By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY—The American flag, with its 50 stars and 13 stripes, is steeped in history and symbolism. On Nov. 15, the David Lindsey Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Coosa-Cahaba Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution discussed the history and meaning of the flag during a joint Flag Appreciation Day meeting at the North Shelby Library.

DAR David Lindsey Chapter Regent Phoebe Robinson, dressed as Betsy Ross, told the history of the first American flag through an account of the well-known American figure’s life.

Ross was born on western Pennsylvania farm in 1752. The eighth of 17 children, she was educated and trained in upholstery. Ross moved to Philadelphia with her first husband, John Ross, and opened a sewing business. Following the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, General George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross asked Betsy Ross to create a new flag to represent the new nation.

“I think the thing that was important to me when I researched is George Washington wanted the flag to represent our nation,” Robinson said. “Everything was chosen specifically.”

The flag’s red signifies valor and bravery; white for purity innocence and liberty; and blue “for reverence of God, vigilance, perseverance and justice,” Robinson said.

The flag’s shapes also carry meaning. The stars symbolize “heaven, dominion and sovereignty,” the blue rectangle dotted with stars represents “a new constellation, in the world that had never happened before,” and the 13 alternating red and white stripes signify the original 13 colonies, Robinson said.

During the joint meeting, the SAR Coosa-Cahaba Chapter and the DAR David Lindsay Chapter recognized the owners of Double Tap Training Grounds, Butch and Kim Phillips, for their proper treatment of the flag.

“We are honored,” Kim Phillips said. “Being an American, it’s a privilege. Many service men have given everything for that freedom. We’re proud to fly the flag and support in any way we can.”

“Our flag is lit up from dark to daylight, every day,” Butch Phillips said. “It’s always up.”