Publisher 

Madison Monroe | Editor 

Liz Johnson | Design 

Arwen Dover | Contributor 

Tam McClure | Staff Writer 

Tim Bowen | Research 

CONNECT 

LETTERS@BRAVEMAGAZINE.COM 

FACEBOOK.COM/BRAVE 

TWITTER.COM/BRAVEMAGAZINE 

PINTEREST.COM/BRAVEMAGAZINE 

BRAVE 

MAGAZINE 

PUBLISHED BY FLAGANDBANNER.COM 

on the cover: 

Kerry McCoy, President of 

Arkansas FlagandBanner.com 

in the Dreamland Ballroom. 

Photo by William Combes Photography 

ADVERTISE 

BRAVEMAGAZINE.COM 

PUBLISHED BY 

BY FLAGANDBANNER.COM 


BRAVE MAGAZINE | 3

EDITOR'S NOTE 

It is finally spring, and 

for many, that involves 

a little spring cleaning. 

I recently was doing some 

reorganizing and ran across 

this picture. You guessed 

it..that’s me in the front 

seat of our “spacecraft” (or 

racecar or fire engine). That 

old laundry basket was 

whatever my brother and I 

wanted it to be. 

Looking at that picture 

made me consider how 

important play is for our 

health. With our beaming 

smiles, one would never 

guess that my brother and 

I were on our third father at 

that time. Imagination and 

play can transport you from 

a challenging place to a 

place of wonder and joy. 

As we age, we become 

more connected to our 

surroundings, more mindful 

of our pasts and more 

responsible for our futures. 

Honoring traditions and 

people becomes part of 

our story, individually and 

collectively. Memorial Day is 

a time when we remember 

and acknowledge those 

who came before us. 

In this edition of BRAVE 

we tried to share stories 

that reflect the important 

ways we remember and the 

joyful ways we play. Life is 

happier when we have a 

healthy balance of both. 

This spring, as you do 

your spring cleaning, I’d 

like you to dust off your 

playful side. When you 

are brave enough to allow 

that childlike abandon to 

surface, you reap laughter, 

enchantment and a reprieve 

from the weight of being so 

grown up. 

Be Brave, b 

Madison Monroe 

NOW SHOWING 


is proud to supply flags for: 

Wednesday 

Nights 

Wednesday 

Nights 

4 | BRAVE MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2018 


SALUTE 

Marion Military Institute 

Marion Military 

Institute (MMI) is 

the nation’s oldest 

military junior college, tracing 

its origin back to 1842 with 

the founding of Howard 

College in Marion, Alabama. 

Recently MMI celebrated its 

175th year. 

Marion Military Institute, is our nation’s 

oldest military junior college. 

Marion Military Institute 

adopted its orange and 

black colors around 

1913 when Woodrow 

Wilson, then President of 

Princeton University, gave 

a Government Day speech 

at the school. In honor of 

his visit and the connection 

between the schools, MMI 

adopted Princeton’s colors 

and mascot. In 2006, MMI 

entered the Alabama 

Community College System 

after being a private school 

for more than 150 years. Their 

new guidons represent their 

past connection to Princeton 

with the orange and black, 

while recognizing their role 

as the Military College of 

Alabama with the red and 

white stripe. 

"The guidons serve their 

traditional role of identifying 

the different companies 

within the Corps of Cadets. 

This is particularly important 

on such occasions as our 

Parents Day Parade, where 

the mothers of the Company 

Commanders, representing 

all the moms of the cadets 

in that company, tie florets 

on the guidons. This is a very 

touching moment every year," 

said Col Edwin W. Passmore, 

United States Army (Ret), 

Vice President for Student 

Affairs & Commandant 

of Cadets Director, Center 

for Leadership and Career 

Development. 

We at FlagandBanner.com 

are proud to partner with this 

historical institution as its flag 

and guidon supplier. b 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 5

LITTLE HERO 

Preston Sharp 

The Patriot Kid 

By April Sharp 

On Veterans Day 

2015, Young Preston 

Sharp visited the 

grave of his grandfather at 

Redding, CA, cemetery to 

place on it a flag and some 

flowers in memorial to his 

grandfather’s service in 

the US Navy. Preston, then 

ten years old, noticed the 

lack of flags or flowers on 

the graves of other local 

veterans. He became very 

upset that veterans weren't 

being honored on the very 

day set aside to honor them, 

Veterans Day. 

Being a normal ten-yearold 

he continued to verbalize 

his irritation throughout 

the day, so I told Preston, 

"You can't complain about 

something unless you are 

willing to fix it.” Preston 

looked up at me and with a 

very strong voice said, "I am 

going to do something 

about it, Mom!" 

He started raising money 

for the flags and flowers 

immediately by asking how 

much money he could get 

if he vacuumed the floors. 

That night, Preston set a goal 

to place a flag and flower 

on the graves of each of 

those veterans at McDonald's 

Chapel and Redding 

Memorial Park. Using social 

media, word of Preston’s 

effort and goal spread, and 

the Sunday visits to Redding 

Memorial Park began to draw 

other community members, 

some from more than 60 

miles away. As Preston 

began to realize his goal of 

"I am going to 

do something 

about it, Mom!" 

honoring all veterans at his 

grandfather's cemetery, he 

extended his goal to include 

veterans at other Redding 

cemeteries; then it expanded 

to Shasta and neighboring 

counties. After achieving 

those goals, Preston decided 

Preston honoring veterans in 

Redding, California, May 2016. 

to honor veterans in every 

township along Interstate 

5 between Redding and 

Sacramento, a 160-mile 

stretch of highway! This 

goal was accomplished last 

summer. Preston has now 

expanded his goal to honor 

veterans in every state. He 

has completed California, 

Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, 

and Florida. 

As of January 2018, Preston 

has organized the placement 

of more than 40,000 flags 

and red carnations on 

veterans headstones. He 

has accomplished this with 

the assistance of many in 

the communities who come 

out to meet him and to 

clean headstones, replace 

weathered flags and flowers, 

and say "Thank You" to 

those that have provided 

their services to our country. 

If you come out and help 

Preston Sharp, you have to 

say the veteran's name out 

loud and then, "Thank you 

for your service," as you place 

the flag and an imitation red 

carnation. He says that you 




have to say the veteran's 

name out loud because a 

veteran's name not said out 

loud is a veteran forgotten. 

