A Flag Day ceremony, hosted by Marion Elks Lodge 32, will be held at Founder’s Park in on Church Street in downtown Marion at 6:30 pm on Flag Day, Monday, June 14th. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
With eight of the nation's historic banners behind them, representatives of the Marion Elks Lodge 32, assisted by local Boy Scouts, will conduct a ceremony that pays tribute to the Stars and Stripes and explains its history.
A reception with snacks and refreshments will follow the ceremony at the Lodge, at 130 South State Street. In case of inclement weather, the observance will be held at the Lodge.
Flag Day is an Elks tradition. Patriotism has characterized the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America since the early days of the organization. Allegiance to the flag of our country is a requirement of every member.
In 1907, the BPO Elks Grand Lodge designated by resolution June 14 as Flag Day. The Grand Lodge of the Order adopted mandatory observance of the occasion by every Lodge in 1911, and that requirement continues.
The Elks prompted President Woodrow Wilson to recognize the Order's observance of Flag Day for its patriotic expression. But it was not until 1949 when President Harry Truman, himself a member of the Elks, made the proclamation that thereafter June 14 would be a day of national observance for the symbol of our country.
To learn more about the Elks, visit www.elks.org. The local Marion Elks Lodge No. 32 was started in 1885, and is one of the oldest lodges in the country, and was the first lodge to be started in a non-metro area. President Warren G. Harding was a member of Marion Elks Lodge No. 32.
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