U.S. Army Soldiers with Able Company, Recruiting and Retention Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard, taught Cub Scouts how to properly fold the American Flag for a military funeral ceremony at Conlon Hall, in Bergenfield.
During the lesson, the Scouts also learned about the meaning and importance of the flag at half-mast, and how to appropriately destroy one when it is no longer fit to be displayed.
Congress officially adopted the Stars and Stripes as the symbol of the United States of America on June 14, 1777, at the height of the Revolutionary War against the British monarchy.
Originally it consisted of 13 red and white stripes and 13 stars, to represent the original 13 colonies united.
As the nation grew, so did the flag, which was changed to include 50 stars representing each of the 50 states.
More than two centuries later, in 1998, the United States Flag Code was adopted to set forward advisory rules on the proper display and care of the national flag.
The code stipulates that the flag must never be flown in inclement weather, nothing should be touching beneath it, it should never be strewn on the ground, and that it should be cleaned and mended when necessary.
Teaching the flag folding ceremony to the Cub Scouts of America is believed to teach the youth of Bergenfield the history and traditions involved in rendering honors at a funeral.
These U.S. Army National Guard photos were taken by Spc. Seth Cohen.