Added: 01/06/2006 |
Celebrate Flag Day on June 14thThe Flag of the United States of America was born almost a year after the Declaration of Independence. The Stars and Stripes to which we pledge allegiance was authorized on June 14, 1777. The people of USA celebrate flag day on June 14th.
The United States Flag first flew in a Flag Day celebration during the first summer of the Civil war, when it was flown at Hartford, Connecticut on June 14, 1861. A few years later on June 14, 1877 the flag celebrated it's 100th birthday. At that time the U.S. Government requested that the flag be flown from all public buildings to celebrate its first century. Celebrate Flag Day became popular but not yet official.
Most early (1885 - 1900) Flag Day celebrations were independent activities, often as a part of school educational programs. A school district in Fredonia, Wisconsin began to celebrate Flag Day, followed by schools in New York a few years later. The Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia conducted a Flag Day celebration in 1891. By 1893 the children of Philadelphia were gathering at Independence Square to celebrate Flag Day. The following year (1894) 300,000 school children participated in Flag Day celebrations promoted by the Illinois American Flag Day Association. The popularity of the event, promoted by Veterans' and other patriotic organizations, quickly gained more support. Flag Day became a true "grass-roots" movement, flourishing under the patriotic efforts of educators and school children.
Finally, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a Presidential proclamation making June 14th a day of honoring flag and celebrating its birth.
It seemed that United States citizens enjoyed displaying their flags and celebrating its birth each year, but there was little consistency as there were no federal or state regulations to provide guidelines regarding display of the flag. Thus on Flag Day, 1923 the National Flag Code was adopted by the National Flag Conference. A similar conference the following year made some slight changes, and these guidelines became the basis for a joint resolution of Congress on June 22, 1942 (and amended December 22, 1942) to become Public Law 829; Chapter 806, 77th Congress, 2nd session. This series of activities provided all citizens with some basic principles to follow in display of the Flag.
Not until 1949 did the United States Congress take formal action on the matter of Flag Day. On August 3, 1949 President Harry S Truman signed their resolution "That the 14th day of June in each year is hereby designated as Flag Day." Today it is the right of every American to proudly display the flag that speaks of our freedom. But with every RIGHT comes some RESPONSIBILITY as well...including the responsibility to display the flag properly and with respect. In the following pages we will share with you just what that means.
Flag Day June 14 is celebrated by people of America. Appleton's Flag Day Parade has been held annually since 1950, the year after President Truman signed the June 14 as Flag Day law. The event has achieved the honor of being recognized as the oldest Flag Day Parade in the nation.
The first years were sponsored by the Appleton Elks Club, but the parade became an activity of the city government in the 1960s. For years, Delmar Bud Otis served as chairman of the event. His son Greg, succeeded to the job in 1984. Bud passed away on May 30, 1997 and the Bud Otis Memorial Flag Day Trophy is given to the best noncommercial entry.
In 2004, the estimated crowd for the parade was approximately 60,000 and more than 100 units participated.
The parade has become a success for many reasons, including solid community support and focus. The high standards originally developed by Bud Otis have also created a quality event.
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