Flag Retirement Ceremonies

[SctDad]

I am looking for some of the many suggestions of flag retirement ceremonies that are out there. I know everyone will probably lead me to another post but try to keep things here.

 

There are a few things that I am asking for. What kind of event are we going to use the ceremony at. Blue and Gold. Camping or other event.

 

Any script that you may have to go along with it.

 

Just looking for some ideas. Lets see what we can come up with.

[Gold Winger]

For my part, I prefer to just toss the flag on the fire and watch in silence whilst it burns.

 

Others prefer to do dramatic things like cut the flag into pieces so it is "no longer a flag" before they burn it.

 

Or hold the flag open above the fire until it catches and then drop it onto the flames.

 

If you can get ahold of a phaser, it might be cool to just disintegrate a pile. In silence, of course.

[Stosh]

Our troop prefers a private ceremony. We select a place that has an appropriate flagpole for the event. Many times this is done at camp at an outing other than summer camp.

 

We all dress in full uniform. Silently "march" down to the flagpole, unfurl the flag for the last time no matter how tattered it may be. We salute, pledge, and retire the color and return to the campsite where the flag is placed placed folded in the fire. It is again saluted until it can no longer be recognized as a flag.

 

If we know who's flag it was, we wire the grommets together before burning. If this flag had been a flag on a veteran's casket, the grommets are dug out of the fire at the end of the weekend and returned to the family.

 

The "ceremony" is marked with silence for each scout to reflect on the meaning of what's happening. All presentation commands are given softly.

 

Stosh

[John-in-KC]

To me, depends on the number of folk participating.

 

If it's just a few, then whole flags over the fire, or field cut from the union and each placed on the fire, work.

 

If there are many folk participating, then stripping the flag gives more opportunity for participation.

 

No matter what, do have both a CO2 and a water based fire extinguisher handy ... nylon and polyester flags need CO2, cotton water. I've seen flags flash off at least once; you want to be able to keep a fire from burning one of the folks working the fire.

[evmori]

Done bunches of these at summer camp!

 

We would get a bunch of old flags ready for destruction. We would then cut them down so all the Scout & leaders had a piece. We would then sing America (or other patriotic song) read Remember Me? and ask that each person place, not throw their piece into the campfire in silence.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Bob White]

The Flag Code says the flag should be "destroyed in a dignfied manner, preferably by burning"

 

So as long as you follow those guidelines you will be fine. Be aware that many plags are now made of nylon and some States have laws against burning nylon as a disposal method.

 

here is a link that will help you with a ceremony. http://www.vfw.com

 

Their site is not responding at the moment but they have a very nice ceremony script posted there.

 

Have fun with the scouts you serve,

BW

[Gold Winger]

Try this link http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=2477

[epalmer84]

As you are probably aware, there is no "official" ceremony. Whatever the cermon, keep it simple, dignified and short. If you have folks on their feet for more than 10 minutes, you have lost them.

 

One of the best I have seen was done at Wood badge a few years ago by one of the patrols. They called for all of the audience who had served in the Army to come forward, lined them up and placed a flag on the fire. They then repeated this for each of the other services and we sang the first verse of "America" as we left.

 

Ed

[gwd-scouter]

Been to many different flag retirements. I'm not a fan of cutting the flag up before being burned, but I understand some like to do it that way and have something to say about each stripe, etc.

 

Our Troop recently disposed of four flags that had been given to us by folks in the community that knew, since we were Boy Scouts, we'd know what to do with them. We were camping at our Council's Scout camp this past December and another group (a youth group of girls - not Scouts, though) was there the same weekend. We invited them to join us for our flag retirement and they were eager to come since they said they had never seen one.

 

Before we started the ceremony we took time to explain to the visitors what we were doing and why. I said a few words about where each flag had flown.

 

Silently, pairs of Scouts carried the flags to the campfire and each team fully unfolded the flag, then folded it into quarters making a rectangle, then placed it into the fire. After one burned, the next team stepped up and so on. After the last flag burned, our Bugler played Taps while the Scouts saluted.

 

The girls and their parents were very moved. Many had tears in their eyes. Gotta admit I did, too. Noticed a bit of moisture in my husband's eyes as well as another Dad who came with us that weekend.

 

In the morning, the boys scraped through the ashes and collected all the grommets. Each Scout kept one. When asked what they were going to do with them, we heard "going to give it to my Dad when he gets home from Afghanistan," "my grandfather was in the Army, I think he'd like to have it," "I don't know anyone in the military so I'm going to hang it on my wall," etc.