“Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.”
Such was the text in the Flag Act passed by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The Revolutionary War was raging with no end in sight. To boost morale and show support for a young America fighting for its very right to exist, our country’s first flag was inscribed in history.
This Sunday at 4 p.m., Iola Elks and the Scouts’ Pack 55 and Troop 55 of Iola will commemorate such monumental events of long ago. The Flag Day proceedings are open to the public and will take place at the Elks Lodge, 202 S. Jefferson.
The street in front of the Lodge will be closed for a special ceremony. The Register’s Paul Vernon will begin the celebration by signing the national anthem. And weather permitting, the Iola Fire Department plans to be on site with a giant American flag hanging from their ladder truck.
“We plan to retire the old flag, raise a new flag, and also conduct the 13 folds of the American flag before retiring it,” Scoutmaster Barney Divine said. “Each fold of the flag means something, and we’ll explain that to the public as we proceed. We’ll recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start and finish, to honor both the old and new flags.”
Elks member Nancy Ford said the idea was to bring back a Flag Day ceremony that had dropped off over the years. “It’s time to bring these traditions back,” Ford said. “Especially with our country’s 250th birthday coming up, it made sense to have a nice celebration.”
The Scouts will retire the American flag in a fire pit they plan to set up on Jefferson. Burning the U.S. flag without proper protocols can mean desecrating it, so the ceremony follows specific steps, explained Divine.
“It’s considered appropriate to bury flags as well, if burning them properly isn’t an option,” he said. “That’s often best for flags that aren’t made of cotton.”
The Elks Lodge #569 will open its back room to the public for part of the ceremony. After the ceremony concludes, the lounge will reopen for members and guests.
Longtime Elks member Mike Ford, who retired from the Iola Police Department in 2022, has helped organize the event. He also tends the bar for the Lodge during the weekends.
The Elks have celebrated Flag Day since the organization’s early days. They were key to prompting President Woodrow Wilson to issue a presidential proclamation designating June 14 as Flag Day.
