Members from Noblesville’s Scouting America Troop 222 for girls observed Memorial Day May 27 by retiring American flags.
According to Kris Julius, assistant scoutmaster, the flags, which had previously flown at Kahlo Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Noblesville, were tattered and needed to be replaced. The Scouts accepted the flags for retirement in October 2023 and chose Memorial Day for the ceremony.
Senior Patrol Leader Ellador led the ceremony, and Troop 222 Scouts Evelyn, Robbin, Charli, Nora and Sebastian from Troop 183 assisted. The Scouts’ family members also participated.
“Duty to God and Country is the first line of the Scout Oath; it’s that important to our movement,” Scoutmaster Jenny Sherrill stated. “Our Scouts did such a great job with the program. It was powerful to join them in retiring the flags.”
Julius stated the synthetic flags were cut apart to keep with the flag code, keeping the field of blue intact while the flag was cut into quarters.
“Burning these flags, which is the proper retirement for flags of cotton, is unhealthy for the environment or participants, so small pieces of the fabric were burned, while the rest were disposed of respectfully,” Julius stated. “Grommets from the flags were collected from the ashes and distributed to the participants as a remembrance of those who have lost their lives in service of our country.”
Bethel Lutheran Church at 20650 Cumberland Rd. in Noblesville charters Troop 222. Girls ages 11 to 17 are welcome to join the troop anytime. For more, contact Sherrill at [email protected] or visit NoblesvilleTroop222.org.
