All Right, I have read over several things, though I'm sure nowhere enough, and have concluded that I am not in any way entitled to substantive arms. There is a four-hundred or more year old Precedent, as far as I can tell from the American Heraldry Society information, of non-substantive arms being assumed and used by individuals and organizations etc. in what is now the U.S. That information is covered in all the links Cajunscot has provided. And we all know about Article 1, Section 9 of the U.S. constitution, not that I would be qualified to interpret it.

I think I have to retract my gripe in the original post against the youth group using pseudo-arms. As Cajunscot said heraldry is used in the U.S.

So... Would I design and asume arms? Probably not.

At least I'm a bit more aware of heraldry now.