June 14 is Still Flag Day

Flag day, June 14, right in the middle of the month, has rarely gotten much attention. It commenorates the day that the basic ‘stars and stripes’ motif was approved by the Second Continental Congress and is, coincidentally, associated with the formal establishment of the US Army.

But it didn’t make it to the status of National Flag Day until Congress proclaimed it so in 1949. At the other end of our county, Quincy, has had an annual Flag Day parade since 1952 and claims it "is the longest-running parade of its kind" in the U.S.

Local Elks Lodges throughout the United States and beyond celebrate Flag Day as they have every year since 1908. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is the only fraternal organization to require a formal observance of Flag Day. In fact, according to the organization, it was president Harry Truman, himself an Elks member in Independence Missouri, who signed the act of Congress that dedicated June 14 to the symbol of the nation.

The Franklin Elks Lodge 2136, went big on Flag Day 2018, presenting an enormous flag, shown above, to the Franklin Fire Department.

This year’s Quincy Flag Day was celebrated on Saturday with an evening parade followed by fireworks. Mark your calendar for 2023!