Flag Ceremony Etiquette
Katy observed at her local community’s Memorial Day
parade, and at other events she attended with flag ceremonies, that
people did not know the proper etiquette regarding raising and
handling the American flag. Katy connected with a member of the
American Legion, who then became her project advisor, to discuss ways
to educate youth on proper flag etiquette. She discovered that the
American Legion has a program that teaches third graders proper flag
etiquette, but Katy knew her project needed to extend to youths of all
ages. With guidance from her project advisor, Katy created a series of
flag etiquette guides, including an instructional video, a
step-by-step written booklet, and an educational workshop. All of
these elements ensured the sustainability of Katy’s project, as they
not only teach those who use them a new skill, they can be easily
shared and recreated. Additionally, Katy made these resources
available at her local library so that citizens of any age can learn
proper flag etiquette.
One of Katy’s goals for her
project was to educate and personally instruct 20 different groups
using the resources she created. Katy achieved that goal by
demonstrating her leadership ability through customizing how she
taught the different groups based on their ages, energy levels, and
enthusiasm, while learning how to be patient and enhancing her public
speaking skills. One unexpected success of her project was talking to
younger Girl Scout troops about opportunities available to them as
they get older. She discovered the younger girls were interested in
the badges and Journey awards on her vest and would often ask her
questions.
When asked what she learned through her Silver
Award project Katy said “be prepared to answer questions about Girl
Scouts and the Silver Award during your project because many people
will ask questions, not just about your project.”
Silver Award Girl Scout, Katy Hankinson
06 Apr 2020
