Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-06-16
FLAG DAY OBSERVED
BY LODGE Of ELKS
Greatest Patriotic Occasion IN
The History Of Annapolis
Lodge No. s22. 3. r. Q. E.
TRIBUTE TO THE FLAG


Never before IN the history of.
grand old Annapolis has there been.
such gathering as tha, which ass
sembled here yesterday % 90 honor.
10 the flag. Il was 4 fitting Flag ~
observance held on the day after Flag
Day, by Annapolis Loaga 10. o.
Benevolent and Protective Order af
Elks. ana their brothers of Elkdofn
from all parts of Ma glanl. Delaware
sslll tlle District of coianbia
4 conservative estimate places the
crowd of VISITORS from ZOO "a f,so9
Certain. IL is thst never before at one
siine MeIc there So many automobiles
parked around tie State House and IN
'front.' If the Eiks Home as we'll as
3n Schaol street ana other nearby
points IS were there during the exer
eises held on STATE House I'LL
Special cars over bofh electric
ROADS, brought people III large nam
Ders anu tie i,lks Home was, ~
times. unable to accommodate the
crowds. The musical program of tile
ielag bay celebration Was of the high
ast order The Saysll academy band
itnaer Prof Torovsky, playing the
most beautiful music, Annapolis Elks
Were marshalIed On the side of the
tate House opposite their i10lne3 ana
sllalchai 10 the martial music by the
saiid TO the nortiep Wllere The cxer
s.ises were held. followed by tie visit
ms Elks
The State House porfieo facing the
statue 81 Chief Justice Roger b.
fancy was handsomely decorated
with flags. gracefully hung The pro.
gram opened With Invocation by tic
Rev Edward d, Johnson, rector III Isl
Anne s, and The opening ceremonies
#af the Eiks ritual conducted by the
Exalted Ruler John j Levy The
band played March I'll l'orfege, Ia
Meme de saI,a. by Gounoa, and later
America, but tlle band's most ex
anisite musical gem mls tile fantasia
.of Southern airs. iii which were co.
mingled Dixie Old Hack Joe.
.Massas in The Gold. Cold Ground,
swanee River and the like.
History Of The FIag
I'u Ridgeiy II Melvin Esq, MS Us
signed that part of tic program which
treated of the History "a the Amer
fean Flag Mr Melvin 81 d. iii part
'rhe purpose of the Flag l1ay ex
ercises. $500 forth i'll the ritual u
ghe Order of Elks and rs announced
hy The Exalted Ruler 0f tile order al
the opening services, ii to ID honor fo
our Conntrys Flag and To celebrate
ilie anniversary of its birth. II IS
deemed efninently appropriate thai
such i service should be performed
hy tlie Order III Ellss, an organization
.tlistinctively American and Intensely
patriotic.
The history Of the american Flag
begali with the landing ef the May
flower III 1920 The first colonial fag
was known as. the Kings Cofors,
combining The red and white crosses
of England and Scotland upon an
inner field of blue During the mem
oral,le struggle Of the eoionisls III es
.tabIish themselves. various attempts
Weie made 10 evolve general flag
emblemaiic of their cause. but noth
ing definite resulted The animating
sentiment of the fathers OF the Re
public was that Of freedom; and in
support thereof the word Liberty,
WAS emblazoned upon many of the
flags employed IN those early days.
So great was the prejudice against
England and the trappings OF royalty
that the use of the kings Coiors
became Intermittent and was finally
discontinued. Similar prejudice de
yeloped against the crimson banner
subsequently adopted by the Mother
Country, and known as the cromsI
well Flag In the year I7D7 the col.
lContinued on Page Two.
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