Program

Honoring Our Flag

The first part of my Gold Award project is called, “Honoring Our Flag.” This part focused speciafiacally on engaging fellow Girl Scouts in the projects goal. After conducting thorough research for my project I was knowledgeable enough to teach younger scouts about our flag’s history, how to fold the American flag into the ceremonial triangle, and how to properly retire American flags. I atteneded multiple local Girl Scout Encampment weekend retreats where I was a guest speaker for younger scouts.

I’m most proud of this aspect of my project because more Girl Scout troops are participating in flag retirement ceremonies thus lessening the backlog of aged flags awaiting disposition as well as increasing their appreciation and patriotism for our country.

One Star

Through the cooperation of local funeral homes and cremation centers, a new program entitled “One Star” has been established and made available at no cost to participants. Community members deliver aged and damaged flags to designated drop off locations. Those flags are then prepared and folded by volunteer JROTC students for proper disposition. Then the folded flags are paired and cremated with deceased veterans. Prior to cremation, one star is cut from the flag and later presented to the veterans’ family as a keepsake, honoring their veteran and the retired flag.

The on-going partnership between the American Legion, funeral homes, cremation services, high school JROTC chapters and the Girl Scout council will ensure my project’s long-term sustainability. Affinity Cremation and Cremation Center of Tampa Bay have agreed to directly manage the “One Star” program and its continued success. 

The supply of flags is continually dispersed between groups who mutually benefit from the ongoing cooperation of all stakeholders. The community member can honorably dispose of their aged flag. The ROTC students gain volunteer hours for folding the flags. The funeral homes receive an abundance of flags for deceased veterans. The families are presented with the “One Star” keepsake to honor their loved one.