The flag of the United States of America.

[OUTSIDER]

While I've been trawling through all my stuff on disc I've come across this and I think you guys would like it and it's pretty interesting.

Enjoy.

The basic flag of the United States is one of the world's oldest national flags. Only the basic flags of Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland are older.
During the discovery and settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession. Later, in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, and events were flown in the American Colonies.
The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress on June 14, 1777. It consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776. Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795, to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union, Vermont and Kentucky.
By 1817, there were 20 states in the Union, and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag. As a result, Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star.
In 1912 President William H. Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars. He ordered that there be six even rows of eight stars each. Previously the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flagmaker's fancy.
Many Changes in the Stars and Stripes
The evolution of the Stars and Stripes reflects the growth of the United States. After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959, the flag was officially changed for the 26th time since its creation.
There are many government flags flown in the United States in addition to the national flag. Among them are the president's and vice-president's flags and those of the federal departments and some federal agencies. Each state in the Union has an official flag. The United States Navy uses special flags for signaling.
FLAG TRADITIONS
Many traditions have grown up regarding the display and use of the United States flag. These traditions, intended as marks of respect, are widely observed. The Army, Navy, and Air Force have their own regulations, but these do not apply outside the armed services. To supply a guide for the proper use and display of the flag, a code was drawn up at a National Flag Conference, held in Washington, D.C., on June 14 and 15, 1923. This was revised by the Second National Flag Conference, held on May 15, 1924. Finally, in June 1942, Congress adopted a resolution (amended in 1942, 1945, 1953, and 1954) that made the flag code a law.

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[OUTSIDER]

Sorry about this but I've had to break it up into manageable chunks.


The Flag Code
1. The flag should be flown only from sunrise to sunset. Upon special occasions, however, it may be displayed at night to produce a patriotic effect. (The flag is flown day and night, in accordance with presidential proclamation or Congressional authorization, at Fort McHenry National Monument and Flag House Square, both in Baltimore, Md.; the Marine Corps Monument, Arlington, Va.; and the town green in Lexington, Mass.) There are other places where the flag is flown day and night according to local custom. Until 1968 the United States flag flew day and night over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima where it had been raised by Marines during World War II. When the island was returned to Japanese administration, the cloth flag was replaced by a bronze replica.
2. The flag should be displayed on all days when the weather permits, particularly on national and state holidays and on historic and special occasions.
3. The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.
4. The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.
5. The flag should always be hoisted briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously.
6. When carried in a procession with other flags, the flag of the United States should be either on the marching right--that is, its own right--or in front of the center of the line of flags.
7. When displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, the flag of the United States should be on the right (its own right) and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.
8. When a number of flags are grouped and displayed from staffs, the flag of the United States should be at the highest point or at the center or the first flag at the right of the center.
9. When flags of states or cities or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the national flag should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the United States flag should be hoisted first and lowered last. No flag or pennant should be placed above or to the right of it.
10. When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they should fly from separate staffs of the same height and the flags should be approximately equal in size. (International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.)
11. When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the windowsill, balcony, or front of a building, the union, or field of stars, should be at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When it is to be suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
12. When the flag is displayed in a manner other than by being flown from a staff, it should be displayed flat, whether indoors or outdoors, or so suspended that its folds fall free as if it were staffed. When displayed against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right (observer's left). When displayed in a window, the union should be to the left of the observer in the street.
13. When displayed over the middle of the street, as between buildings, the flag should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east-and-west street or to the east in a north-and-south street.
14. On a speaker's platform the flag, if used flat, should be placed above and behind the speaker. It should never be used to cover the speaker's desk or draped over the front of the platform. If flown from a staff, it should be on the speaker's right.
15. The flag should be displayed at the unveiling of a statue or a monument, but it should not be used as a covering. Blue, white, and red bunting may be used as a drapery.
16. When flown at half-staff, the flag is hoisted to the peak for an instant, then lowered to the half-staff position (half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff). Before the flag is lowered for the day, it is raised again to the top. For some local conditions the flag may be flown at approximately half-staff. On Memorial Day (May 30), the flag is displayed at half-staff until noon and at full staff from noon until sunset. Half-staff honors the heroic dead; full staff shows that the nation lives, for the flag is the symbol of the living nation.
Presidential proclamations set forth the following instructions as to when and for how long the United States flag should fly at half-staff: for 30 days from the day of death of the president or a former president of the United States; for 10 days on the death of the vice-president, the chief justice or a retired chief justice of the Supreme Court, or the speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until burial of an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former vice-president, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, or the majority and minority leaders of the House; on the day of death and the next day for a senator, representative, territorial delegate, or resident commissioner--within the District of Columbia and until burial within the state, territory, or commonwealth concerned.
17. Flags flown from fixed staffs are placed at half-staff to indicate mourning. Only by the order of the president may crepe streamers be affixed to flagstaffs or spearheads in a parade.
18. When used to cover a casket, the flag should be placed so that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or be allowed to touch the ground. The casket should be carried foot first.
19. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of honor at the speaker's right as he or she faces the congregation or audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the speaker or to the right of the audience.
20. When a flag is no longer fit for display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. A flag may be washed or dry-cleaned.

