Warren County Civil Air Patrol Cadets and Chief Cornplanter Council, Boy Scouts of America, raised the American Flag and saluted at the Flag Day celebration held at the Elks Lodge #223 on Friday. Pictured are CJ Mix, Xavier Pantoja, and Star Nicholson, members of BSA, and Nicholas Wiler, Gretchen Wiler, and Wyatt Tombaugh, Civil Air Patrol Cadets.

hcathcart-norris@timesobserver.com

Members of Elks Lodge 223 recently hosted the lodge’s 116th Flag Day observance.

Flag Day commemorates June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress determined the flag’s composition: that the flag include 13 stripes alternating between red ad white, with 13 white stars in a blue field that represent the new nation.

27 official flag versions have existed since that original composition, Lt. Col. Thomas Brown, Commander of Warren County Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron, addressed the crowd, emphasizing that the flag has always symbolized strength, sacrifice, and freedom. Brown also highlighted the importance of service to the community and country.

In addition to the members of Warren Elks Lodge No. 223, the Civil Air Patrol Cadets, and the Chief Cornplanter Council, Boy Scouts of America, Warren County native Jack ‘JD’ Barnes Shaw, a recent graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy was also in attendance.

As a reminder, the Woman’s Club of Warren is collecting worn-out and torn U.S. flags. The club has partnered with the Boy Scouts to properly dispose of flags. A collection box marked for flags is available at the side door of the Club. The flags will be disposed of during a flag retirement ceremony performed by local Scouts.