LEGIONNAIRE. November 28th NOMINATION DEADLINES APPROACH INSIDE THIS EDITION...

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1 MI INSIDE THIS EDITION... Official Publication of The American Legion Department of Michigan November/December 2013 LEGIONNAIRE Michigan Legionnaire & Wolverine Auxiliaire Vol. LXXXIII No.4 The Michigan American Legion Seeks new Director of Veteran Services pg. 13 Michigan High School Band wishes to honor WW2 veterans in France for the 70th Anniversary of D-Day and they need your help. pg 14 Winter Meeting is around the corner Join Us pg 19 Honor Flights from Michigan continue helping veterans reach Washington D.C. pg Points to a Successful Boys State Campaign. pg 8 Buy the Veteran in your life a personalized Christmas gift. pg 17 November/December 2013 No Return Postage Requested. November 28th NOMINATION DEADLINES APPROACH Honor your local heroes by nominating them for an award: Law Enforcement Award due January 2nd, 2014 First Responder/Firefighter Award January 2nd, 2014 Teacher of the Year: February 3rd, 2014 Economic Awards are due by January 2nd, 2014 Applications and details are available on or contact headquarters for forms or packet@michiganlegion.org

2 2 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December DEADLINE DATES NOV./DEC soctober 1, 2013 Circulation: 97,687 Printed: Mailed: Chaplain Jennifer L. Smith, State Chaplain As a child, I found something almost magical about the autumn and winter holidays. In the late fall, the colors were amazing and the smells of cinnamon, pine, and/or nutmeg often permeated the air in various places in the small town that I lived in. Yes, pie lovers rejoice! In the winter, the street that I lived on transformed into something Currier and Ives would have certainly appreciated. Trees lining both sides of the street glistening with ice, with snow blanketing the ground to form a picturesque and peaceful scene. During December, a local church s bells would softly chime various traditional hymns for an hour or so after dusk. I cherished that sublime ambiance fondly, but it is hardly what made or makes Christmas, Hanukkah, other High Holidays, and religious celebrations special. Rather, the spirit of caring and service many diverse faiths especially embrace during this time of year remains most important. The seasons remind us that there is a need for considering new proactive ideas and becoming involved to promote helping others. Let us recognize those that have served others selflessly showing their fall colors once again and follow their example jointly into a prosperous spring. There is truly a heartfelt blessing in giving and all can contribute in some way. As Acts 20:35 NASB advises, In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words State Commander Raymond Moore, Lake City State Adjutant Patrick W. Lafferty, Farwell 1st Zone Ernest Berry 2nd Zone Jerry Andrus 3rd Zone August Miele 4th Zone Gary Hlavka 5th Zone David Spencer WINTER WONDERLAND MI STATE OFFICERS Finance Officer George Dolan, Grand Blanc Historian Mitch Louth, St. Johns Chaplain Jennifer Smith, Lansing Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Buda, Dearborn Judge Advocate F. Garrit Veldman, Muskegon National Executive Committeeman John Skinner, Schoolcraft of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Moreover, I humbly assert there is a profound, subtle, theologically symbolic note about the autumn and winter seasons that is evident to us in Michigan as we enjoy the visual confirmation of change and the process of renewal. We need only positively embrace the call to action. This was apparent to me by the quiet beauty of surrounding my childhood home and I hope to each of you at your residences or via your travels within Michigan. More importantly, the nature of giving in my community during those past and present times also reminded me of the need for refocusing upon others, reflecting the service of our seasoned givers, and now remembering always our worthy objectives as members of the Legion family. We each have obstacles financial, health, heartache, etc. -- but I can assure you that there is often a measure of healing and even empowerment in reaching out in service as you can. Joshua 1:9 NASB aptly advises, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Please be well, renewed, and strengthened; Winter Wonderland, indeed. Wishing all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and wonderful season; May God richly bless you. OPT OUT FORM Yes! I would like to view the Legionnaire online at instead of receiving it through the mail. Please permanently remove me from the Legionnaire mailing list. This option will not effect any other Legion mailings. Name: Membership No.: Address: City: State: Zip code: Signature: Please mail this form to: The American Legion, Department of Michigan, 212 N. Verlinden Ave, Lansing, MI or fax this form to (517) Alt. National Executive Committeeman Roger Webster, Croton Immediate Past Commander Thomas Brown, Oscoda Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Director James Topps, Adrian Membership Director Larry Money, Buchanan Public Relations Director. Mark Sutton, Eaton Rapids

3 Headquarters MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December Raymond Moore, State Commander THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES- ENGAGE YOUR LEGISLATORS As I begin this article, we have just returned from the Fall Meetings at Indianapolis. These meetings are mostly informative for new Commanders and Adjutants with an Raymond Moore opportunity to State Commander develop relationships with officers from other Departments and become acquainted with the Departments in our Region and the new National Vice Commander. A time to exchange ideas and make plans for the ensuing year. It also is a time for additional challenges between Departments for membership goals. National also has a challenge among the different Caucuses for membership percentage by the May Target Date. I have committed your Department and now it is up to each of you to reach deep down and assist me in reaching this goal. I ll tell you Patrick W. Lafferty, State Adjutant Flag Rewards Are You Earning Emblem Sales Reward Points for Your Post? Patrick W. Lafferty State Adjutant I am just returning from Fall Meetings today in Indianapolis, National Headquarters. It is a privilege to represent the Great Department of Michigan as your adjutant there each year. One of the sessions that caught my eye this trip was Emblem Sales. Every year they come up with new and exciting products to promote the Legion Family with and as always, if they do not sell a product you are looking for, feel free to call them and ask if they can arrange something. The products range from US Flags to shirts, to caps, to plaques, to hundreds of items to decorate your Post with and everything in between. They have all we need to promote the Legion name in our communities. However, with tight budgets how is a Post to take advantage of all of these great products? ANSWER =FLAG REWARDS PROGRAM Have you heard of this program? Did you know what it is after you get there. There was also much discussion regarding Brand Awareness and our 5 year plan for sustained membership growth to attain an all time high for the 100th Anniversary year. Everyone present pretty much agreed that the way to the top is to make every effort to publicize what we are doing at each level, Post, Department and National. As I have been saying all along, if we tell the General Public and our non member Veterans how we support American Legion Baseball, Scholarships, Oratorical, Student Trooper, Boys State, Honor Guards for Veteran Burials and all the other things we do then we should be able to recruit members and have the support of our neighbors when we do a fundraiser for these programs. On another subject, let me continue some dialog regarding our Veteran Affairs and Rehabilitation program, our Service Officers. As you should all be aware, Governor Snyder issued an Executive Order in February to establish a State of Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency. To date there has been much movement in getting this Agency up and running in Lansing. There is however, still much to be determined as to how this will affect our American Legion Veteran Affairs and Rehabilitation program. You should all know that an advisory committee has been established to interact with the Agency staff and I am happy to report that I will be the representative for our organization. Meetings are pending at this time and we will hopefully have a better understanding of the effect on our Service Officers as you read this. Details to follow; It will be much easier to work on this effort if each of you will engage your Legislators and express our concerns. We will be inviting them to our Legislative Breakfast in February and your contacting them now will at least put the bug in their ear İ would also ask that you be sure that your Post has representation at that for every American Flag your post is referenced to in the sales of that flag from Emblem sales, the Post receives credits that can be used to redeem for products at Emblem sales? How much product can one buy with these credits? Well the Jonesville Post 195 sold so many flags in 2012 they received close to $4000 in credit at Emblem sales to use. In total the Posts in the Department of Michigan earned over $14000 in credit at Emblem sales in How does the Post get started? Jump on line and head over to emblem.legion.org/flag_rewards.asp From there the Post Adjutant fills out the registration form, online or print and mail in, then you promote the sales of US Flags from Emblem sales. Spread the word to the community that they should use Post #???? when ordering flags from Emblem Sales. The web site contains flyers you can use to advertise the sales of flags. The post earns 1 point (worth 10 cents) for every dollar your Post or your Sponsor spends on American Flags all District and Department meetings so we can get the information out to as many members as possible. A lot of what happens at Department Headquarters is not scripted and we never know when an issue such as a Federal Government Shut-down is going to need to be addressed and so often it happens just before, during or after a meeting and the best way for us to inform you is at one of these meetings. YOU need to be there. Marcia and I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a HAPPY TURKEY day. Please don t forget those who are unable to be with their families as you gather with your families. May Santa also be good to you and may the New Year bring sanity and Santa to our elected officials and may each of you recruit and reinstate a member. Lastly for now on a personal note- Thank you to all who sent a card, called or visited after the passing of my Dad. A death is never easy but your support in so many ways makes the adjustment much easier. This is a great way to earn credit for your Post to buy Emblem Sales items and promote Patriotism in your community. Let us know how successful your post is on this program. Spread the word and spread the colors of Red, White, and Blue all over your town. Patriotic Items, Fundraising, Accessories, Shirts, Flags & More!

