Boy Scouts Celebrate Flag History

Scouts of Troop 450 prepared to display their respective flags during a Broadneck Elks Lodge flag history ceremony.

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Spencer Woodbury leads the Don’t Tread On Me flag towards the front of the room. He remarked that it was a “pretty cool flag,” and his fellow scouts agreed that it may have been the best.

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Ethan Prigge had the honor of displaying the Grand Union flag—a flag he admitted didn’t know existed prior to the ceremony.

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. Mitchell Frye carried the Betsy Ross flag. He enjoyed his experience and said that the ceremony was “just a really fun experience all around.”

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Everett Luoma said he had forgotten how many stars adorned his flag, but was glad to be involved in the ceremony. “It’s honoring our past and it’s patriotic,” he said, “It gave me a feeling of the past and what this nation means.”

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Richard Williams carried the current 50-Star flag. He enjoyed the ceremony and said that he “liked seeing all the flags at the same time.”

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Grayson Phillips said he was honored to carry the POW/MIA flag because “it represents and honors those who have not returned from battle.”

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Jack Cohen participated in the ceremony because he “thought it would be a cool experience because I’ve never participated in a flag ceremony.”

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Troop 450 stands in silent reflection behind members of Lodge #2608 at the culmination of the ceremony.

Posted Tuesday, June 28, 2016 12:24 pm

Rob Odle

Just a few days after Flag Day, Boy Scout Troop 450 of St. John the Evangelist Church spent their Saturday afternoon learning the history of the American flag while celebrating its changes throughout the years.

Seven scouts — Jack Cohen, Mitchell Frye, Spencer Woodbury, Richard Williams, Ethan Prigge, Grayson Phillips and Everett Luoma — visited Broadneck Elks Lodge 2608 on June 18 to assist its members in a flag history ceremony. Lodge members recited an oral history of seven U.S. flags as scouts proudly displayed each one.

“It was a good opportunity for [the boys] to learn about the history and have a firsthand experience to know and understand the flags,” said Troop 450 service project coordinator Bill Sternhagen. “It also shows the patriotism and honor aspect of the Boy Scouts.”

Sternhagen said the troop has never worked with Lodge 2608 before, but he felt this project would be a great opportunity for the scouts to give back to the community, bond with one another and learn more about the nation’s history.

Each scout received two and a half service hours for his time, but they were all thrilled by the ceremony itself, not by the hours they would receive.