Local Elk's Lodge hosts flag retirement ceremony

JOPLIN, Mo. — A local Elk’s Lodge is honoring the American flag.

Saturday night the Joplin Elk’s Lodge #501 held a flag retirement ceremony.

Seven flags were brought to the lodge, retired and burned in a fire.

The Joplin High School JROTC presented the colors and laid each piece of flag into the fire.

The white stripes of the flag represent purity and charity, red stripes represent courage and the blue field represents a unity of the states.

“The Elks are distinctly American we have no foreign affiliates and intensely patriotic. It’s a part of our routine to honor our Veterans, our flag and our country,” said Don Cook, Joplin Elk’s Lodge #501.

The lodge will let the flag ashes cool then bury them.

Old flags will be accepted at the lodge throughout the year.

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