  The decays of $B$ mesons to a charmless vector ($V$) and pseudoscalar ($P$)
meson are analyzed within a framework of flavor SU(3) in which symmetry
breaking is taken into account through ratios of decay constants in tree ($T$)
amplitudes. The magnitudes and relative phases of tree and penguin amplitudes
are extracted from data; the symmetry assumption is tested; and predictions are
made for rates and CP asymmetries in as-yet-unseen decay modes. A key
assumption for which we perform some tests and suggest others is a relation
between penguin amplitudes in which the spectator quark is incorporated into
either a pseudoscalar meson or a vector meson. Values of $\gamma$ slightly
restricting the range currently allowed by fits to other data are favored, but
outside this range there remain acceptable solutions which cannot be excluded
solely on the basis of present $B \to VP$ experiments.
