DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA AUXILIARY NEWS

Transcription

1 P1 DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA AUXILIARY NEWS September 2018 Volume 9, Issue 3 A Word from the President By Jane Lawrence, Department President We have just returned from the National Convention held in Minneapolis. It was a very interesting and informative convention. On Saturday we had Pre-Convention Committee meetings. I attended the Auxiliary Emergency Fund, Leadership and Public Relations meetings. A lot of information was discussed in these meetings. The Division caucuses were held after the Constitution and Bylaws meeting. There were eighteen (18) Auxiliary members attending the convention. On Sunday we attended the joint Memorial service. On Sunday afternoon we participated in the National parade. The parade had to be held in the Convention Center due to the possibility of severe weather. On Monday was the opening session of the Convention with reports given. Former Senator Elizabeth Libby Dole gave a Special Greeting. We attended the Woman of the Year Luncheon and after lunch there were breakout sessions. On Tuesday the sessions reconvened and more reports were given by the chairman of each committee. In the evening we attended the American Legion National Commander's banquet. The entertainment was Three Dogs Night. On Wednesday Awards for Excellence were given. Congratulations to Unit 233 Loganville for their Unit award. Nominations and Election of officers were held. Kathy Dungan was elected as Auxiliary National President That afternoon we attended the installation of the National officers. In the evening we attended the INSIDE THIS ISSUE From President Jane Lawrence 1 Secretary 2 1 st Vice President /Leadership 2 2nd Vice President / Membership 3 Historian 3 Chaplain 4 Various items 4 Various news 5 Calendar of Events 6 State Dinner where we were entertained by Kid Brothers Band from Atlanta. The music was great and the attendees had a great time. On Thursday I attended the Post-Convention National Executive Committee meeting. Please continue to send in your membership to the Department. I want to thank everyone for all you are doing for our Veterans, their families and communities. For God and Country AWARD NEWS FROM NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS These will be announced at the Fall Conference Plaques: Junior Activities & VA&R Unit Award Certificates: Americanism, National Security, (2) Poppy & VA&R VAVS Cards for Perfect Attendance (4) Congratulations to all the winners, to all who participated and the Department of Georgia

2 P2 Secretary By Patty Hawkins, Department Secretary As our Membership is starting to fly our Membership theme is Membership in Action Moving Forward: let s all pitch in to help getting new members and retaining our current members. I know there are ladies out there who are not aware of all the good work our Auxiliary does to help make the lives of our Veterans better. So ladies spread the word of what we do. Ladybugs in Action For Veterans. Renewal Notices will be mailed out September 15 th. Ladies I was in a meeting with four of the VA Hospital Chiefs on September 6 th. They were talking about how things are changing and they are getting more female veterans in the hospitals. They stated the female needs are different and some of the things they needed were new panties and sports bras for them. If anyone would like to bring some of these to Fall Conference it would be great. I have included SIX of the American Legion Auxiliary Code of Conduct. If we could just remember to practice a couple of these in our lives they would became a habit and our lives would change for the betterment of the organization. This is for members at all levels. To fulfil the obligations of membership in the American Legion Auxiliary, a member serving in any capacity representing the ALA is expected to pledge to uphold the following standards of conduct: To conduct herself with dignity, displaying good manners and good morals at all times. To respect the dignity of all persons and not bully, nor physically, mentally, or psychologically abuse any other person. To demonstrate a high regard for the ALA mission, rendering quality service to veterans, our military, their families, the community, and The Legion Family at all levels. To value all members regardless of their ability to participate in ALA meetings, events, or projects. To be kind, considerate, and welcoming to members of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities, regardless of their appearance or years of membership. You can find the complete list on our website galegionaux.org under News. Keeps that membership coming in. GOD BLESS 1 st Vice President / Leadership By Valerie Brown-Debro, Dept. 1 st Vice President What is the ALA Leadership objection? I m glad you asked. Leadership objection is to facilitate dialogue and encourage cooperation between department leadership and national leadership teams on ALA objectives for the upcoming year, including the national plan and program action plan that s structured for the enhancement our member s knowledge in the ALA. To provide ongoing professional development for ALA leaders and to identify potential department, district and Units leaders who are ready to move to another level. To facilitate informal mentoring and share best practice information among our members. Make plans to attend one of departments leadership workshops scheduled just for you. We re going Back to the Basics Please mark your calendar, the dates and locations are below R.S.V.P. Conyers Unit Augusta Unit 178 Warner Robins Unit /1@ Columbus Unit 267 Engaging in role playing & having fun while learning. ALA Academy offering free courses, they are available now at We re back from our National Convention, ready to share all of our resources, enabling us to better serve our veterans, their families and communities. For God and Country Valerie Brown-Debro ALA Department Leadership Chairman The 1st workshop will be held September 22nd, in the 10th Conyers 77 Unit. 674 American Legion Rd, Conyers GA :00 AM- 2:30pm Contact Bobbi Hudson to R.S.V.P. at Refreshments & Light Lunch No Charge (Head Count) Encourage everyone to attend, "this is NOT JUST for the District that's hosting". Please make an effort to COME OUT and enhance your knowledge of who we are and why we matter, EVERYONE IS INVITED

