The Escambia County School System got a patriotic boost Tuesday during the first principals’ meeting of the 2013-14 school year, when members of the Woodmen of the World organization donated flags and patriotic handbooks to each of the county’s schools.

Woodmen of the World Field Representative Bo Brantley said providing flags and other patriotic materials to non-profit organizations, such as public schools, is a big part of his group’s mission.

“We’re second only to the U.S. government in number of flags purchased each year,” Brantley said. “Last year, we gave out 53,153 handbooks and 138,241 flags.”

Brantley, along with Woodmen of the World Community Outreach Manager Meredith Campbell, added to this year’s total with their gift Tuesday, just in time for today’s 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001.

“This is part of our initiative to honor the anniversary of 9/11,” Campbell said. “We’re a really patriotic organization.”

Brantley and Campbell also stressed that Woodmen of the World also emphasizes education.

“These handbooks have the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and a bio on every president, including the current one,” Brantley said.

“That’s the purpose of these handbooks,” Campbell added. “To teach.”

In addition to the books, each school received either a 5-by-8-foot or 4-by-6-foot American flag, depending on the school’s needs.
Each school received a total of 50 handbooks, which Brantley said also contained instructions on how to properly display, care for and dispose of the American flag.

Brantley and Campbell said they would be in Brewton today handing out flags to city and private schools in hopes that every school in the county would be flying “Old Glory,” 12 years after Sept. 11, 2001.