2nd Place NALPA Publication Winner & rd Place NALPA Publication Winner

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1 MI Official Publication of The American Legion Department of Michigan September 2011 September Legionnaire of the Year Resolution 11-W-11 passed at the 2011 winter meeting established the Legionnaire of the Year Award. To recognize a Legionnaire who during the course of the year unselfishly helps the American Legion, Department of Michigan, and its Commander and Adjutant in achieving the Department goals. At the 2011 Summer Convention Legionnaire Louis Oberle became the Michigan Legionnaire & Wolverine Auxiliaire Vol. LXXXI No.2 1st Place NALPA Publication Winner st Place NALPA Website Winner nd Place NALPA Publication Winner & rd Place NALPA Publication Winner first recipient of this award. In 2011, Louis served as State Membership Chairman, Sits on Board of Directors of the Wilwin Project, Caretaker at Wilwin Lodge, District 11 Sat on the Wilson Brewer Scholarship Committee, Trustee for Mackinaw County Veterans Trust Fund, U.P. Association of American Legion Posts Finance Committee and Time and Place Committee, U.P. Association of American Legion Posts Commander, Post 290 West Mackinaw Service Officer, Post 290 Building Committee (I once caught him putting new siding on the Post building. I twice caught him working the Friday night fish fry.), and in his spare time he is volunteer fireman and a member of the Engadine Lions Club Fall Conference September 16th - 18th See You There! th District Commander Larry Gibbons and Alt. Commander Peter Satterthwaite receive the 100% membership award. The Legion Family Parties at the Grand Rapids Home Summer Carnival Legionnaire Family members converged on the grounds of the Grand Rapids Veterans Home for the Annual Summer Carnival. Legionnaires, Sons, Auxiliary, Riders, and Juniors joined together to bring a day of fun in the sun to the residents, staff, and volunteers of the home. We appreciate all the workers at the home and the job they do caring for our veterans. Juniors? What s that? Ask your Posts Auxiliary Senior President to learn more. Yes the Legion Family has something for the whole family. Nominations...2 Student Veterans of America...10 District Messages % Membership IS THE GOAL What excuse could we use about why we can t achieve 100%? Economy, an aging veteran population, or not enough participation? Let s start by asking a better question: The Department has just over 72,000 members in the Legion, yet there are 450,000 eligible wartime veterans. How do we let the 378,000 possible veterans know about the Legion and why they should join? During the 2011 membership year the 5th District ignored the problems and focused on the GOAL 100%. They achieved it. DEC Pictures...8 Baseball...9 Hire a Hero...13

2 2 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September DEADLINE DATES OCTOBER SEPTEMBER s 1, 2011 Circulation: 93,598 Printed: Mailed: Thomas Brown Endorsed for Department Commander The Loud-Merkel-LaPlante Post 274, Oscoda and the 10th District Association proudly endorse Thomas G. Brown for the office of Department Commander for Tom earned his eligibility for The American Legion through his service in the United States Air Force from 1965 to In 1984 he joined The American Legion at the Loud-Merkel-LaPlante Post. He has served his post as Commander for 4 terms, 1st Vice Commander 5 terms, 2nd Vice Commander 2 terms, Executive Committee 10 terms and is Thomas Brown currently serving his 2nd term as Judge Advocate. In 2004 he was awarded an honorary life membership. His service to the 10th District began in 1999 as the Historian, he continued on as Chaplain, Finance Officer, 2nd Vice Commander, 1st Vice Commander, Commander and is currently serving as Judge Advocate. He has also served as chairman of several District committees. On the Department level Tom has as Department Vice Commander, Department Historian (2 years), Department Education and Scholarship Committee (5 years) 4 as Chairman and Children and Youth Committee (1 year). He has attended 2 Michigan Leadership Colleges and 3 Department Service Officers Schools. On the National level Tom is currently serving on the National Security Commission. He also served on the National and Homeland Security Counsel. He has attended 7 National Membership Workshops, 6 National Conventions, 2 Washington D.C. Conferences and the National Oratorical Contest Workshop. He has been awarded 3 National certificates of merit for Education and Scholarship. Tom is a 16 year member of 40 & 8 Voiture 669, a life member of the DAV, a member of the Sons of The American Legion Squadron 274(currently serving as Adjutant), member of ANAV- ICUS and a member of the Knights of Columbus After retiring from the U.S. Air Force, Tom worked for Lockheed Aerospace for 2 years. In 1987 he went to work as a rural carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in Tom and his wife, Rysta have been married for 30 years and have 3 sons, Abraham, Justin and Benjamin. Rysta is an honorary life member of Auxiliary Unit 274 and their sons are all members of S.A.L. Squadron 274. They attend church at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oscoda. Loud-Merkel-LaPlante Post 274 and the 10th District Association request your support for our candidate. State Commander Richard I. Chatman, Detroit State Adjutant Patrick W. Lafferty, Farwell 1st Zone Jeremy Bell 2nd Zone Cliff Rose 3rd Zone Steve Striggow 4th Zone Bob Luxford 5th Zone Mike Bruntjens STATE OFFICERS Finance Officer Lyle C. Shanks, Dorr Historian Rex Lambert, Grand Rapids Chaplain Eddie Brown, Southgate Sergeant-at-Arms Ernest Berry, Woodhaven Judge Advocate..Hon. James A. Callahan, Grosse Pointe National Executive Committeeman Thomas G. Holzgen, Grandville Richard T. Dubay Endorsed for Department Commander Harry Ollrich Post #4 of Mt. Clemens and the 7th District Association proudly endorse Richard T. Dubay for the office of Department Commander for the year Richard is a Vietnam Veteran who earned his eligibility for the American Legion by serving in the Air Force from 1966 to He has been a dedicated Legionnaire for 25 years. Richard has served on the Executive Board, as Junior Vice-Commander, Senior Vice-Commander, and is a Past Commander of Post #4. He served as Richard T. Dubay Chairman of the SAL for seven years. He also served as a liaison officer between the Post and Boy Scout Troop #75. He was also a Judge Advocate and served on many other Post committees. He is a Life Member of Post #4. At District level, Richard has served on the Executive Board, as Historian, Junior Vice-Commander, Senior Vice-Commander, and as the Commander of the 7th District. He has served on various committees in the District and is currently serving on the Executive Board and on the District Advisory Board. At Department level, Richard has served on the National Security Committee, as Department of Michigan Historian, as 3rd Zone Chairman of the Education and Scholarship Committee. In , he was the 3rd Zone Commander for the Department of Michigan. Richard is currently serving the Department on the Post Development Committee, and on the National level as Vice- Chairman of the National Homeland and Security Council. His other affiliations include: Voiture /8; Life Member AmVets Post #29; Life Member VFW #1794; SAL Member #351. Richard and his family are members of St. Peter s Catholic Church in Mt. Clemens. He is a past little league and soccer coach, and has also been a Cub Scout and Boy Scout Leader. Richard recently retired from working security at a Detroit Edison Power Plant. Previous to that, he had over 30 years of experience as a manufacturing supervisor at a Detroit area automobile supplier. Richard and his wife, Mary, have been married for 41 years and have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Richard is a hard working and dedicated Legionnaire and we ask your support for our candidate for the office of Department Commander, American Legion Posts Who Have NOT Submitted Officers Lists(as of Aug 24,2011) Your membership cards are still at Department. 15,37,78,93,94,95,100,109,112,124,133,155,204,215,237,241,257,277,282,298,310,320,330,387,451,460,464,473,505, 538 Sons of the Legion Squadrons Who Have NOT Submitted Officers Lists (as of Aug 24, 2011) Your membership cards are still at Department. 8,9,16,26,27,43,45,55,57,68,72,81,93,131,154,155,169,173,181,191,193,219,221,223,246,294,313,322,330,344,360, 363,422,447,465,478,484,499,525 **If you are a member of one of these Posts or Squadrons, contact your adjutant to have them submit the officer list and bonding information immediately. ** Alt. National Executive Committeeman John H. Skinner, Schoolcraft Immediate Past Commander Bill Hafeman, Carney Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Director James Topps, Adrian Membership Director Jim Wallace, Pinckney Public Relations Director.... Mark Sutton, Farmington

