Scout Flag Ceremony - Crossing the Colors

[altairPDX]

I hope you can help, because we recently ran into a little confusion. A number of us were taking a Flag Etiquette class at a recent BSA training event, and were discussing the opening flag ceremony. Most units have two flags in their ceremony - a U.S.A. flag and a unit flag. The flags start at the back of the room, the audience rises and faces the podium/stage, and the flags are brought in. From the audience's perspective, the U.S.A. flag is on their right-hand side, and the unit flag is on their left. But, when they get to the front the flags cross, so that the U.S.A. flag ends up at the right-hand side of the stage (left-hand side from the audience's perspective), and the unit flag is at the left-hand side of the stage.

The question arose about how it is proper to 'cross the flags'. Everyone agrees the U.S.A. flag is supposed to cross in front of the lesser flags, but there was a disagreement as to whose perspective that was from. The instructor of the class was certain that it was in front, from the perspective of the audience (that is, for a short moment the U.S.A. flag was obscured by the unit flag), while the rest of us had always understood the U.S.A. flag should be in front from the perspective of the stage/podium (i.e., the U.S.A. flag should never be obscured from view of the audience).

We searched through the U.S. Code, and I've searched on the Internet, but haven't found anything.

Comments?

[Patriot89]

I believe the answer to the question is in section 7 of the flag code which states:


United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag


7. Position and manner of display


The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.


Find the entire code here - Flag Code


The key phrase being “should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right”. I have always been taught that the location of the audience is irrelevant. That the “front” and the “right” are determined by the direction of the flag’s travel. For example when a color guard marches into a football stadium or down the center aisle of a gathering it does not matter that the flag is surrounded by the audience. The Flag is on “the Flag’s own right”. Similarly when the flags cross in the front of the gathering the audience is once again irrelevant. The direction of the United States Flag’s travel determines the “front” or the “right”.


I think the key here is to put ourselves in the position of the flag. Does the Flag of the United States of America wait for a State or organizational flag to cross its path before proceeding? Does the flag of a State or an organization take the position of honor to the right of the United States Flag? The answer to both of these questions of course is no. So why should the United States Flag subordinate itself to another flag just so the audience can see it as it crosses from one side of the stage to the other? The answer is it shouldn’t. No flag should pass in front of or to the right of the United States Flag.


I’m curious to hear what others think about this topic.


Sample flag ceremonies :
Flag Ceremony
http://www.troop104tx.com/pdfs/Boy_S...g_Ceremony.pdf
Flag Ceremony