Evening journal., 1914-02-12

formed In the Sunday school room
I'm the basement OF the church. and
upon the arrival OF the patriotic
orders, preceded them into the audi
torium Of the church. The Troop was
in fun uniform with thcir distinctive
yellow and blue .neckkerchiefs and
presented a good appearance. about
forty boys reporting to the Scout
Master when the colors were un-
veiled the Troop rose TO Attention"
and stood at the full salute while
the bugler sounded ITO the Color"
The speeches were nttentvely lis
tened TO aud much enjoyed. When
Mayor Howell rose TO address the
congregation, The boys again stood TO
Attention" and gave him the Scout
salute. the Mayor being a member OF
the Advisory Council Of the Scout
Masters Association and a member
of the Court Of Honor and examiner
for Merit Badges IN Public and Per-
sonal Health. There was an immense
congregation present and the mem
bers Of the TROOP appreciated their
invitation very highly
To complete his tests for admit
tance as a Tenderfoot Scout. the first
of which were given last week, q can
didate must know the history OF the
American Flag. which we give as
complied from the best sources. At
the outbreak OF the Revolution, a
number Of standards came into exist
once and we're borne by the contln-
gents from the different colonies,
prominent among these being the
Pine Tree Flag and the we'll known
insignia of the cooled scinont with the
motto Don't Tread ON Me- The
necessity was soon felt of having a
distinctly American Flag that should
represent the common cause for
which an were struggling. The story
goes that in 1776 2 committee Of the
Continental Congress, of which
George Washington was a member,
called upon Bctsey Ross. a Philadel-
phia widow, residing ON Arch street,
and arranged with her TO make an
I American Flag for the use OF the
army. and It is said that she suggest
ed the use Of the five pointed star.
/ This tradition is very pretty one
and may be true. although there is
nothing IN the records TO prove ~
/ The facts as known are that In juno,
/ 1777. the Congress passed a resolu-
/ ton. providing for an American Flag.
, To consist of a standard with a blue
union in the upper corner next to
( the staff. upon which union were
/ thirteen white hve-pointed stars. ar
ranged in the form Of circle There
were thirteen red and white stripes,
arranged alternately the top and bot
tom stripes being red. Seven stripes
we're on a line with the union, and
six stripes were below the union This
flag was FIRST carried In battle at
COoch's Bridge I'm Delaware, In Sep
temher. l77I at a preliminary skir-
mish before the battle of Brandywine.
Il IL said that Capt. John Paul Jones
carried the first Gag at the masthead
of his ship that was saluted by a
foreign power. a French Admiral
rendering the honor. II was al first
intended to add both star and a
stripe for each new State. and this
was done up to the year 1918. The
flag horne bv our troops during the
War Of 1872 with Great Britain had
fifteen stars and fifteen stripes. II
is said that the number of stripes
reached twenty In 1918, however
Congress passed law making the
nag as It is now That is, the stripei
we're put back TO the original mum
bcr of thirteen, representing Tho
original thirteen colonies, and the
stars were made TO be the same as
the number OF States in the Union
When new State Is added, the new
star is placed on the hag on the
Fourth of July next following the ad-
mission There are at present forty