3 Headquarters MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September Richard I. Chatman, State Commander Richard I. Chatman State Commander Patrick W. Lafferty, State Adjutant Patrick W. Lafferty State Adjutant It s great to be a M i c h i g a n Legionnaire. After accepting the gavel from Past Department Commander Hafeman he warned me that time will go by fast, he was right. Leaving the convention in Grand Rapids, I have been driving from Detroit to the east, south to Indianapolis, north to Wilwin Lodge, west to Minnesota, and many places in between. Meeting Legionnaires, homeless veteran advocates, government officials, and representing the 72,000 Michigan Legionnaires at every opportunity I am being given. I am excited for every opportunity I have to represent the finest Department in the Legion. There is work to do and no time to waste getting to it. It s time for action. Our Blue Cap Legionnaires At the 30 day meeting with your new Department Executive Committee I stated the goals for the coming year. The DEC is on board and ready to work, but I know that nothing is accomplished without YOU the Blue Caps. I know without your help we cannot achieve 500 boys to Boys State this year, our 75th year. Without you we cannot send 100 students to Student Trooper. Without you volunteerism does not happen at Welcome aboard everyone to the Legion year. A time to set new goals, train new leaders in the organization and to charge forward with a plan for the new year. The Legion cannot be successful without the members in the local Posts. Post Commanders know the Department Headquarters staff is here to help It s Time for Action the VA Hospitals and State Nursing homes. Without you Post membership does not grow. It s Time for Action Consolidated Post Reports As of this writing the Department has only received 58% of the CPR s. I am finding it hard to believe that 42% of the Posts in Michigan have done nothing over the past year. These reports are not merely for handing out awards. They allow our legislative chairperson to lobby for help from the State and Federal government. These reports tell our representatives what and how much the Legionnaires of Michigan are doing. As a Blue Cap make sure your Post is recognizing your efforts by submitting a CPR Report by the June deadline. It s Time for Action Post Service Officer Reports The Post Service Officer reports work the same way; they show how much we value our veterans. 1 of our four pillars, yet only 15% of our Posts have submitted these reports. Our Post Service Officers do great work and submitting the report helps the Department lobby the legislature for more grant funding. Post cooperation is critical in this area. It s Time for Action-Post Officer s List We still have 31 Posts who have not submitted their Post Officer s List and bonding form. If you are a member in one of the posts listed (pg. 2), con- Posts Save Time make it a successful year. I would like to cover 4 topics to help each of you save time and frustration. Number 1, the Headquarters, either National or State, cannot assist in matters of a lounge issue, election or other issue of a civil nature. We do not have jurisdiction over those matters. They must be addressed on a Post level or District level, or with a civil authority. Remember the American Legion charters posts, not bars. Number 2, Remember the Chain of Command, as a Post Commander tact your Post Commander to submit the proper paperwork. Your post membership cards are still here at Department and we have no way of getting information to your Post. Thank you 17th District Commander Roger Avie and 11th District Commander Michael Yeadon, the only District s where every Post has submitted a Post Officer List to Department. Good Job. If a post submits their list during the time frame of going to print, I thank you as well. It s Time for Action 15 New Members At last count the Department of Michigan had 15 Posts that had less than 15 members; this is contrary to the National and Department By- Laws. Membership can be a struggle for everyone; I believe our Membership Chairman Jim Wallace is on track this year with a plan. Set your G.O.A.L as Jim says and finding new members and keeping current members will help you reach your goal. Post Development Chairman Al Ford and his committee stand ready to assist any Post that wants to revitalize or grow their membership. All the Post has to do is ask their District Commander for help. It s Time for Action Leadership College As I stated earlier, nothing is accomplished without the Blue Caps. We all joined the Legion for a purpose and if your purpose is to help fellow your first link in the chain is your District Commander. Direct your inquiries towards your District Commander; they have received training and information to be able to answer most of your questions. If you do not know who your district commander is be sure to check out the State Officers List at Number 3, Some feel sending a question directly to National will result in a quicker response. Please note, all questions directed to National are redirected to veterans in the community and/or one day hold a officer position in your Post, District, Department or National then Leadership College is for you. It is open to ALL Legionnaires; Brett Holt and his staff put on a powerful program allowing you to learn more about the Legion. Register for Leadership College when it comes to your Zone, sign up now. Learn more for you and your post. If you are a 225 Post member I would like to extend a special invitation to you to come to Leadership College and learn how you can do more as a Legionnaire Ṫhe Basic s Those are the foundations for the Department of Michigan to becoming the Premiere Department within the Legion. I am committed to helping and providing the tools you need to accomplish your goals. I look forward to seeing all of you at a Post meeting, District meeting, Department event, or other Patriotic event. If you want to extend an invitation to me please contact Kim at Department to coordinate schedules if possible. Stay connected too many things happening in and around the State with Legionnaires on our Website, our Blog, and Facebook page. It s time to start using the tools the World Wide Web and on-line social networks provide us to communicate better. Remember Embrace technology, don t run from it. Department. Remember the chain of command. Number 4, Lastly register for Fall Conference, Saturday September 17th will filled with Schools of Instruction. It is also your opportunity to meet the other members in the chain of command. Bring your officers and any members who want to learn more about the Legion. Fall Conference is open to all who register. On behalf of the staff here in Lansing, welcome and we look forward to working with each of you.

4 4 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September Membership LET S BREAK THE BANK My fellow Legionnaires, my name is Jim Wallace (6/419) and it is an honor to be appointed the State Membership Director, by Commander Richard Chatman. We have put together a team that will, with your help, reach 100% membership this year. The membership team consists of Louis Oberle (11/290), U.P. Membership Director, Don Meskill (10/443), the DMS Coordinator, and Barb Money at Department Headquarters. The Team is looking forward to working with all of you to achieve your Post, District, and Zone membership goals. At the 30 day meeting I challenged all of the Zone/District Commanders to reach out and accomplish their 100% membership. The bar is high, set by District 5 for the 2011 year who achieved 100%. Great job Larry Gibbons and Pete Satterthwaite. Pete, now District Commander, will be looking to repeat the same for Who s up to challenge the 5th District? Let s Break the Bank In addition to the yearly State Membership Awards for the year (Bronze Brigade -10 new members, Silver Brigade - 20 new members, and Gold Brigade - 30 new members) and the District Membership Trophies (Gary W. Sammons Trophy - District with highest percentage of current membership renewals compared with its previous years membership renewals, Wilson H. Morrison Trophy - District that first reaches its previous years membership, Larry Knox Trophy - District with highest percentage of current membership compared with it s previous years membership) there will be some new membership incentive programs: Reimbursement Incentives this means money back to your posts. A Post achieving 100% membership goal by 12/31/2011 will receive $2 per member. Achieve 100% between 1/1/12 and 3/15/2012 and you will receive.50 cents per member. With money incentives like that how can you go wrong? Let s Break the Bank (see other incentives to your right) NOTICE: All Post and District Adjutants are required to submit records for awards. At Department we are here to help. We are scheduling 2 membership roundups to enhance the gathering of membership during the year, the first is October 15-16, 2011 and the second is March 10-11, 2012 locations TBA. I would also encourage you to have a G. O. A. L. Without a goal nothing happens quickly. When working your G.O.A L. keep the following in mind. G stands for Get outside of your post. Don t wait for potential members to come to you, get outside in the community and find them. O stands seek Opportunity, do you have a college nearby your post or a community event you can advertise at or share the Legion family with the community? A stands for Ask for membership, you won t know unless you ask. Lastly, L stands for do the Leg work, knock on doors of the members who have not renewed, find out why they stopped coming. Find out if they need assistance, and unfortunately you may find out they have passed away. In that case, make sure the spouse is receiving all of the benefits they are owed. G.O.A.L 100% Membership Eligibility Dates US Army, Navy Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine Service from December 7, August 15, 1945 Persian Gulf - August 2, Cessation of hostilities, as determined by US Govenment Panama... December 20, January 31, 1990 Grenada/Lebanon... August 24, July 31, 1984 Vietnam War... February 28, May 7, 1975 Korean War... June 25, January 31, 1955 World War II... December 7, December 31, 1946 World War I... April 6, November 11, 1918 District Meetings 1st District 9/12/11-7PM Joe Louis Post #375 12/5/11-7PM Fred Beaudry Post #126 3/5/12-7PM Joe Louis Post #375 6/4/12-7PM Fred Beaudry Post #126 2nd District October 16, 2011 Matt Urban Post #40 January 8, 2011 William B. Lutz Post #322 March 18, 2012 Rose City Post #324 May 20, 2012* Tecumseh-Underwood- Orr Post #34 SAL meets at 12:00 pm, Service Officer Training at 1:00 pm, Legion meets at 2 pm *Memorial Service starts at 12:30 pm 3rd District Executive Board Meeting at 11:30 am Luncheon at 12:00 pm Regular Post and Auxiliary Meetings at 1:00 pm September 11, 2011 Charlotte Post #42 November 6, 2011 Kalamazoo Post #36 January 8, 2012 Hillsdale Post # 53 March 4, 2012 Reading Post # 360 May 6, 2012 Battle Creek Post 298 4th District September 11, 2011 Bridgman Post 331 Nov. 6th, 2011 South Haven Post 49 January 8th, 2012 Stevenson Post 568 March 4th, 2012 Constantine Post 223 May 16th, 2012 Baroda Post 345 5th District Meetings begin at 7 p.m. September 8th, 2011 Marne Post 376 Nov. 10th, 2011 Comstock Park Post 47 January 12th, 2012 Wyoming Post 154 March 8th, 2012 Grand Rapids Post 179 May 10th, 2012 Grand Haven Post 28 District 6 Meetings start at 1pm (check minutes for service officer training) September 11, 2011 Stockbridge Post 510 November 6, 2011 Haslett Post 269 January 8, 2012 Howell Post 141 March 11, 2012 Pinckney Post 419 May 6, 2012 Davison Post 267 7th District October 9th, 2011 Sebewaing 2pm January 8th, 2012 Unionville 2pm March 11th, 2012 Caseville 2pm May 20th, 2012 Port Huron 2pm June 2012 Summer Convention 8th District September 11th, 2011 St. John s Post 153 November 6th, 2011 Saranac Post 175 January 8th, 2012 Balding Post 203 March 4th, 2012 Hubbarston Post 182 May 6th, 2012 Owosso Post 57 District 9th September 24, 2011 Croton Post 381 December 10, 2011 Traverse City Post 35 March 10, 2012 Manistee Post 10 May 12, 2012 Croton Post 381 Schedule remains: Executive Committee Meeting at Noon; Service Officer info at 12:30 p.m.; Lunch 1:00 p.m.; General Membership Meet. at 2:00 pm District 10 September 10, 2011 St. Helen November 5, 2011 Sanford January 7, 2012 Oscoda March 3, 2012 (open) May 6, 2012 Linwood (Memorial Meeting) June 2, 2012 TBA District 11 & 12 October 22, am Munising Post 131 District 16 Meeting starts at 7:30pm * Denotes Service Officer School 6:30PM ** Memorial Service 6:30PM September 13, 2011 Dual Lincoln Park Post December 13, 2011 *Southgate Post March 13, 2012 *Southgate Post October 11, 2011 *Melvindale Post Jan.10, 2012 Stitt Post November 8, 2011 Flat Rock Post April 10, 2012 *Allen Park Post 409 February 14, 2012 *Fort Dearborn Post May 8, 2012 Lincoln Park Post 67 Dual ** Memorial Service & Elections June 12, 2012 * Garden City District 17 Sept. 21, 2011 Livonia Post 32 7pm Oct.19, 2011 Livonia Post 32 7pm Nov. 16, 2011 Livonia Post 32 7pm Jan. 16, 2012 Livonia Post 32 7pm Feb. 15, 2012 Livonia Post 32 7pm March 21, 2012 Livonia Post 32 7pm April 18, 2012 Livonia Post 32 7pm May 16, 2012 Livonia Post 32 Memorial Service at 6:30pm Meeting at 7pm June 6, 2012 Livonia Post 32 Pre Convention 7pm District 18 September 11th, 2011 Holly Post 149 Nov. 13th, 2011 Auburn Hills Post 143 January 8th, 2012 Farmington Post 346 March 11th, 2012 Oxford Post 108 May 6th, 2012 Chief Pontiac Post 377 Memorial Service at 1 p.m. Election of Officers 2 p.m. June 10, 2012 Clarkston Post 63 District 19 Oct. 11th, p.m. Boyne City Post 228 Dec. 11th, p.m. Gaylord Post 458 March 11th, p..m. Harbor Springs Post May 2012 TBA Need Supplies? National Emblem Sales

