Venture students attend flag retirement

Veterans of Foreign War post 889 members in a flag retirement ceremony Wednesday honored a tired American flag that flew for years over Venture High School.

The veterans conducted the ceremony, organized by Kootenai County Republican Women Federated, to remove the flag from service and replace it with one donated by Post 889.

It’s an important symbol to celebrate and inspire patriotism with the kids, KCRWF President Davalu Cummings said.

While distributing copies of the U.S. Constitution to the high school seniors last year, KCRWF Americanism chair Beverly Guenette noticed the school’s flag was growing tattered with age and wear. Guenette and Cummings asked if they could formally donate a new flag to inspire pride and patriotism in the students.

During the ceremony, Post 889 veterans Lou Allert and Jeffrey Broadhead unfolded a coffin flag used to represent the one being retired from the school and Kootenai County Commissioner Bruce Mattare led students and staff in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mattare then described what each fold of the flag represented as the color guard refolded the flag for its retirement.

“The first fold symbolizes life,” Mattare said. “The second fold represents a belief in eternal life. The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans who gave their lives in defense of the country in order to attain peace throughout the world.”

Mattare continued through each fold until the last fold was carefully creased into a crisp triangle.

“The 13th and last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, ‘In God We Trust,'" Mattare said.

With the final fold, the veterans saluted the flag before taking questions from students in the audience.

“What do you do with the flag?” one student asked.

The retired flag will be brought to the VFW to be ceremoniously decommissioned and disposed of by burning it in a large metal box at the VFW Post in Coeur d’Alene, Allert said.

“Why fold it into a triangle?” another student asked.

“The triangle signifies the tricorn hats,” Broadhead said.

As the ceremony drew to a close, one student yelled “Woo U.S.A.!” as the veterans marched out of the gym, followed by KCRWF members in attendance.

“We’re an education club, so we want to educate,” Cummings said.

Club members encourage men and women to be actively engaged in local and state politics and are particularly engaged in getting students active in local government.

“We don’t want anybody to simply vote Republican because they’re told to,” Cummings said. “We want them to understand why they’re voting the way they are, why they believe what they believe and what the party platform stands for.”