Tribute to the flag
and its heroes

Kids Stuff
By William Feldman

Welcome to Kids Stuff. Today’s column honors every veteran who has ever served to protect our freedom, as well as every American who believes: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
With the Fourth of July celebration still going strong, I thought the timing was perfect to show appreciation for this country, so I would like to begin this column with 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.
The pledge says you are promising to be true to the United States of America!
Time and occasions for displaying the flag:
(a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
(b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.
(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1; Inauguration Day, Jan. 20; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, the third Monday in January; Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12; Washington’s birthday, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Constitution Day, Sept. 17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Navy Day, Oct. 27; Veterans Day, Nov. 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, Dec. 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the president of the United States; the birthdays of states (date of admission); and on state holidays.
(e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.
(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.
(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.
A patriotic arts and craft project for age 7 and older:
Supplies needed:
o 8-1/2 x 11-inch sheet of cardstock or cardboard
o 1 sheet white felt
o 1 sheet of blue felt
o 1 sheet red felt
o Small paintbrush or wooden stick or cotton swabs
o White acrylic craft paint or fabric paint
o Tape
o White craft glue
o Scissors
What to do:
1. Glue a white sheet of felt to the cardstock or cardboard, covering it completely. Try to keep it wrinkle free.
2. Next, trim a blue piece of felt. Apply an ample amount of glue to upper left-hand corner of the white felt and apply blue felt.
3. Our flag consists of four red stripes and three white stripes. Cut stripes from red felt, measuring approximately 1&1/2 to 1&3/4 inches wide.
4. Glue red stripes on to the flag.
5. Don’t forget to make 50 stars on the blue felt. You can use fabric paint or just dip a cotton swab in white paint.
6. After everything dries, turn the flag over and tape your stick to the right side.
Flag quiz:
1. Betsy Ross made the first American flag in 1776 at the request of?
2. Scientific study of flags is called?
3. Where does the flag fly 24 hours a day?
Answers:
1. The American government
2. Vexillology
3. It flies 24 hours a day at thousands and thousands of locations.
Section 6a states:
When a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
Notably, it flies 24 hours a day on the moon and at the South Pole. But, there is an elite group where, by varopis executive orders, it is to fly 24 hours a day:
o Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore.
o Flag House Square, Albemarle and Pratt streets, Baltimore
o United States Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Va.
o On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Mass.
o The White House, Washington, D.C.
o Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.
o Fifty flags of the United States are displayed at the Washington Monument continuously. United States Customs ports of entry, which are continually open.
o Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park.
United States flag folding:
1. Begin by holding it waist-high with another cadet so that its surface is parallel to the ground. The other two cadets will stand on the sides of the flag to ensure it remains tight as it is folded. The flagbearer will hold the Union (stars) in his/her left hand. The flag is "tabled" twice before folding.
2. Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges securely.
3. Fold the flag again lengthwise with the blue field on the outside.
4. Make a triangular fold by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to meet the open (top) edge of the flag. The folding is done from the folder’s right to left on the initial fold.
5. Turn the outer (end) point inward, parallel with the open edge, to form a second triangle.
6. The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner.
7. When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field of stars should be visible.
Q. My flag is old and ready to be retired. What should I do?
A: Section 8k of the Flag Code says: "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."
You can contact your local VFW, Elks Lodge, the American Legion or the Knights of Columbus. Some Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops also can provide this service. ••
Columnist William Feldman can be contacted by e-mail at wmkidscolumn@aol.com