PROUD Alex Paterson raised the Innerleithen town flag - one of the roles of the Dux Boy since 1997.

It was in late 1995 that Innerleithen, Traquair & Glen Community Council was offered the opportunity to have the town’s coat of arms put on to a new community flag.

This offer came from former Innerleithen police officer, the late Alex Collins, who served in the community for a number of years.

Mr Collins had an enthusiastic flag and heraldry interest and his offer was keenly accepted and the flag duly commissioned.

During Games Week 1996 Alex was invited to raise the flag for the first time and it flew for the duration of Games Week that year.

The following year, Dux Boy Gregor Caine became the first in that role to raise the community flag. Each Games Week since that time the flag has flown outside the Memorial Hall. On Games Friday (Cleikum Night) it is transferred to St Ronan’s Wells.

The flag design, lifted from the Community Coat of Arms granted by the Lord Lyon, and commissioned by the Community Council depicts St Ronan in his boat with his crozier in his hand. The sojourn through life is depicted by the boat and the crozier represents the support and protection of faith. The words ‘Watch and Pray’ heralded below tell something of the life of St Ronan in those early days when Christianity first developed in this area of the Borders. Also represented in the flag are the inverted black crescent and the silver star of local baronies which in earlier days provided much employment and provision for many families in the area.

The original town flag was stolen during Games Week 2002 and as this was never recovered, the Community Council raised funds to have a replacement made and this was received in time for `Games Week the next year.