by Tom Gould and Doug Balcomb
Immediately
following the terrorist attack of September 11, the Kiwanis Club of Golden,
Colorado and Troop 130 scouts, which the club sponsors, placed 300 flags at
homes and public areas. For this show of national patriotism and community
support, the club received a
“Proclamation of Thanks” from the city of Golden. The photograph shows flags in
the median along Old Golden Road. The flags were displayed for three weeks.
The Flag Service Project had been started as a club fund raiser only four months before September 11. Kiwanian Mark Gething brought the idea with him when he moved to Golden from the Kiwanis Club of Amarillo, Texas, where a highly successful flag project has been in progress for several years. Flags are displayed at people’s homes five times each year at a cost of $25 per year. Kiwanis does the initial installation of a flag holder and the scouts of Troop 130 put out the flags on each flag holiday.
A flag team led by of Paul Jones (Kiwanis), Tom Gould (Kiwanis/Troop 130) and Jayne Byl (Troop 130) coordinate the marketing, maintenance, planting and distribution of flags. Several other members of the club take orders via phone and e-mail. Shelly Walton, an accounting professional, joined the club to keep the project books. Both the Golden Visitors Center and the city government have donated time and resources promoting the project. The Kiwanis Club of Amarillo donated 240 used flags to help Golden get started. As the project grows and begins to show a profit, the net proceeds will be split between the club and the scouts. If Troop 130 becomes saturated with distribution routes, other youth organizations in Golden have expressed interest in helping with the project. Our sponsored Circle K club at Colorado School of Mines will participate and we are working with the school administration to organize a flag planting on campus. For more information visit www.kiwanis.org/club/golden. We hope that this project will serve as a model for other Kiwanis clubs in the Denver area.
The tragic events of September 11th and the Kiwanis Club of Golden’s Flag Project happened to coincide in a way that allowed the members of the Kiwanis Club of Golden to help their town react in a very visible way. As the nation survives this trauma, as it surely will, the ongoing displays of our national symbol throughout the community will witness to the dedicated spirit of our remarkable and resilient country.