The Santa Clarita Valley Elks Lodge No. 2379 held a special ceremony and presentation on Friday evening for National Flag Day to educate the community and younger generations on the history and significance of the American flag.
Scout troops No. 313 and No. 583 along with the Santa Clarita Valley Young Marines were in attendance, participating during the presentation and lending a helping hand when it was needed.
The Elks Lodge hosts the National Flag Day presentation every year as a requirement for the organization, but Elks member and ceremony chairperson Tom Schmidt aims at not just educating the attendees, but also bringing in new faces to learn about its importance.
“The first time I came [to the Flag Day presentation] there was very few people,” he said.
He wanted more people to come and learn about the history because it’s too important for it to be ignored, he said.
For the presentation, eight flags of the United States dating back to the year 1777 were put on display by the Scouts and young Marines as Elks Lodge members shared the history of each design and when it was introduced.
“I just respect our flags. A lot of our citizens died to make those flags for our country. It’s really important that we recognize that and these kids here recognize it,” said Schmidt.
Elks Lodge Chaplain Lia Piedra, a Marine veteran, delivered an emotional spoken-word presentation about what the American Flag represents.
“The stars and stripes, symbolizing the divine right of all to life, liberty, happiness, and peace under endowment by their creator … this is the heritage of the people of the United States … Such displays simulate our love for our nation and for what it stands for. They remind us of the sacrifices being made by the men and women of our armed forces around the world,” she said.
The ceremony is something close to Piedra’s heart because she has witnessed family members, including her son, and friends serve in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and the effects of it.
“It just makes it really emotional because I’m from a generation where we all went to Iraq and Afghanistan, and some people who haven’t come back,” she said. “It’s our history, it’s our country, our nation. It’s very important for the next generations to pick up the flag and carry it forward.”
After the presentation of the flags, the Young Marines and Scouts participated in retiring numerous American flags.
A burn barrel was used to appropriately retire a worn-out flag if it’s made out of cotton, and put to burn, said Wayne Edwards, exalted ruler of the lodge. If the flag is made out of nylon, people must cut the flag in a specific way and dispose of it, he added.
The Scouts and Young Marines were eager to learn more about the unique procedure and once they correctly put the flag in the barrel, they would salute in silence, paying their respects.
