Arctic Cowboys with Steve McCandless and Titus Allooloo preparing to depart from Pond Inlet
The timeline was ambitious. The expedition was preparing to depart from Austin in a week. Gear was packed in the truck and travel plans were all set. One thing remained – the hope of approval of our application to the Flag and Honors Committee to be able to carry the illustrious Explorers Club Flag on our expedition. The chair of the committee, Martin, offered supportive and helpful insight to fill out the application. He, like so many others, is a busy man. But Martin is also a man of action who gets things properly done in a timely manner. With some phone calls, emails, and texts the Flag application was approved. The Club quickly dispatched the flag from HQ to my home address. Would it arrive before we departed? That was the question. YES! The flag arrived with 2 days to spare.
The team is humbled to be able to follow in the steps of exceptional explorers and brilliant scientists, who carried Explorers Club Flags, like Bob Bartlett, Roy Chapman Andrews, and the Apollo 11 astronauts who spearheaded past flag expeditions. Their adventurous spirit and dedication to advancing human knowledge left a lasting mark on exploration history. The Explorers Club Flag has been proudly unfurled at both poles. It soared high on the lunar surface during the iconic Apollo 11 mission, humanity’s leap into the cosmos. The flag fluttered atop Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. As we embark on this new Northwest Passage Arctic expedition, we are humbled and inspired by the legacy of those before us.
To fly it in the Arctic is a privilege of immense significance, recognizing the exceptional capabilities and passion of chosen Explorers Club representatives.
Tom McGuire holds the Explorers Club Flag for Arctic Cowboys Expedition
* The Explorers Club flag holds significant meaning. It features an upper and lower charge with a circular shape ‘E’ and ‘C’ representing the initials EC (Explorers Club). The central charge, designed by artist and explorer Frederick S. Dellenbaugh, represents a compass rose with a mountain, signifying the club’s interest in exploration. The flag is considered an honor to carry and has been taken on numerous expeditions since 1918. Members must submit a scientific report known as a “Flag Report” to the society upon the conclusion of a trip. The flag is fundamental to the club’s activities and has a long history of courageous exploration.
Explorers Club Flag with flag history.
Explorers Club Flag #214 expedition log. Notice a theme?
I really appreciate The Explorers Club providing a style guide for flag photos. As an owner of Visual Moxie, a brand or style guide is very important. At the very least, it offers a reminder to check your flag position before photos!
Explorers Club Flag photo op style guide
Resoundingly respected among my peers as the ‘go-to’ guy. Tom McGuire is a creator, explorer, and citizen scientist focused on the use of technology and emerging methodologies to capture the natural world so that it may be experienced in different ways.
© Tom McGuire •