The tattered, worn and faded American flags needed to be respectfully retired.
When the Stars and Stripes is no longer presentable, area veterans organizations will collect the flags and hold a ceremony to dispose of them.
But Simon Grills, a Whiteland teen, wanted to make it easier for people to drop off their flags and to ensure each one met an honorable end.
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“Very few people step up and respect the flag in the way it’s supposed to anymore,” he said. “It’s a nice feeling to be able to do something that does respect it.”
In an effort to earn his Eagle Scout badge with a project benefiting the entire community, Grills constructed a set of collection bins, placed outside the VFW and American Legion posts in Greenwood, as well as the Greenwood Community Center. The boxes are big and blue, situated outside each respective location to make it easy for people to find.
In the two months since the boxes have gone in, the boxes have been filled with old flags — a sign that people are finding his work to be worthwhile.
“I’ve gotten a lot more interest in them than I thought I would,” he said. “I couldn’t be here all the time to empty these, so I’m glad I made them a little bigger.”
Grills has been in Boy Scouts for the past 12 years. A senior at Whiteland Community High School, he approached the final goal of his scouting career with thoughtfulness.
Several ideas were considered for the project, but his mission was to do something related to the flags. Too often, even the most patriotic people fly flags in poor condition, solely because they’ve been taught to never throw a flag away, he said. They don’t know what else to do but continue flying it.
“Once thing that was always really prominent to me was the American flag and how to properly care for it,” he said. “When it starts to rip, stretch out, discolor so the red looks pink or the blue looks baby blue, that’s the time to retire it. If it’s not representing the colors of the traditional form, then it’s time.”
Grills consulted with his father, Matthew Grills, who was a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve and currently works as the managing editor for American Legion Magazine. After that conversation, he decided drop-off boxes to retire old flags would be a perfect project.
With easy-to-access boxes, people could drop off the flags knowing that each would be disposed of respectfully, Grills said. His Boy Scout Troop 264 helps retire flags, and veterans organizations such as the VFW and American Legion hold special ceremonies to burn the flags in a honorable way.
Greenwood VFW Post 5864 was the initial site of Grills’ flag box. But after he made a presentation to the Greenwood Fire Department about the project, he was offered a grant of $400 if he would work with the City of Greenwood to put up a total of three boxes.
The project was expanded to include American Legion Post 252 in Greenwood, as well as the city’s community center.
Grills, his fellow Scouts and family members, helped him with the construction. Each box is 40 inches wide by 42 inches tall by 40 inches deep, painted in a simple royal blue with a white star on front.
“They’re simple. That’s my favorite part about them,” Grills said.
To help raise awareness about the boxes, Grills passed out flyers in neighborhoods and businesses throughout Greenwood. He has also worked with city officials, so that when the numerous flags that fly in locations on city property can be retired at one of the boxes.
Troop 264 has taken up the boxes as a legacy project, ensuring they continue to be emptied and that the flags are properly taken care of.
For his work, Grills received his Eagle Scout rank. To have finally achieved the goal that he worked so long for, creating something that will be good for the entire community, makes the work especially satisfying.
“Eagle Scout itself is a rank that not all projects receive. So it’s a pretty big accomplishment,” he said. It means a lot to me, almost to the point where I’m at a loss for words. Twelve years ago I was dreaming about this. Now it’s come true.”
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What: Special collection bins have been established in Greenwood where people can drop off old flags that are torn, faded or otherwise no longer fit to be flown. The flags will be properly and honorably destroyed.
Where:
Greenwood Community Center, 100 Surina Way
Greenwood VFW Post 5864, 333 S. Washington St.
American Legion Post 252, 334 US 31, Greenwood
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