On June 14, 1923 during a National Flag Conference, representatives from the Army and Navy and other patriotic civic organizations compiled rules for the American Flag.

Pure Rules

The Flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open.

Unless there is some special reason for doing so, the Flag should not be flown in rainy or stormy weather.

The Flag should always be raised briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously.

When the flag is being raised or lowered, it must never be allowed to touch the ground.

In a procession with a line of other flags, The United States Flag is on the marching right. The United States Flag is in front of the center of the line in a long procession.

When used on a speaker's platform:

1. If displayed flat, the Flag is above and behind the speaker.
2. If flown from a staff, the Flag is in the position of honor, at the speaker's right, and preferably slightly in front.
3. If the speaker should not be on a platform but on the floor, on the same level with the audience, the Flag of the United States, if flown from a staff, would be at the speaker's right, and preferably slightly in front.

When displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the windowsill, balcony, or front of building: The Blue field of the Flag goes clear to the peak.

When displayed with another flag against a wall, staffs crossed: The United States Flag is on the observer's left, and its staff is in front of the staff of the other flag.

When flown on the same halyard with flags of states of cities, or pennants of societies: The United States Flag is at the peak.

(Side note) In the Army, there is no exception to this rule. In the Navy, however, the church pennant- which, by the way is not the flag of the church but a signal flag to indicate that the crew is at church- It is flown above the National Flag during the divine service on shipboard, according to Navy custom.

When displayed either vertically or horizontally against a wall, in a show window, or elsewhere: The blue field is uppermost and to the Flag's own right- that is, to the observer's left.

Saluting the Flag

During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the Flag, or when the Flag is passing in a parade, everyone present should face the Flag, stand at attention, and salute.

Those in uniform should render the hand salute. When not in uniform, men should remove the headdress with the right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. It case of inclement weather the hat may be slightly raised and held above the head. Men without hats merely stand at attention, without saluting, unless they are military. Women should salute the Flag by placing the right had over the heart.

If the Flag is passing by, the salute is rendered when the Flag is five or six paces away and is held until it has passed.