BSA Troop 358 gives the public a chance to retire American flags properly during Scout Flag Day
Boy Scouts of America Troop 358 members Luke Vaccariello, left, and Adam Hurley display a new, folded flag while Scout master Jeff Miller and volunteer Leslie McKelley hold up one of the old, worn flags that was brought in during flag exchange day to be retired.
You’ve got an old American flag at home that has been flying proudly for a decade. The weather and time have not been generous to the shape of the flag, which is now faded, torn near the eyelets and the striped end is tattered.
The question is, what is the proper way to dispose of an American flag, a flag that is revered by many and even protected under the Constitution?
The Boy Scouts of America Troop 358 of Millersburg provided the community with a golden opportunity to dispose of their flags through proper avenues at Scout Flag Day on Friday, June 15. Not only that, but the flag exchange event set up at Rodhe’s IGA also provided a chance for the Scouts to share with the public about the importance of the flag and how to properly care for it.
The Scouts sat perched inside the entryway at Rodhe’s, armed with 30 brand-new flags, courtesy of Kitty Gordon, owner of Pickadilly Circus at the area flea markets, who heard about their endeavor through Leslie McKelley, who was aiding the troop’s effort to exchange flags.
“She found out about what the Scouts were doing and said, ‘You tell me how many you need, and I’ll make sure they are there,’” McKelley said. “It was an incredibly nice gesture, and it’s nice to see the community show they care like that.”
The troop invited Holmes County Democratic Party chair Taylor Haslett and Republican Party chair Rob Hovis to stop by.
McKelley said the reason she wanted to get involved with this event is because she believes it’s important that flags be in good condition and that should they need retired, that code is followed. She said she knows the BSA members understand how to do that, and they would take care of the flags properly.
Anyone with an old and worn flag could bring their flag in and exchange it for a brand-new, made in the USA, 3-by-5-foot Stars and Stripes at no charge.
“The proper way to retire and dispose of a flag is to cut them into strips and burn them,” Scout member Luke Vaccariello said. “We will oftentimes do it during a campout where we have an official ceremony.”
Vaccariello said it is important for them as Scouts to learn the proper technique in disposing of an American flag because it is a revered symbol of the freedoms for which many Americans have fought and died.
Vaccariello said part of the job of the older Scout members is to teach the incoming younger Scouts this procedure along with many others.
“Is it the most important thing? No, but it is important to me because I do respect the flag and want to take care of it properly,” Vaccariello said.
He said many people who end up exchanging their flags tell them that they had no idea how to properly dispose of an American flag, and many of them said they simply ended up throwing them in the trash.
Troop leader Jeff Miller said the idea of proper disposal of the American flag is an important part of the learning process for Scouts and adds to the Scouts’ understanding of the significance of the flag.
He said they have done flag retirements before, where people have presented them with American flags that need retiring.
He said that often the troop will collect the flags over time, and when they have several, they will burn them one at a time at a camp meeting.
“We may not always agree, but something like this is a matter of respect, and respecting everyone regardless of whether we agree or disagree with their beliefs is important, and it is something that we talk about a lot,” Miller said.
One other thing Miller said the troop was adamant about was finding flags that were made in America.
While the flag exchange is now over, anyone with an old flag that they would like to exchange for a new one still has time to do so through Troop 358 by emailing Miller at jbmiller36@gmail.com.