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Flag Day's history runs deep

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By Raleigh Whiteman | Highlands Today

Published: June 17, 2009

Flag Day's history runs deep

This past Tuesday June 14 marked the 222st birthday of the U.S. flag. In 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes pattern for the national flag. This would follow almost one year after the Declaration of Independence and more than a decade before the U.S. Constitution was finalized. Flag Day was first celebrated in 1877, the centennial of the U.S.

After that, many citizens and organizations advocated the adoption of a national day of commemoration for the U.S. flag. It was not until 1949, that President Harry Truman signed legislation making Flag Day a day of national observance. The Elks Organization required that every Elks Lodge hold a Flag Day ceremony each June and be open to the public.

Father's Day

If you want to hear the complete history of the American Flag and see all the colors that have flown, the Lake Placid Elks is holding a Flag Day/ Father's Day dinner/dance this Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. A Father's Day breakfast is offered earlier that morning for $6.50. Contact the lodge at 465-2661 for more information.

Pledge of Allegiance

The first pledge had been published in the magazine, The Youth's Companion on Sept. 8, 1892. The word "to" was added in October 1892.

I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and (to) the Republic for which it stands:

One Nation Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.

Since that time it has been modified three times: "the Flag of the United States" in 1923, in 1924, "of America" was added, then on Flag Day June 14, 1954, the words "Under God" were added.

Some people today's are trying to get the words "Under God" removed from the pledge, citing it violates their religious non-beliefs.

I say, so suffer your little children to hear what you do not want them to hear.

Flags flying

I am proud to fly the flag in the front yard of my home and also have a small flag flying atop my sailboat in the back. I will have replaced the sailboat's flag by the time you are reading this, hopefully without knocking out my front teeth while doing so as happened a few years ago.

Little children speak

4th Graders were asked to complete the following clichés.

Better be safe than.…. Punch a 5th grader.

Don't bite the hand that…..looks dirty.

Strike while the….bug is close.

You can lead a horse to water but….How?

A miss is as good as a...Mister.

You can't teach an old dog new….Math.

If you lie down with the dogs, you'll……Stink in the morning.

The pen is mightier than the….Pigs.

An idle mind is…..The best way to relax.

It's always darkest before….daylight savings time.

Where there's smoke, there's….Pollution.

Happy is the bride who….Gets all the presents.

A penny saved is.….Not much.

Two's company, three's... ..The Musketeers.

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and…..You have to blow your nose.

Children should be seen and not…..spanked or grounded.

A Miracle

One morning a man came into the church on crutches. He stopped in front of the holy water, put some on both legs, and then threw away his crutches. An altar boy witnessed the scene and then ran into the rectory to tell the priest what he'd just seen. "Son, you've just witnessed a miracle," the priest said. "Tell me where is this man now?"

"Flat on his butt over by the holy water," said the boy.

Raleigh Whiteman, of Lake Placid, is a contributing writer to Highlands Today. You can reach him on the Internet at rwwhiteman@comcast.net

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