Proud of My Boys & Proud To Be An American

This past year, Clinton and Benjamin sold 11 flag services to raise funds for Boy Scout Troop 67 to attend scout camp. For $50, they would set up and take down the 8ft. flag pole which displayed a 3 x 5 ft American flag. Many supplies had to be bought this year so the profit made on each service last year will not be as great as this year. Fortunately, Benjamin was able to completely pay for camp plus earn extra for the troop.

There were 7 designated holidays that the troop would do the flag service for, but Clinton and Benjamin added an 8th holiday. The holidays that they did were Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, September 11th, Veteran's Day, Pearl Harbor Day, and President's Day this year. Pearl Harbor Day was the day that they did extra for their customers.

The commitment they agreed to do for their customers was to have the flags up before 8:00am and taken down before dark. Most of the holidays that they put up the flags, Clinton was home or had off of work. On Flag Day though, Clinton still caught the 6:10am bus that would take him to the train station and go in to work. He and Benjamin woke up real early in time to set up the flags, take a shower, and head to work. It generally takes about an 1 1/4 hours to complete the set-up or take-down, so in all, it takes about 2 1/2 hours each holiday. They really got lucky this year, too, since it has been a very mild winter. They haven't had to drive the stakes into a hard frozen ground covered in snow. :)

Many of the customers have expressed how proud it makes them feel to look out their window and see such a large American flag. I know I love it, too, and I feel very proud to be an American. It looks great seeing the four flags that are along Woodridge Drive. We and three of our neighbors have them displayed at an angle so they can be more noticeable as they hang.

A few of their customers live a distance away, so the setting up and taking down of the flags takes longer than they would like. This year, the troop will be selling flag services again to raise money for camp. Clinton and Benjamin plan to sell to mostly neighbors and only local ward members so the driving distance will be shorter. Hopefully more neighbors along Woodridge Drive will be willing to allow this service. It surely looks wonderful to see several large flags displayed to honor and remember the holidays that our nation holds dear.