Preston does not just 

honor the fallen veterans. He 

goes to the local veterans' 

home and listens to their 

stories. It was during one of 

Preston in Washington, D.C., Jan 2018. 

these visits that Preston met 

a veteran who had to give up 

his dog when he moved into 

the veterans' home. The dog 

was in Oregon, so the owner 

"We need to 

honor veterans 

EVERYDAY and not 

just on a Holiday." 

wasn’t even able to visit him. 

For Christmas 2016, Preston 

asked if he could please 

adopt Rusty, the veteran's 

dog, rather than getting 

thelaptop he had originally 

requested. That way, the 

veteran could still see his dog 

Preston Sharp with First Lady 

Melania Trump, at the State of 

the Union Address. 

whenever he wanted. 

Preston says that he won't 

stop honoring veterans until 

he can't bend down anymore 

to place the flags on their 

graves. His motto is: "We 

need to honor veterans 

EVERYDAY and not just on 

a holiday." b 

Honor your Veteran 

with a Grave Marker. 

Memorial Day is Monday, May 28 

FlagandBanner.com has a wide selection of grave 

markers for service branches and military campaigns. 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 7

GERONIMO 

Fortune's 

Freefall 

By Madison Monroe 

BRAVE Editor 

Patrick Fortune started 

skydiving on May 2, 

1998. He had just been 

assigned to an Airborne Unit 

at MacDill Air Force Base 

and thought that he would 

get a head start. He had 

almost 400 jumps prior to 

going to The United States 

Army Airborne School at Fort 

Benning Georgia. It wasn’t 

until he got to the school 

that he realized that skydiving 

and Airborne training are two 

different things! 

Although those 

400 jumps provided 

practice, the forms 

and intentions 

are entirely 

different. In 

skydiving, 

a jumper 

freely exits 

the aircraft 

facing front, pulls his 

own chute, enjoys the ride, 

and lands standing. Airborne 

School is war preparation. 

The jumper is on a line that 

pulls the chute upon exiting, 

the exit is backward 

from the aircraft, and 

the landing is never 

feet first. Patrick Fortune 

had practiced the wrong 

technique over 400 times! 

Remarkably, he earned his 

Airborne Wings in three 

weeks and continued his 

service until November 

of 2004. 

After retiring from the 

Air Force a Technical 

Sergeant, Fortune became a 

Hillsborough County Deputy. 

The stress of the job and 

its demanding schedule 

prevented Patrick 

from doing 

what he loved 

most…jumping. 

In 2007, he 

resigned 

his badge. 

He began 

skydiving again and 

now has over 2300 jumps. 

In 2015, Patrick took a 

Professional Demonstration 

Class. That course taught 

him the use of flags, smoke, 

and requirements for doing 

a jump into different venues. 

He holds a few records in 

Parachutes Over Phorty 

(POPS) and is currently 

part of the skydiving team 

called "The Chuters." In 

2016, he opened Fortune’s 

8 | BRAVE MAGAZINE SPRING/SUMMER 2018 BY FLAGANDBANNER.COM

Freefall Fantasies where he 

teaches others the skill of 

parachuting. 

Last December, Fortune 

began exploring a way to 

show how much he valued 

U.S. Law Enforcement 

Officers and First Responders. 

He stumbled upon 

FlagandBanner.com and 

opened an online chat to 

bounce around some ideas. 

The Thin Blue Line flag spoke 

to him. 

In the 1950s LAPD Chief 

Bill Parker coined the term 

“thin blue line” as the barrier 

between law and order and 

social and civil anarchy. By 

the early 1970s, the term had 

spread to police departments 

across the U.S. Use of the 

term became especially 

widespread following the 

release of Errol Morris' 1988 

documentary film The Thin 

Blue Line. 

Unfortunately, the largest 

stock size of that flag is three 

feet by five feet. That size 

would not be large enough 

for Patrick’s purposes. He 

decided to order an eight foot 

by twelve foot, custom-made 

Thin Blue Line flag. “I was 

looking for a way to show just 

how much I appreciate what 

[Law Enforcement Officers] 

do for all of us,” said Patrick. 

He received his custommade 

Blue Line flag the 

first part of January, and 

the final product was flown 

over Skydive City, Zephyrhills 

Florida on February 3, 2018. 

Disappointed at the first 

flight, the jumper said, “The 

weather was gloomy, and 

the flag really didn't stand 

out like it would have if there 

had been no clouds. I plan on 

jumping the flag more than a 

few times and will send the 

pictures of each jump.” 

It wasn’t long before 

pictures came pouring in. 

Patrick reported, “ As you 

can tell, it flew great, and 

with the outstanding ground 

crew, it never rested on the 

ground for longer than safety 

required. I just want to say 

thank you to your company 

for putting together the flag.” 

Our pleasure, Patrick. b 

BY FLAGANDBANNER.COM SPRING/SUMMER 2018 BRAVE MAGAZINE | 9

BRAVE 

SPRING 2018 SUMMER 2018 

ARKANSAS EVENTS 

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Great River Road 

and the Mississippi River Parkway Commission. 

Photo Courtesy of Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism 

By Tam McClure 

Staff Writer 

This year marks the 80th anniversary 

of the Great River Road and 

the Mississippi River Parkway 

Commission. Arkansas 362-mile section of 

the Great River Road National Scenic Byway 

winds its way through the eastern Delta 

region along the mighty river. The waterway 

creates a scenic and natural border that has 

beckoned people to its banks for centuries. 