5 SECTION TWO AUXILIAIRE Page 5 September 2011 From the Desk of the President My Special Project --the Creative Arts Festival Fund is growing; so far we have collected $ With this amount alone we will be able to send two winners to the Creative Arts Festival. I am so excited to see this fund grow. It will be fun to see how close we can get to the goal. Now I only need $13,960. In July, I was able to be in the Chesaning Showboat parade. Also that weekend, I attended the Sixteenth District Installation and assisted in the ceremony. Seeing the ladies in the Sixteenth District was great fun. Then my adventures took me off to attend Wilwin Lodge s Open House, with Department Commander Chatman, Department President, Carrie Bowerman Detachment Commander Verville and Honorary Junior President Chelsea. We went on tour--it is a great piece of property and a very restful place for anyone to visit. It will be exciting to have it used to its potential. Then we had a visit from National President Carlene Ashworth and Honorary National Junior President Sabrina Cobb. National President Carlene asked that you think about your dues as a gift to veterans. When you think of it in that light, one can consider what those dues go for in giving toward the Veterans programs your unit participates in. I would like to thank my officers for coming and spending a few days with the National president in Livonia and for having a great Luncheon for her. This was the first time department put on a program for a National guest that wasn t at one of our called meetings. With Bonnie s help, and the participation of all the people that came, we made this event a success. The Membership Rally in Livonia was well attended--thank you ladies for coming out. I hope you learned some new things to take back to your units. With both the Junior and Senior National presidents here, it kept our Distinguished Guest Chairman Donna Fuelling busy making sure they were where they were supposed to be. Fall Conference is coming up Sept Please try to come and see the programs that the Auxiliary has to offer. We will have workshops on each of them where the chairman will tell you the new things that are happening, and what Department is focusing on for the year. Bonnie Olson, Secretary-Treasurer MEMBERSHIP YEARS ARE NOW IN REAL TIME There have been numerous questions and calls to Department regarding the continuous years on the membership cards. The response below is the official National statement regarding the issue from National Headquarters. ALA annual membership cards- -We want to alert you to a difference in the number representing a member s continuous years of membership that were printed on the 2012 ALA membership cards. Going forward, this number will represent the years of paid membership as recorded in the ALAMIS membership database. In the past, prior to the migration of the Auxiliary s membership database into the ALAMIS, the Legion s system added an additional year. We discovered that during the time The American Legion managed the Auxiliary s membership data, the continuous years were inflated by one year before printing the next year s membership cards. The rationale was that during the upcoming year printed on the membership card, the member would presumable pay that next year s dues. The ALAMIS isn t designed to calculate presumptions, only actual data entered. The ALAMIS database uniformly reflects information in real time which preserves the integrity of our data. In the ALAMIS, a member s record reflects the number of years for which that member has ACTUALLY paid dues, as of the date the data is pulled. For example: As of April 12, 2011, Sally had paid her 2011 dues and has 17 continuous membership years. The system shows Sally s 17 years of membership until her 2012 dues are entered into 212 N. Verlinden Ave, Ste. B, Lansing, MI New Phone: (517) SPECIAL PROJECT IS ALREADY SHOWING REWARDS the system, at which time the system will add another year to her continuous years for a total of 18. The pre-printed cards that National Headquarters recently provided to departments were pre-printed using data from the ALAMIS pulled on April 12, 2011 before 2012 dues had been paid. Therefore, the number of dues years reflected on the cards represents the years actually paid as of April 12, We realize that this is a change. The ALAMIS cannot recognize more years of service for a member than the actual number of paid dues years recorded in the system. In order for National Headquarters to provide pre-printed membership cards to departments, these are the system parameters within which we are able to provide them. Since we can t print cards with inflated years as was done before without significant, very costly changes to the system, we presented some possible options that could be used in the future and requested input from Departments. One option was to include on the card member since, another was to leave the field blank for continuous years so that the person collecting dues could fill it in, and another was to leave continuous years off the card altogether. We are still collecting responses and will advise departments of the outcome prior to printing the 2013 cards. I hope this explanation from National explains to members the continuous years concern. Bottom line, it can t, and won t be changed to reflect the previous method of determining continuous years. PDP Deb Meskill paying tribute to PDP Marian Pic Webster Talking about new things! There is a blog site at so if you want to comment or see my adventures, check it out! We are ready to present this year s budget at Fall Conference. A thought to ponder at National Convention they will be asking for a dues increase. They are asking for a $5.00 increase--i believe they will get some type of increase, so you may want to adjust your unit dues accordingly for next year. Changing your dues now at the unit level will have you ready for the increase when it goes into effect. Remember to smile when you are working the programs for our veterans. When you re enjoying yourself others will want to help. More hands make the job easier. God bless you all, I hope to be seeing a lot of you at Fall Conference Department Officers: President, Carrie Bowerman; 1st Vice President, Mary Anne Yuncker; 2nd Vice President Sandra Snyder; Chaplain, Nancy Knox; Historian, Susan Verville. Juniors attending Convention with Junior Activities Chairman, Connie Kovacs AUXILIARY HEADQUARTERS DIRECTORY Auxiliary Administration info@michalaux.org Auxiliary Membership/Girls State svandlen@michalaux.org Auxiliary Poppies/Scholarships/Bookkeeping lknott@michalaux.org