4 4 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December Membership REMEMBER YOUR 3 R S +1 By Larry Money, Membership Director Well it s that time of year, leaves are turning, the days are getting shorter and the temperature is starting to cool done. Before we know it Mother Nature will be covering the State with a fresh new face. But what this means for the Department of Michigan and it s American Legion membership is that we must now start to dig in and get to working our programs. At present we have met or exceeded our membership goals, this has always been the easy part. From now on we must see that our Post and District membership teams start working those programs that they have in place. Not always an easy task, but one that can be successful. We all know the 3 R s to membership, Renew, Retain and Recruit. One more I would like to add is Remain. This formula has been that has been successful for many years, mix this with Commander Moore s emphasis of using Public Relations as a recruiting tool, you now have the ability of becoming creative with Post and District membership goals. Publicize in your Post newsletter and local paper that you are having a small brunch or luncheon to Renew or Retain the current membership roster. Coordinate with Dept. and get zip code listings for your area and do a Recruitment drive, using the local media as an advertising tool. Become creative with your program and this year s goal of 71,157 can be attained. Lastly Remain. Not every Blue Cap legionnaire is going to be that member that is there for every meeting or function, but his or her membership is extremely important to our organization. Don t forget our incentive program this year, for every (3) three members you sign up we have a recruitment pin available. The form can be found on the website, Michiganlegion.org. I want to also thank Barb, for 35 years of dedicated service to the Department of Michigan and the veterans that it has served. With this being said, your Department Membership Committee would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas. The following constitutes the membership awards available to individuals, posts, and districts embarking on this year s membership program. Gold Brigade - 30 new members ($ Jacket) Silver Brigade - 20 new members ($ Shirt) Bronze Brigade - 10 new members ($50.00) and certificate District Meetings st District Meetings 7PM Dec 2nd, 2013 Executive Board Meeting March 3, Joe Louis Post #375 May 5th, 2014 Memorial Observance Joint Legion/Auxiliary Mon Annual Memorial Day Program Roseland Park 10:30 am ** 2901 N. Woodward Ave, Berkley, MI June 2, Joe Louis Post #375 Address: Sherwood, Detroit, MI nd District JANUARY 12th, 2014 YPSILANTI POST # 282 SAL 12:00pm Service Officer 1:00pm American Legion 2:00pm MARCH 09th, TECUMSEH POST # 34 SAL 12:00pm Service Officer 1:00pm American Legion 2:00pm MAY 18th, 2014 JACKSON POST # 29 SAL 11;00am Service Officer 12:00pm Memorial Service 12:30pm, American Legion meeting to follow. 3rd District Executive Board meetings at 11:30AM Regular District Meeting at 1:00PM Nov 3, Captain Oscar Post 298 Jan 5, Captain Oscar Post 298 March 5, Grand Ledge Post 48 Birthday/Memorial dinner held by Auxiliary please RSVP May 14, Kalamazoo Post 36 4th District November 3, 2013 Hickory Corners Post# 484. January 5, 2013 Buchanan Post# 51 March 2, 2013 Constantine Post# 223 May 4, 2013 Bridgman Post#331 We have a luncheon at these meeting at 12:30. Then our meetings start at 2:00. 5th District Meetings start at 7 PM Nov 14th, Louis Teistler Post 47 Jan 9th, 2014@ Daniel W. Cassard Post 208 Mar 13th, @ Evans-Swanson Post 123 May 8th, Charles A. Conklin Post 28 July 10th To be May 18, Port Huron Post 8 Memorial State Convention - Livonia 8th District Lunch at 1:30 PM Meetings begin at 3 PM Nov 3rd, Frankenmuth Post 150 Jan 5th, Greenville Post 101 March 2, St. Johns Post 153 May 4th, Bath Post 412 9th District Exec Noon Service Officer and Past 12:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. General 2:00 p.m. December 14, Croton Post 381 March 8, Fife Lake Post 219 May 10, Traverse City Post 35 10th District 12:00PM 1:00PM Nov. 2, Barryton Post 473 Jan 4, Mikado Post 254 Mar. Prudenville Post 245 May 4, Hale Post 422 (MemorialService) Jun. 7, TBA 16th District Meetings Begin at 7:30 PM Nov 12th, Flat Rock Post 337 Dec 10th, Southgate Post 478 * Jan 14th, Stitt Post 232 Feb 11th, Fort Dearborn 364 * March 12th, Wyandotte Post 217 April 8th, Trenton Post 426 * May 13th, Lincoln Park Post 67 ** Dual June 10th, Garden City Post 396 * * Service Officer School 6:30 PM ** Memorial Service at 6:30 PM 17th District Meetings 7PM Plymouth #391 no meeting due to holidays Northville #147 Livonia #32 Plymouth #391 TBD Livonia #32 Livonia 6:30PM Members of Post #51 Marvin Pruett and Larry Money are shown with Buchanan High School principal Sharon Steinke, educator Melissa Frost and her daughters Elizabeth and Christine and National Honor Society members Madison Prillwitz and Devin Trost as they prepare to place flags in the classrooms of BHS. American Legion Post #51 members purchased (38) flags and wall brackets that were hung in the classrooms before the start of the current school year 6th District Service officer 12:00 Noon 1:00 PM Nov 3, Lyle Edwards Post 419 Jan 12, Pinckney Memorial Post 419 March 9, Devereaux Post 141 May 4, Grand Blanc Post 413 7th District Lunch 12:30PM Jan 12, Lapeer Post 16 2:00PM March 16, Caseville Post 543 Meeting 18th District Meetings 2:00PM Nov 17th, 2013 Auburn Hills Post #143 Jan 12th, Pontiac Post #20 March 9, Rochester Post #172 May 18th, Farmington Post #346 Memorial Service / Election of Officers June 8, Royal Oak Post #253 District 19 Dec 8, Gaylord Post Mar 9, Elk Rapids Post May 17, Onaway Post

