President’s Message
Dear Compatriots,
As a reminder the chapter does not meet in the months of June, July or August. This means that the next time we meet will be on Tuesday, September 17th.
This month we celebrate Flag Day. We begin our dinner meetings reciting our pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, just as most of us as children started each school day reciting the same pledge. The first version of the pledge was written in 1892, when The Youth’s Companion, a Boston-based publication with about 500 thousand subscribers, suggested that a nationwide ceremony honoring the U.S. flag be held as part of the Columbus Day celebration. Ever since its creation by an act of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, the U.S. flag has been revered as a symbol of the American Republic. Soon after the creation of the flag, rituals and other practices for demonstrating respect were developed in the U.S. armed forces, but it took some time before formal guidelines were established for civilians.
The first national Flag Day was celebrated on June 14, 1916, following a proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson also led a celebration of Flag Day the following year, but national celebrations of the day were sporadic after that until 1949, when President Harry Truman signed an act of Congress designating June 14 of each year as Flag Day. As we pay tribute to the flag this year by displaying it, let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals of patriotism and freedom.
Civilian examples of respect and patriotism are all around us with friends, neighbors and businesses proudly displaying the flag of the United States of America. We encourage the recognition of such patriotism through awarding those patriots a SAR Flag Certificate. Please contact me if you have a candidate worthy of receiving a certificate.
I wish you all a terrific summer filled with joy, and I hope you will reflect on the sacrifices made by our patriot ancestors on the fourth of July.
Yours in Patriotism,
Barry Michaels