I’ve often wondered if the rules of flag etiquette I learned as a Girl Scout camper have changed since my camping days, because so often I see U.S. flags flying in all kinds of weather, and left out overnight. With the approach of our country’s 232nd birthday, I thought it would be a good time to brush up on proper flag protocol, and see how it compares to what I was taught.
In summer camp years ago, each day began with the flag ceremony—complete with honor guard and the Pledge of Allegiance. Every day ended with the ceremonious lowering and folding of the flag and the singing of “Taps.” We scouts were taught that these rituals were a way of showing respect for the U.S. flag and the country it represents.
Each of us was able to recite the basic rules of flag etiquette:
- Never let the flag touch the ground.
- Never dip the flag to any person or thing.
- Never fly the flag in inclement weather.
- Always take the flag down at dusk.
We learned the proper way to fold a flag; the honor guard did it as part of the end-of-day flag ceremony at camp.
But the standards of respect for the flag go beyond the four basic rules we learned at camp. In fact, they are codified in the United States General Laws—Title 4, Chapter 1. Laws specify that mutilation of the flag, or using it for advertising purposes, is punishable by a fine of up to $100 or imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
Guidelines in the general law state that it is customary to display the flag “only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open.” The code allows that “when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day, if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.”
The flag should be quickly raised and slowly lowered, with the respect that we scouts accorded it at the end of each camp day. Those present during the raising or lowering of the flag are expected to stand at attention, with the right hand over the heart, except for those in uniform, who should present a military salute.
The U.S. Code of Law says that, in a parade, when carried with other flags, the U.S. flag should be carried to the right or in front of, and higher than, the other flags. The flag shouldn’t be displayed on a float unless it is on a staff—it should not be draped over the hood, sides, or back of any vehicle.
The law goes on to specify how the flag should be displayed in a number of different circumstances, and states it should never be carried flat or horizontally, and should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.
When a flag has reached the end of its useful life as a fitting symbol of our country, it is to be disposed of by being burned “in a dignified manner,” according to U.S. law, and should never be put in the trash or recycled.
For details of the other specifications of flag protocol visit www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html.