Did you know that a declaration to proclaim June 14 as Flag Day started with President Woodrow Wilson in 1916? Again in 1927, President Calvin Coolidge’s Flag Day proclamation went nowhere. Finally, in 1949, under President Harry Truman, Congress finally gave approval for June 14 to be observed nationally as Flag Day. But it is not a legal holiday, except in Pennsylvania, but we proudly honor our flag on that day.
Flag Day is also a good time to replace that flag that’s faded or a bit tattered. When you do replace it, the old one doesn’t go in the trash. The proper disposal of our flag is by burning it in a retirement ceremony usually done by scouts and veterans’ organizations.
In 2018, Danielle Eby chose to create flag disposal boxes out of wood and painted in red, white and blue for her Girl Scout Gold Award project, equal to Boy Scouts’ Eagle Award. With help from other scouts, her parents and others, the boxes were built and ready for old flags. Today, as in the beginning, the disposable boxes are conveniently located around town at the Brea Lions Scout Center, Brea Museum, Brea Senior Center, Brea Community Center, Brea Fire Administration offices in the Civic Center and at Birch Hills Golf Course.
Danielle’s parents, Denise and Dale Eby, currently maintain the boxes. Yes, Denise Eby is also Brea’s treasurer and Danielle is a senior at Northern Arizona University. “Last October,” said Denise, “I took a large quantity to the Orange County Fire Authorit.