The sky was blue and the breeze was perfect on Tuesday, June 14, as Flag Day was celebrated at schools all across Hillsborough.
Though a range of special flag-related events took place, one element of consistency was the donation of a brand new flag for each school, given by the Hillsborough Girl Scouts.
“These flags are extra special,” explained Girl Scout Leader and Flag Day coordinator Karen Briegs. “Each flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on March 12th, which is date that the first Girl Scout troop was officially recognized in the United States — we call it the Girl Scout birthday.”
The idea started when troop leader Gwen Duralek noticed that some of the school flags were looking a bit worn. Ms. Briegs explained, “We thought a donation would be a great way to thank the Hillsborough school district for all they do for us as Scouts so I called on troop leader and Hillsborough Elementary School teacher Jen Hopson for advice, and we got to work!”
The two met with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jorden Schiff, who supported the idea wholeheartedly and helped introduce the concept to the school principals.
In preparation for the events of Flag Day, more than 50 Girl Scouts were trained in proper flag handing and etiquette by members of Hillsborough VFW Chapter Post 8371. Air Force veteran Joe Ortu, Navy veteran Keith Marley and Army veterans Tom Cellilli and Ted Dima presided over the session.
Mr. Dima, an officer in Chapter 27 Military Order of the Purple Heart, coordinated the event, and shared with the girls some interesting and little-known facts about the flag’s history — like the fact that Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross encouraged the use of a five-pointed star design even though President George Washington had originally requested a six-pointed version, a great lesson in how even the smallest actions can have big impact.
The veterans performed a flag-folding ceremony and then worked in groups with the girls to help them learn the skill. Girls also witnessed a color guard flag processional and were surprised at the difficulty when they each got to try carrying a flag on a staff.
“I volunteered to do the class in order to promote patriotism and pride in our country and flag. What better way to do that than by educating our children, in this case, Hillsborough Girl Scouts,” said Mr. Dima. “I was really amazed at their eagerness and willingness to learn as evidenced by their attention, answering questions and each having a hand in the flag-folding ceremony. I’m sure they will share their experience and teach others. Hopefully we have planted a seed that will continue to grow. I and my co-veterans were honored to participate. It gave us a sense of pride in sharing a little more knowledge about our flag and its history.”
When Flag Day dawned, Girl Scouts of all ages and levels arrived at their respective schools in full uniform and participated in a variety of events — most starting with a flag-focused morning announcement about the history of the flag and the meaning behind its colors. Several schools conducted a full flag switch or retirement ceremony, where the old flag was taken down from the flagpole and properly folded by the girls.
The bright crisp new flags were hoisted into the sky, where they were saluted with a heart-felt and moving pledge of allegiance.
Ms. Briegs noted, “We couldn’t have pulled off such a huge series of events for the girls to experience without a lot of help. Each school nominated a liaison to work with us, and adult volunteers from Girl Scouts attended to make sure it all went smoothly. All of the efforts were so worthwhile and resulted in a truly special day that these we will all remember.”
Jamie Cameron, a veteran of the Army and a teacher at Auten Road School, expressed her appreciation saying, “I am sure that (my students) all walked away with an understanding of the importance that our flag represents.”
Susan Eckstein, principal at Hillsborough Elementary School, summed it up, “The Scouts did a phenomenal job, and the heartfelt patriotism rang through the entire building. Perfect way to honor our country and our flag.”
The day ended with the Scouts presenting more than 25 well-worn flags to the Somerville American Legion Post12, where the veterans in attendance held their annual Flag Day retirement ceremony. First the flags were honorably taken out of service with some stirring words spoken by the members of the Legion, and were then given a proper retirement as they were burned — the correct way to dispose of a flag.
The sight of hundreds of flags being burned simultaneously is something to be witnessed and the Girl Scouts were hands-on with the experience, helping cut the flags into smaller pieces and carrying them with respectful attention to the pyres.
School presenters were:
HHS: Emily Everett, Emily Duque, Shree Raghavan and Kelly McSpiritt;
HMS: Fiona Lenzo, Mia Carley and Lauren Radomski;
ARIS: Kaitlyn LaMotta, Lauren Flynn and Isabelle Johnson;
Amsterdam Elementary: Charlotte Maloney, Sara Shiva-Shankar, Amanda Szwarc and Abigail VanLangen;
Hillsborough Elementary: Madison Borer, Ellie Bice, Kim Franco, Halley Murphy and Sarah Bragger;
Sunnymead Elementary: Victoria Szandrowski, Madeline Sawade; Julie McCloskey and Katelyn Meek;
Triangle Elementary: Colleen Mayer, Carlie Cascia and Sophia Gaudet;
Woodfern Elementary: Kathleen O’Brien, Alexa LaMotta, Vanessa LaMotta, Emily Minetti, Jordan and Abby Reigrod;
Woods Road Elementary: Hailey Bender; Mackenzie Norris; Alyssa Parola and Laura Weintraub.
