1. LEARN ABOUT OUR FLAG

2. LEARN ABOUT OUR FLAG OBJECTIVES: Learn to properly fold the flag.
Learn the flag folding ceremony
Learn the importance of the flag
Learn the heritage of the flag
Learn when to fly the flag
Learn the Great Seal

3. Folding The Flag Step 1 To properly fold the Flag,
begin by holding it waist-high
with another person so that its
surface is parallel to the ground.

4. Step 2
Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges securely.
(A large flag may have to be folded lengthwise a third time.)

5. Step 3 Fold the flag again lengthwise
with the blue field on the outside.

6. Step 4 Make a triangular fold by bringing the striped corner of the
folded edge to meet the open (top) edge of the flag.

7. Step 5 Step 6 Turn the outer (end) point inward,
parallel to the open edge, to form
a second triangle
Step 6
The triangular folding is continued until
the entire length of the flag is folded
in this manner.

8. Step 7 When the flag is completely folded,
only a triangular blue field of stars
should be visible.

9. Meaning of Flag
Folding Program

10. FOLDING THE FLAG
WHY?
The flag folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our great country was originally founded. The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing states our veterans served in uniform. The canton field of blue dresses from left to right and is inverted only when draped as a pall on the casket of a veteran who has served our country honorably in uniform.In the Armed Forces of the United States, at the ceremony of retreat, the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle fold and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation’s honored dead. The next morning it is brought out and, at the ceremony of reveille, run aloft as a symbol of our belief in the resurrection of the body.

11. The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.

12. The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the
veteran departing our ranks and who gave a portion of life
for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; for as American
citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace
as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.

13. The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of
Stephen Decatur, “Our country,in dealing with other countries,
may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

14. The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces
that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found
within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

15. The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded
The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters
for the defense of our country since he or she was first born

16. The eleventh fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity
and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.

17. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.” After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.

18. Until the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, neither the order of the stars nor the proportions of the flag was prescribed. Consequently, flags dating before this period sometimes show unusual arrangements of the stars and odd proportions, these features being left to the discretion of the flag maker. In general, however, straight rows of stars and proportions similar to those later adopted officially were used. The principal acts affecting the flag of the United States are the following:

19. On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white;
that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

20. Act of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes
and 15 stars after May 1795.

21. Act of April 4, 1818 - provided for 13 stripes and
one star for each state, to be added to the flag on
the 4th of July following the admission of each
new state, signed by President Monroe.

22. Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, established proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of
eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.

23. Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.

24. Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically

25. HOLIDAYS TO DISPLAY THE FLAG
New Year's Day Inauguration Day Martin Luther King's Birthday Lincoln's Birthday Washington's Birthday Easter Sunday Patriots Day, April 19 National Day of Prayer, the 1st Thursday of May Mother's Day Armed Forces Day Memorial Day
Flag Day Independence Day, July 4th Labor Day Constitution Day Columbus Day, October 12th Navy Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Election Days
and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States

26. Memorial Day Flag flown at half staff until 12 0’clock noon Half Staff
Then raised to full staff

27. The custom of flying the flags 24 hours a day over the east and west fronts was begun during World War 1. This was done in response to requests received from all over the country urging that the flag of the United States be flown continuously over the public buildings in Washington, DC.
Presidential proclamations and laws since that time authorize the display of the flag
24 hours a day at the following places:
Many other places fly the flag at night as a patriotic gesture by custom.

28. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore,
Maryland (Presidential Proclamation No.2795, July 2, 1948).

29. Flag House Square, Albemarle and Pratt Streets, Baltimore Maryland
(Public Law , approved March 26, 1954).

30. United States Marine Corp Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia
(Presidential Proclamation No.3418, June 12, 1961).

31. On the Green of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts
(Public Law , approved November 8, 1965).

32. The White House, Washington, DC. (Presidential Proclamation No.4000,
September ).

33. Washington Monument, Washington, DC. (Presidential Proclamation
No.4064, July 6,1971, effective July 4, 1971). Fifty flags of the United
States are displayed at the Washington Monument continuously.

34. United States Customs Ports of Entry which are continually open
(Presidential Proclamation No.4131, May 5, 1972).

35. Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park,
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (Public Law 94-53, approved July 4, 1975).

36. Sentimental writers and orators sometimes ascribe meanings to the colors in the flag. The practice is erroneous, as are statements on this subject attributed to George Washington and other founders of the country.
From the book "Our Flag" published in 1989 by the House of Representatives…

37. "On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to devise a seal for the United States of America.
This mission, designed to reflect the Founding Fathers' beliefs, values, and sovereignty of the new Nation, did not become a reality until June 20, 1782.
In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning. Even colors have specific meanings.
The colors red, white, and blue did not have meanings for The Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 1777

38. However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings
However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings. Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, reporting to Congress on the Seal, stated:
"The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America;
White signifies purity and innocence,
Red, hardiness & valour,
and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice."

39. Also this from a book about the flag published in 1977 by the House of Representatives…
"The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial;
the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."

40. The quote below concerning gold fringe on the Flag is from the book "So Proudly We Hail,
The History of the United States Flag" Smithsonian Institute Press , by Wiliam R. Furlong and Byron McCandless.
"The placing of a fringe on Our Flag is optional with the person of organization, and no Act of Congress or Executive Order either prohibits the practice, according to the Institute of Hearaldry.
Fringe is used on indoor flags only, as fringe on flags on outdoor flags would deteriorate rapidly. The fringe on a Flag is considered and 'honorable enrichment only', and its official use by the US Army dates from A 1925
Attorney General's Opinion states: 'the fringe does not appear to be regarded as an integral part of the Flag, and its presence cannot be said to constitute an unauthorized addition to the design prescribed by statute.
An external fringe is to be distinguished from letters, words, or emblematic designs printed or superimposed upon the body of the flag itself.
Under law, such additions might be open to objection as unauthorized; but the same is not necessarily true of the fringe.'"
The gold trim is generally used on ceremonial indoor flags that are used for special services and is believed to have been first used in a military setting. It has no specific significance that I have ever run across, and its (gold trim) use is in compliance with applicable flag codes and laws.

41. THE GREAT SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES

42. THE GREAT SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OBVERSE
CHIEF
PALE
ESCUTCHEON (SHIELD)

43. SINISTER (ON THE LEFT SIDE) A BUNDLE OF THIRTEEN ARRORS
OBVERSE
GOLDEN GLORY
CONSTELLATION OF
THIRTEEN STARS
IN HIS BEAK A SCROLL,
WITH THE MOTTO,
“EPLURIBUS UNUM”
ESCUTCHEON (SHIELD)
SINISTER (ON THE LEFT SIDE)
A BUNDLE OF THIRTEEN ARRORS
DEXTER (RIGHT) TALON
AN OLIVE BRANCH

44. REVERSE UNFINISHED PYRAMID ANNUIT COEPTIS ZENITH GOLDEN GLORY
EYE
ANNUIT COEPTIS
ZENITH
GOLDEN GLORY
NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM
MDCCLXXVI

45. Folding The Flag OBJECTIVE: Learn to properly fold the flag.
Learn the flag folding ceremony
Learn the importance of the flag
Learn the heritage of the flag