04-29-2009, 04:30 AM
I was at my son's month end Boy Scouts meeting tonight and it was time to retire three tattered flags. I've never been through this ceremony before, but found myself excited over what I was hearing. In the back of my mind, I do believe I had heard this information before, yet somehow forgot it, a feeling of finding lost treasure! When I was a child, I always found ceremonies to be drab and quite dull, however not this time.
First the scouts all congregated around a fire pit in their respective dens, i.e. wolves, bears, etc. Then the scout master made an announcement about the solemn ceremony we were about to partake of, then the scouts each took turns reading bits of information about the flag. Finally, the scouts took the torn and tattered flags and one at a time, draped them over the flames of the fire pit and skillfully set them to rest. The scout master said after all the flags were retired that they would take the ashes and bury them respectfully. All in all, I'd have to say it was a beautiful ceremony and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
But now my dilemma; the scout master said the red in our flag stands for the blood shed from the wars we fought, the white the undiluted purity of our nations spirit, the blue background for the tyranny we overcame - I understand this was from Brittan, however I think it applies towards all tyranny that rises up against our nation -, and the stars our states placed significantly over the blue to represent our unified dominance over the tyranny. She got her information from a book called Stars And Stripes Forever.
I got home rather excited about what I heard, and still intend to check out this book from my local library tomorrow, however after a little bit of searching on the net for what the American Flag stood for, I got rather varying accounts, such as this, and this.
Anyways, I really like what the cub scouts had to say about the American Flag and using that as a motto makes be proud to salute the American flag. I wish I could remember everything she said about it, but perhaps when I get this book and read about it, I'll be a little more knowledgeable.
First the scouts all congregated around a fire pit in their respective dens, i.e. wolves, bears, etc. Then the scout master made an announcement about the solemn ceremony we were about to partake of, then the scouts each took turns reading bits of information about the flag. Finally, the scouts took the torn and tattered flags and one at a time, draped them over the flames of the fire pit and skillfully set them to rest. The scout master said after all the flags were retired that they would take the ashes and bury them respectfully. All in all, I'd have to say it was a beautiful ceremony and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
But now my dilemma; the scout master said the red in our flag stands for the blood shed from the wars we fought, the white the undiluted purity of our nations spirit, the blue background for the tyranny we overcame - I understand this was from Brittan, however I think it applies towards all tyranny that rises up against our nation -, and the stars our states placed significantly over the blue to represent our unified dominance over the tyranny. She got her information from a book called Stars And Stripes Forever.
I got home rather excited about what I heard, and still intend to check out this book from my local library tomorrow, however after a little bit of searching on the net for what the American Flag stood for, I got rather varying accounts, such as this, and this.
Quote:June 14, 1777, congress declares the flag should have thirteen white stars in a blue background and thirteen alternate red and white stripes. The red means hardiness and valor. White signifies purity and innocence. Blue is the color of the Chief. The star symbolizes heaven and the goal all man have been striving for. The stripe is a ray of light from the sun. The first thirteen states were; Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.
Quote:Apart from the numbers of stars and stripes representing the number of current and original states, respectively, and the union with its stars representing a constellation, there is no legally defined symbolism to the colors and shapes on the flag. However, folk theories and traditions abound; for example, that the stripes refer to rays of sunlight and that the stars refer to the heavens, the highest place that a person could aim to reach.
Anyways, I really like what the cub scouts had to say about the American Flag and using that as a motto makes be proud to salute the American flag. I wish I could remember everything she said about it, but perhaps when I get this book and read about it, I'll be a little more knowledgeable.
"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self." -Albert Einsetin