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Boy Scouts from Troop 670
6-14-2005
SVC Steve Meade
1-6-07
QM Rick Raskin
1-6-07
A neighbor drops off a flag.
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The most dignified method of disposal for
an old, torn or damaged flag is burning, but burying the flag is also
acceptable, as long as the flag is placed in a closed container so it is
never again exposed to the elements or public view. Throwing a flag in the
trash is certainly not the right way to go about it.
Flag burning ceremonies can vary; there is
no one set ceremony used by all groups that regularly do flag retirement
ceremonies. The key is that flags are usually burned in small,
semi-private ceremonies and in a dignified way, so that this respectful
ceremony can't be confused with some other kind of flag burning.
That said, flags can be burned in a wood fire or in a barrel, which might
be better if you don't know what the flags are made of or what they might
have come in contact with in the landfill. Polyester melts as it burns and
the hot, sticky ash can stick to skin, so burning it in a barrel and
keeping everyone a safe distance from it might be helpful for everyone's
safety.
If you want to have your own flag retirement ceremony, get the fire going
strongly before you start. The National Flag Foundation suggests burning
your fire down to a bed of embers before burning the flag so that little
bits of the flag won't be swept away by the fire.
If your flags are folded, they should be in a rectangle instead of a
triangle shape. Flags may also be cut into pieces to be burned, but be
careful not to cut any of the blue field, which represents the Union and
should never be severed.
Burn one flag at a time, though you can burn more than one in one
ceremony. How you carry out your ceremony depends on you. You can salute
each flag as they go into the fire, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing
patriotic songs, or whatever you like. Remember to safely extinguish the
fire when you are done.
[Troop
670's Website] |
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