5 SECTION TWO AUXILIAIRE 212 N. Verlinden Ave, Ste. B, Lansing, MI New Phone: (517) Page 5 November/December 2013 From the Desk of the President Have you ever thought about THE POWER OF ONE? A lot of people don t realize how one person can make a difference. But if you take one, plus one, plus one they add up. Let s take a look at how that works. Use you communication skills, such as a letter, a phone call. , Twitter, and Facebook just to name a few. -- Membership for an example you call a member who hasn t been to a meeting in a while, and find out why. -- A letter can be used to introduce your Unit and what our Auxiliary is FROM: Kris Nelson, National Public Awareness Campaign Review Team Lead RE: Next Steps and Your Role in the Campaign Background: An Awareness Campaign to Advance the Mission The lack of awareness of the American Legion Auxiliary amongst the general public is alarming. When people do not know about our great organization, they cannot help us, and that means meeting the needs of veterans, the military and their families is in jeopardy. At the 2012 National Convention in Indianapolis, the convention body voted to conduct a test phase of a national public awareness campaign to help spread the message of who we are, what we do and why we matter. Using the professional public relations firm Publicis, the test phase was conducted over a four-week period in five test market cities using a combination of direct-response television and print ads and a web presence. Local Auxiliary members in those test markets were utilized to contact people who had shown interest in the ALA by responding to one of those ads. Where We Are Now: Spreading the Message to a Wider Audience This year, at the 2013 National Convention in Houston, Phase 2 of the campaign was approved and will be taking the efforts nationwide. Beginning October 28 and running through November 21, the television commercial and web presence will be running nationwide! People will call or fill out a form online to donate to the Auxiliary or to learn more about volunteering with us. YOUR Role: How YOU Can Be the Auxiliary Representative all about, when asking to set up a Poppy table. -- can let members know what is going on at your Unit. -- Facebook is a good place to post dates of coming events at you Unit, for your friends to see and their friends to see. While you are using all these skills don t forget to us them when communicating with our elected officials who run your townships, cities, states and our nation. Don t for get to send a copy of this communication and their reply if you get one, to your UNIT LEGISTATIVE CHAIRMAN, so she can add it to her report to Your District Legislative Chairman who in turn can Department President, Sandra Snyder THE POWER OF ONE forward it to Our Department Legislative Chairman for Her annual report. How many ways can you as a member use the Power of One? What about a project for your Unit to find how the Power of One can help your Unit. Have a prize for the best entry. Ask each member for one month to track how she had used their Power of One to serve their Unit. At the end of that month have them turn in their work sheets and see how many different ways they have used their communication skills to aid your Unit and Our Auxiliary. Then don t forget to share what you have learned. As people express interest in learning more about volunteering and supporting our organization, a chain of events will be set in motion: 1) A call center will take down the person s contact information OR - the person will fill out an interest or donation form directly online. 2) Staff at National Headquarters will receive a list each week during the campaign with names of those who have expressed interest in volunteering. 3) This list will be sorted by zip code and ed to the appropriate department secretary, and copied to the department president, PR chairman, and membership chairman. 4) It is the department president s responsibility to have a plan in place to either contact these people directly, or pass their information on to a trustworthy, predetermined member in the contact s local area. 5) Since this is a national campaign, we are not sure how many requests for contact each department might receive. A small number of departments may only get a few names to call while other departments could have as many as 40 to 50 per week. We will do our best to keep abreast of how the calls come into the call center and alert you if the volume appears heavy. 6) Each volunteer should record the interactions on a spreadsheet, and share the progress with me and the national staff at pr@alaforveterans.org after the ads stop airing on November 21. Progress reports are due by December 5. 7) If at first you don t succeed, try, try again! Be persistent when returning calls and s. Many of the people who are considering volunteer work are busy, just like you are. It may take numerous attempts. 8) Remember, everyone who is interested in vol- If your unit decides to do this, send me a copy of what your members did. There will be a prize given to each Unit President who asks her member to do this for one month. Each Unit President is to write a LETTER or me, showing how her members used their communication skills. Unit Presidents who summit their entry by January 1, 2014 will receive their Unit Presidents Award at Winter Meeting in February. As always remember you can reach me by phone not before 8 AM and not after 9PM. Home: Cell: me at: sandrasnyder10@comcast.net. Have fun Communicating. ALA PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IS IN PHASE 2 unteering may not be eligible for membership. Do not turn them away! Welcome all volunteers with open arms. Going Grassroots: Efforts from Unit-Level Members Are Essential This campaign will not work without full efforts from unit-level members. Work the phones, work your keyboards, work your fingers contact these interested people and make sure they have a way to volunteer and get engaged as soon as possible even if they are not eligible for membership. People like to volunteer in many different ways. Be sure to have a variety of meaningful and impactful volunteer opportunities from which they can choose, activities or events that may match a variety of interests, talents and time commitments. To help you be as successful as possible in converting contacts to active, engaged volunteers, a new PR Toolkit was developed as part of the campaign s test phase. Please view it online at print it, use it! It is chock-full of valuable resources that will help you reach the ultimate goal of spreading the message of who we are, what we do, and why we matter. In addition to the information in the PR Toolkit, Communications Division staff has developed Letter to the Editor templates for you to send to your local newspapers ahead of patriotic holidays. The first one, for Veterans Day, is attached. You can find the rest online on our Resources page at Please contact me at: tknelson@brainerd.net, if you have any questions or if I can help in any way. Thank you for helping spread the word about the work we do and about the people who need out help.

6 6 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December Ellen Jackson, Department Chaplain The Season to Give Thanks T Time- It s the time of the season to give thanks and appreciation for everything, including the things our Veterans have given us. H Holidays- A time to celebrate our Veteran given Holidays if it were not for the Veteran we might not be able to celebrate at all! A Always Remember and never take for granted our freedoms. N Now and always tell your loved ones how important they are. K Knowledge pass it onto our children so they and future generations will never forget the sacri- fices of a Veteran. S Simply put; say thank to your Veterans, let them know how grateful we are for what they have done, and never forget what their families had sacrificed also. (How often we forget that) One of the most heartfelt quotes about the human cost of military service is, sadly, unattributed. It recognizes the sacrifice made by the servicemen and women who risk everything they have for the safety of an entire nation. The saying may be short, but it speaks volumes: Freedom is never free. Unknown Author Greetings from the Mighty 17th District Claudia Barber-Martin, 17th District President We are very pleased here in the 17th District to be the home of this year s Department of Michigan Auxiliary President, Sandra J. Snyder. We will be striving very hard this year to Keep on Track for our Veterans. To do this the first car in our train heading down our tracks for our veterans will be the most important one, that being membership. We will be striving to be the first district in the state to reach 100% membership for the year. Because without members we can t work the programs. Then followed closely, are the five POD cars carrying our Auxiliary programs for the year, which fuel our work for veterans, active duty military and their families. The caboose here in the 17th this year will be our very active Juniors. They may follow along at the end but here in the 17th they are the tops for all they do for The Legion Family and for veterans, active duty, military and their families. They are the future of our Auxiliary. One of our most important district goals this year will be our Veterans, especially our female veterans. My daughter and I will be volunteering at the 2013 Great Lakes Stand Down for Female Veterans. It is the second annual women veterans stand down held in Michigan. It will take place on Monday, September 16th, 2013 from 10:00 until 4:00, in Lansing. They are busy preparing to serve 200 Female Veterans. The District will also be partnering with the Legion of the 17th District to support programs and fundraisers to help our homeless veterans. On any given night in this country it is estimated that 300,000 veterans go homeless. For many others, and me the words homeless and veteran should NEVER be used in the same sentence. We will also be pleased at the end of this year to welcome all of the American Legion Family for the Department of Michigan to our Mighty 17th District as we have the pleasure of having the State Convention in our District this year. So come out and see what makes the 17th so Mighty. May all of you, have an amazing and productive year. Keep on track! God Bless our veterans, God Bless our troops, wherever they are serving and God Bless the USA Our Hospital Volunteers Put Smiles on Our Vets Carol Parks, Hospital Director Once again our volunteers have come through for our veterans. We have had a great year doing a lot of wonderful things for our vets thanks to the volunteers. The Auxiliaries put on Bingos, Birthday Parties, Festivals, Carnivals, sent out Father s Day cards, Mother s Day cards, we do Christmas Parties, Party Parties, Concerts, and a lot more. We believe in what we do and are proud to do it for our Veterans. This year there were not as many volunteers reporting their times for hospital volunteering but we still put in over 4000 hours with a little over 50 volunteers. I would encourage Auxiliary members to do an orientation at a local VA hospital or where ever they are being held so you can claim all the time that you put into making the lives of our veterans happier. It doesn t cost anything but a little bit of your time. It s important to let others know what we are doing and if you can get credit for it and recognition for your tims, why not. I know that a lot of Auxiliary members put in many hours each month on programs for the veterans without being acknowledged. Let s all toot our horns and tell the world that we appreciate our veterans and what they have sacrificed for us. Remember that you have the power to put a smile on a veterans face by volunteering. Do it TODAY. Thank you to all the volunteers for all the wonderful things that you do every day. Please keep it up. May God Bless you, all our Veterans and bring our Troops home soon. Thanks for Caring in the 10th Vivian Avery, 10th District President 10th District members have done it again, Staying on track for our Veterans! Membership is rated sixth in the department as of 10/16/2013. Keep up the good work. The units in the 10th District are busy with many projects to help our veterans and their families. It is early in the year, but everything is looking like a record breaking year for the 10th District. I am just beginning my unit visits. The units I have visited are doing well. There is always good food and more importantly - friends (old & new) to see. My District President's Project - Girl's State - is doing well. There has already been enough monies collected for one delegate. We hope to have enough monies for 2 delegates and some monies left over for general donation. Remember, There is no limit to the good we can do! If we don't care who gets the credit. Thank you for caring! Junior President Helps Abused Children Christine Merlington, Junior Activities Chairman The Honorary Junior Presidents Project this year is Childhelp.USA, it is a program that helps children recover after they have been abused. We are working on a few fundraisers this year to benefit this program. One will be at the Five Below store on Alpine Ave in Grand Rapids on the 21st of December. Bring a voucher, which you can obtain by contacting the Junior Chairman Christine Merlington and she will send or you this. Once you have it whatever you spend at the store on the 21st of December 10% will go to the Project. We will do the same thing on April 12th. We will also be having a drawing at Department Convention for a Summer Package we will start selling tickets for these in January. We also have much planned this year, we are having a Junior Overnight Sleepover at Post #287 in Cedar Springs on November 23rd. Every Junior in Michigan is invited. Contact Christine for more information. We will be doing Community Service, learning more about how the Vets Home works, Respect and signing Christmas Cards for the U.S.S Michigan that evening, please join us. Our Junior Convention is planned for April 5th in Milford. We plan on visiting the Military Museum in Frankenmuth in the spring. All this and so much more. Please contact Christine or Honorary Junior President Alyssa with any questions we will be glad to help you.

