A tradition in the Boy Scouts to learn about the flag and provide a service to the community and country. This tradition brings them together on Flag Day to help with the official retiring of old tattered flags.
A service that is required for the proper disposal of flags no longer fit for flying.
Years ago you'd find a few dozen Scouts - the older ones helping the younger ones understand the importance of what they are doing. The older ones had learned it when they were little being taught by the older Scouts some of whom are now scout leaders.
It was tradition passed down.
Tonight only a couple Scouts and a couple scout leaders were there. Mike Gardinier, in a full dress suit helped tend the burn pit where the flags were retired. Only a couple hundred were retired in Franklin's ceremony.
There used to be thousands.
It wasn't like the old days. Scouts seem to be fading into history as troops are disbanding and fewer parents are getting their kids involved or being involved themselves as scout masters or volunteers. If it wasn't evident before, it sure was at Franklin's Flag Day ceremony.
A service that is required for the proper disposal of flags no longer fit for flying.
Years ago you'd find a few dozen Scouts - the older ones helping the younger ones understand the importance of what they are doing. The older ones had learned it when they were little being taught by the older Scouts some of whom are now scout leaders.
It was tradition passed down.
Tonight only a couple Scouts and a couple scout leaders were there. Mike Gardinier, in a full dress suit helped tend the burn pit where the flags were retired. Only a couple hundred were retired in Franklin's ceremony.
There used to be thousands.
It wasn't like the old days. Scouts seem to be fading into history as troops are disbanding and fewer parents are getting their kids involved or being involved themselves as scout masters or volunteers. If it wasn't evident before, it sure was at Franklin's Flag Day ceremony.
The V.E.T.S Honor Guard was there also as usual, but they too are a smaller group. Age and the loss members who have passed have really diminished their numbers. This all begs the question, are these traditions something that will no longer be in 10 years?
The Elks club members, who put this retirement ceremony together each year, are also no longer spring chickens. If these traditions are indeed important, who will take up the cause to continue them? Local scouting is in a dangerous place with only a handful of local troops able to put together programs for youth. Volunteers are hard to come by and packs and troops are folding left and right.
The V.E.T.S Honor Guard perform incredibly important roles in veteran's funerals and tonight two mambers were scrambling to be sure enough folks would be available on Wednesday to honor on of the area's lost veterans. If these ceremonies and duties are important, these groups need folks to step up and volunteer or join.
Maybe these ceremonies and functions aren't really that important and they can go the way of the Dodo?
Perhaps flags can be just disposed of in landfills with other garbage and that will become OK?
The time it takes to cut the stars on the blue field from the stripes might not be as worth anymore as folks aren't as interested as they were years ago to learn about respect and the dignity of the flag and nation.
And coming together in a place place and time to learn the history of the symbol of America an, in turn, learn a little more about ourselves as a people just doesn't matter anymore
Times change and so do priorities.
The time it takes to cut the stars on the blue field from the stripes might not be as worth anymore as folks aren't as interested as they were years ago to learn about respect and the dignity of the flag and nation.
And coming together in a place place and time to learn the history of the symbol of America an, in turn, learn a little more about ourselves as a people just doesn't matter anymore
Times change and so do priorities.
So the question is, as these traditions fade and we lose people, what priorities are important and what traditions are worth saving?
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