Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Flag Highlights: Flag Etiquette

We will be offering a series of blogs that highlight different traditions, facts and important information about the United States Flag.
These informational facts were taken from a Brochure published in 1966 and found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum located next to the Utah State Capitol building.

FLAG ETIQUETTE

-It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, the flag may be displayed at night upon special occasions when it is desired to produce a patriotic effect.

-The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

-The flag should be displayed daily, weather permitting, on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

-The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election day and should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

-No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy.

-The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the covering for the statue or monument.

-The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.

-"half-staff" is means lowering the flag to one-hour the distance between the top and bottom of the staff.

-That no disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United Stated of America, the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

-The flag should never be displayed with the union down save as a signal of dire distress.

-The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor or water.

-The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

-The flag should never be used as a drapery of any sort whatsoever, never festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.

-Bunting of blue, white and red always arranged with the blue above the white in the middle and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform and for decorations in general.

-During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in a review, all persons present should face the flag, stand at attention, and salute. Those present in uniform should render the military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove the head-dress withe the right hand holding it at left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Men without hats should salute in the same manner. Aliens should stand at attention. Women should salute by placing the right hand over the heart.

-When the National Anthem is played and the flag is not displayed, all present should stand and face toward the music. Those in uniform should saute at the first note of the anthem, retaining this position until the last note. All others should stand at attention, men removing their head-dress. When the flag is displayed, all present should face the flag and salute.

All words, and word usage, as been taken directly from this 1966 brochure.

1 comment:

  1. It's a great deal that people should know about the right and proper flag etiquette. We have to do it right. Learn more at colonialflag.com.

    ReplyDelete