Local Scout sets flag retirement ceremony

An Eagle Scout project collecting American flags for disposal comes to culmination next Monday, Memorial Day.

The collected flags will be burned Memorial Day at The Bridge on Bullhook Road Southeast at 3 p.m. during a Flag retirement ceremony.

In his Eagle Scout project, Kougar Lanier of Havre, 17, built five drop boxes in which people can drop flags to be retired and he has dispersed them on the Hi-Line. One box is at Spencer's Hi-Way Bar in Hingham, another at the courthouse in Chinook and three in Havre - at the Havre-Hill County library, Anthony Cammon State Farm Insurance Office and the Holiday Village Mall.

Lanier said about 100 flags have been collected since the boxes were laid out a few months ago.

Eagle Scout is the highest Boy Scout rank, and Lanier said he decided to focus the project on his earning the rank on making sure old or ripped flags can be properly disposed of. He said he noticed that some people had improperly gotten rid of their flags, and he felt a patriotic duty to remedy that.

"I like America, and I've just seen a lot of torn American flags around town, some in garbage cans," Lanier said.

The proper way to dispose of America flags, Lanier said, is to either give them to someone who knows how to properly retire them such as a Boy Scout, military veteran, or a military officer, who then would burn or bury them.

The grommets from the flags, Lanier said, will be given to veterans or family members of veterans.

Lanier said he wants to make the flag retirement ceremony an annual event. The public is invited to the burn ceremony at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, and Lanier also urged people to attend the flag ceremony at the Hill County Courthouse that morning, as well.