Chamber Chatter for June 20th

As we count the days down to 4th of July celebration 2019 edition, we’d like to remind everyone that the big day in Marlow will kick off with a 9:15 a.m. Chamber-sponsored parade. Local businesses, churches, civic clubs and other organizations are always encouraged to be part of each of Marlow’s parades. Enter a float - walk - drive a car! With the holiday bringing so many alumni back home for “THE FOURTH,” and other invited summer holiday guests in town, let these visitors know you’re glad to have them here.

Most of the parade lineup is around the high school area beginning at 8:00 a.m. However, the horses and horse drawn are asked to unload at the City Hall building at 119 S. 2nd. Horses and horse drawn entries will be escorted to the lineup area right before the parade begins. Call the Chamber office (580-658-2212), and find out your entry’s lineup location.

The parade will feature a variety of competitive categories, including antique autos, tractor categories, floats, decorated bicycles, best motorized off road vehicle, and horses and horse drawn. Chamber officials ask that all off road vehicles be decorated with the 4th of July holiday theme.

With thoughts on the celebration of our nation’s Independence Day, and with last week’s June 14 Flag Day, it always a good time of the year to have a refresher course on when and how to display the U.S. flag. A visit to factmonster.com answers our questions. We learn from David Johnson that the United States Flag stipulates that as the symbol of a living country, the flag is considered in itself a living thing and should be properly displayed and cared for. The code outlines the proper ways to display the American flag.

Regarding displaying the flag in parades: “When the flag is carried in procession with other flags, it should be either on the right of the line of flags, or in front of the center of the line. On floats, the flag should be displayed on a staff.”

“The flag should not be draped over a car, train, or boat. When displayed with a car, the flag’s staff should be attached to the right fender, or the chassis. The flag should be held upright and should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental, state, or organizational flags may be dipped.”

As a reminder to those who choose to celebrate the Independence Day holiday with the flag, we are also reminded that “the flag should never be used as clothing, bedding, or drapery. Red, white and blue bunting may be used as decoration instead, with the blue on top, white in the middle, and red below.”

“The flag should never be part of a uniform, but a flag patch or lapel pin can be part of a police or other uniform. The flag should not be used to cover a statue or monument.”

How about some U.S. flag trivia by Jens T. Carstensen on mentalfloss.com? “The flag has always had 13 stripes….except when it didn’t. Upon welcoming Vermont and Kentucky – states 14 and 15 – into the union, a new version of the flag was created that had 15 stars and 15 stripes. As the U.S. continued to add new states, there was concern about having to continually add additional stripes. The solution: revert to 13 to represent the original 13 colonies, and let the stars do the heaving lifting.”

“When Alaska and Hawaii became states 49 and 50, President Eisenhower received thousands of ideas for an updated flag. Almost all of them were for a 50-star flag, including one from Robert G. Heft, a 17-year-old student at Lancaster (Ohio) High, who created the design for a class project. He was one of three to submit the version that as accepted and remains in use today. Robert got a B- on his project.”

“The 50-star flag is the first one to have lasted 50 years. In contrast, over a 50-year period in the early 1800s, the flag went through 17 different versions.”

Happy 4th of July to all! There’s nothing like a Marlow “FOURTH!”