Wrongly folded flag from Congress

[wmjivey]

My youngest son finally got off his PS3 and finished his paperwork to pass his Eagle boards. My wife and I started to send out letters asking for return letters of recogntion and was pleasantly surprised to have the Freshman Congressman from Arizona Ben Quayle, not only send a letter but also a Flag flown over the Capital. To my son's dismay it was folded in quarters not like all his friends folded correctly. Has anyone else seen this, are they being lazy and/or just don't care.

I shake my head and had my son's folded properly with reverence.

[NealOnWheels]

The traditional method to fold the flag is in triangles.

 

Nothing authoritative I can find says the only method to fold the flag is in triangles.

 

Rectangles is probably more practical for shipping.

 

As long as it is folded in a respectful manner I don't see a problem with it.

[AlamanceScouter]

I think as long as it is folded neatly it is not a big deal. It it is great that the Congressman sent the flag. I would cherish is if I were your son.

[SSScout]

If you order a new flag from one of the several manufacturers, it will arrive in a rectangular box folded rectangularly. I see nothing disrespectful about that. The triangular fold is a tradition of unknown origin, the US flag lends itself very well for the fold. The proportions just happen to be suitable to end up all blue.

Congratulations to your nascent Eagle. May he always be an Eagle.

[OwntheNight]

Definitely not being lazy. Due to requests from people all around the country for flags that have been flown at the capitol. It has gotten bigger than they can handle. My Wood Badge tent mate was on staff for one of our congressmen, and told me that they put a box full of flags up on a crane and raise it up, technically flying the flag over the capitol. With all those requests, it would take forever to do them individually. They still perform full honors when they raise the crate up, so the flags are still treated with respect.

 

Congratulations to your Eagle

[moosetracker]

I do not believe anyone from our troop has asked for the flag from the capital, as they recieve the flag that has been used by our troop (and our troop gets a new flag after each ECOH)..

 

Holds much more meaning for our boys.. Now that I have heard about the multiple flags raised up by a crane so that "technically" they have been flown over the capital..

 

Well, our patrol flag means alot more to our boys.. I think two boys had an Eagle court 2 weeks apart from each other giving the 2nd scout a flag only used twice, but still used. I guess if we ever had an ECOH for two boys they may have to use two flags and swap one out for the other to get both in use before the ECOH took place.

[nldscout]

They do not use a crane to raise up a crate full of flags, thats another rumor someone has started.

 

On roof there is a spot with 3 smaller flagpoles. The flag is raised up and immediately brought down and then done again and again, over and over. The flags are then refolded put back in the box and distributed accordingly. According to the Achitect of the Capitol's website, they do it about 100,000 times a year.

[Eagle92]

I too was told that they raise each and every flag. Never heard about the crane. I know who to ask tomorrow.

[shortridge]

No crane, but there are multiple flagpoles, and it's a very fast process.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1407181/Flying-the-flag-is-a-full-time-job-in-modern-America.html

 

The department, correctly known as the Flag Office of the Architect of the Capitol, is not exactly secret, but it is definitely sensitive. The Daily Telegraph was told it was out of the question for a reporter to watch the flag-raising.

 

The discretion is understandable. Most recipients - a mixture of party donors, supporters, cronies and good causes, as well as ordinary constituents who have paid 20 to have a flag flown for them - fondly imagine that they are getting a flag which has flown all day.

 

The truth is harsher. The Flag Office uses special short flagpoles, near the small dome over the House of Representatives. For rainy days, there are three poles under the lip of the dome, and for September 11, a dozen extra poles were erected. Each flag is typically hoisted for just a few seconds.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[BadenP]

The folding of the flag into a triangle is usually reserved for solemn occassions, like a military funeral, or an official ceremony. Otherwise they are usually folded and put in a rectangular box for later distribution. I purchased a Texas state flag that was flown over the Alamo the day I was there, and it was folded in a rectangle. You have to remember that a capital flies literally dozens of flags each day, they raise them up for a minute or two and then lower them and then raise another all day long. The US capital flies even more flags daily because of the huge demand for them.

 

On my Texas flag on the white border with the grommets it is stamped Flown over the Alamo and the date, a nice souvenier.

[acco40]

Arizona state flag or US flag?

 

[wmjivey]

It is a U.S. flag flown over the Capital, being former military, I never saw a U.S. flag folded in a rectangle at any time. I have been on flag duty in misable rain and still folded it as I was taught. I commend Congressman Quayle on his gift, it was unexpected and will be cherish. I have talked to other parents who have recieved Capital flown flags and they were all folded in the traditional manner. I didn't realize our Nations flag could be folded any other way but what we know as the triangle.

[FScouter]

" The flag is raised up and immediately brought down and then done again and again, over and over."

 

A veritable congressional flag mill which is in essence a fraud on the unsuspecting public.

 

I remember when the Beatles first came to this country. They walked across the lawn somewhere surrounded by fans. There was a picture in LIFE magazine of a girl with a fist full of grass and a starry look in her eyes. RINGO. Ringo walked on this grass!!

 

Such a cherished memento she has.

 

At least a "flag flown over the U.S. Capitol" has a real purpose and getting a flag for free saves a trip to the walmart to buy one.

[gcnphkr]

I'm glad Congressman Quayle is continuing Congressman Shadegg's practice.

 

For what it is worth, Blaze received his folded in a rectangle as well. The "Flag Code" does not specify how the US flag is to be folded. The triangle fold is custom. Flag manufacturers fold them in a rectangle and place them in an appropriate sized box. The Flag Office returns the flag to this box, it would be impossible to fold it into a triangle and still fit in this box. My guess is that the parents you spoke to misremember how it was received.

 

Oddly, by executive order of Gov. Goddard in 1964, folding the Arizona flag in a triangle is specified. It still comes in a box folded in a rectangle.

 

If you haven't bought one already, Michael's sells display cases for the flag.

[jrush]

Flags are typically shipped folded into a square (to fit the square box) and there's certainly nothing wrong with storing them that way, either.