Several members of local veterans organizations taught Blue Ridge Elementary School fifth graders proper respect for the United States flag, how it is to be folded, raised and lowered, during a special Flag Etiquette class at the school last week.
Veteran Bill Stodghill led the lesson for the students that included facts such as:
•The flag is always to be displayed to the right of the speaker when that speaker is addressing a group;
•During a veteran’s funeral, the blue field should be laid on the casket over the veteran’s left shoulder;
•When suspended from a ceiling, the blue field should be to the left at the top and the flag should never be tied down; and,
•A flag is to be taken down before dark if it is not illuminated.
Stodghill also talked about the 13 folds when a flag is folded, the last representing, “And may it (the first 12) forever be–in God we trust.”
He asked several questions of the youngsters, testing their flag knowledge.
He explained how worn out flags are to be properly retired.
At the end of the lesson, students took part in folding the flag, and learned the proper way to raise and lower it on the school’s flagpole.