Scouts’ annual flag retirement spurs social media criticism

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 6, 2026

EVERETT — For two years, Snohomish County has partnered with a Lake Stevens Scouting America troop to ceremoniously retire hundreds of American flags on Flag Day.

This year, the process was recorded and posted to multiple social media platforms. Those posts generated more reactions than any other Public Works post.

“When you get onto social media and the first thing you see are a bunch of kids burning a flag, I mean, that’s going to catch your — get your attention,” Public Works spokesperson Bill Craig said in an interview Wednesday. “People have their own ideas, and no matter what you tell them, they are just going to want to do what they know to be right.”

An overwhelming number of the public comments were positive, Craig said. However, some people criticized the scouts’ process, he added.

“‘This is not the way you’re supposed to retire a flag. No, you’re supposed to cut into the strips and then make sure you don’t burn the stars,’” Craig said, paraphrasing some of the comments.

In a Wednesday interview, Scout Master Corwin Loreman for Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts) Troop 36 in Lake Stevens said that people are entitled to their opinions, but many of the commentators were misinformed.

“I think most people’s exposure to flag retirement ceremonies are probably through military processes or through retiring a single flag,” Loreman said.

Many comments discussed folding the flag before burning. Others said the flag should be cut into strips. More recently, burying the flag has become popular because many are made using synthetic materials, which are toxic if breathed in while burning.

When retiring a single flag, taking these steps may be fine, Loreman said. However, the scouts retire 200-300 flags or more on Flag Day each year, and the entire ceremony can last 4-5 hours, he said.

Flag Day is observed on June 14.

The U.S. Flag Code instructs flag retirement. Title 4 Chapter 1 Section 8 says, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

“The American Legion is basically in charge of the U.S. Flag Code,” Loreman said. “One thing that they say is that, you know, it’s preferable to burn them and it’s preferable to do it in a dignified, respectful way, and it’s preferable to do it quickly.”

An American Legion representative was present during the flag retirement ceremony, he said.

The ceremony began with a color guard, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, to honor all the flags. Then each flag is thoroughly burned.

“A slow smolder where it doesn’t completely burn out is not necessarily dignified,” Loreman said. Folded flags take longer to burn through, so they open the flags to burn them more quickly, he said.

While the final flag burns, taps was played. Finally, the fires were allowed to burn out completely. Add prep time before the ceremony started, which included lighting the fires, and the whole process was a full half-day, Loreman said.

The ceremony helps reinforce scouting lessons on civic duty and national pride, he said.

“The scout sign is the three fingers,” Loreman said. “The significance of the three fingers is: it’s duty to God and country, duty to community, duty to self. So this really plays into that duty to God and country.”

Loreman said he hopes more people become informed on proper flag retirements.

Since 2021, Public Works has provided U.S. flag receptacles at each of its transfer stations. However, workers often find flags in the garbage.

“We’ve had hundreds over the last five years, hundreds of flags that have been rescued out of the garbage at our three transfer stations,” Craig said.

While America celebrated its 250th birthday on Saturday, Flag Day’s 250th anniversary falls next year.

“We are looking at how we can expand this program over this next year,” said Jon Greninger, solid waste operations manager, on Wednesday. “This is a priority for our director.”

They are hoping to make flag disposal easier and more accessible but work is ongoing, he said.

Loreman is also considering how to make the ceremony more significant next year, he said.

“I think our big goal is going to try and get a little bit more publicity,” Loreman said. “I don’t know that we have anything specific planned with regards to changing the ceremony.”

Currently, flag disposal bins are located on the tipping floors of the Snohomish County transfer stations in Everett at 10700 Minuteman Drive; Mountlake Terrace at 21311 61st Place W.; and Arlington at 19600 63rd Ave. NE.

“I think it’s important to acknowledge, as a community, a national symbol. To just retire the symbol in the dignified manner,” Greninger said. “It’s just kind of a small thing we can do to acknowledge the symbol and the service.”

Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay