Boy Scouts on Sunday proudly retired yellow and tattered old U.S. flags onto lapping flames as a small crowd of solemn-faced onlookers watched black smoke curl up into the sky.

The ceremony was part of Flag Day celebrations held on the front lawn of the Grass Valley Elks Lodge.

A group of 10 Boy Scouts ages 12 to 14 participated in the ceremony, retiring five tired flags no longer fit for displaying.

“The purpose of the ceremony is to honor the flags. They have joined the winds. As Americans we need to honor them,” said Bobby Bowden, 14, senior patrol leader. Next month, the boy will receive the Eagle Court of Honor, the highest rank that a Boy Scout can earn.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day. In August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress.

President Barack Obama declared the days ahead as National Flag Week and urged Americans to fly Old Glory.

To throw an old flag in the trash is considered disrespectful.

“We don't want to see American flags in the waste stream with everyday trash — they don't belong there. The flag means a lot more to people than castoffs and food scraps, and it needs to be treated respectfully,” said Justin Caporusso, communications manager for Waste Management.

Instead, residents are encouraged to retire flags according to the U.S. Flag Code.

Sections of the code pertaining to flag retiring read:

“The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

To contact Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.