Scouts Retire Old Glory

 

On Friday, November 17, Jennifer Kessler of Cadette Girl Scout Troop 478 led a flag retirement ceremony at the Newtown VFW on Tinkertown Road.

This ceremony was the project portion of the Silver Award requirements. This is the highest award a Cadette Scout can earn in Girl Scouting. In preparation for the evening’s activity, Jen researched various services, the history of the American flag, many government documents, and various patriotic poetry.

The service began with a reading of the piece “I Am Your Flag.” During the ceremony many readings were used as stripes from the flag were placed into the fire. When the first stripe was placed in the fire, the reader read the list of the first 13 colonies, the reason that there are 13 stripes on the flag. The next 12 readings included portions of the preamble of the Constitution, and a  John F. Kennedy quote: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Jen’s favorite poem “A Piece of Bunting” was also included.

A Piece Of Bunting

You may call it an old piece of bunting,

You may call it an old tattered rag,

But thousands have died for its honor and shed their best blood for our flag.

You may call it an old piece of bunting,

You may call it an old tattered rag,

But freedom has made it majestic and time has ennobled our flag.

Part of the project also included reaching out to the community for donations of old and worn flags. Although only one flag was honored, with the ceremony it represented all the flags that were retired by the troop that evening. In addition to flags from the community the VFW donated all the worn flags that it had collected from its members and the community at large.

Along with many American flags flown on flagpoles there were the flags from the cemetery and three POW flags. The leaders used this opportunity to instruct the troop on the meaning of the POW flag and its history.

The troop members and those in attendance felt that the flag and our history were well represented during the service. The evening was directed by Jen Kessler. Rebecca Gellis and Andrea Szabo were the narrators; Jessica Yakush read the Patriotic piece “I am Old Glory”; Nicole Kaza, Ashley Jones, and MaryEllen Sloan were the Honor Guard.