OK - I have built a crazy complex base (IMHO) over the last month and a half. I am amazed at what it can do, but as it seems all advanced bases have - there are some kludgey solutions. Schema just for fun:
OK - so vertically linked tables:
- Master Table → Flag table
- Resource Table -->Master Table
- Resource Table → Flag Table
How to get the record created in #3 (Flag created in a Resource Table) to link over and show up in the Master table?
Solution #1: Use automations to grab lookup field names and populate the linking record to get a flag created in #3 to show up in #1. That works. But with four programs, and three or four Resource Tables per program, plus other automations - am at max of 25 automations before I can get them all covered. should have looked up automation caps before I went down that path… 
Solution #2: I just discovered Link Records by Fields App. Wow! This seems like the solution I have been needing. Sweet. But, I cannot figure out how to automate it. I can’t ask my team to go run an app every time they add a flag from a Resource Table - they might as well just do the extra linking step.
So the sub question is - and maybe again I am missing obvious - how do we trigger an App run based on a record condition/creation?
Solution #3: Integromat (or similar) - Requires special IT request, same as special request as was approved for Airtable to begin with, but more scary because it moves data around, and we cannot pursue until some other app requests are made/approved/settled out. #stategovprobs
Solution #4: Junction Table (??) or other similar obvious answer I am not figuring out. This is vertical, not junction as far as I can figure, but open to ideas and missing obvious.
Solution #5: Hire a a professional. See #3 issues, and #stategovprobs
Thanks for your help, and I am looking forward to a proper show and tell post when I have kinks worked out!
Damon