A Clarkesville Boy Scout Troop 5 Eagle Scout has dedicated three new flag boxes around the community as part of his community service project. Eagle Scout Brody Allen of Hollywood placed a flag box at Cornelia Fire Station 1 in downtown Cornelia. He placed another box in City Hall in Demorest. His final box was located at the Boy Scout hut in Clarkesville.
Allen got the idea for his Eagle Scout project from his uncle Shawn Allen who is a Demorest council member and former Boy Scout.
The flag boxes were distributed on Wednesday, September 11. Allen didn’t actually pick the date but contacted the Grant Reeves VFW to assist with the dedications and distribution of the boxes. It worked out that with the 9/11 events that were occurring around the community, members of the VFW would be available to assist in the dedications. Kasey Allen, Brody’s father, said that since the dedications occurred on 9/11, Brody won’t forget the date.
Grant Reeves VFW Post 7720 Commander Barry Church commended Allen on his project. “This young man has done a great job putting these boxes together,” he said.
Eagle Scout leadership
According to Clarkesville Boy Scout Troop 5 Scoutmaster Jake McGahee, a boy scout wishing to become an Eagle Scout, must plan, develop, and provide leadership on a project that benefits his church, school, or community.
“I think Brody did a wonderful job with this project,” McGahee said. He explained that Allen worked with the VFW to find the locations for the flag boxes in the community. “Brody has been a great leader for our troop and very proud of the things he has done,” he said.
For the flag box project, McGahee commended Allen for the project. “I think Brody did a wonderful job with this project. He provided leadership with the scouts. He helped show the scouts how to put the boxes together,” he said.
At the Demorest dedication, Allen dedicated the flag box to his great grandfather. “This box, specifically, is in memory of my great grandfather Paul S. Allen and all other veterans who have fallen and call Demorest home,” Allen said.
There will now be six locations for residents to take worn flags to for proper disposal in the Habersham County community, according to Church. They are located at VFW Post 7720, Cornelia Police and Fire Department, all in Cornelia. The Habersham County Administrative Building and the Boy Scout Troop 5 hut, both in Clarkesville and one at Demorest City Hall.
Flag recycling
According to Church, the flags will be collected periodically and disposed of properly. However, disposal also means recycling. Flags that are still in fair shape are sent to a non-profit organization called Retired Flag Project.
The project uses old torn and tattered flags to send out to veterans that have had run-ins with the court system. Those veterans that successfully work through their court issues are given a flag that contains a letter and a poem. A portion of the poem reads, “We are tattered. We are torn but we’re still useful.” Church said that is meant to encourage the individual and remind them that they still have a purpose and still have a use, just like the flag they receive.
Since the program began, the organization has recycled and sent out over 7,430 flags to veterans.
