Opening Flag Ceremony

[eghiglie]

Our Troop, like thousands of others, open every meeting and many outing with a flag ceremony.

 

Our turn was Tuesday morning but no other unit did it.

 

We also noticed this at Summer Camp this year, the Oath and Law were never said.

 

We recite the Pledge, Scout Oath and Scout Law every time. Recently we were at an outing with a group of other units. The other units told our SPL that they don't say the Oath and Law at every meeting because it takes to long. An adult told him that its considered retesting.

 

Am I behind the times?

 

Seems to me that a regular reminder keeps the points fresh in their minds.

 

What do your units do?

 

 

[Eagle92]

In my old troop, it was the service patrol's choice of what to do. They could do something elaborate, keep to the norm ( i.e. law or Oath or Pledge), or very rarely short i.e. Motto or slogan.

[nolesrule]

"An adult told him that its considered retesting."

 

It's only retesting if there is a pass/fail based on performance.

 

When I was a scout, the opening always included bringing in the flags, the Pledge, Oath and Law. The units a I visit as a UC do this as well. One of the troops also repeats them at the closing.

 

Including the Oath and Law in the opening is the best way for the scouts to actually remember them. Repetition is key.

[justmescout]

In our unit the flag ceremony also include the scout's law ans Oath, I agree that practice make perfect, that's the way to make sure everyone remembers

[Hal_Crawford]

Since overnight camping is a requirement for Tenderfoot, is all further camping considered retesting?

Hal

[shortridge]

At summer camp, there's nothing preventing your troop from doing its own campsite ceremony however it likes ... nor suggesting to the program director that the Oath & Law be added to a campwide ceremony. It would indeed be impressive to see and hear an entire camp arrayed in columns, sign up, repeating the words in unison. It could make for a good solemn ending to the closing-night campfire as well.

 

In my summer camp staff days, I worked with a lot of new Scouts in the first-year camper program, and we went over the Oath & Law many times - including rote memorization, deeper discussions of what the words and phrases mean, and how to put them into action. I'll admit that saying them at retreat never occurred to me, but it's a good idea.

[nolesrule]

Hal, that's an excellent retort. I wish i had thought of that.

[John-in-KC]

We still open District Roundtable and Commish every month with Flag, Oath, and Law. Commish we add prayer.

 

No, eghiglie, you're spot on. Memorization is one of the tools which helps keep thoughts fresh.

[SSScout]

I'm with Hal...

 

Everything is a test. We just don't remember what the subject is. Or what the grading curve is. That's what life is all about.

 

Might be a SMMinute in there, sum'ares...(This message has been edited by SSScout)

[beaver1onit]

Our troop has a opening flag ceremony every meeting and camp out. The Pledge,Oat and Law, and Outdoor Code.

[asm 411]

It takes to long! What kind of an excuse is that? We are talking 30 seconds to a minute.

 

Retesting? That is ridiculous!

 

Our troop says the oath, law and pledge at the start of every meeting.

 

These are words to live by. Starting every meeting, and I mean every meeting, keeps them fresh in our minds.

 

You are not behind the times.

 

Those who do not start meetings with the oath and law should, in my opinion, re-evaluate what is meant by "It is the Scoutmaster's job to deliver the program."

[raisinemright]

I just spent two days teaching flag skills at Cub Scout day camp. I think I folded, raised, lowered and burned more flags in one day than anyone in history

 

There are no specific rules for flags and it is good to shake it up and change stuff once in a while. That said, our troop usually says the pledge, oath law and the outdoor coed, followed by a prayer.

 

I'm trying to get them to quit saying "please join me in the ..." before they say the pledge, oath etc. They did that last night and it was far more seamless and sounded good.

 

[Eagledad]

I can't ever remember the oath and law not being said at any opening, Troop or otherwise. The "retesting" thing is a form politcal correctness of modern scouting and has lost its true meaning and intent from uses like this.

 

The oath and law are the pillars of the ideals the BSA program uses for building the kind of character we want our sons to take with them the rest of their life. Without the oath and law, we are just a camping club. If a boy gets nothing else from the program, he should at least take with him the oath and law. And they get them simply by repeating it at least once every day in the program. Even as adults, most of us can remember the oath and law.

 

 

Barry

[Knot Head]

At each meeting we do the pledge to the flag followed by the Scout Law, Oath, Motto, Slogan and the Outdoor Code.

 

We don't do a flag ceremony at each meeting but rather just place the flags up front as the boys are getting the room ready. I wish we would take the extra 60 seconds to do a good crisp flag ceremony.

 

On each campout we lash a flagpole and do a Saturday flag ceremony to raise & lower the flag. Sometimes these don't go so quite so well and I think it is just a lack of practice. If we did the commands weekly they would know them by heart. That's the main reason I wish we would do a ceremony at each meeting. That way everyone knows the commands and proper procedure.

 

(This message has been edited by knot head)

[scoutingagain]

Virtually every Troop meeting, COH and other events open with all scouts and scouters reciting the Pledge, Scout Oath and Scout Law. No you are not behind the times but I have wonder where those other units are? Without the Oath and Law, Scouting becomes little more than a boys club and to paraphrase one of our other longtime posters, it may be something and may have some value, but it isn't scouting.

 

SA