Visitors can gaze upon acres of cotton, 

soybeans or rice as they travel through some 

of the most fertile land in the country. Along 

the trek, numerous historical and cultural 

sites preserve the history of Arkansas and its 

people and welcome visitors to learn more 

about this remarkable region. In Arkansas, 

the Natural State, spring and summer in 

Arkansas are great times for a road trip, so 

hit the Great River Road this season! 

www.experiencemississippiriver.com 




TRAVEL & EVENTS 

may 

May 4-5: 4th Annual Steel Horse Rally on 

Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith A familyfriendly 

motorcycle rally to benefit local 

charities and honor all who serve. Free 

admission. www.thesteelhorserally.com 

May 13-19: Eureka Springs National 

Photography Contest and Exhibit The top 

100 photos will be featured throughout 

the May Festival of the Arts in picturesque 

Eureka Springs. Admission is free. 

www.eurekaspringschamber.com 

june 

June 1: Artosphere Festival at the Walton 

Arts Center in Fayetteville Celebrate artists 

influenced by nature and who inspire 

people to live more sustainable lives. The 

event is open to everyone to experience 

art, music, dance and nature at free and 

low-cost, family friendly-events and 

performances. www.waltonartscenter.org 

august 

August 10-18: The 4th Annual Kaleidoscope 

LGBT Film Festival, Argenta Community 

Theater in North Little Rock Kaleidoscope's 

mission is to provide innovative and unique 

programming that will engage the hearts 

and minds of audiences in the State of 

Arkansas and the surrounding region. 

www.kaleidoscopefilmfestival.com 

August 25: Big Maumelle Canoe Float 

Paddle through Pinnacle's majestic lowland 

river while viewing large cypress trees and 

wildlife. Advance payment for canoe is $40. 

registration is required. Call 501. 868. 5806 

or email pinnaclemountain@arkansas.com 

to register. b 

july 

July 4: Pops On The River In its 35th year, 

Pops on the River is a free, community 

event, activities include: free children’s 

activities, shopping marketplace, food 

trucks and lots of entertainment. 

Performances at the First Security 

Amphitheater includes the Oh Say! Can 

you Sing? contest, live music, and the 

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. 

www.arkansasonline.com/pops 

July 7: Harry Potter Month Sorting Day 

in Texarkana is an event for the whole 

family. Hosted by the Museum of Regional 

History, this day kicks off a month of Harry 

Potter-themed events with opportunities 

to play online and at the museums. 

www.texarkanamuseums.org 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 11

AMERICAN HERO 

Buzz Aldrin: Human Hero 


BRAVE Editor 

The thing about heroes 

is you rarely read 

about just how human 

they are. Their deeds are 

exalted, and their flaws 

unmentioned. In truth, they 

are like you and me: good 

and bad, sane and crazy, 

happy and depressed, 

complicated. This is 

certainly true of Edwin 

Aldrin, Jr., the second man 

on the moon. One of the 

most iconic photographs 

Buzz Aldrin gives a 

salute to the U.S. 

flag on the Moon. 

of Old Glory would not exist 

without him. 

He graduated third in his 

class at West Point. He flew 

airplanes during the Korean 

War and was chosen by 

NASA to enter the space 

program in 1963. One might 

believe he was destined 

for it…his mother’s maiden 

name was Moon. 

He married three times 

and had three children and 

three grandchildren. Both his 

parents committed suicide, 

and he battled with 

depression and alcoholism 

his entire adult life. 

In the movie, “Toy Story,” 

the Buzz Lightyear character 

was named after him 

and although Buzz Aldrin 

never said, “To infinity 

and beyond,” he firmly 

believes we should be 

colonizing Mars. 

He was the second man 

to walk on the moon, but 

while there, he was the 

first doing two noteworthy 

things. Most men like to 

pee outdoors, but Buzz 

took the whole "marking 

your territory" thing to new 

heights (pun intended). 

Buzz Aldrin was the first 

man to pee on the moon. 

And, maybe because of 

that, he was also the first 

man to take communion 

on the moon. 

In later writings, one 

can feel the melancholy 

in his words as he describes 

the moon as a "satellite 

of solitude" and refers to 

the terrain as "magnificent 

desolation." 

He is not the typical 

American hero because we 

know his flaws. But when 

he proudly placed the 

American Flag on the moon 

and stood back to salute it, 

he became forever ingrained 

in our story. b

It's Bunting Season! 

American Flag 

o / Oval Seal 

sed anywhere. Outer ring must have “Manufactured by” on top and Company name on the bottom. 

on Blue background* 

, M=72%, Y=18%, K=5% 

=27%, K=15% 

=69%, K=2% 

FMAA Style Guide 

Center 2014 Half Fan Set 

Logo / Different Designs for Specific Applications 

Can only be used by a member of the Flag Manufacturers Association of America 

Full Fan 

Prints: Blue on White background 

White Background w/Blue stroke isolating art from other 

elements ** 

The offices of Morgan Wealth 

Management located in the historic 

Wyllie Mansion in Dinuba, CA. 

Prints: White on Blue background 

Pull Down 

FLAGandBANNER.COM 

BUNTING IS MADE IN USA! 

can be changed, within reason, 

packaging color scheme 

** Stroke is optional & can either have right angle corners or rounded with a .125 in. corner radius 

o / Made in U.S.A. Certified 

ade in U.S.A.” and “Certified” – Used in direct association with a product or products. Can be used in ads, on labels, packaging 

on Blue background. 

, M=72%, Y=18%, K=5% 

69%, K=2% 

U.S.A. 

Prints: Blue & Red on White background. 

White Background w/Blue Stroke around logo* 

Blue / C=98%, M=72%, Y=18%, K=5% 

Red / C=10%, M=90%, Y=69%, K=2% 

MADE IN U.S.A. 

Prints: Any Color on White background 

MADE IN U.S.A. 

IFIED 

can be changed, within 

rs packaging color scheme 

o / Organization 

on Blue background. 

, M=72%, Y=18%, K=5% 

69%, K=2% 

can be changed, within 

rs packaging color scheme 

CERTIFIED 

Prints: Blue & Red on White background. 

White Background w/Blue Stroke around logo* 

Blue / C=98%, M=72%, Y=18%, K=5% 

Red / C=10%, M=90%, Y=69%, K=2% 

CERTIFIED 

* Stroke is optional & can either have right angle corners or rounded with a .125 in. corner radius 

used on literature and on websites when you identify the brand / organization. Use ‘Certified’ logo above in 

roducts / packaging. 


and Annin® Flagmakers 

are proud to support our 

Prints: Any Color on White background 

* Stroke is optional & can either have right angle corners or rounded with a .125 in. corner radius 

active military and veterans. 

side for FMAA logo usage guidelines for stationery, advertising, packaging, displays and websites. 

