Flag Carriers

Established: 1931

Flag Designer: Carroll Bill, Boston artist

Representation: Eastern half of the Western Hemisphere and western half of the Eastern Hemisphere, with the North Star above and the Southern Cross below

The flag is carried on expeditions of such unusual character that their successful accomplishment adds real distinction to the Society and makes a permanent contribution to the world's store of geographical knowledge. The bearer must be engaged in work of a professional, geographic, or scientific nature that is new, original, or represents a "first."

Eligibility

• Work must be of a professional, geographic, or scientific nature
• Work must be innovative in at least one sense:
  • Being done in a place where it has never been done before
  • Method used is partially or wholly new
  • Never been done before by a woman
• Bearer must anticipate making a permanent contribution to geographical knowledge (through publication, photography, taxonomy, etc.)

Important Requirements

• Application Timeline: Must be submitted to the SWG Flag Carriers Committee at least 35 days prior to departure
• Flag Return: The SWG flag must be sent back to SWG HQ by the carrier within 30 days after the expedition
• 2021: Barbara Euser, Alison Ormsby, Subhani Rath, Pascale Marceau - Mount Lucania (first all-female expedition)
• 2021, 2020: Sunniva Sorby - Svalbard climate change documentation
• 2020: Kathryn Sullivan - Mariana Trench expedition
• 2019: Alison Jones, Rhea Banker, Sandra Nichols - Nile River, Svalbard, Peru expeditions
• 2017: Whitney Grespin - Bala Hissar archaeological work
• 2016: Maria Pia Casarini - Barents Sea ice research

Contact

Address: 415 E Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC 20003

Flag Carrier Application Process

Key Prerequisite: Application must be submitted to the SWG Flag Carriers Committee at least 35 days prior to departure to allow for Board review, balloting, and flag delivery.

Required Information

1. Personal Information
   • Name (with prefix: Mrs., Ms., Dr., Prof.)
   • Complete address
   • Phone number
   • Email address
   • Website (optional)
2. Expedition Field
   • Indicate current field of engagement
3. Expedition Qualification
   • Write description of how expedition qualifies per key words: "new," "original," "first" (or first for a woman)
   • Explain how it anticipates making a permanent contribution to geographical knowledge (through publication, photography, taxonomy, etc.)
4. Expedition Details
   • Describe expedition in detail: purpose, sponsor, specific objectives, location, and duration
5. Role in Expedition
   • Specify your role in the expedition

Submission Notes

• Application must be submitted 35+ days before departure date
• Flag must be returned to SWG HQ within 30 days after expedition completion