Scouts hold flag retirement ceremony as part of Veterans Homecoming Week

Scouts from around the area joined together on Monday night to participate in a special ceremony, very fitting for Veterans Homecoming Week.

Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts joined together for a Flag Retirement Ceremony in the parking lot of Branson's United Methodist Church, located on 76 Country Boulevard.

Cub Scouts from Pack 93 were joined by Pack 554, Boy Scouts Troop 226, Troop 290 and Troop 2001 and Girl Scouts Troop 414 on Monday night. These packs and troops included Scouts from the Branson, Hollister and Forsyth areas.  

The Scouts, ranging in age from five through 18 joined together to learn the proper way to retire worn American flags. Part of the event included teaching young scouts the correct way to fold the American flag.

A number of American flags were retired during the special ceremony, which helped the scouts learn more about the significance of the United States flag and what it symbolizes, respect for the flag, even as it is being disposed of, and a deeper sense of patriotism.

The Flag Retirement Ceremony is a way to honor and respect the American flag when it becomes worn or torn and to ensure it is disposed of in a dignified manner. The flag is acknowledged as a symbol of our nation's values, history and sacrifices. Flags, when no longer fit for display, should be retired with the same respect they were given when first raised.