Charles City Elks Flag Day ceremony in Central Park June 14

To The Press

The Charles City Elks Lodge No. 418 will hold its annual Flag Day ceremony on Wednesday, June 14, continuing a tradition of the organization honoring the American flag since the beginning of the 1900s.

The public event will be held in Central Park beginning at 6 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the alternate location will be at the Lodge at 2111 Clark St.

In July of 1908, the Elks’ Grand Lodge provided for the annual nationwide observance of Flag Day on the 14th of June each year, making it mandatory for each subordinate Lodge in the Order.

June 14 was officially established as Flag Day by a proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. President Harry Truman, himself an Elks member, was inspired through his Lodge in Independence, Missouri, to sign an act of Congress in 1949 that dedicated June 14 to the American flag.