Two local scout troops – Cub Scout Pack 69 and Boy Scout Troop 69 – participated in a flag retirement ceremony Thursday at the Patrick Springs Park.

More than 300 flags were collected for the ceremony that got underway with individual Cub Scout members reciting information about the flag and what it symbolizes.

Troop 69 retired the flag at the park and hung a new flag in its place, while Pack 69 stood in line and saluted.

The retired flags were incinerated in fires built in five metal barrels or other containers.

The flags were cut into four pieces before they were incinerated. One of the pieces was the blue star field, which is left intact because it represents the union of the 50 states and should not be broken.

The Scouts stood watch over the fire until the flags were destroyed. The fires then were extinguished and the ashes collected for burial.