Mourning - Ensign Club Etiquette

canoeman

canoeman

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Digging around there appear to be a number of protocols regarding the club’s red duster.

My understanding was that as soon as the death of a club member is known, the flag is flown at ‘half mast’ until the day of the funeral. This made all club members aware of their loss.

This was OK when the time between death and day of the funeral service was a matter of a few days but this is no longer the case with the service often weeks later.

For clubs with a fairly elderly membership, the flag could be semi-permanently at half mast.
 
Yeah, there's a British Legion near me where I've never seen the flag fully up. Should be sad but it's almost comedic.
 
Yes, it is one of those good ideas that has been rendered impractical. They have been dying off every couple of weeks at my club for the last few months and, as you say, funerals can be a month or so in the waiting, and I don’t think anyone wants to see flags at half-mast all the time. Perhaps a fixed time of, say, three days could show the necessary degree of respect.
 
johnalison said:
Yes, it is one of those good ideas that has been rendered impractical. They have been dying off every couple of weeks at my club for the last few months and, as you say, funerals can be a month or so in the waiting, and I don’t think anyone wants to see flags at half-mast all the time. Perhaps a fixed time of, say, three days could show the necessary degree of respect.
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Possibly the day of the Service, especially if the wake is being held at the club so that the relatives can see a sign of respect.
 
Possibly a true story. One of the grand waterside houses in Salcombe always flew a Union Jack. One day the halyard came off the sheave as the flag was halfway up. Owner was elderly and not in good health.
Cue many messages of condolence.
"I'm not f.....g dead yet!"
 
canoeman said:
Digging around there appear to be a number of protocols regarding the club’s red duster.

My understanding was that as soon as the death of a club member is known, the flag is flown at ‘half mast’ until the day of the funeral. This made all club members aware of their loss.

This was OK when the time between death and day of the funeral service was a matter of a few days but this is no longer the case with the service often weeks later.

For clubs with a fairly elderly membership, the flag could be semi-permanently at half mast.
Click to expand...
Our club puts out a notice about the death of a member or recent ex member at least once a week. Inevitable when about 50% of out 1500 members are over 80. We don’t fly our ensign at half mast. We might well do if it was the commodore, who is in that half of the membership. Hopefully we won’t need to.
 
If a club member dies our flag is half mast on the following club event, normally a Sunday race day..
We have around 400 members
 
canoeman said:
Digging around there appear to be a number of protocols regarding the club’s red duster.

My understanding was that as soon as the death of a club member is known, the flag is flown at ‘half mast’ until the day of the funeral. This made all club members aware of their loss.

This was OK when the time between death and day of the funeral service was a matter of a few days but this is no longer the case with the service often weeks later.

For clubs with a fairly elderly membership, the flag could be semi-permanently at half mast.
Click to expand...
This is how my club does it, nowadays it is there for weeks at a time and sometimes isn’t down for very long. It’s bang in the middle of the view from my lounge window so I’m very aware of it!
 
canoeman said:
Digging around there appear to be a number of protocols regarding the club’s red duster.

My understanding was that as soon as the death of a club member is known, the flag is flown at ‘half mast’ until the day of the funeral. This made all club members aware of their loss.

This was OK when the time between death and day of the funeral service was a matter of a few days but this is no longer the case with the service often weeks later.

For clubs with a fairly elderly membership, the flag could be semi-permanently at half mast.
Click to expand...
This is not correct.
The Ensign should be half-masted on the day of death, or the following day if death occurs late in the day, until the normal time of striking.
It should be half-masted again during the time of the funeral.
Half-masting between these dates is reserved for the death of the Sovereign.

In the case of the death of the owner the Ensign should be half-masted as soon as the information is received, or the next day if the news is received late in the day, and hauled down again for the last time at sunset ( or the normal time of striking ).

Note that when half-masting a flag it should hoisted fully then lowered to the half-mast position. Likewise when lowering a half-masted flag it should be fully hoisted and then lowered from that position.

RYA Flag Etiquette Book​

The original RYA book (C4/01) has been reorganised into 3 parts for publication on the RYA website and is available to RYA members to download.
 
Mark-1 said:
Ownership and club membership might be declining but I think participation is still pretty healthy. (Just a feeling - I don't have specific numbers.)
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I am sure I saw RYA data showing participation was up. A lack of interest in “membership” is common across lots of sports/activities.

Running, cycling, football all seeing casual participation increasing (sometime on very regular, obsessive basis) but clubs generally not doing as well. A topic for another thread… but certainly clubs that get obsessed with flag etiquette probably aren’t that appealing to the casual participant.
 
ylop said:
I am sure I saw RYA data showing participation was up. A lack of interest in “membership” is common across lots of sports/activities.

Running, cycling, football all seeing casual participation increasing (sometime on very regular, obsessive basis) but clubs generally not doing as well. A topic for another thread… but certainly clubs that get obsessed with flag etiquette probably aren’t that appealing to the casual participant.
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Pretty sure the club conference said.down 4%
 
Bouba said:
I can certainly see why people want to boat but not get involved with clubs and protocols and ties
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Very small percentage of clubs with protocols and ties these days (or even in the last few decades). I’ve belonged to a number of clubs over the last 50+ years mainly for the purpose of organised racing, none of which have had dress code etc.
 
MikeBz said:
Very small percentage of clubs with protocols and ties these days (or even in the last few decades). I’ve belonged to a number of clubs over the last 50+ years mainly for the purpose of organised racing, none of which have had dress code etc.
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Ours is one of the few that still do, for social events in any case. However, there are lots of exceptions, and Taittinger regatta sailors don’t need to pack a tie to attend the after party. And most of the over 80s will be tucked up in bed with their cocoa by then.
 
The practice at my former employer, a Government establishment, was to have the flag at half-mast on the day news of the death was received. But that was generally only for public figures with a connection or current employees (death in service).
 
Bouba said:
I can certainly see why people want to boat but not get involved with clubs and protocols and ties
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Family membership my club £150 ish,
Ties wear them if you want to, you don't have to.
Protocols? RRS, 2025-2028.. with a few minor modifications, like you can use a paddle, but only backwards to get off the mud..
 
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