Pre-Anthem Cer (1/14-20)

[ Note: Before starting this ceremony, CLICK TO CHECK 'TODAY'S FLAG STATUS'. If your state is at half-staff, memorize the honoree's name and job/position, so you can say it within today's pre-Anthem ceremony script below. In the best performance voice you have, we recommend that you read aloud all the ceremony text with 1 exception - do not read aloud any text with [ brackets ] around it. ]

Good afternoon / evening, ___(insert name of location - like "Shea Stadium")___
Welcome to today's
Beacon of Honor
Pre-Anthem Observance
[ for the week of January 14 - 20 ]

TODAY'S FLAG STATUS:

In our state, the Stars and Stripes flies at ___(say "full" or "half")___ staff today.
[End it here or read the following sentence if there is a half-staff in your state today]
[Optional - only say if your state is at half-staff today:]
The half-staff in our state is to honor ___(say full name of honoree)___ who served as a ___(say public servant job / position - such as firefighter, state rep, etc.)___ for our state.

[ Wright Brothers - first flight = public domain image ]

This week, on December 17th to be exact, we celebrate the Wright brothers making the first motor-powered airplane flight in 1903. It took three years of planning and testing before Orville and Wilbur Wright were able to reach their goal - becoming the first person to fly an airplane. On that famous day, they made four flights on the beach near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina - the longest flight only lasted about one minute.
Since that successful flight performance by the Wright brothers, Americans have been motivated to continue to be pioneers in flight - being the first persons on Earth to fly faster than the speed of sound, land on the moon, and fly a spacecraft back down to a safe landing on a runway.

Also, during this past week, thankfully, there have been no new fallen combatants to honor from the Global War on Terrorism.

via GIPHY

We now ask you to, please, stand, place your hand upon your heart,
and dedicate this Pledge of Allegiance to the Wright brothers and all the American pioneers of flight that followed them.

Thanks for participating in today's Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag
Pre-Anthem Ceremony
Now, go be a good citizen!!!

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END OF CEREMONY
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[Cover of U.S. Government Publication]

The U.S. Flag Code:
provides Our Flag's Rules and Regulations

[HIGHLIGHTS OF: The U.S. Flag Code stating how citizens should conduct themselves during this ceremony is below.]

Title 36, Chapter 10 PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS
National anthem; Star-Spangled Banner, conduct during playing:
During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should render the military salute at the first note of the anthem and retain this position until the last note. When the flag is not displayed, those present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.
Note: A new law was passed on October 30, 2008 that authorizes veterans and active-duty military not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem. This publication is currently being updated to reflect the new law.

Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery:
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.", should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.

Content Sources & Credits:
Sources: Click here to see our Sources for content research
Credits: Unless otherwise noted here, photos displayed each day are public domain images, pictures by Sean Sweeney, or used by permission.

To learn more about the Beacon of Honor nonprofit project, go to http://BeaconOfHonor.org
SF