6 6 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September Ways to Demonstrate Our Americanism Ellen Jackson, Chairman, Americanism Committee First, let me Thank Madam President for allowing me to be the Americanism Chairman this year. This program is so near to my heart. We are so lucky to be Americans; we live in this wonderful country where we share freedoms that other countries could never understand. I would hope all of you would read your guides and follow them. This program covers so many areas that are the fundamental values of the American Legion Auxiliary. We as Americans should be showing respect for our nation s flag and our veterans, thank them for their service. Remember, Freedom isn t free. Some fun things to do are the pock- MEMBERSHIP DUES IS A DONATION TO VETS Deanna Cortright Membership Chairman As I write this, Units and Department Staff are already in full swing on the Membership Year. There is great news this year. Your official goal for the year will remain the ending number of paid members you had at the end of the year. We are asking that the Units work hard to go above and beyond that number though. As Membership Chairman, I challenge each of you to retain your current membership while striving to attract new members to your Unit. Goal dates that we need to work very hard at include: 55% by October 6, % by February 2, % by April 5, % by 30 days prior to NationalConvention in August 2012 There are many awards for Membership that each of you can help achieve, both on the Department and National level. One of them that et flag program and send them to our troops overseas, have a dinner and honor someone who is deserving of an Americanism Medal. Donate a flag to your area school and present it to them. Teach your juniors and go to local schools and show the children how to fold the American Flag and the significance of the 13 folds. Support the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State Program, this program teaches young ladies about how the government works. Have your juniors and go to schools to promote the American Legion Auxiliary Essay Contest. Help with an oratorical contest. There are so many ways to promote Americanism. Remember to keep track of all you do and enter some contests this year. each unit should be able to attain is a chance at the Unit Development Award which is a one member increase in membership and a chance at a $250 drawing to be held. Our National President, Carlene Ashworth, made a very good point during her visit. We should not look at the $20, $25, etc. that we pay for dues each year as dues. We should look at it as a donation to help our Veterans which is why we are here. This could be helpful when contacting your current members about paying this year. Let s have a great time this year and add as many Elves to our Workshops as we possibly can. Remember, the more Elves we have, the more fun we can have and the more we can assist our Veterans!!! Always remember if you need anything, Department Staff, myself, as well as the Area Membership Chairmen are here to assist. Give us a call or send us any if you need anything. We are also available to make unit visits if necessary. CHAPLAIN S CORNER A GIFT OF PRAYER NANCY L. KNOX, Chaplain Whether it s a time of happiness or one of sadness, giving the gift of prayer is the perfect way to let someone know that you care. Prayer is one of the most important gifts that we can give. When giving the gift of prayer, we give back to our Lord, and all of those in need. President Carrie has given us the gift of time this year as her theme. Please take the time for prayer in your daily life. Pray daily for all of the servicemen and women that are serving to protect our wonderful country, our freedom and giving us peace. We can pray anytime, anywhere. Our instructions are to pray at all times, on every occasion, in every season and to be unceasing in prayer, but we know that we cannot spend all day long in a corner talking and listening to God. If we did, we could not live our lives. Prayer needs to be like breathing-regular, easy- and we need to just pray our way through life. We can pray while we are on the move or standing still. We can pray while we are shopping, while we are waiting for an appointment, participating in a business meeting, doing household chores, driving, or taking a morning shower. Fall Conference is coming up shortly. I am asking that all unit and district Chaplains attend the Chaplain school of instruction. Your annual reports will be there along with forms to fill out for our deceased. Guides should be in place and the busy year is beginning. Hope to see you there. NATIONAL SECURITY HAS MANY FACETS Sandra Snyder, National Security Chairman Our committee members are Linda Wallace from the 6th District and Nedra Beal from the 7th District and with their help and yours we will learn about National Security together. Our National President Kris Nelson s Theme this year is HONOR THEIR SERVICE and our Department President Carrie Bowerman s theme is A GIFT OF TIME. These themes can be done by working our National Security Programs. We can make a difference in a Veterans life, their family, their children and our communities. Put September on your calendar and plan on coming to Dept Fall Conference in Troy. This is where you will learn about our program and all the rest of our Auxiliary programs at our Schools of Instruction. National Security includes the fol- lowing; Yellow Ribbon Project, Adopt a Military Family, Providing recognition and support for ROTC and JROTC groups, Operation Comfort Warriors, Gold Star and Blue Star Banner Programs, USO support, Operation Home front, POW/MIA Initiatives, and CERT program, just to name a few. Here is one more date to add to your calendar. September 16, 2011 is NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNI- TION DAY. Make this a special day in you unit, with your post, at your schools, at your place of worship or in your life. Fly our POW/MIA banner in honor of those who have served for us. Then don t forget to let me know what you did. Watch our unit mailings for updates of more things we can do together under our National Security Program. This year we will HONOR THEIR SERVICE and GIVE THEM OUR TIME. WE HAVE A WINNER! National Education Committee This year, the American Legion Auxiliary awarded $55,500 through three National Scholarship programs: the National President s Scholarship, the Spirit of Youth Scholarship for Junior members and the Non-Traditional Student Scholarship. We are pleased to announce the following scholarship winner from Michigan: Spirit of Youth Scholarship for Junior Members: Central Division--$4,000 Julie Logan, Unit 510 Congratulations, Julie!!

7 REPORTS Zone 1 I want to thank all the members of the 1st and 16th Districts for allowing me the pleasure of being your Zone Commander. I know this is a great honor and privilege, also one that i will not take lately. I want to thank Charles Headman Post 217 for inviting me to the Wyandotte 4th of July parade. It was humbling to see the support and patriotism shown in this great parade. On September 16th thru 18th the 18th district will be hosting the Fall Conference. I hope all members of the 1st Zone can come out to the Troy Marriott and learn more about the many programs and committees of the American Legion family. The Fall Conference will hold many schools of instruction. so gather up your post, unit and squadron family members and attend a few schools you will learn something new and hopefully take it back to post and share your new knowledge. The 1st Zone Leadership College will be held Saturday October 1st at the John Dingell VA hospital at 8 a.m. Brett Holt and his committee will be conducting this college and promises this will be the best college yet. He has many new instructors and topics they will go over. He also invites the entire Legion family out, you will learn many facets of the Legion, Auxiliary, Squadron and Riders. I hope to see the entire family there. Once again I want to thank the 1st Zone Family for electing me as your Zone Commander and I want to remind you I work for every blue cap legionnaire in the 1st Zone and if you need my assistance with anything please don t hesitate to give me a call (after 5 p.m. please M-S) or send me an at nujay425@yahoo.com anytime. Jeremy Bell Zone 1 Commander 4th Zone Greetings and salutations. Thank you for allowing me to represent you as your 4th zone commander. Nancy will be a hard act to follow, but with your help I truly believe we can accomplish great things. We came real close to being in first place last year. This year, working as a team, we can and should be number one. Everyone of us should be proud to belong to the legion family. I know I'm proud. Show your pride and tell everybody you talk to about the good the legion does for the veterans and their families. Tell them about the legion programs and most importantly, ASK THEM TO JOIN US. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at your district meetings this year. Remember to support your districts. Go to the meetings!!!! See you there. Bob Luxford Zone 4 Commander 5th Zone "It has been a busy couple of months. In June I attended the state convention and also the U.P. convention. In July I attended the 30-day meeting with Commander Chatman to discuss goals and his plan for the year. My wife and I also went to the Wilwin Lodge open house. It was well attended and we had a great time. Then it was off to Indianapolis with the 11th District Alternate Commander, George Maciejewski and the 12th District Commander Earl Numinen. We attended a membership workshop and learned many useful tools for recruiting new members. We need to get back to the basics and let prospects know what we are about and what we do. Set your goals and work at achieving success for your Post". Michael Bruntjens 5th Zone Commander 5th District The Fighting Fifth District of The American Legion Department of Michigan saddled-up along the Grand River at the Boat and Canoe home of Post 2, Post 258, and Post 386 on July 14th for the coming Legion year s ride. For the air dale types that s Wheels-Up. We look forward to seeing all Post Commanders or a Post Representative at our next district meeting September 8th, MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September at the Marne Post th District participation in the district These meeting produce information It Starts with Me meetings this year from all the and ideas we can all Congratulations to the 7th posts. use to mutually support the district Post Commanders and There will be a leadership area veterans. staff. This will be a great year college at Midland Post 165 Thank you to National in regards to membership, public on Jan. 14, Watch the Executive Committeeman relations and rewards from Legionnaire for times. I will be Thomas Holzgen of District the department and district. there,; and I hope to see you in Post 179 for installing the district The possibilities are encour- Midland. officers. Congratulations aging. to Past Commander Larry When new commanders Richard Tracy Gibbons for his efforts over past come into a Post, there are 10th District Commander year in achieving 100% membership always, questions they have, target as a district. experience is needed. It is my 18th District Congratulations are due every plan to assign a county commander/coordinator As we begin this year, the post of the Fifth District for in each Mighty 18th stands ready to the team effort, but most particularly of our counties to assist the accomplish our goals. As to the following 100% local Post commanders with Commander, I am very excit- and over post goal achievers: any questions they may have ed about the new tool(s) that Post 2, Post 28, Post 33, Post about leading their Posts. National and Department have 102, Post 123, Post 154, Post Support is there for you to be put at our deposal to attain the 179, Post 208, Post 305, Post successful. goals given to us. We are going 376, Post 459, and Post 532. It is my intention to hold to work together as earnestly as Much happened throughout mini seminars in each county possible to attain Cmdr. the 5th District from May to as well, with schools of instruction Chapman s membership goals. September that is a tribute to on recruiting and retention It is my sincere desire that the District and The American and community relations, i.e. every District Leader, Post Legion, and I would be remiss Public Relations. The Cmdr., Post Adjutant and if I did not mention a few in American Legion has a story to Membership Chairperson and this opening article. Post 311 tell, your Post has a story to Legionnaire in the 18th District put together an Honor Flight tell, let s tell the story to our acquaint themselves with the to take World War II Vets from communities. If we don t tell new online renewal process our area to Washington, D.C. it, who will? Far too many veterans and mylegion.org website in May, and they are planning do not know about the that National has created. At another in October. Post 102 true American Legion. We will convention, when I was sworn is supporting a 9/11 Healing hear more from our new in as District Commander, and Field Memorial project this Department Commander at the 30 day DEC meeting, September to commemorate about public relations, he Dept. Cmdr. Chapman stated the 10thAnniversary of the knows it is the bridge to new technology is here and it is up September 11, 2001 attack. members. to everyone to learn it and Many posts provided the bittersweet I look forward to seeing all embrace it. I feel these online efforts of flagging of your at the District meet- tools are the best instruments cemeteries in local communities, ings coming up and keep your for reaching our goals. We will and followed with units in eyes out for a newsletter from be discussing these topics at Memorial Day ceremonies and me shortly. Don t forget to District meetings, and as parades. read all the district reports, always, I am available for questions. This year Grand Rapids news ideas are everywhere. hosted the State Convention Victory Through My vision is for all Posts in in June with Past Department Knowledge-Peace Through the 18th District to not just Commander Jerry Dennis of Strength emphasize their social clubrooms, but to engage the com- Post 459 as General Chairman, and the entire Legion Family William Day munity with its Programs for was involved, great job. Thank 7th District Commander Veterans, children and youth, you to all the Posts that put on and demonstrate how the events during the convention, 10th District Legion has been in the forefront of the care of our service from the breezy bridge cookout (Post 47) and the U.P. Party and a new set of goals to reach personnel, Veterans and their Another year is beginning at the Boat and Canoe Post. for. Again, we are looking at families. By showing them our Thank you to all those who membership. The new Dept. initiatives, we can instill in participated in the G.R. Home Commander and the membership chairman are set on them, an aspiration to join us. So let us show the public we Carnival it was good to see the are Veterans serving support given on July 30th, getting 100% this year, and it is Veterans (We Serve With a possibility. We have an incentive of $2.00 per member back In the tradition of our found- Pride). In closing we look forward to a great year ahead and working if 100% is reached before Dec. ing fathers, it is time to lace up with our new Department 31; and 50 cents per member our boots, and get into the Commander Richard back if made before March 15, trenches to accomplish our Chatman mission! Our first district meeting Peter Satterthwaite will be in St. Helen on Sept. 10. Timothy Rollin Commander 5th District I would really like to see more 18th District Commander

