American Legion’s Flags for First Graders teaches students about patriotism
“We’re here today to talk about the flag, the United States Flag,” says Jim Brock of the American Legion’s Forty and Eight Society to a room full of first graders. “How many of you know the Pledge of Allegiance?” he asks, and more than a hundred hands shot into the air in affirmation. “That’s great! Now, how many of you know what it means?” he questions, and the group begins to squirm, shrugging their shoulders in confusion.
“Well, don’t worry, because I’m going to teach you all about it,” says Brock. “First we’re going to start with this cartoon about the flag,” and as he readies the television the students break into applause and cheers. For them, this guarantees that learning about the flag will be fun.
For Brock and the other volunteers from the American Legion and the Forty and Eight Society, this means that the students will walk away with a bit more knowledge about the U.S. Flag and why we should all be proud of the history behind it. The cartoon teaches kids the meaning of words like “allegiance,” “liberty,” and “sacrifice,” and Brock talks about the evolution of the American flag and the history of the stars and stripes. Above all, the 30-minute presentation rings with the suggestion that we should all respect the flag and honor that “for which it stands.”
“Some of the kids are just amazed at what they learn,” says Harry Hittle, an American Legion volunteer who accompanies Brock on many of his trips to the schools. “We’re not trying to sell them on anything, just trying to teach them some things they might not already know.”
Brock, a retired postal inspector and member of both the American Legion and the Forty and Eight Society, started offering these presentations to schools as a way to “give something back” to his community. The Forty and Eight Fraternal Society, Voiture 1569 out of Lorton encouraged him to start the program in the Northern Virginia area, and Brock found the American Legion Post 10 out of Manassas to be incredibly supportive. With assistance from both groups, Brock has brought the Flags for First Graders program to ten schools across the county, with others requesting his presentation before the school year is over.
“It was a great way to reinforce the pledge with our students and a great introduction to our patriotic symbols unit,” says Angela Gregory, who worked with Brock to bring the program to Bristow Run Elementary School. “I would book it again.”
Brock has hopes of getting other American Legion posts involved with the Flags for First Graders program next year, allowing him to offer the presentation to all PWCS schools, as well as to other schools across the state.
As far as the students go, they are thrilled to get a flag of their own to keep, and go home with a coloring book and a good lesson about patriotism. After watching the program, one student says that he now knows the flag means that “everyone stands together to fight for America’s freedom.” Another student, from Coles Elementary School, says that she now knows the flag means “respect.”
To learn more about the American Legion and the Forty and Eight Society, go to www.legion.org.
4/10/06
