[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. We recommend that you read aloud, in the best performance voice you have, all the ceremony text with 2 exceptions: 1) do not read caption text below pictures, and 2) do not read any text with [brackets] around it.]
Good afternoon/evening, USA!!!
Welcome to today's
Beacon of Honor
Pre-Anthem [History]
Ceremony
[for the week of July 30 to August 5, 2017]
Welcome to today's
Beacon of Honor
Pre-Anthem [History]
Ceremony
[for the week of July 30 to August 5, 2017]
[Note: You're welcome to play 'America the Beautiful', performed by the U.S. Army Field Band, in the background to enhance today's ceremony experience]
'Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag' ... to Inform and Inspire Citizens
TODAY'S FLAG STATUS:
In our state, the Stars and Stripes files 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 representative, police officer, etc.)___ for our state.]
[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 representative, police officer, etc.)___ for our state.]
THIS WEEK'S REMINDER FROM OUR FLAG:
... the land of the free and the home of the brave ...
THIS WEEK'S REMINDER FROM OUR FLAG:
... the land of the free and the home of the brave ...
On this date, August 1st, in 1779, Francis Scott Key was born. Does that name sound familiar? Do you know what he wrote?
The words to the Star-Spangled Banner came from Francis Scott Key's poem written about the "Defence of Fort McHenry" during the War of 1812.
Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and amateur poet, was aboard one of the British ships, off-shore from Baltimore, to negotiate the release of some American prisoners, when the British bombardment began. The British ships pounded Baltimore's Fort McHenry with cannonballs for 25 hours. To Francis Scott Key's amazement, on the morning of September 14, 1814, the huge 15-star American flag, which weighed around 500 pounds and took 11 men to raise on the flagpole, was still flying over Fort McHenry - signalling that the Americans had won.
"O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
This victory inspired Francis Scott Key to write his famous "Defence of Fort McHenry" poem. The poem was printed in a newspaper within a week and then put to music and renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner" soon thereafter.
Now, please, stand, place your hand upon your heart,
and make this National Anthem more meaningful
by honoring Our Flag and all the inspiring stories it tells
- like the origin Francis Scott Key's poetic words.
Only those Americans who are willing to die for their country are fit to live.
-Douglas MacArthur
Thanks for participating in today's Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag Ceremony
Now, go be a good citizen!!!
Now, go be a good citizen!!!
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END OF CEREMONY
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... And, here are more music selections to use with your flag ceremony ...
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
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[Incorporated as GivingVu.org, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit organization] All Rights Reserved.