8 8 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September STATE OFFICERS AMERICAN LEGION - DEPARTMENT OF MICHIGAN Commander Richard I. Chatman Adjutant Patrick W. Lafferty N.E.C. Thomas G. Holzgen Alt. N.E.C. John Skinner Finance Officer Lyle Shanks Sergeant-at-Arms Ernest Berry Historian Rex Lambert Chaplain Eddie Brown Judge Advocate Hon. James A. Callahan 1st Zone Commander Jeremy Bell 2nd Zone Commander Cliff Rose 3rd Zone Cdr. Steve Striggow 4th Zone Commander Bob Luxford 5th Zone Commander Mike Bruntjens 1st Dist. Commander Ray Droste 2nd Dist. Commander Jerry Andrus 3rd Dist. Commander Dr. Monroe Johnson, Jr. 4th Dist. Commander Richard Parks 5th Dist. Commander Peter Satterthwaite 6th Dist Commander Jerry Kunzelman 7th Dist. Commander William Day 8th Dist. Commander Robert Paksi 9th Dist. Commander Butch Johnson 10th Dist. Commander Richard Tracy 11th Dist. Commander Michael Yeadon 12th Dist. Commander Earl Numinen 16th Dist. Commander Joe Callahan 17th Dist. Commander Roger Avie 18th Dist. Commander Timothy Rollin 19th Dist. Commander Joe Renis These officers comprise your Department Executive Committee. They represent your membership in each respective territory, with the State Commander having overall responsibility. With them and the assistance from our 440 posts and state level committees, Michigan will once again deliver a very successful and progressive Legion year for our veterans, their families, and their communities.

9 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September Åmerican Legion Baseball CLASS AA STATE TOURNAMENT TEAMS Gladwin Post 171-2nd Colton Loomis was chosen as the 2011 Ki KI Cuyler as Most Valuable Player following the Championship game played between Midland and Gladwin. Adrian Post 275-3rd Midland Berryhill Post 165 Class AA State & Great Lake Regional Champions Milford Post 216-4th Fort Dearborn Post 364-5th Blissfield Post 325-6th CLASS A STATETOURNAMENT TEAMS Cory Larson from Negaunee Diamonds was chosen as the 2011 Tier A Most Valuable Player following the Championship game. Negaunee Post 114-2nd 2011 Michigan & National All Academic Team Scholarship Winner Eric R. Schmidt from Blissfield was chosen as the American Legion Baseball Scholarship winner for the Department of Michgan. Eric plans to attend Adrian College and prusue a degree in Education. Hudson Post 180 Class A State Champions Marquette Post 44-3rd Kingsford Post 363-4th Ida Lightning 514 Post - 5th Hancock Post 186-6th

