SHREWSBURY – Do you have tattered or unused American flags lying around? You now can dispose of them in Shrewsbury.
On May 28, local Boy Scouts unveiled a new American flag disposal box that will be placed in front of the Shrewsbury Fire Station. An induction ceremony for the box was held to introduce the box; Select Board members, police officers, and firefighters were in attendance.
Evan Romano, a junior at Shrewsbury High School who has been participating in Boy Scouts for the last decade, created the box as part of his Eagle Scout project.
“I saw on social media someone else had done a box like this, and I did a Google search and there were none in our area,” Romano said. “I figured that there has to be a place for these flags to be retired, so I decided to do it as my Eagle project.”
The first flag was placed in the box at the induction ceremony; the Boy Scouts retired the tattered flag hanging outside the fire station. Afterward, the Scouts delivered several speeches about the importance of properly disposing of American flags.
Once the box is full, the troop will burn the flags at a ceremony. According to Joseph Yu, one of the scouts who assisted with the project and ceremony, burning is the most respectful and dignified way to dispose of the flag.
“While burning may initially seem paradoxical to the notion of respect, it is crucial to understand the symbolism,” he said. “The act of burning the flag is not one of destruction, but a ceremonial act of reverence. It is a way of ensuring that the flag is not discarded carelessly, but instead given a dignified farewell.”
Romano hopes that the community will utilize the new flag disposal box.
“I would really encourage the use of this box. I think it’s a great resource for our community. I hope that everybody that finds out about this box finds something in their basement or wherever they can find one and bring it here,” he said.
“It really is important to [give] the dignity and respect our flag is due,” Romano said.
