|
2torial #0903:
Learn2 Fold an American Flag
Don't get sloppy with Old Glory!
Flags are more than scraps of colorful cloth:
they're supposed to mean something--to
symbolize the country itself. Think what you will
about such sentiment, but many a nation takes its
symbolism seriously. The United States is no
exception: the simple act of folding the national
flag requires a unique ritual with its own rules
and regulations. If the end result isn't a neat
triangle (supposedly reminiscent of our
forefathers' tricorner hats), you've done it wrong.
Flag-folding does take some practice, but the
task isn't exactly rocket science. As long as
you've got an awareness of flag etiquette (a few
simple rules) and a friend to help you out,
mastering the art of getting the flag in that neat
little triangle will have you looking like the best
girl scout or marine in town. (It's also an
impressive trick to flaunt come Fourth of July or
Veteran's Day.) This 2torial shows you how.
Know your flag! When the flag was first adopted
in 1777, the U.S. Continental Congress justified
the flag's attributes this way: "White signifies
Purity and Innocence; Red, Hardiness and Valor;
Blue signifies Vigilance, Perseverance and
Justice," with the stars forming "a new
constellation."
With a description like that, it's no wonder
that handling a simple cloth of red, white and blue
has such complicated procedures. So
it's a good idea to know some of the terminology
associated with the folding procedure:
Colors: a hueful name for the flag itself
Color guards: the folks who raise, lower
and safeguard (and usually fold) the flag in a
flag-raising ceremony
Halyard: the rope used to raise and lower
the flag
Union: the upper inner corner of the
flag. For our purposes, it's the field of blue
covered by 50 white stars.
The actual hoisting, lowering and flying of the
American flag is another ball of yarn so complex
the flag's uses and abuses are outlined in Title 4,
United States Code, chapter 1, sections 1 and 2,
and Executive Order 10834. But most of the time we
just want to fold the darn thing correctly, so
we'll leave the superofficial stuff up to the
superofficials.
 Step
1
| 
