At official events, right after the bell is rung, it is customary to "salute" the flags by playing the anthems, in this order:
- Italian anthem
- European anthem
- Rotary International anthem
When the flags of one or more foreign states are also displayed, the Italian anthem is preceded by their respective anthems, played in Italian alphabetical order.
During the anthems, guests remain standing, silent, and facing the flags.
The President taps the bell and says:
- "Honours to the flags" (the national anthem must NOT be sung)
- "Salute to the flags" (the national anthem MAY be sung)
In addition to the order above, the Rotaract anthem may also be played last.