July 4th Flag Retirement Ceremony

Pawnee Cub Scouts

Pack 3235

Pawnee County Courthouse Lawn

Saturday, July 3, 2010 - 10:00am

At 10:00am the Pawnee VFW Post will raise the large holiday flag,
which should take about 10 minutes. We will begin the flag
retirement immediately after that.

RANDY
Welcome everyone. The Pawnee Cub
Scout’s would like to welcome our
community and guests of Pawnee. My
Name is Randy McCray I am the
Cubmaster for Pawnee Cub Scout Pack
3235. We are here today to honor
the symbol of our country and
retire these flags which have
served their useful life as a
symbol of freedom and our country.

(Short Pause)

RANDY
The U.S. Flag Code states, “The
flag, when it is in such condition
that it is no longer a fitting
emblem for display, should be
destroyed in a dignified way,
preferably by burning”.

Cub Scouts Attention

Color Guard Attention
Color Guard Advance
Color Guard Halt
Color Guard, Retrieve the Colors
Two TIGERS remove old flag from wooden pole

Johnn & Wesley fold the old flag about to be retired

While the flag is being retrieved the history of the flag is to

be read.

BRETT
The current official U.S. flag is a
50 star flag, born of the need for
a more practical design to
accommodate new states entering the
union. On April 4, 1818, Congress
established the number of stripes
at seven red and six white, and
provided the addition of one star
for each new state. The thirteen
stripes represent the original 13
colonies. The 50 star flag has been
in use since July 4, 1960 when
Hawaii officially joined the union.

In the first years of the

Revolutionary War, America fought
under many flags. One of these
flags, called the Grand Union, flew
over George Washington's
headquarters near Boston. It was
the first American flag to be
officially recognized by another
country.

On November 16, 1776, the American

warship, Andrew Doria, saluted a
Dutch fort in the West Indies and
was saluted in return. This brought
a measure of international
recognition to the United Colonies.

A flag with thirteen stars and

thirteen stripes received its first
salute from another country on
February 14, 1778, when French
vessels in Quiberon Bay, France,
saluted John Paul Jones and his
ship, "The Ranger."
On June 14, 1777, in order to
establish an official flag of the
new nation, the Continental
Congress passed the first Flag Act:
"Resolved, that the flag of the
thirteen United States be thirteen
stripes alternate red and white;
that the union be a white star, in
a blue field, representing a new
constellation."

RANDY
COLOR GUARD RETURN TO POST
COLOR GUARD HALT
COLOR GUARD PRESENT THE COLORS

BRETT
"I am your Flag.” I was born on
June 14, 1777. I am more than just
a piece of cloth shaped into a
colorful design; I am the silent
sentinel of freedom for the
greatest sovereign nation on earth.
I am the inspiration for which
America patriots gave their lives
and fortunes; I am the emblem of
America.

I have flown through Peace and War.

Through strife and Prosperity, and
amidst it all, I have always been
respected. My red stripes symbolize
the blood spilled in defense of
this glorious nation. My white
stripes, the burning tears shed by
Americans who lost their sons and
daughters in battle. My blue field
represents God’s Heaven under which
I fly, and my stars, clustered
together, unify the fifty states as
one for God and Country.

I am "Old Glory" and I proudly wave

on high. Honor me, respect me, and
defend me with your lives. Never
let our enemies tear me down from
 my lofty position, lest I never
return. Keep alight the fires of
patriotism, strive earnestly for
the spirit of democracy, and keep
me always as a symbol of freedom,
liberty, and peace in our country.

When the time comes that I am old

and faded, do not let me fly in
disrepair, rather retire me from my
duties only to replace me with a
new flag so that I may continue to
symbolize our country. With this,
renew your commitment to what I
stand for.

RANDY
Please stand as you are able, and
join us in the Pledge of
Allegiance.

(turn and face the flag- Short Pause)

RANDY
Cub Scouts Salute!

I pledge allegiance to the flag of

the United States of America, and
to the Republic, for which it
stands, one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and
Justice for all."

Two

BRETT
As you can see, this banner of
freedom and others on the table
before you are worn, tattered, and
soiled from use and age. Their
broad stripes are no longer a fiery
red & pure white, but faded and
worn out. The stars and blue
background are no longer vivid
reminders of our blue skies and
great land, of the purity,
vigilance, and justice they
 represent. These flags have flown
proudly over the years and have
done their job well. Now these
flags must be replaced with a new
flag to properly represent this
great nation of ours.

The flag of our nation should

always be a strong, vivid symbol of
our land and fly brightly in our
minds. Our flag is a symbol of our
people, our freedom, and our
strength. So it is now that I
commit these flags, which no longer
can fulfill their duties to be
retired to the flame.

RANDY
Cub Scouts Salute!

At this time the Color Guard will turn the flag so it is parallel
with the ground and step to the fire pit and gently place it into
the flame, folding the ends in toward the middle of the fire.

Taps start to play (when flag is placed into the fire)

(when taps ends)

RANDY
Two

Next scout in line will walk over to the table and pick up a flag
and walk it to the color guard.

Song or songs start to play??

Color guard will then unfold and presented colors Cub Scouts
Salute! Then turn the flag so it is parallel with the ground and
gently place it into the flame

After most of the flag had burned

JOHNN
Two

This will continue until all scouts have presented a flag to the
color guard.
Color Guard Present new colors (Retrieve new flag from stand or
where ever we put it and post the colors back on the wooden pole)

RANDY
Cub Scouts Attention
Color Guard Attention
Color Guard Retrieve the new colors
Color Guard Advance
Color Guard Halt
Color Guard, Post the Colors
Cub Scouts, Salute
Join me in the Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the flag of

the United States of America, and
to the Republic, for which it
stands, one Nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and
Justice for all."

Two

Color Guard Return to post

Color Guard Halt
Color Guard Dismissed
Cub Scouts Dismissed

This concludes our Flag Retirement

Ceremony.

Thank you for attending. You are

dismissed.

-THE END-