a day ago
Pres. Woodrow Wilson designated Flag Day in 1916
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the 'Stars and Stripes,' the official flag of the new nation.
Its 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white, five-pointed stars on a blue field was intended to represent the13 original colonies.
Flag Day is celebrated on June 14th to commemorate the adoption of the United States flag.
While celebrations had been ongoing in the states, Pres. Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day on May 30, 1916. He asked that it be observed with patriotic exercises across the country.
President Harry S. Truman further ensconced Flag Day as a national observance with a proclamation on June 14, 1946 – the first Flag Day after the end of World War II.
'Under this flag, generations of Americans have lived and worked to establish the foundations of our country's greatness. This flag has become the beloved symbol of our way of life, our achievements as a people and the many blessings which Providence has heaped upon us,' Truman's proclamation reads in part.
'In this year following our great victories on the field of battle, it is especially appropriate that we continue the customary observance of this day and dedicate ourselves with renewed devotion to the responsibilities and obligations of citizenship under this flag,' it continues.
In 1799, the Pennsylvania General Assembly authorized use of the state's coat of arms on flags for the state militia.
The coat of arms, which dates to 1778, went through several variations. Basically, it's an American eagle perched atop a shield guarded by horses on either side above the state's motto – Virtue, Liberty and Independence.
The legislature approved a state flag for general use, featuring a standardized coat of arms, on a plain field of blue on June 13, 1907.
Schuylkill County's flag has its roots in the county's bicentennial celebration in 2011.
Shenandoah Valley High School teacher and band director Robert Stoner incorporated the county's bicentennial logo on a white background with gold fringes and submitted it to the county commissioners as a county flag.
Stoner conceived of the design during the county's bicentennial celebration, when he wanted the high school band's color guard to carry the county flag, only to discover the county had no official flag, the Pottsville Republican reported.
Schuylkill County's seal was designed by Reginald Rix in 1974.
Shenandoah Valley students Danielle Najunas, Chris Swantek, Rocco Roguskie and Eric Cespedes worked with Stoner on the flag's design.
It hangs in the Hoffman Room in the county commissioner's office at the Schuylkill County Courthouse.
The county also has an official seal designed by Reginald Rix, curator of the Schuylkill County Historical Society, in 1974.
The seal has an American eagle perched atop frames depicting the county's forests and symbols of its coal mining, agricultural and manufacturing industries.
