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Show FLAG 157 YEARS OLD. Flag Day, on June 14, commemorates commemor-ates the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the national na-tional emblem, by an act of congress 157 years ago. During the Revolutionary war a number of unofficial flags of various designs appeared among the regiments regi-ments of the Continental army. " A flag adopted in 1775 had 13 alternate red and white stripes, representing the 13 colonies, but carried the British crosses of St. George and St. AndTew in a blue canton, to indicate that allegiance al-legiance to the king had not been renounced. re-nounced. Even after the Declaration of Independence in 1776, this flag was displayed by forts and .ships for several months. But on June 14, 1777, congress officially of-ficially adopted a new flag, in the following fol-lowing resolution: "Resolved, that the flag of the 13 United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing represent-ing a new constellation." When Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the Union, two stripes were added to the flag, making 15. T3llt if. wnc qppti tVinf tVic nHrHfimr n-F a stripe for each new state would spoil the symmetry of the flag, so in 1818 congress provided that in future fu-ture there should be only the original origin-al 13 stripes, but that a star should be added for each new state. The pretty tradition that Betsy Ross made the first flag according1 to a design suggested by Washington has been popularly accepted, but historians his-torians doubt its authenticity. Since its establishment in 189G, the observance of Flag Day has become widespread, and is the occasion for patriotic exercises, in which rpverence for the flag and all it stands for is inculcated. The Order of Elks has adopted a most inspiring ritual for its Flag Day ceremonies. |