The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-10-23
FLAG DAY At
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON SCHOOL
GROUNDS ARE SCENE OF PA.
TRioTIc EXERCISES
PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES PRESENT FLAG
Which is Formally Accepted by Super
intendent Browning on Behalf Of
notwithstanding Program

On Friday afternoon the public
school grounds was the of in
teresting and patriotic exercises. The
occasion was the presentation by the
local patriotic societies, the G. A. R.,
the w. r. c. and the Sons Of Veterans,
of a beautiful 16-foot flag to the public
schools. The school board has erected
a suitable flag pole and the flag will
fly every day during the school year.
The exercises were interesting and in
spring and could not help but instill
into the children a love of country and
of the flag.
The exercises opened by a parade
Of the 900 school children from the
building to the flag pole on the south
east part OF the grounds. Music was
furnished by the State College mill
tary band. A. Z. Vinegar Of the G.. A.
r., presented the flag on behalf OF the
societies, making a neat speech, and
the response was made by Superin-
tendent Browning in behalf of the
schools. Led by MI. Browning the
pupils pledged that I'VE will join no
party that does not carry the flag and
keep step to the music of the nation"
To the strains Of THE Star Spangled
Banner" by the band and the cheers
Of the crowd the Stars and Stripes
were then floated, and a pretty effect
was the loosening of scores of tiny
flags for which the children made q
mad scramble. On behalf of the G.. A.
r. DR.. Horace w. Tilden made a very
interesting and patriotic address, and
he was followed by Mrs. Morris Shea,
who spoke for the w. r. G. Mrs. Shea
gave a short and interesting history OF
the flag. The last address, a splendid
one, was made by DR.. g. L. Brown,
who represented the s. OF w., and the
exercises closed with the singing of
the national hymn by the assemblage.
Why should a flag of such a young
country be called "Old Glory?" Be-
cause 1t Is 20 years older than the
present flag of Great Britain, II years
older than the French Tri-color, nearly
100 years older than the present flag
Of Germany and Italy, and s years
older than the flag Of Spain. 1t Is
hoped that this splendid banner will
give us higher ideals Of national char
acter; an ideal that will dedicate the
national conscience to a still deeper
love Of col ntry, to a more reverent
regard for its institutions, to a higher
civilization and to peace, yea, to eter-
nal peace among the nations of the
earth.
A short history Of the American flag
will probably be Of interest. AS early
as 1774 a flag with thirteen stripes Is
said to have been used by Captain
Markoe OF the Philadelphia Light
Horse. In the latter part OF the year
1875 Benjamin Franklin and Messrs.
Lynch and Harrison were appointed
a committee to suggest a suitable
flag. They recommended n with
thirteen alternate red and white
stripes, emblematic OF the union of
the thirteen colonies, and retaining the
canton of the British flag. Such a flag
made by a Mrs. Reid, was hoisted by
W., q Il ntor nua- hfa ma ne Coyn-
bridge January 2, 1776. The establish
ed national ensign was adopted by
congress June IA, 1777. They decided
that 1t should contain thirteen stripes
OF alternate red and white, seven red
and six white, representing the union
of the thirteen colonies, and with a
union of thirteen stars on a canton Of
blue, emblematic OF the thirteen new
states. A committee of congress-. &C
companied by General Washington,
visited the upholstry store of Mrs.
Betsey Ross in Philadelphia and en-
gagged her to make the first flag,
Washington drawing an outline Of it
with a pencil for her to follow. This
was the first official flag Of the United
States. When Vermont and Kentucky
were admitted to the Union congress
decided that the flag should have If
teen stripes. In 1918, however, con-
gress went back to the original inten-
ton Of the founders of the flag, restor-
ing the thirteen stripes and decreeing
that for every state admitted there
after a new star should be added to
the field OF blue ON the Fourth Of July
following the admission. This CO.