7 8th District Update Terry Hessler, 8th District Commander The following is a list of news from within the 8th District. Activity helps make a Post grow. Elsie Post 502 had 15 M1 Ceremonial rifles cleaned and repaired by a representative at Fort Custer and 5 other volunteers. They are always busy restocking the food items in the pantry they host for 4 surrounding communities. Past 8th District Commander had a surprise birthday event on August 9th, 2013 to celebrate his 84th birthday. Murl Red Sanders lives at Metron of Greenville and was escorted to the new Veterans freedom Wall and Military park in Belding, MI which he has never seen before. Red was thoroughly impressed and excited to hear about the New Korean War monument to be unveiled on Veteran s Day. Mr. Sanders also enjoyed his birthday cake. Great Job Belding Post 203, Vice Commander Ernie Cox, Bob Johnson Grand Rapids Home for Veterans & D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette A lot has been going on since my last newsletter! The recent Aprons in Action contest from the Home Depot wrapped up at the end of May. I am pleased to report that the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans came in second place, which provided the home $150,000 from the Home Depot. This funding will help remodel some of the rooms, going from quad rooms to double rooms. Thanks to everyone that voted in the contest. We all know that the economic climate in the state and nation has not been the best in the last few years. Here in Michigan funding cuts have become the norm. One exception to that norm has been the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and the D.J. Jacobetti home. The Governor, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the legislators have worked hard for the homes this year and provided the homes over $ 2 million more in funding, most of which will be included in the base and Unit 203 Sgt at Arms Kelly Cox presented Belding School Board of education with 75 flags for their classrooms. Carson City Post 380 recently celebrated their fall festival days on September 27th & 28th with the displaying of the Michigan traveling Vietnam memorial at the post. Veteran s Day. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and a harsh winter are fast approaching. Let us not forget the hundreds of homeless veterans in our communities. If you have extra time, money or food, please consider donating to a local VA home, VA Hospital, or homeless shelter in your area. Lastly the 8th District Leadership College will be December 7th, 2013 at Frankenmuth Post 150. Register online or via mail. On site registration begins at There is no charge to take the class and it is open to all Legion Family members. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December Board of Managers Report funding annually. Please take some time and thank your representatives, the governor and the DMVA for their efforts. The Canopy project at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans continues. It is scheduled to wrap up in mid- October. Keep the construction on mind as you visit the home. It will be nice once it is completed to be able to drop off and pick up patients under the canopy, especially during the winter months. At the D. J. Jacobetti home, several projects will be underway during the last few months of this year. The Chapel entrance is to be renovated, the family room moved and renovated, the courtyard renovated, and the main entrance getting a facelift. All of these projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year so be mindful of this as you visit D.J. Jacobetti. Also in the news the last few months has been on the issue of care at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. As the privatization of the caregivers has been underway for several months now, most of the bumps in the road have been MICHIGAN BOYS STATE 10th District Report Kenneth B. Burtch, Jr., 10th District Commander What a wonderful last two months this as been Serving the Mighty 10th District. It has been an honor for me. The conventions and conferences have been well planned, and filled with information that will help us be a success this year. However, making visits to the Posts have been the greatest thrill for me. I have been able to visit 8 posts so far and I have others scheduled. So many wonderful things are happening and I would like to highlight one in particular. The Morley, Michigan Post No. 554 has created a Victory Garden, on the premises. Commander Ron Morse helped Legionnaire Tom Roesly to realize his dream project of growing a garden to help feed Veterans in their area. The name Victory Garden is the term used to describe gardens grown during World War II by private citizens in order to save canned goods for soldiers. Starting last April, volunteers smoothed out. This change had its share of challenges but the staff has worked hard at addressing each and every one. This process has also become political to some extent, which has brought many accusations THE WEEK THAT SHAPES A LIFETIME Jerry Kelly, Boys State Director The mission of Boys State is to provide the highest-quality interactive educational experience possible and to help young men learn about our system of government. The lessons and memories from Boys State last a lifetime, and provide a solid foundation to further enhance leadership and teamwork. Boys State is a lifechanging experience and our staff is committed to providing the best environment to encourage education and growth. This year the Boys State Committee is asking each Post to reach out to our Veterans who have children or grand children eligible to attend Boys State. We are also began tilling the soil of the garden which measures 120 feet by 32 feet. A donated by Bud Russell was then put in place to keep unwanted animals out. A group of volunteers assisted with the planting. Vegetables planted included tomatoes, squash, potatoes, peppers (some hot ones too, I found out myself), cucumbers, snow peas, and onions reported volunteer Sheila Schneider. Tom Roesly said there were so many donations he could not begin to name everyone. It was an honor for me to walk through this garden and receive, along with others, a big tomato from the garden. These vegetables are taken into the Post are there for Veteran s to take, as they need them. I am proud to be a part of this wonderful endeavor, and I say that because I know Ron and Tom both feel that they are not only representing Morley, but the entire 10th District and veteran s everywhere. Sometimes growth in a Post takes getting your hands dirty, literally. of improper care that are baseless. The Board of Managers and I take each and every report of substandard care serious. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. asking that each Post reach out to the National Guard or Reserve Unit(s) in your area. The committee is often being asked: What are the requirements to attend Boys State? The answer is simple: Any young man who is a junior (11th grade) in high school or the equivalent of an 11th grade accredited home-schooled program, 15+ years old by June 4, 2014, and have an interest in how our government functions may attend Boys State. Now is the time to begin laying plans to find young men to attend Boys State and procure financial support for sponsorships. Then in January/February put your plan into action.

