Anyone who’s attended a conference, convention, or large meeting knows the scene: after registering and picking up your badge and other information, you look around the foyer to see small groups of colleagues greeting each other, setting appointments, and making plans. Networking, sharing information, and the business of business has already begun. 

Since 1978, when Mayor Bill Overstreet and Rudy Ripley launched Friends of the Flags, groups of volunteers have installed the official flags of all 50 states each year, with few exceptions.