Meeting on the 1st Thursday of each month at 6PM at 60 New Legion Road, Double Springs, AL 35553. Click here for map.
Phone Number: (205)549-3177

Post 184 Hosts 2020 Flag Day Ceremony

On June 14th, Garrison-Bonds Post 184 hosted a Flag Retirement Ceremony in honor of Flag Day. Girl Scout Troop 10706, Scouts BSA Troop 92, and Cub Scout Pack 92 played an active role in the ceremony. The event was opened by Winston County Commander, Bud Nixon, who explained the purpose of a flag retirement ceremony to the attendees. He, along with the event's guest speaker, LTC (ret) Grant Atkins, USARNG, then retired an unserviceable Thirteen Star flag while explaining its significance as our Country's first official flag. Following this, Mr. Justin Guin, Associate Minister for the Double Springs church of Christ and den leader for Pack 92, led the opening prayer.

After the prayer, LTC (ret) Atkins addressed the audience. He explained the role that Scouting had played in his life and told what it meant to him to be an Eagle Scout. LTC (ret) Atkins, the Commander of Franklin Post 64 in Russellville, presented certificates to three young men who had earned Eagle Scout recently: Hunter Fields, Logan Lewis, and Mitchell Taylor. LTC (ret) Atkins then asked all Eagle Scouts in the audience to stand and be recognized.

Following the presentation, Commander Nixon led the audience in an acapella rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.

After singing the National Anthem Troop 92, led by Scoutmaster Larry Gillentine in retiring a single flag. Two Scouts held the flag as Scoutmaster Gillentine announced: "This flag has served well and long. It is no longer a fitting emblem to display, so we are respectfully retiring it today." When Mr. Gillentine finished speaking a third Scout cut away the bottom stripe and placed it on the fire. Each of the remaining Scouts from Troop 92 in turn made a patriotic statement, cut a stripe away from the flag and placed it on the fire. As the stripes were cut away, the blue field remained, of which was said: "Each state is being represented by a star on a field of blue, which signifies a new constellation being formed. As we place it in the fire, let it burn brightly and remind us how well our flag represents our country." Scoutmaster Gillentine then led the audience in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.



Beginning with Girl Scout Troop 10706, each Scout present then carried a flag to the burn barrel to be retired. Once all the Scouts had retired a flag, members of the community present were given opportunity to retire a flag. In all, approximately 200 flags were retired.

The ceremony was closed out by Jeremy Blevins, Boy Scout Committee Chairman for The American Legion Department of Alabama, who also serves as Cubmaster for Pack 92.