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flag day

Aquia OA Chapter Leaders Bring 2020 Virtual Flag Day to Life

June 26, 2020 by Mike Haas

All of us have been living the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic with many of this year’s annual spring and summer Scouting events being canceled. But, as Baden-Powell once said: “A Scout goes about with a smile on and whistling. It cheers [them] and cheers other people, especially in times of danger, for [a Scout] keeps it up all the same.” A Scout is Cheerful! All Scouts live this part of the Scout Law; Order of the Arrow Arrowmen are specifically committed to “Cheerful Service” and promise to “… seek to preserve a Cheerful Spirit” (excerpted from the Order of the Arrow Obligation).

And so, in true Scouting Spirit, the Arrowmen of the Aquia Chapter of the Amangamek-Wipit Lodge 470 of the Order of the Arrow (OA) cheerfully pressed on, looking for ways to uphold the OA’s commitment to community service. The Fredericksburg Luminary is the Chapter’s biggest service event leading into the summer months, followed by the Flag Day Ceremony at Quantico National Cemetery. The Luminary was really beyond a creative solution, but the Aquia OA leadership were determined to put their heads together to figure out a way to offer a virtual alternative to the Flag Day event.

A typical American Flag retirement ceremony is mostly centered around disposal – putting Old Glory to flames in a way that honors those U.S. Ensigns whose service life has ended and are no longer fit for public display (e.g., ripped, torn, frayed, faded, etc.). As an alternative, Aquia OA Advisors, Lorraine Lince and Karen Purinton offered the challenge of a virtual Flag Day event to the Chapter Chief and his team. Chapter Chief David Grabber and his Vice Chiefs Josh Floersheim, Michael Holliday and Sean Nodurft seized the opportunity and moved out smartly. They recruited fellow Aquia OA Arrowmen and family members to help produce various segments for their Flag Day video.

Enthusiasm was running high! The Scouts immediately began to come up with ideas that would both honor our Nation’s Flag and offer instruction, demonstration, and education to fellow Scouting families. Every level of Scouting incorporates a Scout’s Duty to Country. The OA leaders’ goal was to make it so any individual Scout or Scouting Unit would be able to use the video as a resource. Parents could use this at home with their Scouts and other family members as well. Since the idea began the last week of May, they only had about two weeks to hit their video’s targeted release date of June 14th, Flag Day – this included production and editing. Very ambitious!

For the virtual event, the OA leadership wanted to offer all Scouts information about the history of the American Flag itself and give information about how U.S. Flag care fits into advancements – ranks, belt loops and merit badges. The Chapter Officers decided that the first order of business was to demonstrate opening (Flag raising) and closing (Flag lowering) ceremonies, complete with appropriate bugle calls. Other elements included how to correctly fold the Flag, display the Flag, and show how to properly retire a Flag in a ceremony honoring its service to our Nation and Citizens. The Scouts also included “fun Flag facts” highlighting important dates and lesser known facts about our national ensign.

The biggest challenge was doing this virtually. Obviously, due to the on-going COVID-19 constraints, the Aquia OA team couldn’t work in person or as a group, so the collaboration had to be done completely via group phone calls and video conferences. Another challenge was that everyone had different devices that took videos in different ways – a real challenge when editing; but the team pressed on undaunted. A Google Drive was set up so that each participant/contributor could upload a video or slide from home. The Aquia OA Advisors then took all submissions and put them together into one presentation. It was successfully uploaded to the Aquia and Aquia OA Facebook pages on the target date for Flag Day, June 14, 2020 and shared at this link: https://youtu.be/qX6BQCQiY1E.

All in all, it was a great learning experience for the Scouts. They did a great job coming together as a team, working towards their common goal and they did a great job executing and overcoming the challenges caused by the pandemic. We are proud of them!

Filed Under: Scouting At Home Tagged With: Aquia, flag day, OA, scouting at home

Aquia Chapter 2020 Virtual Flag Day Tribute

June 15, 2020 by Karen L Purinton, Chapter Adviser

Filed Under: Scouting At Home Tagged With: Aquia, flag day, scouting at home

Troop 1345 Continues Tradition of “Flags Along the Parkway”

June 14, 2020 by The Scouter Digest Staff

Scout BSA Troop 1345, sponsored by the Burke Centre Conservancy of Burke, VA, continues a twenty-year tradition of raising American flags along the Burke Centre Parkway in honor of Flag Day.

For nearly 40 years, Burke Centre Conservancy, a community of 5,800 homes in Fairfax County, has sponsored Scouts BSA Troop 1345 for boys; starting in 2019 they added Scouts BSA Troop 1345G for female members.  For more than 20 years the Troop has helped the community show its pride by setting up 30 American flags in the median along Burke Centre Parkway between Burke Lake Road and Oak Leather Drive on every Flag Day and other federal holidays.

Without any fanfare or attention, the Scouts quietly set up the flags early in the morning for the community to enjoy through the day. As the day winds down, the Scouts return to quietly pack the flags away for future display. Through rain, snow, and even social distancing, the Scouts have added a little bit of patriotism to this part of Fairfax County throughout the years.

Troop 1345 will continue the tradition this Flag Day because it is a way for them to demonstrate good citizenship in their community. As Troop 1345G Scoutmaster Kate Mattice says, “It just brightens the community – and perhaps provides some normalcy – during these times.”

With social distance guidelines still intact, outdoor events such as “Flags Along the Parkway” create opportunities for Scouts to stay active in the community while abiding by local safety rules.

Scoutmasters and Scouts from Troop 1345 on  Sunday, June 14, 2020, in the median along Burke Centre Parkway between Burke Lake Road and Oak Leather Drive Burke Centre Parkway between 8:30am and 9:00am participated in raising the flags. Scouts and Scoutmasters will return around 5:00pm to remove the flags for future display. Please join Troop 1345 and the city of Burke in their efforts to honor Flag Day by raising your American Flag today.

Filed Under: Scouting At Home Tagged With: flag day, Scouts BSA

Adventures of Pack-Man and Newbie – Flag

June 14, 2020 by Roger Claff

Today is Flag Day.

What’s it all about? Inspired by decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after President Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14 of each year as National Flag Day.

Did you know a Boy Scout designed the current U.S. flag? In 1958, 17-year-old Boy Scout Bob Heft designed the current U.S. flag as part of a school project. Heft received a B- from his teacher, but President Eisenhower liked the design so much he chose it as the official flag two years later.

Orginial Article: https://headsup.boyslife.org/flag-day-celebrated/

Filed Under: Scouting At Home Tagged With: Boy Scout, flag, flag day, history, Pack-Man and Newbie

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