From: fred@fakpn.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Fred Kidd)
Subject: Re: American Flag Disposal
Reply-To: fred@fak_pn.b21.ingr.com
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 18:55:21 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.152449.21973@uceng.UC.EDU>, jgcombs@uceng.UC.EDU (Joseph Combs) writes:
|> In cleaning out the storage shed where I work my boss found a couple of
|> tattered old American flags. She asked if our troop could take care of 
|> disposing of them in a fit manner.  Is there anyone out there who could 
|> either post or e-mail me the proper procedure for destroying an American
|> flag ?

Our troop just retired the flag that flew over our school for the past few 
years.  There does not appear to be any "official" flag disposal rules other 
than what is described in the introduction below.

Our troop chose to perform this ceremony as a closing to our annual Court of 
Honor.  We started the evening with a standard flag raising ceremony, followed
by a sit down dinner, and awards ceremony.  After the awards ceremony our
SPL and the honor guard started the campfire, built on a wooden palette in 
front of our school.  We then had another standard flag lowering ceremony,
including the folding of the flag.

This led into the flag burning ceremony shown below. The color guard then 
unfolded the flag.  I had approximately 7 boys holding each side of the flag
while an ASM did the cutting.  The color guard carried the blue field to the
fire and each patrol carried one half of the stripes to the fire.

This was an impressive ceremony and the boys and parents enjoyed it immensely.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
                               INTRODUCTION

When the flag is in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for
display, it should not be cast aside or used in any way that might be viewed as
disrespectful to the national colors, but should be buried or destroyed by
fire.

This evening our troop will retire the flag that has flown over Holy Spirit
School for the past several years.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     (recite while cutting the field)

             I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color,

                A symbol of yourself, the pictured suggestion 

                  Of that big thing which makes this nation.

            My stars and my stripes are your dream and your labors.

     They are bright with cheer, brilliant with courage, firm with faith,

               Because you have made them so out of your heart.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      (recite while burning the field)

                     Nothing but flags, but simply flags 

                    Tattered and torn and hanging in rags;

                    Some walk by them with careless tread,

                   Not thinking of the host of patriot dead

                That have marched beneath them in days gone by

                   With a burning cheek and a kindling eye,

                          And have bathed their folds

                       With their life's young tide and,

                   Dying, blessed them, and blessing, died.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       (recite while burning the stripes)

                 I believe in the United States of America.  

                        As a government of the people, 

                for the people,  whose just powers are derived 

                       from the consent of the governed;

                          A democracy in a republic;

                 A sovereign nation of many sovereign states.

                     A perfect union, one and inseparable,

                 Established upon those principles of freedom,

              Equality, justice, and humanity, for which American

                 Patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

                I therefore believe it is my duty to my country

                   To love it, to support its Constitution,

                    To  obey its laws, to respect its flag,

                     And to defend it against all enemies.

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Have bugler play "TAPS" after the last reading.  Also, you might consider
substituting other readings for the various parts of the ceremony.

One last note:  since this is an outdoor ceremony, you should have someone
with a loud voice do the readings so they can be heard above the roar of the fire.



                 Fred Kidd
	         ASM Troop 361
                 Huntsville, Al.