OUR LOGO
The Explorer At Large logo* contains a number of features we feel are worth sharing.
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First, the round shape proves helpful when it comes to logo placement on things like challenge coins, patches, or stickers. We have a fondness for round logos.
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The green outer ring is an homage to the bezels on watches and compasses that explorers often use on expedition, as are the 42 hash marks on the left and right sides.
The figure in the center is XAL founder and host Josh Bernstein, intentionally shown in silhouette to be representative of being an "Explorer At Large" more generally—we want others to consider themselves an Explorer At Large, too (a photo of Josh would have been too specific and...weird.)
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Below the silhouette are three words in Latin - "Virtus et Curiositas." We translate this to mean "courage and curiosity" - two of our five core values. As we like to say, explorers must have the curiosity to ask questions and the courage to seek answers. The phrase is in Latin in homage to the spreading of the scientific process through Latin texts in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
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There are 5 "elemental symbols" in the XAL logo. Four are obvious—Earth and Water are on the left side of the outer ring, Air and Fire on the right. The fifth symbol, representing Spirit, is found in a clockwise spiral behind Josh's silhouette. Why a clockwise spiral? This comes from Josh's time as a guide in Utah, where Ancestral Puebloan cultures would carve petroglyphs like this into the rock faces of canyon walls. One of the oldest symbols of human spirituality in existence, the spiral was known as an ancient symbol of evolution. It is said to symbolize "the evolution of the universe, the never-ending cycles of growth, change and eternal life as well as the cycles of the seasons." And the clockwise direction is important. Clockwise is associated with "power, independence, water, and life in ascendancy," while counter clockwise is associated with "life descending, returning, and homecoming." (Neither is good or bad, but Josh prefers the clockwise direction.)
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As for the two colors, orange is often associated with "energy, warmth, enthusiasm, and creativity." Green represents "growth, renewal, health, and the natural environment." They are complementary colors on the color wheel and so, together, they create a strong visual contrast, allowing each hue to stand out more.
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And then there are the words themselves: "Explorer At Large" This name signifies two important aspects to our program: 1) we seek to ask questions and explore and 2) we do this by getting out and about. We are "at large" in the world around us, asking questions, seeking answers, and hopefully inspiring you to do the same. To be the same. To be an Explorer At Large.
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*Explorer At Large, Virtus Et Curiositas, and the Explorer At Large logo are registered trademarks of the First Light Group, Inc. All rights reserved.