Category: Developing Talents, Living and Learning the Gospel.
Duration: 1 hour
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Supplies:
Preparation:
- See if you can get access to the raise/lower mechanism for your building’s outdoor flag (some have a key lock on them to prevent vandalism of the flag).
- Print or write the following words from the Pledge of Allegiance and their meanings, with the words in red and the definitions in blue. Cut them out in strips of paper and hide them around the room.
| Pledge | promise |
| Allegiance | to be true |
| Republic | our kind of government |
| Nation | our country |
| God | the one we worship |
| Indivisible | that cannot be divided |
| Liberty | freedom |
| Justice | what is right and fair |
Spiritual Thought: coming soon!
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Activity:
1. Have the children find the slips of paper hidden around the room, then match the words with their meanings.
2. Discuss the pledge of allegiance and its importance to you.
3. Take turns reading the “Standards of Etiquette” on http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html up until the first red bar. Discuss.
4. Take turns practicing folding the flag (http://www.usflag.org/foldflag.html).
5. If your girls still have an attention span at this point, read or summarize the flag folding ceremony at the bottom of this page the last time you practice folding it. Count how many of the folds represent something religious.
6. If you have an outdoor flag, take a trip outside now and (using the guidelines found on http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html) practice raising and lowering the flag.
7. Have the girls discuss what the flag means to them.
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More Ideas
- This would be a great activity to combine with the cub scouts (since they need to learn this as an achievement and this is mostly copies right from their book!) or ask the older boy scouts to teach the girls. They can also show you a proper flag formation.
- If you are worried about having extra time, this quiz could be used to fill up the time.
- If you like bringing treats for your group, this is a healthy option you can bring or even learn how to make together.
- For your next activity, get each girl a flag, dowel for flag pole, and learn woodworking skills by making this flag stand so they have a flag to display at home during holidays.
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