Boy Scout Troop 17 of Metuchen-Edison is calling on all area residents to bring their torn, tattered, and otherwise damaged flags to Metuchen’s 89th Annual Memorial Day Parade, which begins at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30. As they march in the parade, the Scouts will collect the flags from residents along the parade route.
“Troop 17 is proud to participate in Metuchen’s Memorial Day Parade and provide service to the community by respectfully retiring American flags that are worn beyond repair,” said Steven Zederbaum, assistant senior patrol leader.
By collecting damaged Stars and Stripes, the troop will be honoring a longstanding custom that may not be all that well known today. According to the U.S. flag code, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” The burning is part of a formal ceremony in which the Scouts retire the flag. Troop 17 will formally retire the flags collected from paradegoers during a camping trip at a later date.
Troop 17 consists of about 50 boys from the Metuchen-Edison area and meets at the CYO hall in Metuchen. Its chartering organization is the St. Francis Knights of Columbus.
