I just returned from a 24-hour outdoor leader training session down at the Heard Scout Pueblo. A bunch of adults from all over the area get together and took classes to learn the skills the boys need to go from Scout through Tenderfoot and Second Class to reach the rank of First Class.
It was a good experience and even we long-time scouters and former scouts learned something new. I had forgotten how to tie a bunch of the knots, remembering only the square knot and the clove hitch. Good review. And, of course, everyone shared different things that work in their units.
Last night, we had a campfire program with commentary on what types of things to include, when to do different kinds of events, and even how to build a campfire so that it burns top-down and lasts about the right length of time. It’s a different kind of fire set-up than you would use to cook over.
Since the bulk of our training session occurred today, on September 11, we did something special. The Boy Scouts are one of the few organizations who know how and are willing to dispose of old beat up and tattered American flags. The proper way to retire a damaged flag is by incineration.
This is nothing like the flag burning done in protest. This is done with dignity and respect. In years past, a flag would be disassembled before incinerating (except for the union–the blue field with white stars–which are burned as a group. This apparently became standard after the Civil War as a way of stating that the states are never again to be separated.)
Today’s protocol is to burn the flag whole by placing the flag over the fire then folding the four corners in over the center. We retired 12 flags last night, and in some cases people made dedications. I made a dedication to my cousin’s son who was in Iraq.
