Flag Retirement Ceremony

As part of our Troop's identity we have decided to specialize in a Flag Retirement program. The following is our most recently developed program that was used during "Scouting on the Mall". Which we performed in front of the White House on the Mall in Washington DC.

There are three main groups in our program and a Master of Ceremonies. The groups are: Duty Honor Guard, Retirement Honor Guard and Cremation Honor Guard. Each group contains approximately five scouts.

Our normal area is laid out with the Flags to be retired located at one end, on white table cloths, properly folded and arranged for retirement as well as final viewing. The area is usually roped off with a white decorative rope and the United States Flag flies over the front or rear center of our area. The cremation area or burner area is located at the opposite side or corner from the flags. The center of the area is left wide open where the final rites of the flag are conducted. During the entire day as long as Flags remain to be retired an Honor Guard stands at ease or when approached comes to attention at the Flag table.

The ceremony begins with the Master of the Ceremony calling the Scouts to attention. The Retirement Honor Guard (RHG) assembles in the middle of the field near the Master and the Cremation Honor Guard stands ready at the burner unit. While the Duty Honor Guard comes to attention at their post.

The RHG moves to the table after appropriate commands of left/right face forward march etc. are given by the RHG commander. At the table they request permission to take a Flag for retirement. The Duty Honor Guard commander provides a flag and salutes its departure. The RHG does an about face and marches to the center of the field and does a wheel right/left to come about and face the Master and the crowd. Here the RHG asks for permission of the Master to retire the flag. Once it is given the flag is unfolded and held open a final Hand Salute is rendered by all of the Scouts present, then the flag is cut length wise separating the stripes from the upper half which includes the Canton (stars). Next the Canton is cut from the remaining stripes. This makes the flag no longer a flag and the three pieces are ready to be burned. The RHG reassembles and under proper command moves to the burner area where the pieces are presented to the Cremation Honor Guard, who place the flag on the burner. The two pieces of stripes are laid open on the fire first with the canton being the final piece spread openly on top. Once the flag is consumed and no parts are recognizable as a flag they report to the Master that the flag is retired. The Master then calls for the Honor Guards to post and then dismisses them except for the Duty Honor Guard who remain on station until relieved. The Scouts are rotated through these duties on a regular basis to give them experience and to allow others to share in standing watch.

The final flag of the day is usually the one that has flown over the days ceremonies. It is lowered and a new flag is hoisted to take its place. Then the entire ceremony is repeated as above for the final flag.

We are in the process of developing a patch to commemorate our ceremony that will include stars around the boarder that the Scouts will receive with each ceremony that they participate in, one day of flag retirement constitutes a ceremony. The grommets of the flags retired are also retained and presented to the scouts as tokens of their efforts. The flag ashes are ceremoniously buried, although there are little ashes left from the nylon style flags used today.

We have designed a propane tank, 55 gallon drum, with roofers torch burner unit on a wheeled base that we surround with white board and appropriate bunting for our burner unit.

These are the basics of our ceremony. Any one having comments or questions are asked to direct them to the Scoutmaster of Troop 829. We are open to suggestions and improvements.