Little Falls, N.Y. â€"
It’s been called by many names â€" Old Glory and the Stars and Stripes. It’s had songs written about it â€" “The Star-Spangled Banner†and “Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue.â€But honoring the American flag, on what is now referred to as Flag Day, started with humble beginnings, according to USflag.org. According to the website, Flag Day began in 1885 in Fredonia, Wis., when 19-year-old school teacher Bernard J. Cigrand arranged for students at Wisconsin School District No. 6 to honor the flag in what he called, “Flag Birthday.†In the years that followed, Cigrand used newspapers and magazines to advocate for the observance of June 14 as Flag Day.It wasn’t until May 30, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson established June 14 as Flag Day, and it took an additional 33 years before President Harry S. Truman signed a declaration officially designating June 14 as National Flag Day.Locally, school districts continue the tradition of celebrating the day. At Benton Hall Academy in Little Falls, for instance, students participated in a ceremony that included performances, speeches on the origin of The Pledge of Allegiance and The Star-Spangled Banner and patriotic songs.“Every time a student in another school puts their hand over his or her heart to recite The Pledge of Allegiance, remember the pledge was written by Francis Bellamy, a man who was a pastor at the Baptist Church just down the street from our school,†Benton Hall Academy Principal Joseph Long said to students gathered in the school’s gymnasium on Tuesday afternoon.Long said while Bellamy did not write the pledge when he was in Little Falls, the students could still take pride in their community’s patriotic roots and connection to the man who penned the famous phrase, “I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America …â€In addition to the recitation of The Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner, the school’s fourth and fifth grade chorus sang “Fly High, You Grand Old Flag†during the annual ceremony Long said helps students gain a better understanding of the flag and its history.“It’s a great tradition and a great way to celebrate our flag and our country,†said Long.
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