FAQ
supporting Grand Oaks High School Band & Guard
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When is registration and how does it work?
Registration runs from May 1 to July 31 of every year. Ordering is currently closed until May of 2025.
Flags can be ordered during this period by visiting: http://shop.grandoaksband.org.
Please pay close attention to the address and neighborhood you enter at checkout, answering all applicable questions and providing a gate code when required for entry to your subdivision. You will be prompted to use a USPS standardized version of your address when you place your order, please accept this standardized format as it helps us more easily find your home during delivery.
A receipt will be emailed to the address provided indicating that your “donation” is tax deductible.
When does my subscription begin, how much does it cost and how do I renew?
When - Our subscription cycle begins with the Labor Day holiday and runs through the July 4th holiday. If you’re a new subscriber, you will receive your first flag for Labor Day, no earlier. This causes a lot of confusion; unfortunately we cannot place flags immediately after you order as it takes weeks to place flag sleeves and markers and we are 100% staffed by volunteers who work or go to school full time.
Cost - $40 donation, which includes the cost of any echeck/credit card processing fees.
Renew - You will receive a postcard or a visit from a student each year offering you an opportunity to renew. GO Flags WILL NEVER automatically renew or charge your credit card or bank account without your approval.
**If you subscribed with iwantaflag.com last year for the Boy Scouts Troop 293/1293 and you want to cancel that auto renewed subscription, you will need to reach out to them directly to cancel. GO Flags/GOHSBBA is not affiliated with that program.
What happens after I sign up?
Once your subscription order is received/processed and before LABOR DAY, the GO Flags team will place a small tag on your curb and an approximately 12 inch piece of PVC in your yard near the curb. Beginning Labor Day of your subscription year, GOHS Band and Guard students and parent volunteers will place a 10 foot flag pole in your yard using the PVC sleeve. Flags are placed on the Saturday prior to the holiday and picked up the Saturday after the holiday. Exceptions may be in order for holidays that fall on a Saturday or when weather conditions prohibit Saturday delivery/pickup.
Can I still subscribe after registration ends?
No, once the registration site closes on July 31st, our website will not reopen for new orders until May of the following year. Our small team of parent and student volunteers begin setting routes and sleeves to get ready for Labor Day and we need that lead time to prepare. Please like us on Facebook for updates on when the site will be active and share the registration period with your neighbors so they don’t miss it! Our administrator may chose to offer late subscriptions on a case by case basis, but any late subscriptions cannot be pro-rated and will be charged the full $40 fee.
What are the 2024-2025 placement dates?
Holiday Drop Off Date Pickup Date
Labor/Patriots’ Day 8/31/2024 9/14/2024
Veterans’ Day 11/9/2024 11/16/2024
Presidents’ Day 2/15/2025 2/22/2025
Memorial Day 5/24/2025 5/31/2025
Independence Day 6/28/2025 7/12/2025
Why not Flag Day?
Flag placement requires a significant number of parent and student volunteers. Flag Day occurs at the beginning of the summer when much of our volunteer base is out of town on vacation, making staffing extremely difficult. Thank you for your understanding of this limitation and your continued support.
How much of my donation goes to Grand Oaks High School Band & Guard?
GO Flags was established as a 501(c)(3) with the sole purpose of fundraising for the GOHS Fine Arts Department. While other flag placement programs pay a for-profit organizer 50% of the funds raised by their program, our program is 100% volunteer run. This means that 100% of the funds raised, after the standard flag, maintenance and business expenses are covered are donated to Grand Oaks High School Band & Guard.
Who does my donation support?
Subscriptions placed in 2023 and beyond will support the 250+ member Grand Oaks High School Band and Guard via the Grand Oaks High School Band Booster Association (GOHSBBA).
The GOHSBBA is a 501(c)3 organization also chartered in 2018, charged with supporting all aspects of the Band and Guard program at Grand Oaks High School (EIN 82-5455469).
Why is GO Flags no longer supporting other Fine Arts programs at GOHS?
GO Flags was formed as a 501(c)3 organization in 2018. At its inception, GO Flags required the support of all GOHS Fine Arts departments to run successfully. The vision of the program was to become established in the community while supporting any Fine Art program willing to participate in the form of subscription referral and volunteer hours. The 5 year plan for GO Flags included provisions that once the founding members of the GO Flags organization “aged out” of the Grand Oaks HS feeder zone, the program would be folded into the operation of the GOHSBBA, that migration occured over the 2023-2024 school year. Any and all GOHS students, their families or our community members are welcome to volunteer to place flags in exchange for needed community service hours or just because they love helping out!
Can I cancel my subscription?
You may cancel your subscription, however your generous tax deductible donation will be donated to Grand Oaks High School and cannot be refunded mid-year. In the event that you submitted your order in error as you live outside the GOHS attendance zone, we will issue a refund as we cannot place flags outside that area.
What do I do if:
If I haven't received a flag by 5pm on Sunday (before the holiday)?
If my flag or sleeve are broken?
If my flag keeps getting snagged on a tree or otherwise needs to be moved?
If my flag is stolen?
If I move within the GOHS attendance zone and want to change my address?
Please click the link below and report the issue:
Who do I contact if I have issues with another flag provider in our attendance zone?
There are a few flag providers in this area. We are not associated in any way with the organizations that provide flags for the Oak Ridge Band Boosters or local Boy Scouts Troops. You will need to contact them directly using the information provided when you subscribed with them.
How can I tell if you are my flag provider?
You can check your flag sleeve/disc that is affixed to your curb and that usually indicates if you have one of our flag subscriptions. Our customers have a round disc that reads "GO FLAGS". Other providers has a disc that just reads “FLAG”.
If you are still uncertain whether or not you are a donor of GO Flags, let us know and we will quickly look up your address to confirm.
What happens during inclement weather?
Safety is our first concern. If inclement weather is forecasted, the flags will not be placed. We will work to come up with a make-up date if possible. We will do everything we can so that we don’t have to skip any holidays.
If you choose to bring your flag in during bad weather, please be sure to replace it in its sleeve immediately after the weather has passed and/or just prior to the pick up dates listed above. If your flag is not outside at pickup, our volunteers will ring your doorbell to retrieve it from you.
Is a light provided for the flag?
No, but you are more than welcome to place a light so that it shines on the flag. Solar lights or low voltage landscape lights work well for this. You may also take the flag inside at night if you wish, but please make sure it is back in the sleeve the next morning before the flags are retrieved.