8 8 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December What s New at Wilwin Bill Hafeman, Director Chairman of Fundraising Exciting things are happening at Wilwin, thanks to the many Legionnaires, Sons, Auxiliary, and Legion Riders who contributed so generously in our Spring Raffle. Also, thank you to the many Posts, Squadrons, and Units for their generous contributions throughout the year and those who donated items of need. The board of directors also wants to thank each of you who volunteered hours at Wilwin. It was much appreciated. Several groups of PTSD and TBI patients under the care of Dr. Mark Kane used the facilities. We were also fortunate enough to have Sheryl Mankel, a Nationally Certified Equine Acupressure Practitioner work with Dr. Kane and his veterans. The facilities were perfect for the horses to stay. The Board is also working toward getting recognized as a post-rehabilitation center for PTSD and TBI patients and their psychologists after the completion of their rehabilitation program at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center located in North Chicago, Illinois. The Veteran s pavilion was completed this summer with new picnic tables, the corn crib cleaned and painted inside, and the trails have been groomed. Two new trails were found, groomed and added to the 10 miles of trails already in existence. By the time you read this article, a new caretaker s cabin will have been erected and enclosed with just the finishing work to be done this winter and spring including electrical and plumbing; the lodge will have a new roof to replace the old roof that was leaking; and a new floor will have been installed in the lodge s kitchen, pantry and entranceway. It is our hope to have a full-time caretaker at the lodge for booking reservations throughout the center. A new communications system will be installed to make it easier to stay at the lodge. Remember, the facilities are open to all veterans. This includes you! Wilwin is in need of a professional web-site designer. If anyone has the ability and time to help us create a professional looking web-site, please contact Lou Oberle at or Bill Hafeman at Wilwin needs to replace all its linens in all the bedrooms. The board of directors asked board director Patricia Laine and Board Director s wife, Beverly Ruttkofsky to be in charge of this project. The purchase of quality, hotel style bed linens will be purchased to keep the facilities a first class place to stay. Activities planned for next summer will include updating the electrical in the conference center kitchen so the new equipment that was donated to Wilwin can be installed; replacing the boiler in the lodge (which can no longer be used) with another boiler or other type of heating system; clearing an area for an RV park and Scouting bivouac area; and finishing the new cabin. Adding more cabins and a chapel to the grounds are being considered. Wilwin closes October 31st and reopens May 1st when the work begins again. Thanks for your support. Learn about the Organization that You Belong to Bud Hansberger, Leadership Chairman Leadership College is now in full swing. Instructors and participants are enjoying the camaraderie, learning and sharing experiences about our The American Legion Family. Presentations for leadership, duties of office, public relations, programs, auxiliary, SAL, and more. Knowledgeable presenters with auxiliary, son s, riders, and legionnaires in attendance gives an unique opportunity for discussion on what is working for the represented posts and districts, where and how improvement might be gained. Topic s are relevant and current, content is concise and informative, presenter s experienced and witty, attire is casual, format in open, questions and answers encouraged, review of handout CD and pamphlets, one on one with instructors available, with lunch provided on site makes an atmosphere contingent to learning. Come spend a day with leadership committee, other legion family members, learn and share about & with The American Legion, have lunch on the Department of Michigan, enjoy some camaraderie and hear a few quotes. From JKF Learning and Leadership are indispensable to each other Harry S. Truman Amazing what you can accomplish if you don t care who gets credit. GRAND HAVEN POST #28 APPROACH 10 TIPS TO A SUCCESSFUL BOYS STATE CAMPAIGN Mark Sutton, PR Director During the 5th District meeting in September I had the honor to speak with the Post 28 Boys State Chairman about how they are able to fund and send up to 30 boys to the program each year. Dave Carlson was kind enough to provide me with a 10 point list and letter templates to share. I am providing the 10 points here, if you would like the letter templates please me at mark@michiganlegion.org or call me for copies at ext Start Early 2. Review Post files for names of school contacts, recent sponsors or donors 3. Establish a relationship with the school principal, counselors, and teachers at the local high school. Start in October/November to do this. You must have a champion at the school to promote/administer boys state 4. Meet delegate nominees at the school after they are nominated. Include a senior student who attended boys state the previous year and allow them to speak with the nominees. 5. Be ready to provides printed materials or websites to answer any questions 6. See that every service club (Elks, Rotary, etc.) knows about Boys State. Make a presentation at their meetings if possible. They are great year after year supporters. 7. Get a business directory and start selling. (Calls, letters, phone contacts, etc.) 8. Make personal calls in uniform. 9. Keep good computer based records so it s easier for the next year. 10. Use the information and forms found on the National and Department of Michigan websites. These points will also help with Student trooper, Girls State, Oratorical, Baseball and all of our other programs in the Legion Family. We have great programs to offer, Start Early, and work it, success will come.

9 PROUD POSSESORS OF A PRICELESS HERITAGE November/December 2013 Page 9 Sons of The American Legion Detachment of Michigan Newsletter Editors: Brad Koch & Joe Hollomon A.I.M. FOR THE STARS WHY I JOINED THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION? GOOD FOOD AND GAMES FOR VETERANS AT GLEN HILL POST 287 SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN 2014 SONS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION STATE CONVENTION JUNE 6,7, & 8TH, 2014

10 10 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December GET OUT THERE! HOMELAND SECURITY REPORT 5TH DISTRICT SAL REPORT NEC NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 SAL HISTORIAN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS SAL ADJUTANT REPORT BRAG ABOUT YOUR SQUADRON!

11 PAST ADJUTANT AND N.E.F. CHAIRMAN S REPORT MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December MIAP NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER Greg Price RIDE SAFELY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WINTER MONTHS! Randy Jackson, Butch Maxwell, Carvin Chapman, Mike Boughner Rodney Tolbert, Dave Mennell 200 flags were presented to the school by members of the 18th district Association S.A.L. program. We have given flags now to 8 school districts within Oakland County with more to come.

12 12 November/December 2013 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEGION FAMILY AT LEADERSHIP COLLEGE S.A.L MEMBERSHIP The Legion Family is growing in the U.P. On September 23 charters were presented to the newest Squadron # 80 in Trout Lake and Auxiliary Unit # 80.

13 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December Veterans Service Applications are now being accepted through Friday December 20th, 2013 for: Position Title:Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Director Position Reports To: State Adjutant Please send resumes and cover letters to Resumes Attn: Patrick Lafferty, State Adjutant 212 N. Verlinden Ave Ste A Lansing, MI Interviews to be conducted early to mid January; start date February 3rd, 2014 Preference given to Military Veteran applicants Starting Salary $45,000 to $55,000 plus benefits package. Position Summary: Responsible for managing the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation (VA&R) Division, Field Service Officers, Detroit Office Staff by establishing and overseeing all procedures and objectives set by the Department Adjutant. Performs variety of highly responsible and confidential duties for American Legion membership and the State Adjutant of American Legion. The incumbent acts as a liaison between office staff and Veterans and their families, and the State Adjutant and maintains confidential and sensitive information on behalf of American Legion. The ideal candidate will be experienced in staff and Veteran interactions have experience with all aspects of the organization and functions of the American Legion and will be able to work independently with little or no supervision. American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Our staff is dedicated to providing the very best veterans advocacy to Michigan Veterans and Their families. They can assist with Claims Preparation, Presentation and appeal counsel in Veterans benefits services. Assist you and your Dependents in getting the Benefits that you have earned by your service to your Country James C. Topps Director American Legion Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Mr. James C. Topps, Director Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building Room Michigan Avenue Detroit, MI Office Phone (313) or (313) Office Fax (313) Cell Phone (269) james.topps@va.gov toppsjamesc@yahoo.com Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Erna LaBeau, Director s Secretary ernawati.labeau@va.gov Lannie Thomas, Department Service Officer lannie.thomas@va.gov Tripp Cantwell, Department Service Officer tripp.cantwell@va.gov Chris Smirnes, Department Service Officer christopher.smirnes@va.gov Gary Garvin, Department Service Officer gary.garvin@va.gov Gary Easterling, Department Service Officer Lena Payton-Webb, Department Service Officer Call the Detroit office for Field Sevice Officer schedule. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to interact with staff, legislators and Veterans (at all levels) in a fast paced environment, sometimes under pressure, remaining flexible, proactive, resourceful and efficient, with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality is crucial to this role. Strong level written and verbal communication skills, strong decision making ability coupled with a strong sense for prioritizing work and attention to detail are equally important. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Essential duties and responsibilities may, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Directs the day to day management of the VA&R Division including the office management necessary to fulfill directives from the Department Adjutant and maintaining communication with Adjutant on all appropriate information regarding the VA&R Division.* 2) Maintains responsibility for the overall claims filing process for veterans and/or dependents; assuring claims are filed timely and in a professional manner, and making sure veterans and/or dependents are given direct and immediate assistance in obtaining necessary documents.* 3) Responsible for assuring all formal processes are adhered to in regards to all decisions on claims, including, appellate action for faulty decisions assuring they are initiated in a timely manner, assure clients are prepared for a formal appeal, that Board and Local Hearings are conducted regularly and staff prepares final statements of behalf of the clients. 4) Responsible for assuring staff annual training/education sessions and in-services are held and fulfilled regarding Federal, State, and Local benefits and prepares any instructional materials for training sessions.* 5) Represents Department at all official Legion and State functions.* 6) Provide quality service to external clients; maintain a cooperative relationship with other organizations and the VA Veterans Affairs.* 7) Assist the State Adjutant and Department Legislative Committee regarding legislative issues at the state and National levels. 8) Responsible for all employee and staff relations within the VA&R Division; holding regular monthly meetings, and performing annual performance reviews.* 9) Additional duties as assigned. MINIMUM QUALIFI- CATIONS: Equivalent to the completion of high school is required. Bachelors Degree or general education degree or equivalent experience is required. Five to seven (5-7) years experience in a VA position or previous DSVO position or an equivalent combination of education and/or training and/or experience that provides the following knowledge, skills and abilities: Knowledge of: 1) Organization and management principles involved in coordination of people and resources. 2) Mathematical skills; ability to perform basic business math problems and calculations. 3) Basic knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, financial accounting standards, general ledger and related accounting systems. 4) Understanding of Federal, State and Local Agency Benefit Programs 5) Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor. 6) Ability to use a multi-line phone. 7) Extremely detailed oriented 8) Excellent oral and written communication skills. 9) Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize and meet deadlines. 10) Proficient in all Microsoft Office applications. Ability to: 1) Drive a Motor Vehicle and must have and maintain a valid Driver s License. 2) Take responsibility and perform work utilizing independent judgment and initiative, making sound decisions and in developing solutions to problems. 3) Strong proven written communication skills to independently draft and format written business documentation. 4) Strong demonstrated knowledge of MS Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. 5) Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Use independent judgment and initiative in interpret and follow oral and written instructions with attentiveness to detail 6) Assist with the efficient and lawful maintenance of official and confidential records and documents and discreetly handle confidential and sensitive matters; ability to maintain confidentiality. 7) Tactfully and courteously respond to requests and inquiries. 8) Maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVI- RONMENT Work is primarily performed in an indoor office setting with extended periods at a computer, on the telephone, sitting or standing. The position does require the person to be mobile and the ability to drive a vehicle. Physical effort is needed to move, lift and carry files, records, office supplies and materials. Basic communication skills such as talking, seeing, and hearing are needed for frequent person-to-person contacts, and telephone usage. The nature of the work has frequent interruptions; contact with the public and clients requires strong communication skills. May be required to work beyond normal working hours. Job specifications are intended to present an illustrative description of the range of duties, the scope of responsibility and the required level of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to describe the primary functions of the job. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed by those assigned to this classification. *Denotes the essential functions of the position.