10 10 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September 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, and activities. Detroit Office Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building, Rm Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI Monday Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Phone: or 6641 or 6642 Fax: James C. Topps, VA&R State Director - james.topps@va.gov Robert Rasche, Veterans Service Officer - robert.rasche@va.gov Tripp Cantwell, Veterans Service Officer - tripp.cantwell@va.gov Lannie Thomas, Veterans Service Officer - lannie.thomas@va.gov Suzette Price, Veterans Service Officer - suzette.price@va.gov Robert Rasche covers Genesee County Office of Veterans Affairs Flint, MI /Mondays 9:00 am to 4:00 pm robert.rasche@va.gov Robert Rasche covers the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center on Wednesdays 8:00 am - 4:00 pm - room Red Section robert.rasche@va.gov Field Veterans Service Tommy Simpkins, Veterans Service Officer Cell Phone simpkinst@michiganlegion.org Muskegon Co OVA Office 165 E. Apple Suite 201 Every Monday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Grand Rapids CBOC 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays Kalamazoo Co OVA Office Kalamazoo 1st Wednesday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Croton American Legion Post Croton Hardy Drive nd Wednesday - 9:00 am to 12:30 pm Morley American Legion Post 2560 Northland Drive - 2nd Wednesday 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm Holland AL Post Paw Paw Drive rd Wednesday Each Month 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Grand Haven AL Post 700 South Harbor Drive rd Wednesday 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm South Haven AL Post Michigan Ave South th Friday 9:30 am to 1:00 pm Hastings AL Post th Friday - 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm All Other Fridays - Saginaw VA medical Center - 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Wiess Street Patrick J. Kline, Veterans Service Officer Cell Phone pjkline@michiganlegion.org Kalkaska Co OVA 890 Island Lake Road - Room 8-1st Monday of Each Month 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Cadillac CBOC North Mitchell Street - 1st & 4th Tuesdays x :00 am - 4:00 pm Cheyboygan Co OVA South Main Street - Room 122 1st Friday Each Month 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Gaylord VA CBOC 806 S. Otsego - 2nd Monday Each Month 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Ogemaw Co OVA 205 S. Eighth St 2nd Tuesday Each Month 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Clare VA CBOC N. Isabella Rd 2nd& 4th Wednesday Each Month 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Grand Traverse Co OVA Raquet Club Drive 2nd Thursday Each Month 9:00 am to 4:00 PM Alpena VA CBOC 180 N. State Street 2nd Friday Each Month 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Oscoda VA CBOC Skeel Ave Suite 4 2nd Friday Each Month 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm 3rd Monday Each Month Newberry AL Post 71 9:00 am to 4:00 pm 3rd Tuesday Each Month Manistique Co OVA Office 9:00 am to 1:30 pm 3rd Tuesday Each Month Rapid River AL Post 301 am to 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm 3rd Wednesday Each Month Marquette AL Post 44 9:00 am to 4:00 pm 3rd Thursday Each Month Munising AL Post 131 9:00 am to 4:00 pm 3rd Friday Each Month - Sault St Marie CBOC - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Charlevoix County Office of Veteran Affairs State Street - 4th Monday - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Roscommon Co. Office of Veterans Affairs Lake Street - 2nd Tuesday Each Month - 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm Gladwin County Office of Veterans Affairs West Cedar Ave - 2nd Tuesday Each Month - 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Emmett Co Office of Veterans Affairs Division St, Petoskey - 2nd & 4th Thursday - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Phillip Phil McCaskey, Cell Phone p_mccaskey@yahoo.com Ann Arbor VA Medical Center Room B-156 First Floor Every Monday and Thursday Each Week 8:30 am to 4:00 pm PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST CALL THE AA VAMC OFFICE NUMBER CELL PHONE WILL NOT WORK IN THIS LOCATION Jackson County Office of Veterans Affairs Lansing Ave - Room 252 Every Tuesday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Lansing Headquarters Office 212 N. Verlinden Ave Every Wednesday Each Week 9:00 am to 4:00 pm extension 12 or Cell Battle Creek VA Medical Center Every Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Building 2 Cell Phone Please Call to Assure Times and Locations PLEASE NOTE SCHEDULE TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE STUDENT VETERANS AND THE AMERICAN LEGION By Suzette McGraw Department S e r v i c e Officer. For those of you who I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, I am your new Department Service Officer in Detroit. I am an Army veteran and a recent graduate of the University of Michigan Dearborn. Prior to coming on board with The American Legion I spent the previous four years engrossed in student life with the hopes of obtaining a degree in higher education, something I had strived for since beginning college at an education center at Schofield Barracks in The Montgomery GI Bill and the most recent Post 9/11 GI Bill have certainly had their share of modifications, but most importantly, generational users. The opportunities the Vietnam Veterans were offered pale in comparison to what Gulf War veterans are entitled to. Upon my return to Michigan in 2005 from Ft. Drum, NY, I was not quite sure what the future had in store for me. My biggest concern was reconnecting with family and spending time with my daughter. After little success with various odd jobs it was clear to me that I needed an education if I wanted to be self-supporting and independent. So, off to college I went at age 36 with the GI Bill in hand. I was two years into a psychology degree and each semester it is required to verify enrollment to the VA. It seemed only a woman who did the certifications and I knew I was a veteran and I certainly didn t know any other veterans unless we were standing in the same line waiting to submit our paperwork. Occasionally lectures of wars past and present were mentioned in class and sometimes we discussed issues of ethics within a political science discourse. Oftentimes PTSD was a topic but nothing extensive or inviting. It wasn t until I received a very prestigious scholarship from the Center of Education for Women at UM-Ann Arbor, and attended a luncheon where I was encouraged to speak in front of the attending body, did I share with the audience my veteran status. After the speech the Assistant Dean came to me and asked if I would like to be a part of a team he organized focusing on veterans issues and off I went. When I discovered how many veterans were on campus (nearly 200) I was stoked! It was from that day on that I did everything in my power to unite the veteran population and pool our resources and knowledge. During this time we were seeing an influx of veterans returning from Iraq & Afghanistan with the same hopes I had when I was a soldier, obtaining a degree in higher education regardless of the mental and physical health barriers contributing to student veteran graduation success. Through this experience I learned of an organization called Student Veterans of America with a co-founding member who was attending UM- Ann Arbor. What I discovered shortly after is there were over 200 college campuses and universities in our country that had established these SVA chapters. Not only did veterans occupy my campus, they were dispersed all across the nation. SVA grew from 200 chapters in 2008 to over 400 in In 2010 Michigan alone certified over 15,000 student veterans (according to VA). I am sharing this with you, the Legionnaires, because I get questions all the time that sound like this: What can we do to encourage the younger generation of veterans to join our organization? or What do the younger veterans and student veterans want or need? My answers are simple but require a little bit of footwork on behalf of the Legionnaire. Younger veterans need more than an offer of membership. That comes later when the job of outreach has been fulfilled. I think The American Legion stands on the footing of attraction rather than promotion and we need to ask our posts and ourselves what it is we have to offer them. Have we reached out to the veteran service offices in the local college campuses and universities asking what we can do for them? Have we organized a benefits seminar that teaches the young veterans about their benefits? Are we advocating for jobs in our local, state, and federal governments? Are we helping the disabled student veteran file for service-connected compensation? Is our post equipped with technology that is going to attract younger veterans to hang out in? Have we encouraged and allowed the younger veterans to perform service in our posts? Have we offered them our facilities to host fundraising events for their student veteran group and given them resources to be successful? Are we attending their sports events? Quite frankly, I could go on and on but I am sure you are getting the point. Do not be afraid to give to them what may or may not have been so freely given to you. We have been blessed with a legacy that we must pass on for generations to come. There is American troops hoping and praying they dodge the IED in the convoy they are on or taking direct fire right now to protect these blessings and it is our duty to assist them. So why are you still reading this? Get out there and pass it on!

11 JUNIORS ARE READY TO SERVE WITH ELMOBILITY Chelsea Kovacs, Honorary Junior President The Honorary Junior Officers are: President-Chelsea Kovacs; 1st Vice President-Alexus Champion; 2nd Vice President-Alyssa Champion; Chaplain-Ciara Brown; Historian-Cassidy Kovacs; Secretary- Taylor Houghton; Sgt-At-Arms-Sabrina Towns; and Color-Bearers Nikki Cooley and Taylor Towns. The Junior s Special project for the coming year is Elmobility. This program gives service personnel a safe and friendly place for their children to play during Pre-Deployment and Post Deployment Workshops, FRG meetings and other military related administrative events. In other words, the children have a place to play with fun toys, and the adults can concentrate on what they need to do. The Sesame Rooms were created and Suzanne Knapp, Community Service Chairman As a new administrative year begins, our community service program takes a look at new ways to assist in our communities and our veterans and neighbors. Our purpose will be to mobilize The American Legion Family, the veteran and military community, and the general population of the community to provide services directed to veterans, active duty service members, and their families. Some activity suggestions to aid and assist the veterans, active duty service members and their families: rake/mow their lawn, rebuild the back porch, paint and clean their homes, prepare and deliver meals to their home, invite them to your post home for a Family Day of fun and activities; adopt a deployed service member's family in the community; help a veteran's family relocate; adopt an elderly veteran's family in the community or nursing home or veterans home; serve a meal at a veterans homeless shelter; organize a community-wide Day of Service to aid and assist veteran's and active duty service members' families. Many of our hometowns have homeless veterans' shelters where we can become involved. If you are a small or a large donated by Sesame Workshops, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street, to be used by our Military families with young Children. The Elmobility trailer is transported to and from various National Guard and reserve units as needed. During the year, we will be collecting items for the Elmobility room such as, coloring books, crayons, stickers, and Sesame Street toys that the families can enjoy during their time in the Elmobility room. The other projects we are continuing to support are: the Southeastern Michigan Stand Down and Michigan Veterans Foundation Detroit Veteran Center. Through all three projects we can proudly say We are an American Legion Family supporting the families of Veterans of the past and present for a better future. God bless you all and God bless our service personnel. COMMUNITY SERVICE-- A NEW ANGLE Unit, your volunteer work is appreciated. It doesn't matter the size of your Unit. It is your willingness to help that is important. The American Legion Auxiliary recognized national days of service for are: 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance/Patriot Day-10th Anniversary (September 11, 2012); Sept. 25--Gold Star Mother's Day; Oct. 22--Make a Difference Day; Nov. 19--National Family Volunteer Day; Nov. 11--Veterans Day; Dec. 7- -National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day; Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr National Day of Service; Feb Random Acts of Kindness Week; April National and Global Youth Service Week; April National Volunteer Week; May-- National AmeriCorps Week; June 14- -Flag Day; July 4--Independence Day; any other day where you can gather a group of volunteers. As a Unit or District when you are making your plans for this year, choose a couple of the above days to work on community service in your own areas. Additional information, awards and ideas will be discussed at the Fall Conference. If the committee can be of any service to your Unit, please do not hesitate to contact me via e- mail, suzyq967@wowway.com. MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September th DISTRICT UPDATES Janice Rollin, District President I am very pleased to have been elected Auxiliary President of the 18th District for a second time. I was just getting the hang of it the first time around when the year ended, so I feel much more comfortable in what the expectations and duties are. Department President Bowerman will be fun to serve under I saw this when she became Department Chaplain some years ago SWEET!!!! We have many opportunities to serve our Veterans, old and young. There are several Units in the 18th District that have taken upon themselves to assist the Michigan Veterans Foundation on a regular basis. It s a sad situation to know we have homeless Veterans, but happy to know the Auxiliary has made it their mission to help them. We have many troops all around the world who still look forward to those special boxes often sent from home soil, keep up the FALL CONFERENCE September good work and continue to hold packing parties. Don t forget to invite the public to join in.together, we can make a difference. It was tragic news to hear of Walter Reed Hospital closing its doors after 102 years. However, our wounded will be serviced at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center, a more modern medical facility. We all need to remind our elected officials how important it is to keep our military safe and to provide the best care to our Veterans in need. Take time to voice your opinion.together, we can make a difference. Just to remind you now at the beginning of the year.keep good records of your events, community and field service hours, programs you hold, etc., so in April, we can provide Department with those all important statistics. Together, we can make a difference. The scheduled events for the Auxiliary Fall Conference are September Although the housing reservation deadline has passed, the 18th District Association is still taking REGISTRATIONS to attend any of the two-day sessions. The registration fee is $ Please encourage members of your unit to attend the WORKSHOPS held on Saturday, September 17. Each department committee will be giving a short workshop on programs of their respective committee, how it functions and its purpose. This is a very valuable learning tool for new members and anyone who may want to learn about the workings of the Auxiliary. Below is a basic schedule of the two-day events. Friday, September 16 1:00-3:00 PM Executive Board Meeting 3:00-5:00 PM VA&R Meeting and Orientation (if you are interested in volunteering in one of the veteran facilities, field service or home service, THIS is the meeting you are going to want to attend) 7:00 PM Opening Saturday, September 17 Workshops the entire day will be dedicated to committee workshops. A specific agenda will be in the September Unit Mailing. ATTEND THESE WORKSHOPS. Everyone can learn something from them. Registration fees may be sent to: ($10.00 per person) Checks are payable to: 18th District Association Mail to: Sheryl May, 3300 Dutton Rd., Rochester, MI Be sure to pre-register! For questions or concerns phone Sheryl May at (248) , or may555@juno.com See YOU at Fall Conference!

