New Britain herald., 1917-06-16
70pn Topics

Local schools and numerous so-
 cieties paid glowing tributes to the
 Red, White and Blue on Thursday,
 June IA, observed each year as the
 anniversary of the flags birthday.
 The history of the flag at this time
 is particularly interesting and while
 many are doubtless familiar with 1t
 there are many who are not On
 June IA. 1774, two years after Gen.
 eral Washington had urged con-
 gress to please fix on some flag by
 which our vessels may know each
 other." Congress met in old 1nde-
 pendence Hall, Philadelphia, and adopted the following resolutions:
 Resolved that the flag of the thirteen
 United States be thirteen stripes. al- ternate red and white; that the union
 be thirteen stars. white in a blue field, representing g new constella-
 ton. The stars to be arranged in q circle. America was then at war with England after having flown the
 British colors for almost two hun- dred years. Before the above flag was adopted the Colonists used many kinds. The first stripped flag was the Grand Union. hoisted on Jam uary ?, 1776, by Washington at Cam
 bridge. In addition to the stripes this flag bore the crosses of St. George and St Andrew. New Eng flanders used the red Pine Tree Flag. The Bedford Minutemen had a Con- quer or Die" motto flag; the Rattle snake flag was also carried and the Rhode Islanders used white flag with the word Hope" Tn the south the Moultrie flag was used, particu- larly at the battle of Charleston.
 Following the flag day resolution of congress, Washington, Robert Mor- ris and Colonel Ross were named a committee to design the new flag. Tho story is told that Washington made a rough sketch from which Mistress Betsy Ross of Philadelphia made the first flag. Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the Union in 1795 and the number of both stars and stripes were increased. Later 1t was found impractical to add new stripes so the thirteen original ones were left and new stars were added for each new state.
 As flown in the Revolutionary war. the flag had thirteen stars; in the War of 1872 1t had fifteen, while the had increased to twenty-nine In the Mexican war Over the battle fields of the Civil war there were thirty-fiv stars in Old Glory and over Manila Bay, San Juan Fill and other battle of the Spanish-American war the flag had forty-flve stars. At 1t Is carried into France 1t will con- tain forty-eight, one for each great state in the Union.
 This Is the season of graduates as we'll as of brides. The season when callow youths and lasses complete their Grammar course, prepared to enter High; when less callow but far from matured boys and girls leave High for college or business life; and when those who have gone further in their studies look forward to even greater things. This is a great sea- son for the young, particularly, the Grammar and High school pupil. It
 Is that season when illusion is at it's height, just before the attack of dtsil-
 usion Doubtless every Grammar and High school pupil feels great re- sponsibility on their young soldiers for they are young and youth Is an,- Doubtless many of them feel old in their wisdom and doubtless many feel that it will be but few short years at the most before their signal ability is recognized and they take their proper places with Thomas A. Edison, John Hayes Hammond, Frank vanderlip, Charles Schwab and others It Is not conceit that they should feel thus, it is natural. Every man and every woman if they will go back in memory to that worl- derful June day, many or few years ago, when they too were being grad uated from Grammar or High school, will find that their ideas were the same. They will recall their unbe- Lieving smiles as the prominent citt- zen or educator, who had been chosen to address the class. gave the usual stereotyped address. urging them to aspire to high ideals put not to think that they knew Ii. all or had learned all there was to be learned. Doubtless every one in the class said to himself, Well. I'll show 'em." Then will the man who is talk Ing a backward journey through the years recall how he proudly went to ''accept'' big position of some big firm, was offered possibly ". a week or a job as office boy with "an ex- cellent opportunity for the right boy to work up.' He will remember that first of many shocks, but it Is at that that his real education be- ains. But let the boy or girl gradu- ate be gay this commencement time for 1t will be the greatest event of their lives. One prominent man. with the degree from Yale or liar yard has stated that he felt bigger and prouder when he got his High school diploma than he did. In cap and gown, when he got the great from these two great uni- versailles. And whatever the dis of these June gradu- ates later, let them always remember