2014 FMAA Style Guide_6A 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 13

COMMUNITY 

Playing Taps: 

Braving the weather for a final farewell 

This article originally appeared on December 15, 2017 in the Reporter-Times. It has been edited for space. 

On December 14, 2012, 

the country was 

reeling. The tragic 

massacre that took 26 lives 

at Sandy Hook Elementary 

School in Connecticut 

had just occurred. Flags 

were flown at half-staff. 

Prayer vigils were held. And 

nationwide, a call went out 

to buglers on Dec. 15, 2012, to 

play Taps in their respective 

communities at 7 p.m. for 

seven days straight. 

In Martinsville, Indiana, 

solitary bugler Bruce McKee 

performed the duty at the 

courthouse square each 

evening. On the last night, a 

resident asked McKee if the 

name of a local veteran who 

had died that week could 

be acknowledged prior to 

playing Taps. 

At that moment, Taps on 

the Square was born — and 

every Friday night since 

that day, members of the 

American Legion, Veterans 

of Foreign Wars, other 

veterans and community 

members have gathered at 

6:50 p.m. by the flagpole 

Taps on the Square lead organizer 

and bugler Bruce McKee (right) and 

fellow bugler and organizer Zondra 

Kale-Griffin (center) offers a "Patriot 

Quilt" — handmade by a local quilting 

club — to the family member of a 

veteran who recently passed away in 

September 2017. 

on the southwest corner of 

the courthouse to honor the 

service members who died 

that week from across the 

country or whose remains 

were recently identified. They 

also take the opportunity 

to honor Rosie the Riveter 

who passed away and those 

first responders, including 

firefighters and police 

officers, who died in the line 

of duty that week. 

After the names are 

read, up to four buglers 

stand on each corner of the 

square and play a cascading 

rendition of Taps in which one 

bugler begins, soon followed 

by another, then another and 

another until the sounds of 

Taps echo off the buildings 

and streets of the square. 

The solemn ceremony is 

a powerful testament to the 

dedication of the volunteer 

organizers who have never 

missed a single Friday night, 

regardless of weather. 

“The cold and snow has 

been the worst,” McKee said. 

“There’s been a couple times 

it’s been below zero. I got 

my lips stuck to my bugle 

mouthpiece one day.” 

But for McKee and the 

other participants, a few 

minutes outside in bad 

weather is nothing compared 

to what many veterans 

endured during their service. 

“The weather conditions 

they put up with for all those 

years during combat — they 

went through all kinds 

of weather,” McKee said, 

referencing the Battle of the 

Bulge, among others. “So it 

doesn’t hurt us to stand out 

there for 10 minutes to honor 

their memories.” b 




FOOD 

Modified Mixing 

Stay hydrated, friends 

This summer take 

a break from the 

traditional alcoholic 

fare. Modified cocktails and 

infused water will keep 

you sated and hydrated all 

summer long. 

MODIFIED MOJITO 

15 mint leaves 

(plus some for garnish) 

1 teaspoon sugar (or 

Splenda) 

1 half lime, squeezed (1 oz.) 

Ice 

4 oz ginger ale, club soda or 

sparkling water. 

Directions 

In a glass, combine the 

mint, sugar or Splenda and 

lime juice and muddle with a 

wooden spoon. 

Add ice. 

Top with the ginger ale, 

club soda, or sparkling water. 

CUCUMBER MINT INFUSED 

WATER WITH LIME 

1 small cucumber, scrubbed 

and sliced 

2 sprigs fresh mint, washed 

and bruised 

1/2 lime, scrubbed & sliced 

(optional) 

10 to 12 cups filtered water 

Directions 

Place sliced cucumber, 

mint sprigs, and lime slices 

(if using) in a large pitcher. 

Pour water into the pitcher. 

Cover and refrigerate for 

anywhere from 1 to 8 hours 

(the longer you infuse the 

water, the stronger the flavor 

will become). Strain the water 

into a glass and serve chilled 

with a slice of cucumber for 

garnish, if desired. 

WHAT IS MUDDLING? 

When mixing mocktails 

and cocktails, herbs and/ 

or fruit are often mashed or 

ground -- muddled -- with 

sugar in the bottom of a 

glass before adding the liquid 

ingredients to intensify their 

flavors. You can muddle with 

a spoon or a pestle-like tool 

called a muddler. b 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 15

Full Dress Ship Kits 

available in four sizes. 

www.FlagandBanner.com/ 

products/full-dress-ship-kit 

USS Constitution 

aka "Old Ironsides" in 

full dress kit, provided by 





Know Your Nauticals 

International code and 

signal flags are used in 

a variety of ways. When 

ships are strung from 

stem to stern, it is referred 

to as "dress ship." They are 

used at land and at sea to 

communicate by signaling code 

and spelling words. 

Nautically-themed decor 

has grown in popularity. 

Add a punch of color to any 

room. Consider framing these 

flags for wall art or log on to 

FlagandBanner.com to get our 

exclusive throw pillows to spell 

out your name. b 

A-ALPHA B-BRAVO C-CHARLIE D-DELTA E-ECHO F-FOXTROT 

G-GOLF H-HOTEL I-INDIA J-JULIET K-KILO L-LIMA 

M-MIKE N-NOVEMBER O-OSCAR P-PAPA Q-QUEBEC R-ROMEO 

S-SIERRA T-TANGO U-UNIFORM V-VICTOR W-WHISKEY X-X-RAY 

Y-YANKEE 

Z-ZULU 

International Code Signal Number Pennants are also available 

www.flagandbanner.com/nautical/international-code-signal-flags 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 17

FEATURE 

By Matthew McCoy 

Executive Director, 

Friends of Dreamland 

The Dreamland 

Ballroom has been a 

part of my life for the 

whole of my life. Kerry McCoy 

bought the building in 1990, 

the year I was born. By the 

way, my name is Matthew 

McCoy; Executive Director of 

the Friends of Dreamland, 

employee of Flagandbanner. 

com, and middle son to Kerry 

and Grady McCoy. 

Growing up, I took the 

third-floor ballroom of the 

Arkansas Flag and Banner 

building for granted. A big 

old room. Beautiful? Sure, 

but ultimately my parents’ 

work place. The place I spent 

those incredibly boring days 

in anyone’s childhood, when 

school wasn’t in session, 

your parents still had to 

go to work, and you had to 

find some way to entertain 

yourself. And be quiet about 

it. Luckily for me and my three 

other siblings, we had this 

big, empty, kind of dangerous 

ballroom to help whittle 

away those hours that seem 

to go on forever when one is 

that young. 

