From the early days of our country, flags have been a symbol, a rallying point, and a source of pride and patriotism. This program presents a history of the evolution of the United States Flag. From Betsy Ross and before, to 9/11/01, the flag has been a story of our heritage. It is a story of our growth from the 13 original colonies to the addition of Hawaii. The story is presented by Walt and Shirley Stockwell of Gilford, New Hampshire. Walt is a long term vexillophile (lover of flags), and has over 100 of them in his collection. This presentation typically uses 20 or more of these full size replicas to demonstrate this history. It is also a colorful and entertaining time line. “It’s A Grand Old Flag” is a 45 minute presentation, followed by a question and answer period. The Stockwells have done over 100 flag programs across New England.
This Program is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Friends of the Meredith Library. Refreshments will be served.
Register for the Friends of the Library fundraiser and learn more about it here.
Religion in Public Life: Then and Now Tuesday, June 18, 6:30PM
A common belief is that this country was founded on religious freedom. A parallel misunderstanding is that the government of this country was based on fixed religious principles. This program explores the attitudes and practices toward religion in government in the colonies prior to the framing of the Bill of Rights and proceeds to track developments to the modern era. That learning is then applied to modern problems of church/state relations using current examples of conflict. Presented by Professor Richard Hesse. Sponsored by the NH Humanities Council and the Friends of the Meredith Library. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
