Dedicated Scouts care for Poplar Bluff's flags

Rows of U.S. flags seem to magically appear along Westwood and Kanell boulevards commemorating Labor Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and the Fourth of July every year.

This magic is created by the love and dedication Boy Scouts Troop 4116 has for their country, community and scouting.

The project "is in celebration of our Armed Forces," said scoutmaster Bob Summers, who was one of the troop's first Eagle Scouts.

The troop plans to also fly flags along Oak Grove and Shelby Roads once poles are placed on these sites, Summers said.

Former and present troop leaders say they are really proud of the program.

Tracen Hopkins, left, and Wyatt Meurlott of Boy Scouts Troop 4116 care for an American flag, one of the troop's projects, which includes placing flags along Poplar Bluff streets on major holidays.Submitted photo

The troop was formed in 1988 and is sponsored by the First Christian Church in Poplar Bluff. The church provides a van for transportation, a weekly meeting room, as well as a room to store troop supplies and retired flags collected throughout the year, Summers said.

In a cooperative agreement with the troop and the city of Poplar Bluff, Municipal Utilities employees, under the direction of general manager Bill Bach, added hardware for 67 additional poles this Labor Day.

Individuals and organizations like the American Legion, the American Legion Women's Auxiliary, Eagles and Elks donate to purchase the flags.

Randy Stricker of Pack's Do-It Center supplies the flags and hardware.

If it were not for these contributions, a former scout leader said, the project would not be possible.

Collecting the $2,000 needed to replace the flags was the easiest three calls made, the leader said.

As flags age, the scouts continue to treat them with respect and honor.

The original program of retiring and honoring the flags was started with an Eagle project by Jonathan Martin in 2016, Summers said. Today, several boxes painted in red, white and blue serve as depositories and are located at various locations, including Bluff Fire Station number 1 in downtown Poplar Bluff, the Dental Arts building on Highway PP, the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center and Little Caesar's Pizza.

The scouts have collected hundreds of flags, which they burn during a ceremony.

Members of Troop 4116 recently retired approximately 200 American flags, but yearly they burn between 1,000 to 2,000 flags. The flags range in size from 3 by 5 feet to the large flag which the group believes was flown over a local business. The huge flag required all the scouts to fold it in a respectful manner. Normally, a properly folded flag is 12 inches across, but Summers said the large flag was 3 feet across when properly prepared.

Each flag must be folded in a special manner and burned on a clean campfire. Summers explains the scouts follow BSA guidelines in conjunction with retired veterans organizations, who have created several flag retirement ceremonies. These ceremonies provide honorable ways in which to dispose of worn American flags and are considered beyond their useful life.

"Our troop follows these ceremonies so the Poplar Bluff community has a way to retire flags in an honorable way," Summers said.

The local troop "was established by Mark Richardson in 1988 and a handful of boys have gone on to be leaders throughout our community."

Among the first scouts were Todd Richardson, who until recently was the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives; Drew Brown, a prominent defense attorney in South Carolina, who among others works for the NCAA; and Summers who is now the troop's scoutmaster.

Todd Richardson, Brown and Summers were the original three Eagle Scouts who received their rank at the same ceremony in 1992. Today the troop, which has a total of 87 alumni Eagle Scouts, continues to support the youth of Poplar Bluff.

Other former scoutmasters include Matt Richardson, Dr. Rick Blaich and the late John McDonough, who Summers said left big shoes to fill.

Summers believes Boy Scouts provides an 'awesome' impact on youngsters' lives. His wife, Emily, agrees with him and serves as an assistant scoutmaster.

If parents believe electronics are playing too big a role in their child's life "we are the solution," Summers said.

Any boy who is 11 years of age and has completed the fifth grade is encouraged to attend any of the weekly meetings at 6 p.m. Thursday at the First Christian Church.

The troop camps monthly on outings which include backpacking, white water rafting and canoeing.