Jun. 15—Ceremonies designed to draw attention to the American flag took place throughout northeastern Ohio on Friday, including at the Ashtabula Elks Club and Greenlawn Memory Gardens in North Kingsville.

The AEC ceremony detailed the history of the flag — including its various versions — that commemorates the history of the United States.

A small group attended the ceremony that took place on the back deck of the club overseeing Lake Erie.

Ron Carter, leading knight of the AEC, walked those in attendance through the history of the American Flag and how the changes in the flag mirrored the changes in the country. Carter said a flag was created in 1775, and was flown for the first time by naval commander John Paul Jones.

He said George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross commissioned Betsy Ross to create a flag which then flew for the first time on Aug. 3, 1777.

Six different officers read quotes during the ceremony as they each stood between the different versions of the flag and helped detail the history.

At the conclusion Carter said, “Let us rededicate ourselves to the flag and what it stands for — charity, justice, brotherhood and fidelity.”

North Kingsville American Legion Post 743 sponsored a flag retirement ceremony at Greenlawn Memory Gardens.

The event takes place every yeary to properly dispose of American Flags that are no longer fit to be flown.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 11 assisted in the ceremony. Scout John Repasky helped detail the reasons the flags were in need of retirement after flying over graves, front lawns and porches in the area.

A large burn cage was established and people placed the flags into the area that is burning with flames leaping over the edge of the metal enclosure after the ceremony was completed.

The retirement is completed according to the United States Flag Code. The preferable mode of retirement is by burning.

Post Adjutant Will Runyan led the ceremony and worked with the scouts to give honor to the flag and the veterans who fought for it.

“The flag is only as good as the people it represents,” Runyan said while urging people to honor veterans and the freedom they fought for on behalf of all Americans during the past 248 years.

The Boy Scouts assisted in the Pledge of Allegiance, read a poem, and helped retire the flags.

Runyan said the flag stands for so much more than a piece of material.

“Though silent, it speaks to us,” he said of the kind of emotion the American Flag elicits.