Cub Scouts honor worn American flags with distinguished retirement

Cub Scout Pack 251 meets at the Veterans of Foreign War Post 8577, and every year, the pack takes the old flags collected and burns them, according to James Lewis, assistant Cubmaster for the pack.

“Being with the BSA — Boy Scouts of America — we had the honor of retiring the flags,” Lewis said as flags were placed on the burn pit.

Having not been able to do a burn in a while, due to drought conditions, burn bans and high wind, the pack had approximately 2,000 flags to retire.

“The ones that are torn, we don’t keep them, but the ones that aren’t torn, we keep them,” said Orion Doane, a member of the pack who is a Webelo, near the end of the Cub Scout trail.

Lewis said leaders with the pack inspect each flag to see which ones are unserviceable.

According to Lewis, a flag is no longer serviceable when it is faded, torn or weather-worn.

Doane said he has mixed feelings about the flag-retirement ceremonies.

“(I feel) proud and sometimes a bit upset because we have to burn or bury the flag of the United States,” he said. “It makes me proud because it is respectful — especially in cemeteries. Also, burning it kind of reminds me of my heart being an everlasting fire.”

To begin the ceremony, the flags were folded. Before placing them on the fire, however, the flags were unf u rled.

Ultimately, the flag retirement teaches valuable lessons to the Scouts.

“That’s our goal as leaders; to show them some of the skills that we learned as young men and young women trying to pass it on to the next generation, especially with our country flag and how to do it properly,” Lewis said.