12 12 September 2011 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE New Women s Wing Opened at Homeless Shelter Darlene Jones, Homeless Veterans Service Coordinator I have been asked to give you an update on the Detroit Veterans Homeless Center. Recently they have added a new dorm for female veterans Ġetting the room ready, Ivy Lee Reinhardt asked the Past Unit President of Chief Pontiac 377 to donate the bedding, sheets, pillows, pillow cases and blankets. These ladies decided to donate those items plus lamps, rugs, towels, locks for the lockers and books. They also showed up to make the beds and the dorm looks really nice. This room was dedicated in memory of Reva Deroush, a Past President from Unit #377 who dedicated many years helping veterans. When the word got out what we were doing, others joined in to help and the ladies from Groves-Walker Unit 346 made curtains for the window and special baskets for each lady. The showers and bathroom for the lady veterans are ready also thanks to the generous donations and hard work of ladies from the Auxiliary. Because the Detroit Veterans Homeless Shelter is mostly men, the women s safety had to be considered, and a panic button was installed in the dorm room for the ladies. The men are not allowed near the room or the shower area. For the Ribbon Cutting ceremony, the Auxiliary, Legion, Juniors and SAL were well represented. We are excited and waiting for the V.A. to send us our ladies. (Note: Department welcomes any donations to better serve our homeless vets, please earmark them Detroit Veterans Center ) Department Commander Dick Chatman; National President Carlene Ashworth; Tyrone Chapman, Executive Director for the Michigan Veterans Foundation; Jan Kintz, retiring Department President and Carrie Bowerman, Department President at the Detroit Veterans Center getting ready to serve lunch for the homeless vets. 71st Girls State Session Wrap-Up Brenda Dees, Girls State Chairman The Michigan American Legion Auxiliary Girls State 71st session was held June 19th through June 25. We started off the week anticipating a total of 300 citizens; however, there were 13 no shows, we lost 3 during the week due to illness, and a few citizens requested an early departure. We had 284 citizens vote for their candidates on Wednesday, and 280 that made it through the entire session. U. S. Senator Debbie Stabenow was our Keynote speaker for our opening. We had an exceptional group of young ladies participate this year, along with our outstanding, hard working, counseling, government and Auxiliary staff. Due to Convention the same week, we lost several, but we had six new volunteers finish out the week, and they did a fantastic job. Past Department Presidents visiting on Wednesday evening were: Brenda Dees, Mary Goller-Kilts, Norma Wojack, Judy Lynch and Pat Laine. After the citizens had dinner with their namesake or guest it was time to line up for their City pictures before casting their votes. The votes were tallied and the following winners were announced at the Toga party that evening: Governor Kayla Wimbush; Lt. Governor Allie Ladwig; Secretary of State Aviva Shwayder; and Attorney General Ana Holmes Girls State Staff along with five Supreme Court Justices: Aoxue Tang, Nathalie Kenny, Rachel Bost, Audriana Buchanan and Monica Ellis. The elected officials were inaugurated on the East Steps of our Capitol building by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson who was also the keynote speaker. The citizens were able to tour the State Capitol before returning to Michigan State University to continue the program. The elected officials were presented to Governor Rick Snyder for pictures. Our week came to a close after the Friday night talent show, Saturday s Moot Court and Mock trial, and the final Awards Ceremony. Chelsea Sherlock of Sumner was named Michigan s Samsung Scholarship winner. Aviva Shwayder of Saline and Kayla Wimbush from Farmington Hills were selected Delegates to attend Girls Nation. The two Alternates were Angelika Anderson from Niles and Ashley Bartreau from Lake Orion. Honorable Mention was given to Mollie Thompson from Traverse City, and Maddie Parkinson from Saline. Again this year, our Governor was selected to attend Girls Nation. She had to resign her office and Lt. Governor, Allie Ladwig from Knapp City was installed as the new Governor. National President Carlene Ashworth waving to the crowd at the Pre-game festivities during the Detroit Tiger Veterans Night. Retiring President Jan Kintz accepting a gift from the Junior and Senior Miss Poppy, Kasie Jeffery and Alyssa Champion ALL the presidents: National President Carlene Ashworth; retiring Department President Jan Kintz; President Carrie Bowerman; Honorary Junior President Chelsea Kovacs; and National Honorary Junior President Sabrina Cobb at the Livonia luncheon honoring our National Guests.

13 LANSING, MICH. Mr. Jason Allen, the Senior Deputy Director of Michigan s Veterans Affairs Directorate, spoke today about the value that Michigan veterans can offer to employers and the Michigan economy. Michigan s veterans have always been a pool of talent for the state s economy. However, we have only begun to tap this valuable resource. I think this is an exciting opportunity for employers to hire from a group of talented men and women returning from the latest conflicts in the Gulf region. It is clear that come with a built-in skill set. As a veteran, they come with a background of dedication, strong work ethic, the desire to succeed as a team member, and so many other qualities that Michigan employers desperately desire in their staff for today s competitive economy, said Allen. While there is a statewide unemployment rate of 10.5%, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs recognizes that the unemployment rate for Michigan post 9-11 veterans is higher than their civilian counterparts. DMVA is working diligently with their colleagues in the Hire a Hero MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September Veterans Service Division of the Workforce Development Agency as well as a number of community partners to improve the employment outlook for Michigan s veterans. We want these young men and women to know that not only does Michigan value their service but we value the skills they gained and see them as a bright part of Michigan s economic future. It is sometimes easy to forget what a challenge it can be to transition from military to civilian life. However, we are committed to ensuring that the transition is a smoother operation for today s veterans. I really encourage veterans to utilize the resources available to them through workforce development offices, whether that means updating a resume, applying for vocational rehabilitation, or getting help from a counselor to get placed on a new career path. Likewise, I encourage employers to keep their eyes and doors open for these talented young veterans, stated Allen. For more information on veteran s employment services, please contact State of Michigan Veterans Hotline at (800) , visit (click on veteran services on the right side) or us at veteransservices@michigan.gov. VETERANS IN NEED ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE MICHIGAN VETERANS TRUST FUND LANSING, MICH. Mr. Jason Allen, the Senior Deputy Director of Michigan s Veterans Affairs Directorate, encourages Michigan wartime veterans experiencing financial emergencies to seek assistance through the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. Our veterans have a great safety net in the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. On average, the Trust awarded a million dollars plus annually over the past four years to veterans and their families in need. These awards can truly be a game changer for families in need. County representatives have the ability to provide $1,500 in assistance and the State Board has authority to award larger grants to families whose need cannot be met by a $1,500 grant, said Allen. The Michigan Veterans Trust Fund was created in 1946 from $50 million in post-war reserve funds. In 1996, the Trust was added to the State Constitution when voters overwhelmingly approved Proposal C with a passage rate of nearly 75%. Today, using county committees, the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund dispenses approved grants to wartime veterans and their families to relieve an unforeseen, temporary, emergent financial crisis or hardship. In 2010, 2357 eligible veterans and their families were assisted by grants from the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. The people of the State of Michigan should be proud of their dedication to helping the men and women who ve served our country. The difficult economic times in the state have made the Trust Fund even more valuable. A key part of our mission today is ensuring that servicemen and women are aware of this resource and are encouraged to apply, stated Anne Dutcher, Director of the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund. By contacting a county Trust Fund agent, qualifying veterans facing an emergency financial situation can receive assistance in applying for the Emergency Grant Program. For more information on how to contact a county agent please visit the Michigan Veterans Affairs website at and click County Contacts for Veterans from the left hand margin of the opening window. To contact the state Veterans Affairs Directorate call or send an to hessh@michigan.gov. Job Resource MARK THE DATE Upcoming Job Fairs Veteran Job Fair, Army Reserve Center, 10am - 2pm, September 15, Mile Rd NW, Grand Rapids, MI Great Lakes Bay Job Fair Thursday Sep 22nd from noon to 3:00 Employers and Job Seekers can go for more information and Employers can register online Veteran Job Fair, Hubert-Fortiers-O'Grady VFW Post 345, 10am - 2pm, Oct. 18, Schoolcraft, Redford, MI Veteran Job Fair, National Guard Armory, 10am - 2pm, December 9, Beech Daly Rd, Taylor, MI 48180

