Groups participate in flag retirement event

 The Brunswick Town Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Boy Scouts of America Southport Troop 238 participated in the 12th annual flag retirement ceremony at 6 p.m. on July 4 at the BB&T flagpole, at the corner of Howe and Moore streets in Southport. 

Members of the Boy Scout troop demonstrated the proper procedure of retiring a flag.

Local residents can leave their flags at the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center, 4841 Long Beach Road in Southport, or at V.F.W. Post 104900, 103 SE 50th St. on Oak Island, for proper disposal.

Veteran Hugh Nobles, Troop 238 Scout leader and a physical therapist at Dosher Hospital, presided over the ceremony and interpreted the meaning of Old Glory. Guest speaker was Richard Roman, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He served in the Marine Corp for five years. A Brunswick County resident since 1997, Roman has had a variety of careers, but his underwater welding experience brought him and his family to this area.

Britton Campbell and Melanie Tewell sang the national anthem and DAR members Barbara Carrico, Anne Newton and Elsie Hinkhouse teamed up in the planning, coordinating and presentation of the ceremony.

The flag retirement took place after the naturalization ceremony, where 125 U.S. citizens from 50 countries were represented. A reception for the new citizens was given by the Brunswick Town Chapter of the DAR.