The frayed edges were held taut as three Boy Scouts folded the American flag -- first in half, then on an angle -- over and over again into a triangle.

Outside in the muggy night, three troop leaders bent over 55-gallon metal drums, drilling and cutting holes.

Boy Scout Troop 305 of Miami Shores has folded hundreds of worn, torn, tattered and dirtied flags. They've welded and soldered six metal drums to serve as burning pits.

On Saturday, in honor of Veterans Day, the troop will hold a flag retirement ceremony in the parking lot of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 415 NE 105th St., in Miami Shores.

``We're going to bring tears to the biggest guys' eyes,'' said Junior Assistant Scoutmaster Alex Rennert, 16. ``It's definitely an emotional experience.''

For years, the boys have accepted donations of flags of all sizes -- the biggest measures more than 20 feet, the smallest fits in the palm of your hand. There are POW flags, state flags, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force flags. They've flown over banks, car dealerships, post offices and highways, said Ron LaNeve, a Scoutmaster for Troop 305.

In a back room of their meeting hall at St. Rose of Lima, four army-green chests labeled ``old flags'' are stacked more than five feet high. Alex estimates there are about 300 flags.

Though the troop holds retirement ceremonies regularly during its monthly camping trips, this is the first time they will open a ceremony to the public; anyone can bring flags to be retired. The troop hopes to fill 400 chairs and hand out instructions on how to take care of flags respectfully.

``We opened this up to the community so that the community can understand what the symbolism is behind the flag, how to properly take care of our flag, how to display a flag and of course, how to retire one the proper way,'' LaNeve said.

The troop has also invited service men and women who live at the Paralyzed Veterans Association of Florida and the Veterans Administration Hospital of Miami to be honored.

The ceremony begins with the flags being refolded into a square to distinguish them as unserviceable. As inspirational words and a history of the flag are read, the flags are cut apart -- stripe by stripe and star by star.

Then the flags are brought to the fire, which is considered sacred.

``People think that burning a flag is a bad thing,'' said Michelle LaNeve, wife of Ron LaNeve. ``But burning a flag is actually one of the approved ways of disposing of an unserviceable flag.''

Though the Miami-Dade Fire Department will be on hand for the event -- ``be prepared,'' is the Boy Scout motto -- the flames cannot be extinguished and must be left to burn out. Even the ashes of the flags are honored, and will be buried on church grounds.

``We got guys who will stay until 3, 4, in the morning, if they have to,'' Alex said.

``As long as it takes to completely burn the flags, then we'll be here,'' Ron LaNeve said.

By the dim light of a portable lamp, and with the sound of power tools whirring behind him, Howard Rennert, Alex's dad, smiled thoughtfully as he spoke about the ceremony.

He and his son have been participating in flag retirements together since the junior Rennert became a Cub Scout nine years ago.

``It's a patriotic thing,'' he said, with his son by his side. ``It's the respectful thing to do: to offer a proper retirement.''

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