For most of my life, I 

remember the first two floors 

of the building being intact. 

I remember people working 

at desks, having meetings in 

meeting rooms, long tables 

dedicated to sewing large 

flags, screen printers, digital 

printers, all the hustle-andbustle 

of a work place. But 

the top floor was empty 

and quiet. The floors were 

not reliable, the safe spots 

denoted by colored flag 

scraps, and the mezzanines 

held up by two by four 

"columns" wedged into place. 

Around 2009, Kerry 

decided to take on the 

renovation of the third floor. 

Unable to acquire a loan, 

due to the unmarketable 

nature of a vacant, borderline 

decrepit, old room, she 

founded the non-profit 

Friends of Dreamland 

(FOD), dedicated to the 

restoration of the Dreamland 

Ballroom. This status made 

grant funding available and 

donations possible by 

other old building buffs 




Kerry and Matt McCoy, in 

Dreamland 1990, (Matt in utero.) 

like my mom. 

However, the ballroom 

restoration was a bigger task 

than anyone anticipated. 

But its potential was even 

bigger. In 2012, FOD hosted 

their annual fundraiser, 

Dancing into Dreamland, in 

the ballroom for the first 

time. The previous years' 

fundraisers had been held 

at the Little Rock Governor’s 

Mansion. It didn’t take long 

for the Board of Directors and 

Kerry to find one very large 

problem with hosting any 

event in the historic space... 

no elevator. 

Not being ADA compliant, 

the liability that FOD, 

FlagandBanner.com, and my 

family assumed every time 

there was an event in the 

ballroom, regularly put my 

parents into near-cardiac 

arrest. So, eventually, Dancing 

into Dreamland was the only 

event we continued to host in 

this incredible venue. 

In February of 2017, I 

moved back to Little Rock 

after attending college in 

Fayetteville, AR and began 

working at the family 

flag shop. The ballroom’s 

condition had improved from 

when I was in high school. 

Being slightly more mature, 

I realized that untapped 

potential my mother always 

talked about. I began to 

familiarize myself with the 

history of this place and this 

district of Little Rock, and I 

was blown away. Like many 

of the people in the area, I 

had no idea what a jewel this 

building was to downtown 

"I put the possibility 

of being awarded 

this $499,668 grant 

out of my mind." 

Little Rock, although I had 

much less of an excuse— 

essentially being raised in it. 

FOD was doing a great 

job slowly restoring and 

maintaining the space, 

but the time had come to 

expedite the process. A friend 

of FOD contacted us in the 

spring of 2017 about a grant, 

a grant that had Dreamland 

written all over it: a Civil 

Rights Preservation Grant 

awarded by the National 

Parks Service. I knew this was 

my chance. I volunteered 

to do all the paper work, 

facilitate meetings, contact 

contractors to make bids 

and manage files, anything 

to make it happen. With the 

help of an amazing team 

of people, we applied in 

October…the day the grant 

application was due! After 

that, it was all waiting 

and hoping. 

February came and 

went with no word from 

Washington. I put the 

possibility of being awarded 

this grant out of my mind. 

Then, this past March, I 

received a voicemail on my 

personal cell phone. A month 

overdue, it was a call I didn’t 

anticipate. I listened to the 

message, eyes widening, as 

I realized what the woman 

on the other end was 

saying: “Congratulations! 

We are calling on behalf of 

the National Parks Service 

to inform you that Friends 

of Dreamland has been 

awarded $499,668.00…” I 

jumped out of my chair and 

ran down the hall to my 

mother’s office. Fumbling 

with my phone to replay the 

message for her, I put it on 

speaker and watched her face 

as it registered with her what 

the lady was saying. She 

screamed and jumped out of 

her chair, ecstatic. A lifetime 

goal—my lifetime at least— 

finally realized. b 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 19

Dream LanD 

Little Rock's West 9th Street 

This documentary seeks to recognize, 

memorialize, and share the history of 

West 9th Street and Dreamland 

Ballroom — from the spirit and hard 

work of the people to the implications 

of federal programs, including urban 

renewal, school desegregation, the 

Housing Act of 1949 and the 

Eisenhower Interstate Program. 

Connect with the district's vivid history 

and be inspired to take part in its stillunfolding 

future. 

Buy the DVD in our showroom or 

online at FlagandBanner.com. 

Monthly Tours and Event Dates are posted 

to Dreamland Ballroom's facebook page. 

DOCUMENTARY 

This weekly radio talk show is a personal and 

provactive hour that features interviews with 

successful business owners and community leaders. 

President of FlagandBanner.com, Kerry McCoy 

chronicles and explores each guest's life 

and the wisdom learned along the way. Listeners are 

encouraged to call with comments or questions. 

LISTEN LIVE: 

Fridays at 2 p.m. on KABF 88.3 FM 

LISTEN LATER: 

Available on YouTube, Soundcloud, iTunes or at 

FlagandBanner.com click on Radio Show 



BROADCAST 

Improv Lesson 

This is an excerpt from Up 

In Your Business with Kerry 

McCoy, Episode 49 

Rivka Kuperman and 

hert mother had a 

close relationship. 

Rivka remembered her 

mother always encouraging 

her to push beyond her 

comfort zone. It was that 

philosophy that had taken 

Rivka all the way to New 

York University School of 

Arts. But when her mother’s 

breast cancer took a turn 

for the worse, Rivka moved 

from New York back to Little 

Rock to take care 

of her. 

Rivka recalls, “I was 

shattered when she passed. 

When you are shattered into 

a thousand pieces, you’re not 

going to put yourself back 

together the same way. It 

changes you. It changes your 

perspective. It changes what 

is important to you. The day I 

lost my mother was really the 

day my life changed.” 

Rivka Kuperman, Stage Manager for 

The Arkansas Children's Theatre. 

She had a friend with 

whom she had done improv 

back in her college days at 

UCA. That friend reached 

out to Rivka, asking her to 

join a local improv troop. 

