Nelson Twp – Flag Day commemorates the anniversary of the day the Continental Congress approved the design of a National flag (June 14, 1777). In honor of that special anniversary, the boys in Garrettsville Cub Scout Pack 4062 and Nelson Boy Scout Troop 4065 held a flag retirement ceremony at Pixley Park in Nelson.
Scout Leader David Schaefer noted that the Scouts have a flag retirement ceremony at this time each year. According to USscouts.org, when the United States flag becomes worn, torn, faded or badly soiled, it’s time to replace it with a new flag. The old flag should be ‘retired’ with dignity and respect, and the traditional method is to incinerate the flag. To accomplish this, is more than simply dropping the entire flag into a fire.
A flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces. In addition, it is easier to completely incinerate the flag, if it is cut into smaller pieces. A flag should be cut up with scissors or shears in a methodical manner. The corners of the flag should be stretched out over a tabletop where the flag is cut in half vertically (being careful not to cut up the blue star field). Then, the two halves are placed together and cut in half, horizontally, so there are four pieces of flag, one being the blue star field. The blue star field represents the union of the states, and should never be cut, signifying that the union won’t be broken.
While Scouts are performing the flag dissection, other Scouts start and tend a medium size, wood fire. Once the flag pieces enter the fire, Scouts maintain a vigil until all traces of the flag remnants are destroyed. Then, the fire is extinguished and the ashes are buried.
The Troop collects flags throughout the year at a collection box in Nelson. “We store them until we have collected enough for a ceremony,” Shaefer noted. The scouts hold flag retirement ceremonies three or four times per year.
For more information on Boy Scouts, visit beascout.org. For information on Boy Scouts in the Garrettsville/Nelson area, contact David Schaefer at (330) 977-7052.
Photos by David Schaefer.
