Girl Scout Troop 626 Retires Flags for Bronze Award Project

Girl Scout Troop 626 from Virginia Beach recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project, which focused on respect for and proper disposal of American flags.

The troop members started their project by learning about the origin and history of the American flag. They also researched ways to respectfully retire the flag and how to identify when a flag just needs to be repaired instead of retired. They learned that as long as repairs are not noticeable and do not alter the dimensions of a flag, that minor damages can be repaired. Flags with large tears or excessive fraying, however, should be retired.

Armed with new knowledge, the troop members collected flags that needed to be retired from their local library. The flags were worn, soiled, faded or torn beyond repair. During their research, the girls learned that oftentimes, flags are cremated with American military veterans. They set aside a number of flags and donated them to a local funeral home to be used in this manner.

For the remaining flags, the girls organized a flag retirement ceremony, and they invited their families to take part in the event. In keeping with the guidelines of the United States Flag Code, the girls respectfully cut the flags and burned them in a small fire. They made sure that the flag retirement ceremony was solemn and dignified.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. In order to earn the award, Girl Scouts identify a need in their community and organize a Take Action project to put their solution for the need in motion.