JES Celebrates Flag Day

JES collects worn and tattered flags which will then be honorably retired by a local Boy Scout troop. While flag collection is year-round, the flag retirement ceremony will take place at the end of July.

Flag Day began in 1885 and was the brainchild of BJ Cigrand, a Wisconsin school teacher. The tradition began as a classroom observance of the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of the Stars and Stripes.

Cigrand advocated the annual celebration of the Flag’s birthday at public speaking events and through printed materials. The observance quickly caught on:

• 1887 – The first official Flag Day observance was held on the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the American Flag. Congress ordered that the flag be flown from all public buildings throughout the U.S.

• 1889 – George Balch, a New York City teacher orchestrated a Flag Day ceremony for his school. The New York State Board of Education later officially adopted the celebration of Flag Day on June 14.

• 1891 – The Betsy Ross House held a Flag Day ceremony on June 14th.

• 1893 – The Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America adopted a resolution calling on the elected government and local citizens to display the flag on June 14th.

• 1894 – The New York governor ordered that the flag be displayed at all public buildings on June 14th.

Flag History

On June 14, 1777 the Continental Congress passed the Flag Act which stated, “the flag of the United states be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

The new flag was based on the “Grand Union Flag” which was carried by the Continental Army in 1776 and also had 13 red and white stripes.

Since it’s formal induction the flag has evolved to include more stars with the addition of each new state. The stripes remained the same to represent the original thirteen colonies. Up until 1923 there were no regulations to govern the display and retirement of the flag. On June 14, 1923 the government adopted the National Flag Code which dictated the proper etiquette and retirement of the American Flag.

Up until 1923 there were no regulations to govern the display and retirement of the flag. On June 14, 1923 the government adopted the National Flag Code which dictated the proper etiquette and retirement of the American Flag.

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