Rivka refused, but her friend 

persisted. Rivka stood firm 

saying, “No. No. I’m in no state. 

I can’t think. I don’t know who 

I am anymore. I can’t do it. 

No. No. No.” Finally, after 

many no’s, Rivka gave in. 

Stepping back into 

the world of preforming 

arts helped her find her 

confidence again. It required 

she take risks and learn 

how to say "yes" again. “Of 

course, it happened over 

time, but improv is my 

therapy. It is where I feel the 

most free,” Rivka said. 

She knew it was time 

to pursue the arts more 

seriously. She didn’t know 

where it would lead her, 

but she decided to follow 

the first rule of improv: Say 

"Yes." “I just said ‘yes’ and 

let’s see what happens,” 

Rivka recounts. “It’s the only 

way to really collaborate. If 

you want to be able to use 

other people’s ideas and work 

together, it’s always better to 

say ‘yes,’ It’s a philosophy you 

have to grow into. Sometimes 

it’s hard to say.” 

In 2013, Rivka landed 

her dream job as the 

Production Stage Manager 

at the Arkansas Arts Center 

Children’s Theatre. Now 

she teaches our upcoming 

local actors her positive and 

life changing philosophy of 

saying “YES!” b 

UP IN YOUR 

BUSINESS 

For more great stories like Rivka's, subscribe to Up In Your Business 

with Kerry McCoy. Go to FlagandBanner.com and click Radio Show. 

Or watch us from our facebook page live at FlagandBanner.com. 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 21

NAKED TRUTH 

Northern Exposure 

The story of the "Skinny Dipper" flag 

By Carl Hild, PhD 

Member of nAKed Friends 

In 1954, a couple and their 

three daughters, who 

were members of the 

Willamettans Family Nudist 

Resort in Oregon, moved 

to Anchorage, Alaska and 

met others who enjoyed 

social nudity. Yes, in Alaska! 

Summers are short, the bugs 

plentiful, but long winters 

bring many opportunities 

for saunas, hot tubs, potluck 

dinners, game nights, and 

family-friendly socials. The 

first nudist group in Alaska 

was dubbed the Auroratans. 

The group found that, in the 

summer-boats and gravel 

bars on rivers had enough 

breeze to keep away the 

mosquitoes, and the long 

hours of sunshine made the 

gray stones plenty warm for 

sunbathing and even getting 

those tanning hot enough to 

brave a dip in the glacial river 

to cool off. 

LOOK! ICEBERGS! 

Photo of Carl Hind in 1979 taking a dip in the Artic Ocean to cool off. 

When the Auroratans 

faded out, a couple of new 

groups formed: Alaska Free 

Beaches, promoting use of 

public lands, and the Midnight 

Sun Club, promoting homebased 

activities like backyard 

BBQs in the summer. 

Other groups have come 

and gone as key leaders 

have died or moved from 

Alaska. There were the Polar 

Bares in Fairbanks, a group 

in Juneau, and another in 

Homer. The problem, before 

the internet, was knowing 

whom we are and how to link 

up when there was such a 

changing set of names and 

organizations because Alaska 

is so big. We needed a way to 

identify each other. The idea 

of a flag was discussed in the 

1980s. It could be placed on 

a car, camper, boat, backpack, 

house, fenced yard, or even 

put on a stick when using a 

bit of beach or a clearing 

for sunning. 

Over the years the little 

group in Alaska proposed 

such an ensign to the large 

national nudist and naturist 

organizations, but what 

resulted were flags with 

words and logos. What was 

desired was something like 

the diver’s flag that signals 

boaters that scuba divers 

are near-by and to proceed 

cautiously. In our case, it 

would indicate familyoriented 

skinny-dipping was 

taking place and warn those 

who might be offended. 

Research was done on 

the colors and shapes of the 

international maritime signal 

flags. It was suggested we 




just use the existing “N” signal 

flag (for nude), but when that 

flag is used by itself, it means 

“negative” or “no,” which is 

opposite to our positive 

message. What was desired 

was something that fit the 

nautical system, but was new. 

The design needed to be 

easy to see from a distance. 

Our design was selected by 

combining the shape of the 

capital letter "N" with yellow, 

for the sun and warmth 

above, and blue, for the sky 

or water below. 

We searched for companies 

that make durable and 

custom-made ensigns and 

found FlagandBanner.com. 

After some exchanges, it 

was clear working together 

would be easy. Some of 

the first names considered 

Skinny-Dipper Ensign first use in February 2018 in Anchorage, Alaska. 

for the flag were the “Body 

Positive” flag and the “Nude 

Haven” flag. It was only 

when “Skinny-dipping” was 

mentioned that we actually 

began to communicate what 

the ensign’s job was going 

to be. 

When the first batches 

of flags (30 sewn and 300 

printed) were delivered, they 

were immediately distributed 

to the current Alaskans who 

use social media to organize 

activities. Then batches of 

flags were sent off to the two 

national organizations with a 

story of how the ensign had 

been developed and used. 

Bundles of ensigns were 

also sent to other national 

organizations in Australia, 

Britain, Canada, New Zealand, 

and to the International 

Naturist Federation in Austria. 

A large number will be taken 

and distributed to the cabins 

on the Bare Necessities 

"Three Seas" Cruise around 

Italy in June, where it is 

hoped the Captain of the 

Royal Clipper will fly the new 

ensign when clothing is not 

required on-board. The longterm 

objective is that those 

who enjoy family-friendly 

nude recreation will- be able 

to identify each other over 

distance, no matter their 

language or nationality. We 

now have an ensign to help 

communicate our brave 

message: skinny-dipping is 

fun, so join us! 

This flag can be ordered 

at FlagandBanner.com or by 

calling (800) 455-0653. b 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 23

SHOP TALK 

Behind the Scenes 

Many of 

you 

know 

Big Sam from 

the Showroom 

or his 22 years 

at Arkansas 

FlagandBanner. 

com. He 

was recently 

diagnosed with 

Sam Rutherford 

prostate cancer. 

His family started a Go Fund Me: gofundme. 

com/sam-rutherford and we are delighted to 

report people are contributing to help Sam 

take care of his medical bills. b 

Jayson 

Dover, 

son of our 

web specialist 

Arwen, worked 

the last two 

summers in the 

Showroom. 

