Local Scouts to Retire Flags at Montgomery Cemetery This Saturday

Area Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will be encamped at Montgomery Cemetery, 1 Hartranft Avenue in Norristown, this weekend for the cemetery's annual Restoration Weekend and Flag Retirement event.

Scouts will work to clean and rehab the cemetery throughout the weekend and on Saturday, April 20, at 7 p.m., scouts will retire old, damaged American Flags with a ceremonial burning. Residents are invited to drop off any flags they would like to retire at the cemetery prior to the event. (Rain date for the Flag Retirement will be Saturday, April 27.)

According to Eileen Santori, project coordinator for the Boy Scouts, this is the 10th year the scouts have worked with Montgomery Cemetery on the restoration project. Santori has worked with some of the boys since they were Cub Scouts and said she considers the work incredibly rewarding.

"It's such an honor to work with them," Santori told Patch.

This year, the scouts will also have a moment of silence to remember and honor those injured and killed in the Boston Marathon bombing this week – especially 8-year-old Richard Martin, who was killed in the blasts.

"A lot of my Cubs are around that age," said Santori. 

The public is welcome to attend the Flag Retirement ceremony and take pictures.