Eagle Scout Chris Graham stood at the front of the library in Mount Zion Elementary School on Monday, explaining the intricacies of respecting the American flag to a group of second-graders.

More than 30 younger children swung their feet under their desks as Chris told his audience about the symbolism of the flag, how to display it properly, how to salute it and how to fold it.

“You see it all the time on paper plates,” he told the students, explaining that the U.S. Flag Code says the flag shouldn’t be put on anything meant to be used and thrown away. “Eating on something with the flag isn’t exactly respectful to it.”

The program was part of a literacy grant the King’s Fork Woman’s Club received from the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and Procter and Gamble. The King’s Fork Ruritan Club also contributed to the project.

“We have done it in the past, and the children have really liked it,” said Mount Zion principal Fran Barnes. “They need to know how to respect the flag.”

The second-grade students now will participate in a contest to win a $10 gift card from a local store. They will draw pictures in their art classes showing how to properly display the flag and write a paragraph about the flag. The women’s club will judge the entries and award the gift card.

“I felt like the flag needed more respect from a lot of people,” said Sarah Willman of the King’s Fork Woman’s Club. “If they start young, it carries over.”

The program also included a presentation by a member of the club, Jeanne Banks, dressed as Betsy Ross, who is widely credited with sewing the first American flag. Banks told the story of how Ross came to sew the first flag, because George Washington knew her and called on her to sew the first flag.

The library will receive the full amount of the $150 literacy grant for books, Willman said. The King’s Fork Ruritans contributed $20 — $10 for the winning student’s gift card and $10 for Chris, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1, in appreciation for his participation.

“It’s up to each and every one of us to treat our flag with the respect it deserves,” Chris said.