COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Flag Exchange and Disposal Programs T


“As we drive and walk around our communities, we notice those American Flags that are in desperate need of replacement and proper disposal. Slip a Flag Exchange card inside a screen door or carry extra fl ags in your car and offer to exchange a community member’s fl ag on the spot! Proud may she wave!” – Mary Stroud, Americanism Ambassador


he U.S. Flag is a living symbol. We can keep it that way by helping our communities implement fl ag exchanges and/or fl ag


disposal programs. Do you see fl ags that are tattered and torn? Many people are unaware that the U.S. Flag should be properly displayed and properly retired. Consider being a resource for keeping fl ags in good repair in your community by hosting a fl ag exchange at your Auxiliary or Post.


You can get the word out by printing out and distributing cards (pictured above) from the VFW Auxiliary website, www.vfwauxiliary.org, under Programs, Americanism. Post these on community boards and let local businesses know. Community members and businesses can come to you to trade their worn out fl ag for a brand-new one. Then invite them to a fl ag retirement ceremony so they can learn how we dispose of worn fl ags properly. Providing a community fl ag disposal system is


another great option for collecting fl ags that should no longer be displayed. Consider making a public drop-off spot for fl ags in need of retirement. One way to repurpose that works really well is adapting an old mailbox to serve as a receptacle. To learn more about fl ag etiquette and disposal, visit www.vfw.org/fl ag/.


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