Covid-19 slowed but has not stopped Clinton Troop 1142 from the traditional flag retirement ceremonies, held at Weldon Springs.
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CLINTON — Covid-19 slowed but has not stopped Clinton Troop 1142 from the traditional flag retirement ceremonies, held at Weldon Springs.
Scouts, AmVets and others gathered at Chautauqua to dispose of the old, tired American flags.
The ceremony is traditionally held twice-yearly for the troop, but this year only one session was possible. More than 100 flags are normally retired during the special event.
In America, per U.S. Code, Old Glory is not to be tossed into the garbage when it becomes worn and tattered. Collection boxes at the AmVets, American Legion, Ace Hardware and other local spots serve as gathering locations for the battered colors. This special ceremony, developed more than 100 years ago by the Scouting movement, properly disposes of the flags.
Scouts remove the field of stars with scissors and then cut up the stripes — thereby rendering it no longer a US flag. Once cut, the cloth is then retired in a blaze of flames. The ashes, once cooled, are also buried to finish the special ceremony.
• See the complete story in the Friday, 10/23 print edition of the Clinton Journal or right now in the Journal E-Edition for subscribers.
