The Columbus Lions Club brings the Lions International Celebrate Liberty program to all Polk County schools each year, usually in March because that is when the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison, was born. However, The middle school prefers early fall because that is when they discuss our government in classes.

Celebrate Liberty Chair Garland Goodwin, Lions Club President Jim Kearney and Lion Jim Diggs distributed booklets containing the full texts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with all amendments to several classes of the eighth grade as they came to tour the House of Flags in Columbus.

Booklets were also provided to the House of Flags staff and members of the public who attended during the time the students were there.

Lion Goodwin was pleased to meet Chuck and Donna Douglas, who own part of the Eisenhower flags on display. Her father served in the Army Quartermaster Corps and was responsible for making and caring for these flags originally; they were given to him at the end of the Eisenhower presidency.

This is the only time the Douglas’s flags have been displayed publicly. They include two U.S. flags and Presidential flags with 48 and 49 stars. The 50-star flags were on loan from the Eisenhower Library & Museum in Abilene, Kan. Alaska (1958) and Hawaii (1959) became states during the Eisenhower administration (1953-61).

– article submitted by Garland Goodwin