3 P3 2 nd Vice President/Membership By Susan Hall, Department 2 nd Vice President It was an honor to serve as delegate for Georgia at the 98 th ALA National Convention in Minneapolis. It was an opportunity to see old friends and acquaintances and make some new ones. Moving Forward is my membership theme this year for Georgia. We need to continue to change the way we do things to attract a new generation of members. The old saying we have always done it this way needs to change if we are to endure for another 98 years. We are off to a great start for the membership year. As of the August 22 nd Membership report we have 30 Units that have already reached the 25% membership goal. Congratulations to those Units. I am hoping with the new membership report for September that number will be even higher. All Units should be off zero by this time, all officers in the Units and Districts should have paid their membership. You can now pay your membership online to National and you will be able to print out your membership card right away and will also receive one directly from National in the mail. We need to continue to Retain our current members While recruiting new members. Remember everyone has a voice in your Units and Districts, we must begin to listen to all Ideas and treat everyone with kindness and respect according to our newly adopted Code of Conduct. Again, thank you for allowing me to serve as your Membership Chairman. I am looking forward to a great year under the leadership of our National President Kathy Dugan (Mississippi), National Membership Chairman Ann King-Smith (Florida), Southern Division Membership Chairman Valerie Brown-Debro (Georgia) and our Department President Jane Lawrence. If I can be of any help please don t hesitate to contact Me at suem_66@yahoo.com or my cell number Susan Hall 2 nd Vice President, Membership Chairman HISTORIAN CORNER By Pat Morgan, Department Historian Thank you for allowing me to serve as your interim Department Historian. It will be my honor to work with each of you this year. As the New Year begins, all units should be documenting the events of our legion family as we serve Veterans, their families and our communities. One way of capturing and recording our history is to keep a detailed planning calendar to mark all the important dates and activities of our Units. By recording these activities, we are preserving the history of our great organization for generations to come. Our organization is only as good as our history as it is recorded. Scrapbooks and History books are a great way of preserving our history. Also, be sure to preserve the artifacts and archives of your Units and Districts. Think about the traditions of our nation. Traditions come from history - from the shared knowledge and customs of our Units. It is so important to share this information with future generations. Involve your junior members in recording the activities of your Unit. Our history is ultimately in the hands of our youth. In order for our future generations to know how things were done and why, we need to have the history books to review. All mid-years reports are due by December 15 th. My address is 2229 Johnson Short Rd, Quitman, GA and my is pimorga@aol.com. If there is anything I can do to assist you, please feel free to contact me. Pat Morgan (229) ALA ANNUAL SUPPLEMENT Programs Action Plan Get all of the important deadlines, contest themes, and committee contact information for the upcoming administrative year in the Annual Supplement to the ALA Programs Action Plan! This Annual Supplement is available for download in the Members Only section of the national website. The ALA Programs Action Plan and all of the necessary information to successfully accomplish ALA programs can be downloaded year-round The Annual Supplement, which contains updates on committee members and reporting and award deadlines, and the ALA Programs Action Plan, which contains information on how to execute the ALA s programs, were split into two parts last year to ensure consistency and help departments and units focus on serving the ALA s mission outreach programs. For the most up-todate contact information for each program committee, be sure to visit the respective program page to download that program s Annual Supplement.

