Can we fly a flag if we are decommissioned

[mdaw]

Our Board of Governors recently voted to fly the Flag 24/7 as a sign of support for our men and women around the world. We are a Yacht club and we are currently decommissioned for the season. That means we normally don't fly the flag. My question si have we breached normal protocal? I haven't been to find any thing one way or the other. Can anyone help clarify this for us. Thanks

[Peter Ansoff]

Our Board of Governors recently voted to fly the Flag 24/7 as a sign of support for our men and women around the world. We are a Yacht club and we are currently decommissioned for the season. That means we normally don't fly the flag. My question si have we breached normal protocal?

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I think that there are two issues here: The commissioning status of your club, and flying the flag 24/7. I'll try to deal with each one in turn:

Commissioning: As far as the US flag code is concerned, you can fly the flag any time you wish, regardless of whether you are "in commission" or not. US Navy ships do not fly the flag when they are out of commission, but there is no reason that your club has to follow that precedent -- the club can establish whatever rules it wants. It might be good to specify that someone be designated to check on the flag periodically to make sure that it hasn't frayed or been pulled lose by high winds.

24/7: Paragraph 6 of the flag code says the following:

"It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness."

This paragraph was adopted in 1923, before flags were made of synthetic materials. The reasoning was probably that it made no sense to display the flag in the dark, because it would cause additional wear and tear and nobody could see it anyway. Modern nylon flags are very durable, and it's common for them to be flown 24/7, whether they're lighted or not. Many people think that flying the flag in the dark is a violation of the flag code but, as you can see from the above wording, it really isn't.

Hope this information is useful.

Peter Ansoff