14 14 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September BOYS STATE 2011 COMES TO A CLOSE Nelson O'Bryan Director, Michigan Boys State Once again we have completed another successful session of Boys State. We made a small increase in our attendance, We had 267 boys. All of them enjoyed the program and got a lot out of it. We had an exceptional group of young men this year and it was a pleasure to work with them. Congratulations to Michael Ginocchio Jr. from Grand Haven and Arron Mukerjee from Saline, Arron, our Boys State Governor, they will be representing Michigan at Boys Nation. Our Samsung contest was, Brian Hall from Grosse Pointe Park. We are proud of all of these young men and happy to add them to our alumni family. I hope that all 267 boys will go back home and thank their sponsors for the opportunity to attend Boys State. We also encouraged the attending boys spread the word in their schools and encourage the Juniors this year to MICHIGAN LEADERSHIP COLLEGE IS FOR ALL LEGION FAMILY Brett Holt, Michigan Leadership College Chairman The Michigan Leadership College is ready to hit the road again to teach the leadership and future leaders of our organizations basic leadership skills. All members of the Legion Family; Legion, Auxiliary, SAL and Riders are welcome to attend. Last year the school of instruction provided seven classes and trained 225 members across the state. This year we have added one more class. There will be classes held in Detroit (1st Zone) Oct.1, Battle Creek (2nd Zone) Nov.5, Holly (3rd Zone) Jan. 28, Midland & Gaylord (4th Zone) Jan 14 & 15 and L Anse, attend next summer. They are our best salesmen. We had the Honor of meeting Mr. Charles Girds who brought his grandson, to Michigan Boys State where he attended in 1938,the first class in Michigan. I want to thank the educational staff for another outstanding job. It was a pleasure work with you again. Thank you to all the Legion staff for doing a wonderful job and a big THANK YOU to Deanna. Boys State Celebrates 75 Years in 2012 June 2012 will be here quickly, we are looking forward to returning to Michigan State University and celebrating our 75th Boys State class. Thank you to everyone who sponsored a boy and I would like to ask everyone in the Legion Family to sponsor a boy to Boys State. If you do not know of a boy who would qualify, please let us know we have resources to find those who wish to attend. Gladstone and Newberry (5th Zone) Dec. 2, 3 & 4. The 5th Zone confirmation was still pending at the time of this writing. Please watch for updates and registration forms in the near future. Continental Breakfast and Lunch will be provided by headquarters. Certificates of completion and a class pin will be awarded to all that attend the course. There is no test. We simply want to help you become a better leader. You need not attend the class in your zone if another class is closer to you. A registration form can be found for all confirmed classes in this issue of The Michigan Legionnaire. The Michigan Leadership College Committee, instructors and I look forward to seeing you in class. Letter Michigan Boys State Experience Letter Thank you for the experience of a lifetime Michigan Boys State is an outstanding five star program. The program teaches you how to work with different people, and how the government systems really work. As Litigator Attorney at Michigan Boys State, out of fifteen cases I won fourteen and lost one. This program gave me a clear understanding of what I needed to know about the judicial branch. When it comes to going in the courtroom and arguing your case trying to win sometimes your best friends will become your worst enemies, and that is the beauty of it all because what goes on in courtroom stays in the courtroom. Of course you would have lunch or dinner and shoot pool afterwards to get along (in other words) no hard feelings. I m quite for certain that young gentlemen who are very interested in doing active duties in the government system, Michigan Boys State is definitely the place you need to be. You will get the mentorship, accountability, responsibility, direction, and leadership skills that will help you in your future. Many people such as my Michigan Boys State counselor Mr. Inam Kang, Mr. Tony Brown, and Mr. Nelson O Bryan director over Michigan Boys State pushed me to my fullest potential and purged me in the process to be the best that I can be. As it did for me and many other Boys Stators it changed my life, and gave me a brief insight that being a Criminal Justice Lawyer is really the path I want to pursue in my life as my profession. Remember that once you are in this program that you are in a brotherhood, that you represent the Boys State of Michigan, and that when you come here you will not leave here like you came. - LaBront Moore-Stone Mail completed registration form to: The American Legion Dept. of MI, Attn: Leadership College, 212 N. Verlinden Ave, Suite A, Lansing, MI or your information to activity@michiganlegion.org subject line: Leadership College Registration Name: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Phone: ( ) Post #: Member: Legion Auxiliary SAL What other topics you would like to see covered either this time or in the future: Mark which class you will be attending: October 1, 2011 Zone 1 VA Hospital Detroit November 5, 2011 Zone 2 Post 298 Battle Creek December 2, 2011 Zone 5 Post 144 L'Anse December 3, 2011 Zone 5 Post 71 Gladstone December 4, 2011 Zone 5 Post 74 Newberry January 14, 2012 Zone 4 Post 165 Midland January 15, 2012 Zone 4 Post 458 Gaylord (Eagles Aerie 1825) January 28, 2012 Zone 3 Post 149 Holly

15 Hello fellow Legion Riders. My name is Jim "Big Daddy" Austin and I am honored to be this year s department Legion Rider Liaison. My job is to pass on important information to the Commander. In order to do that I will need all the directors contact information, so directors, please contact me with their information via . My is jaustin1961@hotmail.com My job is communication, not to dictate policy. I promise you the depart- Legion Rider Liaison ment will not come down and tell you how to run your chapter. The assistant liaison is Tom Starkweather from the west side of the state, please feel free to contact him as well. Please remember to support your post and fellow veterans and I look forward to hearing from you and having a great year together. The Legacy Run to the National Convention came through Michigan this year. A great time was had by all in attendance, if you have the chance come ride with us at next year s legacy run. Hope to see you out on the road sometime this year. RIDE SAFE MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September Legionnaire Support Blood, Eye, and Vital Organ Program "I would like to take this opportunity to start this legion year off as your Blood, Eye & Vital Organs Subcommittee Chairman to challenge every post in the Department of Michigan to host at least two (2) blood drives and keep a record of how many pints your members donate and then report it on the yearly CPR report. Let's make this the best year possible in our giving blood. I would also like to give my personal thanks to our past chairman Frank Checchio for a job well done. To Commander Chapman, thank you for having the confidence in me for this appointment and I pledge to do the very best that I can. - Lavern Spolarich. Register to be an Organ Donor Legionnaires, 3000 Michigan Residents need your help!!! When you apply for a new Michigan Drivers license; please register to be an organ donor. Right now there are 3000 Michigan Residents awaiting an organ to be donated. In Michigan Lives were saved by this program. For more information please visit Classifieds 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), 1217 Griswold St., Port Huron, MI (810) IRJ The Best Thing for You Might Not Be Money In the Bank! Annuity rates up to 4.50% Why settle for less in a Bank CD? FREE CONSULTATIONS Retirement / Ins / Investment Planning Final Expense Insurance Biblical Based Investments P.J. Harper, RIA, CSA, Registered Investment Advisor, National Association of Christian Financial Consultants Member, Legion Member Manchester, MI WAR RELICS WANTED Private collector paying top dollar for daggers, swords, medals, uniforms, etc. Call or write: William Harbowy (Life Member) 7247 Weddel Street, Taylor, MI (313) IRJ "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." Follow Us on Facebook at:

16 16 MICHIGAN LEGIONNAIRE & AUXILIAIRE September Around the State... Legionnaire Joe Barden, Post 321 receives his 65 year membership pin from 6th District Cmdr. (2011)William Hilgris Newly Chartered Auxiliary Unit #478 in Southgate (L to R) Donna Anderson (mentor), Kathy Price, Post 478 Cmdr Jim Austin, Lorraine McInchak (President #478, holding charter), Debbie Austin (Tres. Unit #478), John Harpee (Adj Post 478), and Wendy Paravos (Sec. Unit #478) Post #3 s Harley Raffle winner from the Veterans Motorcycle Rally Left to Right in the photo is Hal Woodgate ALR#3 Director, Richard Shunk ALR Director from Roscommon MI. (Erbers Friend) Edward Erber (winner) Roscommon MI Dan Inglis American Legion Post #3 commander, and Bruce Osborn ALR #3 Sgt at Arms. Garden City Post 396 Auxiliary had a Packing Party, they boxed up goodie boxes for our men and women overseas. They sent 130 boxes of home to the war zones. Past Department Commander Bill Hafeman, Department Commander, Dick Chapman, Dept. Adj. Pat Lafferty, and members of the Wilwin Lodge Corporation present Bob Considine the 2011 Good Guy Award At t he Wilwin Lodge Open House July 16th, Wilwin Lodge CEO Carnie Jackson accepts a check for $12,000 from SAL Member Mark Kobble Squadron 155. The donation will be used to build cabins for troops at the lodge. Graduates of the 2011 Student Trooper program (second session) from the Wyandotte area. Sponsored by the Wyandotte Post 217 and District 16. Holly Post 149 members present the keys of a Golf Cart donated by Pifer Golf Carts in Holly, Michigan to members of the Wilwin Lodge Coproration at the Wilwin Lodge Open House.