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[OUTSIDER]

Scroll baby scroll.


Cautions Listed in Flag Code
1. Do not permit disrespect to be shown to the flag of the United States of America.
2. Do not dip the flag to any person or thing. The regimental color, state flag, organization flag, or institutional flag will render this honor.
3. Do not display the flag with the union down except as a signal of dire distress.
4. Do not place any other flag or pennant above or to the right of the flag. (The only exceptions are: at the United Nations headquarters, in New York City, the United Nations flag flies above all others; the Navy church pennant flies above the flag during church services.)
5. Do not let the flag touch anything beneath it.
6. Do not place on or above the flag, or place on any part of it, or attach to it any object or emblem of any kind or any mark, insignia, word, letter, figure, design, picture, or drawing.
7. Do not use the flag as drapery in any form whatever, but always allow it to fall free.
8. Do not display or store the flag in such a way as will permit it to be easily torn or soiled.
9. Do not drape the flag over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle, train, or boat.
10. Do not display the flag on a float in a parade except from a staff or as follows: (a) flat or (b) so suspended that its folds fall free.
11. Do not use the flag as a covering for a ceiling.
12. Do not carry the flag flat or horizontally but always, as in a parade, aloft and free.
13. Do not use the flag as any portion of a costume or athletic uniform. Do not embroider it or print it upon anything that is intended for discard.
14. Do not use the flag in any form of advertising.
15. Do not use the flag to hold or carry anything.
The president is empowered to alter any rule or custom pertaining to the use and display of the flag.
Proper Use of Bunting
Bunting of the national colors should be used for covering a speaker's desk, for draping over the front of a platform, and for decoration in general. Bunting should be arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below.
Salute to the Flag
When the flag is passing in a parade or review or is being hoisted or lowered, all persons should face the flag, stand at attention, and salute. Those in uniform should render the military salute. Men not in uniform should remove the hat with the right hand and hold the hat at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Men without hats and women should place the right hand over the heart. Aliens should stand at attention. A viewer should salute the flag in a parade at the moment it passes him.
When the national anthem is played and the flag is not displayed, all present should stand and face toward the music. Those in uniform should salute at the first note and retain this position until the last note. All others should stand at attention, the men removing their hats. When the flag is displayed, all should face it and give the appropriate salute.
Pledge to the Flag
The pledge of allegiance to the flag was first published in 1892 in Boston, Mass. Authorship was claimed for James B. Upham and Francis Bellamy. In 1939 the United States Flag Association ruled that Bellamy was the author of the original pledge.
In pledging allegiance to the flag, stand with the right hand over the heart or at attention. Men remove their headdress. Persons in uniform give the military salute. All pledge together:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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[Cheyenne]

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. "


How many times have many of us recited that pledge? It started every school day when I was a child. Later, it was said only on Monday mornings. It has more meaning for me now than it did back then. Thank you for the reminder, Outsider.

 

[OUTSIDER]

Your welcome, I also wanted to post the flags of all the states but the stupid compton CD tells me I have to copy the picture to "clipboard" before I can move them to my documents but I can't find the clipboad feature and they don't list it in the help topics.......Doh !!!!

 

[OUTSIDER]

Bumping it to give the afternoon crew a chance to see it.

 

[morninggirl5]

Outsider,

Thanks so much for the information.

Cheyenne,

At my school we still say the pledge and sing the national anthem each and every morning. My class really doesn't understand why I'm crying each morning as we sing now. Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance seems to say it best though.

I - Me; an individual; a committee of one.

Pledge - Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.

Allegiance - My love and my devotion.

To the Flag - Our standard; Old Glory ; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, Freedom is everybody's job.

United - That means that we have all come together.

States - Individual communities that have united into fifty great states. Fiftyindividual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.

And to the Republic Republic--a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

For which it stands

One Nation - One Nation--meaning, so blessed by God.

Indivisible - Incapable of being divided.

With Liberty - Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one's own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

And Justice - The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.

For All - For All--which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

 

[OUTSIDER]

Bumping it for the last time to let the evening crew see it.