Out with the old, in with the new: CGS buys new ceremony flags

At every Cornhusker Girls State session it is a tradition to honor our nation’s flag along with our American Legion Auxiliary flag by singing the National Anthem and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The flags previously used were donated by a past department president in 1938 making the flags about 60 years old.

The condition of these aged flags were quite tacky. “We just decided last year that it was about time to get some new flags,” said Roxanne Hiatt, advisory committee chairman. “They were discolored, the edges were fraying and the poles were mismatched. Not to mention the leather tab on top was broken so we had to tie the fray around to try to hold them up,” stated Hiatt

Each year the staff was doing everything they could to the flags just to make it through one more year. At first, everyone was hesitant to agree with the fact that CGS did indeed need new flags. Understandably so for some of the older members who were used to condition of the flags.

In January, the CGS advisory committee had a chance to sit down and check out the flags. Taking a little closer look, it became quite obvious the time was now to ask for an update. In order to hopefully receive these new flags, there was a pretty simple process--asking headquarters. What happened next was up to them. 

“We just asked headquarters to add new flags to the donations list. The units this year sent in well over enough money. So in conclusion, we were able to get them,” Hiatt said.

The ordering and designing process was done entirely online. And as with anything sometimes things don’t line up or end up not quite what was imagined. When the flags arrived, they were not what they were expected. The straight borders of Nebraska came back pixelated and blurry. The company was very compliant and sent replacements right away. The 2014 flag bearers will be the first of many delegates to carry the new flags up and down the aisles.

By: Alyssa Ehlers

Sunday, June 1: CGS 2014 Day One

'Twas the day of Girls State and all through the dorms 

All the creatures were stirring, even the mice

The girls were on buses, tucked in with care

While ladies with smiles wait for them there

In hopes they would all soon be there

Even though it's not perfect, we hope the poem above illustrates the first hours of CGS 2014. Buses from the western part of Nebraska started unloaded girls around 11 a.m. and other girls from other parts of the state followed. From 11-2 we got all the delegates checked in, on their floors and ready for their first town meeting.

The delegates spent some time getting to know each other and get acclimated to the new environment before heading off to the various activites.  A pizza dinner followed as they waited out the rain that drenched them coming back from activities. The delegates braved the storm and headed to the Union for the inaugural session of CGS. There they learned proper lanyard etiquette, what the Girls State store has to offer and what social media outlets to use.

The night ended with whistle stop campaigns for city offices and multitudes of creative posters and slogans.

We can't wait to see what day two brings!