4 P4 Chaplain By Vacant, Department Chaplain This position is open and we are searching for one dedicated person to fill the role of Department Chaplain. If you or you know of someone who is willing to be the Department Chaplain please call Jane Lawrence or Patty Hawkins at Department Headquarters. Father, we come to You, humble children seeking guidance as we endeavor to find way to fulfill our promise to serve You and our country. Bless all that we do and say. Make us truly instruments of Your will as we serve You through this great organization. Help us to guard well our heritage and grant that we protect our nation by our service. In Your Name, we pray. Amen. VA&R News Ladybugs, thank you for what you do for our veterans. It is that time of year to get our fundraisers for our gift shops for our VA Hospitals. Please ladies get your checks into the Dept. early so the reps. will have time to hit the sales. I am trying to get the information out as soon as we can to remind the Units. We will be collecting socks again at Fall Conference and the special socks for Atlanta VA. We will also collect any little shampoos and soaps for the Homeless Veterans. The Homeless Stand-Downs will be coming up at the hospitals. Thank you again for supporting our veterans. For God and Country, Miriam Stien Dept. VA&R Chairman Important Information: Fall Conference is just around the corner. The date for the Fall Conference DEC was incorrect. is should have read DEC meeting is October 26 th at 6pm. If your reservations were sent with the check-in date of said October 25 th, it has been changed for the 26 th. Sorry for any inconvenience.

5 P5 ALA Academy course covers effective branding The latest ALA Academy course is now available! In ALA Branding and Why It Matters to Me, ALA members will learn that branding is more than just a logo it s also how the public perceives our organization and our values. In this course, members will gain a better understanding of why branding is critical to continue our mission of serving veterans, military, and their families. Learn more about the ALA Academy, and get started today on all courses including ALA 101, ALA Leadership: Living Our Motto of Service Not Self, ALA Communications Methods 201, and Establishing an ALA Culture of Goodwill alaforveterans.org Mission In the spirit of Service, not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and Country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor our youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security. Core Values Our statement of values is predicated on our founding purposes: Freedom, Democracy, Loyalty families. tegrity and family values public and our members ALA MIS PROGRAM ACCESS for Units/District Membership American Legion Auxiliary Honor Our Female Veterans For Female Veterans who join as new members for the 2019 Membership Year, the national portion of dues ($12) will be waived for their first year of membership. The American Legion Auxiliary Department of Georgia voted at our Fall Conference in 2015, for Female Veterans who join as new members for the 2019 Membership Year, the Department s portion will also be waived for their first year of membership. Some of the Units are waiving their membership portion as well. Ladies this is one way we can Honor Our Female Veterans and build our membership. Lets make them feel welcome! The fee is $10 per year per person (2 per Unit). This is the fee National charges. Forms are on the website or call the Department for copies. Due to the enforced rules all forms must be completed and signed by 5 current Unit Officer. At no time is an authorized person using ALA MIS is to share their password with anyone. If a person needs to be changed please send in a new form right away. Please let us know ASAP. If your Unit wants to continue having access to the ALA MIS the department must receive new forms and $10 for each person per calendar year. New: District Presidents can now have access to all the Units in their districts. This will be a read only and cannot make any changes. The fee is $10 and will be good until December. National will be billing the Department for any users on January 1, of the current year. If you want to continue to have access to the ALA MIS, make sure your check is sent to the department. Many of units have not sent in their ALA MIS access payments, so effective January 1 st ; they will no longer have access.

6 P6 Calendar of Upcoming Events 2018 President s Theme: Ladybugs In Action For Veterans Membership Theme: Membership in Action Moving Forward National President s Theme: Serving Our Heroes September 3, 2018 September 9, 2018 September 11, 2018 September 18, 2018 September 21, 2018 September 30, 2018 Labor Day (Office closed) National Grandparents Day Patriot Day Constitution Day & Citizenship Day Air Force Birthday National POW/MIA Recognition Day Gold Star Mother s Day October 26-27, 2018 Dept. Fall Conference Duluth Arrive on 26 th DEC meeting 6pm March 29-31, 2019 Spring/College Conference Duluth Arrive on 28 th DEC meeting 6pm June 28-30, 2019 Dept. Convention VALDOSTA Arrive on 27 th DEC meeting 6pm American Legion Auxiliary Department of Georgia 3035 Mt Zion Rd Stockbridge, GA 30281