06/14/2021
Happy Flag Day! Did you know this national holiday was started because of an Elks tradition? In 1907, the Order designated June 14 as Flag Day. Three years later, its observance was required by every Lodge and continues today. The Elks prompted President Woodrow Wilson to recognize the Order's observance of Flag Day for its patriotic expression. But it wasn't until 1949 when President Harry Truman, himself a member of the Elks, made the proclamation that thereafter June 14 would be a day of national observance for the symbol of our country. It was through his Elks Lodge in Independence, Missouri, that President Truman got the idea for a national observance of Flag Day.