This March, 

he joined the 

U.S. Navy. We 

Jason Dover 

are so proud of 

this young man and want to congratulate him 

and let him know we will be thinking of him 

as he serves our country. b 

Get up to a 25-year fixed rate & low 

down payment with our 504 loans. 

At Arkansas Capital, we work hard to make 

your small business loan process easier. 



MEMORIES 

Yesterday's Wisdom 

By Kerry McCoy 

Publisher, BRAVE Magazine 

An old-school 

shopping 

experience. 

At the Arkansas 

Flag and Banner 

showroom, we offer 

department-store 

variety, friendly 

clerks to help you 

find a truly unique 

gift and free front 

door parking. A visit 

to Little Rock is not 

complete without 

swinging by 

our showroom. 

See you there! 

Mon. - Fri. 8-5:30 

Sat. 10-4 CST 

800 W. Ninth Street, 

Downtown Little Rock, AR 

Having recently lost 

my mother, who 

mentored me when I 

started this company, I began 

to reminisce about the early 

days when she was coaching 

me make those initial crucial 

decisions. It made me think 

about the differences in 

attitude of where I came 

from and where I am now in 

my life. 

I was a kid when I started 

this business. All I wanted to 

do was make money. I really 

wasn’t old enough nd didn't 

have enough life experience 

to be patriotic. Flags were a 

means to an end for me. 

My mother and father 

had a different take on my 

budding new business. They 

were old enough to have 

experienced World War II, 

where they both answered 

the call of duty. They lived 

through a couple more 

wars, the Great Depression, 

many presidential elections, 

prosperous times and 

trying times, the Civil Rights 

movement and the Women’s 

Rights movement. They were 

well-versed in the values of 

America, developed from 

Sara Krouse 

Jul 24, 1923 - Feb 8, 2018 

service and sacrifice. And 

they were proud that I started 

this company. 

They say in the end, we all 

become our parents…and as I 

have aged, I am proud to say 

that, indeed, I have developed 

respect, borne of years, for 

our flag. Volatile politics 

always create a surge in sales, 

but I have learned to align 

the company with patriotism 

and all the virtues that word 

entails. Sacrifice, respect for 

others, honor, integrity and 

courage to do the right thingthose 

are the attributes of 

our founding fathers, and 

those are attributes to which 

we should all aspire. 

Politicians come and go, 

but American values are 

timeless. I am proud to be 

associated with the symbol 

of those values, our great 

American flag. b 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 25

CONNECTIONS 

From Arkansas to Africa 

By George Taylor 

FlagandBanner.com Customer 

I 

have just returned from 

my third visit to the 

small village of Kindiri, 

in Chad, a large country in 

central Africa. I go there with 

my close friend of almost 

25 years, Clamra Célestin, 

who was born in the village 

in 1966. The story of how he 

was taken by the Jesuits at 

the age of six to be educated 

in a Catholic school in a 

faraway city, then endured 

the devastating civil war in 

Chad in the early 1980’s, 

and then made his way to 

France and ultimately the 

United States, where he 

is now a citizen, has been 

chronicled in Clamra’s soonto-be-published 

memoir, 

Fils du Ciel, From Kindiri to 

Manhattan. 

Of all the stories in his 

memoir, I am most drawn 

to those of his childhood 

in the tiny village of Kindiri, 

where he grew up with his 

father, the village chief, and 

many mothers, brothers, 

sisters, aunts, uncles, and 

cousins, consorting with 

diviners, soothsayers, 

healers, sorcerers and 

sorceresses, devils, djinns, 

and gods, not to mention 

more mundane creatures 

like cattle, dogs, rats, and 

snakes – all controlled by 

the forces of the invisible 

world. For me, these stories 

describe the essence of 

the man I know today. It is 

from these stories that I 

have come to understand 

his sense of devotion to 

New Flag of Chad 

with new halyard and hardware 




family and community, his 

realistic approach to adverse 

conditions that might 

seriously derail many of 

us Westerners, his respect 

for the virtue of tolerance, 

and the reverence for his 

ancestral past that is his 

cultural anchor. 

For all the progress 

that has been made since 

Clamra’s childhood years 

forty years ago, much remains 

the same. The elders still 

gather under the shea tree 

to debate village affairs, 

adjudicate disputes, and sip 

sorghum beer and spirits 

brewed and distilled by the 

village women. It is a man’s 

world under this ancient 

tree. Women approach 

only to bring food or to 

gracefully move around the 

circle, crouching in front of 

each man to shake his hand 

and offer a softly spoken 

“bonjour” or the Sara “lapia.” 

> Kinidiri Village Flag of Chad 

A flag made from three 

pieices of colored cotton 

flew from a crooked pole 

fashioned from a tree trunk. 

The women’s role still is 

to haul the water from the 

village well, carry firewood 

from the countryside on 

their heads, and tend to their 

fires, cooking, and babies in a 

chorus of chores from dawn 

to dusk. 

Children still drive the ox 

carts early in the morning 

to deliver food and drink to 

the workers in the sorghum 

fields, and they still gently 

herd cattle into the village 

confines for the night, human 

and animal shapes drifting 

through self-made dust 

clouds and silhouetted in 

the sinking sun. But most of 

all, they still laugh and play. 

Anything handy becomes 

a toy, or a piece of athletic 

equipment, or a musical 

instrument. 

For these reasons, I 

jumped at the chance to 

accompany Clamra to Kindiri 

in December 2011. On that 

first visit, its population was 

around 350. By the time of 

my third visit in December 

2017, it had grown to around 

800. New huts and family 

compounds were springing 

up like weeds. Although 

Clamra is not responsible for 

the population growth per 

se, he is responsible for many 

of the village improvements 

that have made it easier for 

its inhabitants to survive and 

develop. The most significant 

example is Kindiri’s school. 

Six years ago, it consisted 

of a clearing under the 

protective branches of a 

large shea tree. Students 

sat on poles fashioned from 

tree branches suspended by 

forked branches protruding 

from the ground. They held 

their writing books and other 

materials on their knees. 

Now, there are three grass 

huts accommodating grades 

one through four, and a 

two-room brick-and-mortar 

building housing grades five 

and six. And, with help from 

a financial benefactor in New 

York, Clamra has just built 

a school in a neighboring 

village. It opened on January 

1st this year, enabling about 

50 kids who had overcrowded 

Kindiri’s school to be taught in 

their own village. 

