Raising and Lowering the Flag at Half-Staff

This Memorial Day, as you visit grave sites or drive past a city park that has an American Flag, you may notice that the Flag is not completely up the pole. It has only been raised half way.

Many countries, along with the United States of America, fly their flags at half-staff for specific reasons and dates. See the list below.

As scouts, you have had the opportunity to raise the Flag as a Cub Scout, and you may have had the opportunity to raise the Flag as scout camp as a Scout. The question has come up, “do I just raise it to the middle and tie it off?” The answer is, “there’s a little more to it than just that.”

Here is how to raise the flag to half-staff

1. Raise the Flag to the top of the pole as you normally would. (quick)

2. Let the Flag stay at the top for a few seconds

3. Lower the Flag to the middle of the pole (slowly) and tie off you halyard.

If the Flag is already at the top of the flag pole, simply lower slowly to the middle of the pole.

How to retrieve a Flag that is at half-staff

1. Untie the halyard

2. Raise the half-staff Flag back up to the top of the pole

3. Lower the flag as you normally would. (slowly)

4. Un-clip, secure halyard, and fold the Flag

Here are a few reasons and times when the Flag should be flown at half-staff

• For thirty days after the death of a current, former president, or president-elect

• For ten days after the death of a current vice president, current or retired chief justice, or current Speaker of the House of Representatives

• From the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a secretary of an executive or military department, a former vice president or a former Speaker of the House, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, or the governor of a state, territory, or possession.

• On the day of death and the day after for a Member of Congress

• On Memorial Day until noon.

• Every September 11 in remembrance of the September 11 attacks.

• Upon presidential proclamation, usually after the death of other notable figures or tragic events.