History of Flag Day – Remland Insurance
The
flag is raised and flying high today at Remland Insurance in honor of Flag Day,
the United Stated Army 238th Birthday. But the main reason we hang out flag outside
every day is because…we are so proud to be Americans! This is truly the best
country in the world and we are so fortunate to do business in the City of
Orange, a truly patriotic town!
The
Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea
of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first
originated in 1885. A school teacher by the name of BJ Cigrand, arranged for
the students in the Wisconsin Public School District to observe June 14 (the
108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag
Birthday.’
On
June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned
appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of
observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New
York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day
celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the
Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.
In 1894, the governor
of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public
buildings in celebration of the holiday. The American Flag Day Association was
organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises all
across the states. On June 14th, 1894, the first public school children’s
celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt,
Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children & adults
participating in the celebration and ceremonies.
Franklin K. Lane,
Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he
repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him: “I am what you make me;
nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of
yourself.” On August 3rd, 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress
designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day which
is why we celebrate today!
