Flag of Ohio

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The flag of Ohio was adopted in 1902 and designed by John Eisemann. The large blue triangle represents Ohio's hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways. The seventeen stars symbolize that Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the union. The white circle with its red center not only represents the first letter of the state name, but also its nickname, "the Buckeye State."

It is the only American state flag that is non-rectangular, and one of only two non-rectangular official jurisdictional flags, at the state level or above, in the world (the other is the flag of Nepal). Loosely based upon the design of cavalry flags of the Civil War and Spanish-American War, it is technically a burgee.

[edit] Folding the flag

Alex Weinstock, an Eagle Scout from Ohio's Junction City Troop 260, devised the following method of folding the burgee-shaped Ohio state flag as his Eagle Scout service project. This recommended procedure was passed by the 125th Ohio General Assembly as House Bill 552, and signed into law by Governor Bob Taft on February 15, 2005. (The full wording of the bill is at the bottom of this page.)

Starting position Two people hold the unfolded Ohio flag by its corners.	Two lengthwise folds Fold the flag in half lengthwise, aligning its points.	Square the end Fold in half lengthwise again to form a long strip. The red circle should face the ground. Fold about six inches of the pointed end upon itself to form a long thin rectangle. Three folds have now been done.	Two inch fold over Fold about two inches of the squared tail end of the flag over upon itself.
Fold under, then fan-fold fourteen total times Holding this fourth fold with the thumbs, fold under about two inches. Continue alternating over and under folds fourteen times in a fan-fold manner. This will create the seventeen folds that represent Ohio becoming the 17th state to enter the Union.	Wrap fan-folds to finish Use the remaining flag to wrap around the fourteen fan-folds snugly to form a compact rectangle. This can tuck under the arm for ceremonies and allows for quick unfurling when raising the flag.

[edit] Text of 125th Ohio General Assembly House Bill #255

The general assembly hereby establishes a recommended procedure for the folding of the state flag by two people. The procedure is as follows:

With the flag unfolded, fold the flag in half lengthwise so that the points of the flag are aligned. Fold the flag in half lengthwise a second time to form a long strip with the red disc facing the ground. Next, fold the pointed end back onto itself to form a rectangle. These steps entail three folds.

Starting on the end formed by the fold of the pointed end back onto itself, fold two inches of the flag onto itself for a flag with a three-foot hoist and a five-foot fly, or another appropriate width of fold for a flag of a different size. Repeat the folds a total of fourteen times, alternating the folds in a fan-like manner.

The result is a total of seventeen folds symbolizing that Ohio was the seventeenth state admitted to the Union. Finally, neatly and snugly wrap the remaining length of flag around the fan-folds to form a compact rectangle.

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