Englewood Shopping District
By Scott Howell

What a wonderful morning Troop 282 had for raising the flag of our country on June 11, 2011 for the Englewood Shopping District Flag Day. As a Boy Scout one of our Aims is to show good citizenship. I can’t think of a better way to show good citizenship than to honor our Country’s Flag by raising it for a festival honoring the America Flag. I would like to thank those scouts, leaders and parents who showed up at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning to honor our countries flag. For those who didn’t show up well you missed out on a great honor for you and your scout troop.

I would like to ask the scouts to please respond back to this article by telling your scout troop what the Flag of your Country means to you?.

Flag Day was first observed in 1877. A celebration was held on the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States by the Second Continental Congress. In that year, Congress asked all public buildings to fly the flag on June 14th. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Flag Day as a national celebration, but it was not officially recognized until 1949, when President Harry Truman signed the National Flag Day Bill.

Bernard John Cigrand is known as the "Father of Flag Day" and, in 1885, he was working as a 19-year-old schoolteacher. He placed a 10-inch 38-starred flag in an inkwell on his desk and assigned his students essays about what the flag meant to them. He typically called June 14th the "Flag’s Birthday." From that day on, Cigrand dedicated his life to inspire all Americans about the real meaning and majesty of the American flag. He spoke around the country promoting patriotism, respect for the flag and the need of the observance of Flag Day.

Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, and Pennsylvania is currently the only state to recognize it officially as a state holiday. Typically, the week of June 14th is designated as National Flag Week and, during this time, the President of the United States will typically issue a proclamation urging United States citizens to fly the flag proudly during that week. The flag is also displayed on all government buildings. In some cities, there are parades and events that celebrate the flag and everything it represents. The largest Flag Day celebration is held in Troy, New York, and typically attracts around 50,000 people.

(See more pictures from the Flag Day in the Troop 282 Photo Collection.)