While searching for something else (isn't that always the way it works?) I ran across this extract from the Municipal Code of the City of Santa Monica, California (which happens to be my original home town):

2.32.110 Display of flag
At all gatherings, meetings or conventions of a public or private nature, occupying, possessing, or using any building or property belonging to, or leased by or otherwise possessed by the City, an American Flag shall be displayed in a conspicuous and public place in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Army of the United States of America. (Prior code § 2609)

What's interesting about this is the reference to Army regulations, rather than the civilian Flag Code. Before the Code was created in 1923, the Army was generally regarded as the authority on matters of flag etiquette, and the Code itself was heavily based on then-current Army practice. It would be interesting to know if Santa Monica originally adopted this provision before 1923. Do we have any members out there who could do some local research?

Peter Ansoff