RETIRING OLD GLORY : FLAGS LAID TO REST AFTER LONG SERVICE.Byline: Ann-Marie Sanchez Daily News Staff Writer Dressed in dark trousers, suspenders and his best dress shirt, 17-year-old Rob McCallum belted out ``Taps'' with a reverence he says he never quite captured before. It was a song that McCallum had practiced many times with the Thousand Oaks High School Thousand Oaks High School is a high school established in 1962 and located in Thousand Oaks, California. It is a California Distinguished School, and offers curriculum at all levels for Thousand Oaks students. The mascot is the lancer. band. But during the Elks Lodge No. 2477 flag retirement ceremony Sunday, he found new inspiration. ``It's a lot better than just entertaining people and attempting to get into it. It's kind of nice to play something for your country,'' said McCallum, as he stood in the shade outside the Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. Lodge on Conejo School Road. More than 50 people showed up to pay tribute to Old Glory during the Elks Lodge annual ceremony, where members retire hundreds of old flags collected from local schools, service clubs and, frequently, families of deceased veterans. At the end of its life, a flag is burned as part of a ceremony, complete with salutes, music and a short memorial offered by the Elks. ``We have to retire our flag in an appropriate, patriotic and loving way,'' said Richard McCann Richard McCann is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, born in 1949. He currently lives in Washington, D.C., where he is a professor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at American University. , an Elks member. ``They've served their country and now it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for them to have their rest.'' Leading the ceremony were teens and children from Boy Scout Troop 754, Cub Pack 375, Explorer Post 2929 and Brownie Troop 575. The youngsters carried in various flags representing California, the Elks and the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . After Elks members offered praise and a brief history of the nation's flag, the color guard opened one retired flag and cut its red and white stripes one at a time to symbolize the original 13 colonies. Then the flag was placed on a flaming flaming - flame pyre. ``You just try to keep the aura as solemn and as respectful as possible,'' said Explorer Scout James Peters For the English long-distance runner see James Peters (athlete) James Peters was born in Salford on 7 August, 1879 and died on 26 March, 1954. He was a rugby union player and, later, a rugby league player. , 18. ``These are old flags and you don't want to throw them in the trash.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1--color) Rob McCallum plays ``Taps'' as flags a re retired at Sunday's last rites. (2--color) Jack Panczak of Elks Lodge No. 2477 lowers the first of three U.S. flags that were burned at Sunday's flag retirement ceremony. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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