14 14 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December HONORING THE GREATEST GENERATION SEARCHING FOR NAMES OF THE LAST LIVING MICHIGAN WORLD WAR II VETERANS June 6, 2014 will mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day when 73,000 American troops joined Allied forces in the largest amphibious invasion in world history, leading to a decisive Allied victory marking the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe. The Lakeshore Lancers Marching Band of Stevensville, Michigan, has been invited to join as an official representative of Michigan in Normandy, France, in June of The kids will join the American Liberation Victory Parade that will step off on the actual anniversary day, June 6, 2014 in the French village of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first village to be liberated by American troops. As part of the commemoration activities, they will also perform at the American Cemetery of Omaha Beach and on the grounds of the French Senate in Paris. The band will be one of three (maybe four) American bands going to Normandy, and the only one from Michigan. With 160 members, they will be the largest participating band! During their performances in Normandy, the marching students want to wear a ribbon in honor of each of the last living WWII veterans of Michigan. Upon their return to the United States, these epaulettes will be mailed back to the veterans as a mark of gratitude and appreciation. We need your help in identifying these last Michigan heroes of World War II! If you know any of them, please send the name, address, and phone number of these veterans so that we can honor them: Mrs. Von Koenig, Director of Bands Lakeshore Public Schools 5771 Cleveland Avenue Stevensville, MI A 3-time State Champion, the Lakeshore band already represented the State of Michigan in 2004 at the inauguration of the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. You can find more information about this program and how you can support them on the website VETERANS FROM THE UPPER PENINSULA HONOR FLIGHT'S MISSION V REACH THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL Bill Cool 6th district Commander presenting flags to the Carmin Ainsworth School Board President Mrs. Mary Hatcher Sault Ste. Marie American Legion Post #3 Commander Jim Douquett and Adjutant Paul Steinkohl present Tracy Holt from Sault Ste. Marie Hospice House with a check for $500. The Legion had recently a pizza drive with all proceeds going to the Hospice House.

15 National Is Concentrating on Our Military Children Robin Puckett, Education Chairman Fall Conference is over, and it is time to get busy. I hope everyone learned a lot, and that you take it back and pass it along. Please bring it back to your Units and Districts. National is concentrating on our military children. See if there are any children that need your help in your Posts and Units. It could be a need of supplies, clothes or even tutoring. Let s not forget alternative schools and shelters. See if there are any adults who are continuing their education beyond high school. Our teachers can always use our help. Assistance in the classroom with supplies or crafts is always needed. Many of our teachers are using their own money. I will be adding a Chairman Award this year. It will go to the Unit that reaches the most schools about our scholarships. Now is the time to talk to our Educators about what we have to offer. Help our students, and get a little positive recognition at the same time. Remember You re never too old, too wacky, or to wild, to pick up a book and read with a child. MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December Battle Creek VAMC IS Gearing Up for Lots of Activities Barbara Parks, Battle Creek VAMC Representative All Aboard the Battle Creek V.A. Train Service Our Veterans for the year. We are on Track for a great year for our Veterans. On the fourth Wednesday of each month we put on 3 programs at Battle Creek. We start at 12:45 with a social party at the Community Living Center, passing out treats of cupcakes, muffins, applesauce, and sugar free pudding along with sugar free fruit punch and ice tea to all of the Veterans there. Then we are across campus for social parties for the four 39 wards. Adding chips, and additions treats for the Veterans there. Then at 6:00 we set up in building 6 for bingo. This is open to patients of the hospital and those Veterans served by the hospital, but who live either off campus or in the apartments on the south end of the campus. With an additional of a new building of apartments we are planning on having several new Bingo players. Bingo prizes are canteen books and each player receives a door prize. With so many in the apartments now playing bingo we have added household items as prizes. Bingo is over about 8:00 making a long but an enjoyable day. We can use volunteers for these programs, so if you are interested contact me and I will be glad to have your help. October was the patient Carnival where we served hot dogs, chips, and cookies to our Veterans. What a fun day it was for the patients Plea to the Units to Support Girls State Veronica Finch, Girls State Committee Member I am writing this article with a plea to all of the American Legion Auxiliary units in Michigan that support the Girls State program every year. We had one of the lowest turnouts this past session; we must find a way to turn that around. Our main objective for the 2014 session is to increase the amount of Delegates/Alternates attending the session. We must find some innovative ways to draw interest to our program by doing some of the following things: 1. Maintain monthly mailings to Units. 2. Encourage units to seek outside sponsorships to sponsor Girls State Delegates. 3. Encourage Districts to sponsor Delegates. 4. Increase networking with schools (chartered, private, home-schooled) that have no active Units in their communities. 5. Enlist former Girls State alumnae to help recruit candidates from their high schools. There are several action steps that we can take to educate Girls State Citizens about the programs and the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary. If your Unit or Post has a website or social networking site utilize them to increase Girls and for all of the volunteers as well. When was the last time you got a hug just for a hot dog? We are planning a lunch for the lady Veterans in November. We take about 10 of our Lady Veterans to Old Country Buffet for lunch and goodies. What a fun afternoon just for our ladies. Of course Christmas Gift Shop is our biggest program. Gift Shop will be Wednesday and Thursday December 4th and 5th. We start at 8:00 A.M., but if you can t make it by then we appreciate your help when you can. Ribbon Cutting will be on Thursday about 10:00 A.M. We are usually finished by 3:00 P.M. We can use as many volunteers as possible. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY LADIES GIFTS. I will do the shopping for the ladies, as we do not have very many lady Veterans at Battle Creek. Each patient receives a sweatshirt, sweat pants, socks and underwear and an additional gift. (Suggestions: hats and gloves, billfold, hand held game, small battery radios (with batteries), pajamas, vests and jackets.) Each gift should have a value of $7.00 to $ If you purchase gifts on sale record the value of the gift not the sale price. We do have several flannel shirts and button shirts on hand so keep this in mind when shopping. It would be a great help to me if you would send me a copy of the list of your gifts that you send to your District V.A. and R. Chairman. That way I know what is being sent from the units so I have an idea of what I need to shop for. Please State program visibility and interest in our program. We will be updating our Michigan American Legion Auxiliary Girls State Facebook Page, encourage your former citizens to post their positive experiences, and tell your delegates and alternates to check it out. The Department website has updated information available on the Girls State page. We encourage Units to use that information and the monthly Unit fliers to promote Girls State. Contact your local newspapers and cable companies to get the word out! The Girls State Committee is open to any other ideas or thoughts on getting better participation in communities. We would also suggest that if local schools are not coming up with candidates that you contact the history and government teachers directly; we have found in most cases the counselors are overwhelmed with other issues that take up their time and direction. Contact your district Girls State Chair or any of the Girls State committee members for further information; we have the answers and we are here to help you. Together we can make this the best Girls State ever! have your gifts sent or delivered to the hospital no later than November 20th and remember there are no weekend deliveries. I would greatly appreciate it if your unit can do the shopping, but, if you need to send money PLEASE send your check to the Department Office as soon as possible so I have time to shop for you. Also remember most of our patients are large, X large and 2X large sizes so keep this in mind when you shop. The last few years we have had several Legion and Sons of the Legion Members who have helped at Gift Shop. They are a lot of help and enjoy themselves as well. Thanks in advance to all of the Units for your donations and for the entire volunteer help for Gift Shop. February is Valentines for Veterans. If you wish to have me take your cards to Battle Creek get them to me by January 21st. So I can take them to the hospital for their distribution to the Veterans, more on this later. We are also having our Fathers Day program in June. Fathers Day cards will be given to all male patients with $5.00 in canteen books. Lady Veterans will receive Thinking of You Cards with canteen books. Thank you for all of your help and the donations for our Veterans programs at Battle Creek. You do not realize how much our programs are appreciated by our Veterans. Help keep the American Legion Auxiliary Train going loaded with programs for Battle Creek V.A.

