Gilroy
– Members of Boy Scout Troop 708 will gather on Monterey Highway
in downtown Gilroy Tuesday. at dawn and take them down at dusk, as
they do on eight holidays throughout the year.
Gilroy – Members of Boy Scout Troop 708 will gather on Monterey Highway in downtown Gilroy Tuesday. at dawn and take them down at dusk, as they do on eight holidays throughout the year.
The Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Gilroy Exchange Club came up with an idea that would bring patriotism to the downtown area two years ago. The groups paid to have holes drilled along Monterey, where flag poles could go up on select days throughout the year. After the holes were in place, they looked to a local boy scout troop that would respectfully hang the flags and store them throughout the year.
The groups pay the boy scouts for their work and the troop members use the money to help cover the cost of their summer camp fees. The boys take turns hanging the flags, with 10 to 12 of them gathering on each holiday.
Doug Livingston, a crew advisor to the troop and father of two boy scouts, said the arrangement works well.
“There is a lot of respect that is taught,” Livingston said. “They are expected to be there in full uniform, but the care of the flag is a lot of it.”
Residents can look for flags flying outside downtown businesses on President’s Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day and, of course, Flag Day.
Showing Respect
The American flag is seen as a sign of the nation’s history as well as the lives that have been lost in battle. When a flag is worn, torn, faded or badly soiled, it should be retired.
• Place the worn flag on a table and cut it into quarters, being sure not to cut the blue star field. The blue portion is not cut because it represents the union of the fifty states.
• The flag should be burned in a medium size wood fire until all remnants of it have turned to ashes.
• After the fire has been extinguished, the ashes should be buried.
• Replace the worn flag with a new flag.
