Kennedale Troop 35 to hold Flag Retirement Ceremony on Veteran’s Day

KENNEDALE – When the United States flag becomes worn, torn, faded or badly soiled, it is time to replace it with a new flag, and the old flag should be “retired” with all the dignity and respect befitting the nation’s flag.

On November 11, 2013 at Sonora Park in Kennedale at 6:30 p.m., Troop 35 will conduct a formal flag retirement ceremony. This is a time honored tradition that Troop 35 performs annually. ?{{more}}

Kennedale Boy Scout Troop 35 has a long history in Kennedale going back at least 80 years.

?The first Boy Scout meetings were held in the upstairs part of the Williamson ? ?Mercantile and Drug located on Broadway and Municipal in the 1930′s. This ?also housed the Oddfellows Lodge and Rebeccas of Kennedale.

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?In 1949, the First United Methodist Church of Kennedale chartered the troop.

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In 1961, Cub Scout Pack 35 joined the Troop to bring the Cub Scouting ?program to Kennedale.

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Currently Troop meetings are held at 7:00pm every Monday at the Scout Hut located on a 1/4 acre at 210 W Broadway, just 3 blocks west of New Hope Rd in Kennedale. Traditionally a small hometown troop, Troop 35 serves the youth of Kennedale.

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Troop 35 is a active Troop and is boy-led (meaning the boys plan and carry out the program with the assistance and guidance of the Scoutmaster Corp and Troop Committee).

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Mark Yeary is Scout Leader and Lamar Saxon serves as Committee Chair

Troop 35 would like to encourage participation by members of the community in this time-honored ceremony. ?Troop 35 would also like to extend a special invite to all veterans active or retired along with all first responders to attend. Lamar Saxon wanted everyone to know, “It would be a pleasure to have you participate in this solemn ceremony.”
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The American Flag – a history.

• For more than 200 years, the American flag has been the symbol of the nation’s strength and unity and it has been a source of pride and inspiration.

• On January 1, 1776, the Continental Army was reorganized in accordance with a Congressional resolution which placed American forces under George Washington’s control. On that New?
  Year’s Day the Continental Army was laying siege to Boston which had been taken over by the British Army. Washington ordered the Grand Union flag hoisted above his base at Prospect Hill. It had 13 alternate red and white stripes and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner (the canton).

• In May of 1776, Betsy Ross reported that she sewed the first American flag.?

• On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: “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.”?

• Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed for additional stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state.?

• Act of January 13, 1794 – provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.?

• Act of April 4, 1818 – provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state, signed by President Monroe.?

• Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 – established proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.?

• Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 – provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.?

• Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 – provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.?

• Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.