16 16 November/December 2013 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE How to Financially Support our Mission-Based Programs Sharon Schulte, Finance Chairman The National organization of the American Legion Auxiliary has several mission-based programs that need our support. Any or all of these can be included in the annual budget of your Unit. These are cash donations and may be submitted directly to National or sent through the Department office, earmarked for the specific programs you are supporting. Remember to keep an accurate record for inclusion on your Annual Reports. These funds include: Children of Warriors National Presidents Scholarship- These scholarships support the children of our veterans through endowment gifts. They are awarded to 15 students annually who excel in academics and volunteer in their communities. Auxiliary Emergency Fund- When a sudden financial crisis befalls an eligible Auxiliary member, the AEF may be able to provide temporary emergency assistance when no other source of help is available. National Veterans Creative Arts Festival- This annual event showcases the artistic achievements of Darlene Walker, Southern Area Membership Chairman Hi Ladies. I would like to introduce myself. My name is Darlene Walker and I am the southern area membership chairman. On September 28th we had a 16th district tour where Madam Department President Sandra Snyder attended along with State Comander Ray Moore and State Detachment Comander. Linda Wallace Past Department Membership Chairman was there as well. They reminded us of how important our membership dues are and how it covers our programs. If you have members who have still not renewed for the year 2013 send them a card or call to see why they have not done so yet. In October the 16th district is having a membership rally and the 1st District is always included. Our membership chairman is Laura Chapel and I know she will do a great job. There will be lots of fun, food and prizes. It will be held on October 16th veterans being treated at VA facilities across the country. The American Legion Auxiliary is a national co-sponsor of the event. Spirit of Youth Fund- This fund is an umbrella that supports 3 separate academic scholarship opportunities. One is for ALA junior members; another is for the Honorary National Junior President; and the third is for participation in the American legion Auxiliary Girls Nation program. American Legion Auxiliary Foundation- As a 501(c) 3 public benefit corporation, the ALA Foundation provides ways for individuals and corporations to support the Auxiliary s charitable and educational outreach programs. The Foundation has 2 funds: ALAF Mission Endowment Fund is a long-term fund where earnings from the principal can grow and be used to support the ALA forever and the ALAF Veteran Support Fund where donations can be received and then awarded to American Legion Auxiliary Departments and Units for special veteran assisting projects. First Membership Milestone is on Veterans Day Our milestones are as follows: 55% by Veterans Day (November 11th 2013) 70% by Valentine's Day (Feburary 14th 2014) 85% by Armed Forces Day (May 17, 2014) 00% 30 days prior to National Convention (July 24th 2014) Good luck to all units on making your goals. I know we can do it. Tad Such, Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Poppy Supervisor My name is Tad Such, and I oversee the American Legion Poppy Program here at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. I, also along with fourteen other men and women, assemble poppies. I am very proud to have the privilege of doing this service, along with the other veterans that do it. Without this program we have very few ways to make money. In my case, this is the only way that I have been able to pay Organize Service Projects Bonnie Burdette-Wood, Community Service Committee Community Service covers a big part of what we do for our communities, Veterans, service members and their Families. This is the time to plan for the upcoming year. Check into the needs of the Veterans and military in your community and ask how can we volunteer our time and make a difference? Put together a team of key volunteers and make sure to include community leaders. Communicate with other posts or district s network to come up with an exciting community or region wide event that will continue to grow year after year. Take a look at how to expand your service events in the community by getting the word out in newspapers, web sites, schools, posters, churches, PDP Mary Goller Kilts Parade Grand Marshall The Red Flannel Festival Board of Directors proudly named Cedar Springs resident Mary Goller Kilts as the 2013 Grand Marshal for the 74th Annual Celebration, held October 5, The Festival is extremely proud and thankful for the many years of Mary s outstanding dedication to the entire Cedar Springs community. Said Michele Tracy-Andres, President of the Festival. outstanding community service in several organizations is very impressive and exactly what we look for in a Red Flannel Festival Grand Marshal. It s very obvious Mary loves Cedar Springs and especially the Red Flannel Festival! Her connection to Festival Founders, Grace Hamilton and Nina Babcock is very special to us. The Red Flannel Town is a better Place because of her involvement. Friday night fish fry and word of mouth. There are some great resources available over the internet. Below are just a few: ALA Member Resources at on the Community Service Page How to Partner with Organizations for Community Outreach How to Register Service Projects on Volunteer Websites Additional Resources I hope you find this information helpful. Please feel free to contact us, we are always here to Support our American Legion Family. Mary has been an amazing leader in the community, volunteering her time to several organizations. She has helped with youth sports, Grand Rapids Area Veterans, the Cedar Springs Women s Club and the American Legion Glen Hill Post 287. Every year, she helps organize Girl s State, working with Cedar Springs High School students to attend the annual conference. Mary also founded Salon 862, an organization committed to fundraising and scholarships for respiratory diseases in children. She has supported the Festival helping on various committees, and continues to perpetuate the Red Flannel Festival in annual state American Legion gatherings. Mary is a member of Unit 287 and served as Department President in We are very proud of our member achieving such a wonderful honor! Veteran s Poppy Program Provides More Than Just Money child support and help out my children and grandson. This program means to me and to others freedom in many ways. This program provides purpose in our lives and helps us to have self-esteem and self-confidence that we can be productive in some manner. The Auxiliary VA&R program also provides a Christmas holiday shop that allows members to pick gifts for their loved ones and removes some of the shame and guilt of not being able to afford those gifts. Also there is a hygiene cart that comes around to the units once a month and supplies members with various products, a smile, a warm hug, and a chocolate bar. This may not seem like much to the average person but it means the world to our members. I would like to thank you, and I hope that you realize what a single little poppy can really do and how much your volunteer and monetary contributions to the home means to everyone who lives here. I am grateful for the privilege of doing this, as helping others means so much to me and gives me a legacy that I can pass on to my family of helping others.

