Flag ceremonies

[Walkman]

My wife's a cub scout den leader and she asked us about how we do the flag ceremony at our meetings, since she had to do one for pack meeting. I haven't seen a flag ceremony at our squadron, and really didn't notice until she mentioned it. My wife was really surprised, considering who we are. The BSA does the Flag & Pledge all the time.

So, is my composite sqdn not doing it right, or is it not something we do regularly? And if not, why not? We've got a color guard that competed in NCC last year, so we know how to do one, for sure.

[jb512]

We don't do a "pledge" at the beginning of meetings like a school or boy scout meeting.  CAPR 900-2 has our flag etiquette information in it:

http://level2.cap.gov/documents/u_082503081227.pdf

[Eclipse]

We don't do a "pledge" at the beginning of meetings like a school or boy scout meeting.  CAPR 900-2 has our flag etiquette information in it:

http://level2.cap.gov/documents/u_082503081227.pdf

How you start a meeting is really up to the commander, and in many place is dependent on time and where you meet.

There are plenty of units that start off the meeting with the Pladeg of Allegiance and the Safety pledge or cadet oath.

[SAR-EMT1]

Start every meeting with color guard posting colors, National Anthem, Cadet Oath and Safety Pledge. End every meeting with Retreat and color guard taking flags away.

BTW, two other units Ive been to did it the same way. Which begs this question: If not now, was there at one time a format for opening/closing meetings?
Or might this have even been a Wing Directive several years back?

[jimmydeanno]

WIWAC, our squadron had the flags already posted to save 20 minutes of the precious 2.5 hours per meeting.  We didn't do the pledge of allegiance, however, at opening formation, the National Anthem was played, the cadets then said the cadet oath.

Closing formation was just a "fall-in" followed by announcements and a "dismissed."  I could see it as rather tedious to have to suit up a color guard twice per meeting...

[Cobra1597]

Start every meeting with color guard posting colors, National Anthem, Cadet Oath and Safety Pledge. End every meeting with Retreat and color guard taking flags away.

Somewhere in all of that you have time for the actual meeting, right?

Practicality really has to be taken into consideration when adding all of those things to a standard meeting. It was a bad enough waste of time when they required us all to recite the safety pledge during every activity, and they did remove that requirement (AFAIK), so I'm not going to keep doing it. I have better things to do, like include a better AE current events update.

Also, what if a squadron doesn't HAVE a color guard team? Sure, it is nice to imagine that we all do, but in practice that simply isn't the case. When I competed as a cadet for color guard in Mass Wing, out of 20 some odd squadrons only 4 sent teams.

Seriously though, after taking the time to do all of those things you suggest, you may have lost a quarter of the meeting time.

[floridacyclist]

I wouldn't consider it a 100% loss of that time..you do learn some things from paying proper respect to our flag and what it stands for.

[Short Field]

A long drawn out flag ceremony every meeting can take up too much time.  However....having members face the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance is never a waste of time...

I belong to several organizations - none of them start their meetings without reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

[jimmydeanno]

A long drawn out flag ceremony every meeting can take up too much time.  However....having members face the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance is never a waste of time...

I belong to several organizations - none of them start their meetings without reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Traditionally the pledge is not recited in formation.

(3) Pledge of Allegiance. Honors to the flag during the
Pledge of Allegiance are similar to those rendered during the
playing of the National Anthem or "To the Colors."

(a) Military Formations or Ceremonies. You do not
recite the Pledge of Allegiance while in military formation.

(b) Outdoors. When in military-style uniform, you stand
at attention, face the flag, remain silent, and salute.

(c) Indoors. When in military-style uniform, stand at
attention, face the flag, but do not salute. You may recite the
pledge indoors.

[MIKE]

One of the things I find odd with the Aux is we stand and recite the pledge as if we were in "civilian clothes" even when in uniform.

A.6. Pledge of Allegiance When the Pledge of Allegiance is given, all (in uniform or not) should place the right hand over the heart.

[SJFedor]

One of the things I find odd with the Aux is we stand and recite the pledge as if we were in "civilian clothes" even when in uniform.

A.6. Pledge of Allegiance When the Pledge of Allegiance is given, all (in uniform or not) should place the right hand over the heart.

Silly auxies....

[SAR-EMT1]

One of the things I find odd with the Aux is we stand and recite the pledge as if we were in "civilian clothes" even when in uniform.

A.6. Pledge of Allegiance When the Pledge of Allegiance is given, all (in uniform or not) should place the right hand over the heart.

Never been like that in my Flotilla or even in my Division.
In uniform, stand at attention, out of uniform, hand goes over heart.
FTR- I never knew that COMDTINST existed, and I will bring it up with my FC.

[MIKE]

FTR- I never knew that COMDTINST existed, and I will bring it up with my FC.

COMDTINST M16790.1F is/= Auxiliary Manual

[RiverAux]

It is a naval tradition that was passed down to the Aux.  Not sure why the difference between the services on this. 

Back on topic -- I get tired enough of posting/unposting the colors at Wing conference (those young kids could and should move faster!  ) that I can't imagine going through all that at every meeting.