In addition to opening the 

new school, we accomplished 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 27

two other major projects and 

several more minor ones 

on our recent visit. We were 

able to distribute about 400 

pounds of mostly children’s 

clothing that people in my 

San Francisco neighborhood 

donated, and we gave Kindiri 

back its long-lost flag. Six 

years ago, a battered and 

tattered flag made from 

three pieces of colored 

cotton flew from a crooked 

pole fashioned from a tree 

trunk. The flag and pole were 

gone by the time I returned 

for my second visit in 2014. 

Kindiris are very proud of 

their village and their country, 

and I was happy to provide 

a new flag of Chad and a 

customized “house” flag for 

the village. These, along with 

halyard and hardware, were 

Kindiris are very 

proud of their 

village and 

their country. 

supplied by the good folks 

at FlagandBanner.com in 

Little Rock. We were able to 

commission construction of a 

7-meter iron flag pole in the 

nearby town of Koumra. The 

Chad flag was commissioned 

and raised in a formal 

ceremony January 5, 2018. 

Our original thought was to 

fly the Kindiri flag below the 

national flag on the same 

pole, but we found out that 

Chad law prohibits any other 

flag to be flown from the 

same pole or at the same or 

higher height. So, the villagers 

have decided to erect a 

shorter pole at the entrance 

to the village, from which 

they will let all passers-by 

know that they are entering 

the village of Kindiri, the place 

where ancient meets modern, 

tradition fears not progress, 

and life is still filled with 

wonder and hope. b 

Summer Sundays 

on 

spring street! 

Music 

Worship 

Food 

Fun 

at trinity episcopal cathedral 

June 10 - August 26 • 5:00 p.m. 

join us every Sunday evening 

for worship (Bluegrass, Gospel, contemplative, and more) 

followed by Food and fellowship! 

See full calendar and find more details at 

trinitylittlerock.org/events 

310 W. 17th St. little rock, Ar • 501-372-0294 




FUN WITH FLAGS 

Know Your History 


BRAVE Editor 

I 

n July of 1830, Paris, 

France, citizens rose 

up, and in a mere 

three days, overthrew 

their government. The 

events leading up to 

that revolution included 

the government delaying 

upcoming elections, 

eliminating the rights 

of the middle class to 

run for office, dissolving 

the national guard and 

suspending the liberty of 

the press. 

Scenes of July 1830 by Leon Congniet 

As unemployment spiked, 

the people united. Angry 

emotions flared, and with 

nothing to do but protest, 

they took to the 

streets and in three 

days overthrew the 

government and 

created a constitutional 

monarchy. 

This beautiful 

painting by Leon 

Congniet, titled 

“Scenes of July 1830,” 

shows three flags, 

torn and bloody, but 

still flying—perhaps a 

tribute to those three 

days, when the people 

stood together and created 

a new future. b 

Know Your Neighbors 

MEXICO 

COLORS: GREEN = HOPE | WHITE = UNITY | RED = BLOOD of HEROES 

The coat of arms is in the center of the flag, showing an 

eagle eating a rattlesnake perched on the prickly pear 

(their state flower) cactus. Underneath is a garland. On 

the left, the garland is green oak, a symbol of strength. 

The right has a laurel branch, symbolizing victory. b 

CANADA 

COLORS: WHITE = PEACE and HONESTY | RED = HARDINESS and VALOR 

The maple leaf as an important Canadian symbol dates 

to a visit from the Prince of Wales in 1860 when the 

Prince of Wales visited. The English wore traditional 

roses, the Scots wore traditional thistles, and Canadians 

chose the sugar maple leaf, one of their native trees. b 



BRAVE MAGAZINE | 29

PUBLISHER BLOG 

Work & Play Do Go Together 

By Kerry McCoy 

President, FlagandBanner.com 

Many bosses steer 

clear of play at work, 

and my managers 

have warned me many times 

to chill out, but I can’t. 

I love to laugh! 


Some benefits of laughter 

are the reduction in stress 

hormones, strengthening 

of the immune system, 

promotion of creativity, and 

exercise for your heart and 

abdomen. According to a 

study at Villanova, laughing 

100 times is the equivalent of 

ten minutes on the 

rowing machine 

or fifteen 

minutes on an 

exercise bike! 

Playing is an important 

part of the FlagandBanner. 

com culture. I don’t want to 

spetnd 40 hours a week at 

something I don’t enjoy, and I 

don’t expect others to, either. 

Keeping with that philosophy, 

when someone applies for 

a job, they are warned of 

our playfulness and asked 

if they can take a joke. If the 

candidate goes so far as to 

tell one, they’re hired! 

My employee and mentor, 

Charles Fisher, was the 

biggest prankster of all. 

Decades ago he started this 

sales floor indoctrination: 

Someone hands the new 

salesman a pink “return call” 

slip and says, “This lady 

called and wants you to call 

her back.” The lady’s name 


on the paper is ‘Myra Mains’ 

and the phone number is a 

funeral home. As our rookie 

salesperson makes the call, 

his co-workers huddle in 

the corner, trying to contain 

themselves until the prank 

is over and then burst into 

laughter. It works every time! 

The best part of the joke is 

the endorphins last all day. 

We also play games for 

March Madness and the 

Super Bowl. At last year's 

office Christmas party, we 

even played musical chairs, 

and we were all surprised at 

the competitiveness of some 

of the milder-mannered 

folks! When an employee 

goes on vacation, they may 

return to a desk wrapped 

in toilet paper or a cubical 

filled with balloons. Each day 

individual goals are measured 

and rewarded with a 

possible $ 2 bill, a star on the 

employee’s calendar, some 

ducks in a row, or a poo-poo 

platter (if the day didn’t go 

so well.) 

I like to think of us as a 

bunch of responsible, playful, 

American rebels working 

in a historically-significant, 

non-traditional building with 

round windows that look like 

the port holes of a pirate ship, 

and our booty is patriotism. 

Fun and Flags for all! b 


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Brock Advertiser: - profile Brock - profile 1/2 Size: 1/2 x 4C x BW August 2015 August 2015 

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