17 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December /2013 SCOUTING REPORT Carl Atkinson, Chairman of the Scouting Subcommittee It has been a successful year for scouting for the American Legion Michigan Department. Many posts have been involved with scouting in a number of ways. Many were involved in schools with patriotism and flag usage information programs, chartering scout troops and cub packs, marching in parades, putting flags on veterans graves for Memorial Day, and flag disposal ceremony and process. We appreciate all that our posts are doing to support scouting. A special thank you to my scouting committee made up of Clyde Sinclair of Post 102 in Rockford, MI and Robert Holihan of Post 457 in North Branch, MI. I appreciated their willingness to serve and in helping with the Eagle Scout of the Year evaluation process. Also, a special thanks to all our Posts and Legionaries who volunteer each year in support of scouting in Michigan. The American Legion Michigan Department now charters 74 scout units in the State of Michigan. The American Legion Michigan Department charters 37 Cub Packs, 30 Scout Troops, and 7 Venturing Crews. We now have 56 Posts in Michigan that charter a scout unit. The two newest scout units chartered by a Michigan Department post is Cub Pack 3275 chartered in the last year by Kentwood, MI Post 208 and the year before Venture Crew 312 was chartered by Post 419 in Pinckney, MI. Thanks to these two Posts for stepping up and being willing to charter and support these two new scout units. The CPR's this past year showed 1900 youths involved in scouting and 773 adult volunteers. This is the 40th year that the American Legion has given the Eagle Scout of the year award. Its exciting that this 40th year we are awarding our Michigan Department winner a $ scholarship. This year we had 5 applicants for the Eagle Scout of the year award and scholarship. One applicant did not meet the qualifications but we had 4 excellent candidates to evaluate for the award. The winner of the award this year is Jacob DeSantis from Clinton Twp., MI. Jacob attended DeLaSalle High School in Warren, MI and was part of the Macomb City Sterling Hts., MI Boy Scout troop. Jacob was a 4.02 student and was involved in many school, community and environmental projects. Jacob gave many hours in support of others. Congratulations Jacob for this great accomplishment in reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. We had no applicants for the Square Knot award this year. I encourage our Post scout leaders to apply for this awards. Goals for the coming year are to develop a annual Post scouting report to better monitor all post scouting activities; then with this information we could better support our Post scouting activities and give recognition for those who have accomplished a lot in support of scouting. Some of the activities I have been involved with this year are: 1. Contacted all District and Post scouting chairman to check on scouting involvement and to promote the Eagle Scout of the Year Award and the Square Knot Award. 2. With the help of Suzie Blake senior development director for the BSA President Ford Council was able to get our Michigan Department Eagle Scout of the Year scholarship added to the Crossroads Council BSA Eagle Scout Scholarship website posting. 3. Worked with Mike Sulgrove Scout Executive for the President Ford Council and Suzie Blake the councils Senior Development Director, and Clyde Sinclair of Rockford Post 102 on the BSA Camp Gerber Merritt Lamb Memorial Flag Plaza Fund raiser. We were able to bring the American Legion Mich. Dept. and the President Ford Field Service Council together to help raise funds in honor of Merritt Lamb who was a WWI veteran and helped to start the first two scout units in Michigan. Two of our Posts one in Rockford, MI and one in Muskegon, MI are Merritt Lamb memorial posts. Looking forward to another successful year of scouting for the Michigan Dept. in Thanks again Michigan Dept. for all you do for scouting in Michigan, You are making a difference in the lives of our youth of our state.

18 18 November/December 2013 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE

19 The Only Written Official Call Annual Winter Conference American Legion, Department of Michigan February 14-16, 2014 Holiday Inn Gateway Flint, Michigan Purpose: To implement plans for the upcoming year and otherwise conduct the business of the American Legion, Department of Michigan, through meetings of the Department Executive Committee, taking reports from called Department Committees and Chairmen, presenting public recognition awards, and conducting applicable Schools of Instruction. Aside from the Department Executive Committee, only the Department Committees and Chairmen listed below are called to officially participate in the Winter Conference. See Program Book for all specific locations. Registrations Registration fee of $15.00 will be charged to all delegates, alternates and guests. Department Executive Committee Meeting: Saturday, February 15th, 2014, 4:30 p.m. Called Department Committee Meetings Saturday February 15th, See schedule at (subject to change) Baseball, Boys State, Contest Supervisory, Education & Scholarships, Finance/Personnel, Internal Affairs, Leadership College, Legislative, Membership, National Security & Foreign Relations, Permanent Time and Place, Post Development, Public Relations, Reconnect, VA & R, and VAVS/VHVS Department Executive Committee Meeting: Sunday, February 16th, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. GENESEE COUNTY CONVENTION CORPORATION IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE AMERICAN LEGION, DEPARTMENT OF MICHIGAN NATIONAL COMMANDER'S BANQUET AND WINTER MEETING FEBRUARY REGISTRATION: $15.00 per person, you must be registered to attend meetings. PAYABLE TO: Genesee County Convention Corporation MAILED TO: Bernie Langlois, E. Atherton Rd., Davison, MI CHECKS ONLY PLEASE Name Legion Auxiliary SAL Leg. Riders Name Legion Auxiliary SAL Leg. Riders Name Legion Auxiliary SAL Leg. Riders Name Legion Auxiliary SAL Leg. Riders Number x $15.00= ============================================================ All room requests and special needs are to be placed through: THE HOLIDAY INN GATEWAY CENTRE 5353 GATEWAY CENTRE, FLINT, MI PHONE: If the Holiday Inn is full please call the Courtyard CODE: ALG DEADLINE: January 14, 2015 Located in Mundy Twp. - Hill Rd. at Gateway Center Note: The Code # ALG will allow the hotel to access the room rate of $ % tax. All major credit cards are acceptable. When you call for your reservation you should be greeted with It's a great day at the Holiday Inn in Flint. If this is not your greeting please hang up and try your call again in 10 to 15 minutes. The Flint phone # is If the hotel is full please asked to be transferred to Courtyard. If you have asked the hotel for any special needs and would like to verify them please drop a note in with your registration and we will verify them for you. Please feel free to contact one of the following with any questions: Bernie Langlois (Leg.) Venus Langlois (Aux.) Dolores Smith (Aux.) MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE November/December NATIONAL COMMANDER BANQUET RESERVATION FORM Friday, February 14, 2014 At The Holiday Inn Gateway Centre, Flint, MI Cash Social Hour: 6:00 p.m. - Dinner: 7:00 p.m. $25.00 per person Select # of Each: Beef Chicken Fish Enclosed is $ for a total of tickets at $25 each Credit Card # Exp. Date / Name POST/UNIT # Address City Zip Phone ( ) Make checks payable and mail to: The American Legion, Department of Michigan, Attn: Kim, 212 N. Verlinden, Ste A, Lansing, MI DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF RESERVATIONS AT DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS FEBRUARY 10, 2014 No Refunds after 2/10/2014 Classifieds "The contents of advertisements which appear in the Legionnaire are solely the responsibility of the advertisers. Appearance of any advertisement in the Legionnaire does not constitute either a recommendation, nor an endorsement of the goods and services offered therein." Buying Legion, Auxiliary, SAL, 40/8, VFW, DAV, Masonic, and FOE medals, badges, pins, caps,bars, membership cards and Stamp Collections. Contact Craig R. Wotring, PO Box 1743 Owosso, MI 48867, Legion Member PRIVATE COLLECTOR BUYING German, Japanese, U.S. military items from all wars. Top cash paid for Airborne, Aviation, Pilot, Seal, Special Forces, OSS, Ranger, Marine items. Also German medals, daggers, swords, guns, personality items and billion flags. Also Japanese swords, helmets and guns. Call for top cash offer Combat wounded vet James Leslie (member), 3540 Timberline Drive Clyde, MI (810)

20 20 November/December 2013 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE Around the State... Members of American Legion Post 207 in Portage, MI sit under their newly installed sign for the post. (Pictured from L to R) John Shipley, Matt Hall, Brian Valentine, Gene Nethaway, Evert Hendley, Gary Nethaway, Mark Feldmann, Dave Beno, & David (Bruce) Beane. Post #502 in Elsie, MI received a $4000 Home Depot Grant to improve fire safety and other building maintenance items. The post is home to a community food bank that serves the surrounding area. Lee Lewis receives a happy 95th Birthday Card from Members of Coleman A. Young Post 202. Lewis is a WW2 Veteran. Albert Robinson receives a Certificate of Appreciation Award for 25 years of Continuous Membership in Joe Louis Post 375 and the American Legion from Post 375 Commander Fred Robinson. Albert also received a happy 101 Birthday Card from Joe Louis Post 375 members, he is a World War 2 Veteran. American Legion Post 275, Adrian, MI awarded plaques for Dedicated and Meritorious Service work they have been performing at the Post. (L-R) Roger Emmons, Gene Withrow, and Jim June, presentated by Commander Dorman Whipple. 11 members and 4 guests from American Legion Post 417 in Watersmeet, MI recently held a flag retirement ceremony, hosted by Jerry McCabe at Camp Daly on Cloverleaf Lake. The Post collects flags throughout the year in their container that sits out front of the post. Winners of the MALPA Awards were presented at Fall Conference: L-R Josie A. Boore Post #32 won 3 plaques including 1st place for Best PR Class E, George Jingles, George Dolan MALPA President, Bob & Cari Salamon won 1st Place for Class A News & Views, Cliff Lauzon 18th District Cmdr accepts for Post #349 Best Website, and George Maciejewski accepts 2 plaques for Frank Rodman. Members of the Schuster-Stahl Post 310 Honor MIA-POW Remembrance Day Sept 20th, 2013 by wearing their Wear RED for our veterans on Friday attire.