Mark and Maggie knocked on the school plant manager's door. They liked Mr. Jeffries but they were just a little nervous about measuring up. They were the new flag monitors and they wanted to do everything just right.
"Come in! Mrs. Campbell told me she thinks you will do a good job." Mr. Jeffries welcomed the students. He was going to show them how to raise, lower and fold the United States flag daily for the school flagpole.
"Are you both ready to get started?" he asked.
"Yes!" they both answered.
"Mark, please pick up the flag from the shelf. Can you tell me what shape the flag is folded in and why?"
"It's in a triangle, but I don't know why."
"I think I know," said Maggie. "During the American Revolution the Minutemen wore three-cornered hats. The hats were big triangles, and the folded flag reminds us of that."
"That is exactly right, Maggie. I'll teach both of you how to fold the flag that way. Now let's go out to the flagpole and raise the flag."
At the flagpole Mr. Jeffries untied the rope for the flag. "First, notice that there is a metal ring at the flag's edge of the blue field. This is the top of the flag and the blue always goes up first. Mark, please hook the flag to the rope. Next, raise the flag until you see the bottom metal ring. It is next to the lowest red stripe. Maggie, you hook the bottom of the flag to the rope.
"Never let the flag touch the ground," cautioned Mr. Jeffries.
"Why is that important? It's only a piece of cloth," asked Maggie.
"Well, Maggie, would you step on a picture of your mother or of a best friend? After all, it's only a piece of paper."
"Of course not, that would show disrespect," answered Maggie.
"Well, this piece of cloth," explained Mr. Jeffries, "stands for your mother, all your friends and all other Americans, including you and me. That is why we should always show respect for it."
"Well, that does make sense," replied Maggie.
Mark piped up. "It also stands for American ideals, like the freedom of speech, and how we had to fight for those rights."
"That's true, Mark. Now that we all agree and the flag is hooked to the rope, go ahead and raise it quickly to the top of the pole." Maggie and Mark grinned at each other as they pulled the rope. The wind immediately caught the flag and they heard the flapping sound as it moved in the breeze. "Meet me here at the end of school and I'll show you how to lower and fold the flag."
