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I just happen to be standing in front of the national park building in St John a couple of times when a park ranger or at least someone from the building came out and lowered the American flag in the evening and took it into the building. I was just curious if they do this everyday or if it was because of the rain? It seemed to me they don’t remove the flag often because both times the same person that removed the flag lowered it and proceeded to remove it, by wading it into a ball. There was no attempted at even a half way decent fold, the flag was just waded up in a ball. The first time I saw it I thought wow that person must be in a rush, then the next day I saw the same thing. I wasn’t thrilled to see that, makes me wish I wasn’t standing there to see that. But the second time I was just curious if it would happen again, and it did
I had a similar problem when I was in high school. I was (still am) a Boy Scout, and I was asked to be the "flag person". So I put it up in the morning and took it down in the afternoon. To do it RIGHT takes two people. Most of the time I did it alone. Few high schoolers in 1970 wished to be seen in the company of a Boy Scout. So I took Teddy Roosevelt's advice and "did the best I could with what I had..and did it NOW". I never wadded the flag up, folded it as good as I could single-handedly...and then took it inside and folded it the right way. I'd guess the Park has a similar problem. They tell someone.."Hey, go get the flag!",and that someone either doesn't know the proper way to lower it...or doesn't care...or there aren't enough people working there to do it properly...or isn't assertive enough to ask for help to do it. If I'm around at closing time I'll offer my assistance and see what the reaction is!
Thats terrible. Texasgirl...you should write them a letter. I'm sure thats not the image the NPS wants to portray.
Unfortunately, this is more common across the US and not limited to USVI. Canoebase is correct that the problem lies with allocating only one to do the job. If 'management' does not give importance to the task than the worker does the best they perceive possible. Does not excuse the practice but that is the reason.
To be honest, I was glad to see someone actually took the flag down at the end of the day as many companies fail to do that and then do not light the flag as required if left up through the night. Heck, some don't take it down in the rain either.
Did you salute while watching him take the flag down? We seem to have lost civil etiquette since they stopped teaching it in schools (or home). Probably to do with defending God in the pledge or something along those lines. 🙁
A group of my Scouts raised the flag at the recent camporee. I'm sure that everyone has a different way to do it, and the Scout way may be different than the military or National Park way, but when lowering the flag, one person lowers the flag and the other salutes until the flag is within reaching distance, and then he lowers his salute and grabs the flag so it doesn't touch the ground. The person lowering the flag unhooks it from the halliard and then they both fold the flag in triangles until it's folded completely with the blue field on top.
Did I salute ?? No, I guess i was too much in shock watching an adult (not high school kid) wad up a flag in a ball and walk into a goverment building.
My comment was aimed at the civics side we all forgot or were never taught. Whenever the flag is raised or lowered and you are witness, it is appropriate to salute (hand over heart for most of us).
Still do not excuse wadding the flag up in a ball. We can only hope they folded it properly when back indoors.
