Question and Answer With Robert Stringfellow and Ben Davis
Robert: Ben thank you for taking time to talk to me about the flags in Brentwood!
Ben: Thanks Robert for the opportunity to set the record straight about who flies those flags
Robert: Wait, it is not the City of Brentwood?
Ben: That’s what a lot of folks think but it is actually the Hillsboro-Brentwood Exchange Club (HBEC) based in Brentwood!
Robert: I see! And how long have y’all been doing that?
Ben: Great question! The Club has been displaying the flags for almost 30 years.
Robert: My goodness that is a very long time! And how long have you been involved with flying the flags?
Ben: I’m starting my 26th year of putting up Old Glory! There have been several Exchange clubs involved in this project of which I have been a part of.
Robert: That too is a very long time! Why the interest and dedication?
Ben: I am a Red/White/Blue kind of guy. Both my parents served in the military, so I just grew up with it. When I found out that the Exchange Clubs have as one of their pillars of service – Americanism – and that involved flying the flags I was hooked!
Robert: Interesting! So how many flags do you put up and how many times a year?
Ben: Well Robert it’s not just me. Our club has several folks that help. We put out about 110 flags on most to the major holidays and/or if the city of Brentwood asks us. If we have the right number of helpers, we can get all those flags up in about 20 minutes! We have it down to an art.
Robert: It sounds like it! You said y’all put them out on most major holidays – why not all of them?
Ben: Good question. Mainly it has to do with having enough personnel to get them out. You see, depending on the holiday and when it falls during the week dictates at what time of the day/night we put them up and take them down. We have done it with as few as two people but with 4-6 folks it can bedone in a hurry!
Robert: So let me recap. It is the HBEC that flies the flags in Brentwood, not the city of Brentwood. Y’all fly them 8 of the major holidays, your club has been doing it for well over 20 of those years, and you have been involved for over 25 years.
Ben: That is correct! And when a holiday falls on a Friday or Monday, weather permitting, we will fly them that whole time – not just the holiday itself. Oh, and did I tell you this is a fundraiser for our club?
Robert: That is in my notes to ask.
Ben: You have done your homework! An individual or company or group can sponsor a flag for $50 per year. We take these funds and use them for local scholarships for high school seniors from the local high schools in the area. We also use some of these funds to donate to our club’s main focus – the prevention of child abuse – to our local center in Nashville, The Raising Resilience Center.
Robert: That sounds like two very worthy causes! Anything else you’d like to add?
Ben: Again, thanks for the opportunity to tell your audience who flies the flags in Brentwood and when. I’ll close with this thought – if you have not seen all these flags flying in Brentwood, it is a sight to behold! If you would like to sponsor a flag for 2026, please scan the QR code below.
Robert: Thanks Ben! And thanks for what you and your club do for the citizens of Brentwood and the surrounding area!
—Nashville Christian Family
