American Legion March 2019 Newsletter 2018-2019 Officers Commander: Richard Brown Sr Vice: Rod Pedersen Adjutant: Phil Youngblood Jr Vice: Stephen Blanton Jr Vice: Whit Chappell Fin. Off.: Henrietta Traynor Judge Adv: Phil Youngblood Serv. Off: Ed Kent Historian: Clayton Roberts Sgt @ Arms: Raymond Meeks Chaplain: Bill MacLaughlin Members @ Large: Jimmy Traynor; Dave Guest & Don Van Pelt COMMANDER'S CORNER: Fellow Legionnaires, we as the executive committee, have tried our best to do what is appropriate as far as operating our post home. We have seen a large decline in our membership attendance at our regular meetings and we have discussed ways to get the membership to participate. In the process we have come to a place whereas we seem to have run out of solutions. I would appreciate it if each of you would just lean back and ask yourself, WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THIS POST EVEN BETTER? Contemplate that for awhile and when you come up with an answer write it down, come to a meeting and there will be a suggestion box at the head table that you can drop your suggestion into. you don't have to sign the suggestion. WE NEED YOUR INPUT. WE, AS THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, HOPE WE CAN MAKE THIS POST WORK FOR THE MEMBERSHIP. IF ANYONE HAS AN IDEA, DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ONE OF US. ANYONE WISHING TO ASSIST IN ANY ACTIVITIES THE POST IS HAVING CAN CONTACT ANY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER AND THEY WILL BE GLAD TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE VOLUNTEER LIST. REMEMBER, THIS ORGANIZATION IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST MEMBER RICHARD BROWN, COMMANDER conductorbrown@hotmail.com
Senior Vice Our 2019 American Legion Membership cards are still available from the Adjutant for renewal. Currently as of February 14th, District 12 reported that has a total 2019 Paid Membership of 388 members, at an overall 97.9% of our the 2018 Memberships. The American Legion encourages us to renew to ensure the success of our Post, District, Department and National Programs. If you know a qualifying Veteran or Active Duty Service Member, invite them to attend and/or stop by the Post on Thursday, Friday or Saturday afternoons and evenings to see who we are and what we are about. If anyone knows of a Veteran or Veteran s Dependent in need of a FREE aluminum Wheelchair Ramp for a home, please contact the Post Commander, the Senior Vice-Commander or one of the Junior Vice-Commanders. When the ramp is no longer needed by the Veteran, the Executive Committee will arrange for the return of the ramp to and placed in storage for the next needing Veteran. We also have a limited inventory of medical-assistance items stored at. Follow the Airborne!!!! Rod Pedersen Sr. Vice Commander Valdosta rod.pedersen.1956@gmail.com Jr. Vice The comments I sent for February 2019 newsletter were erroneously replaced with comments for the December 2018 newsletter. These things happen but my only regret was I was not able to ensure that members were aware that a Post Everlasting ceremony was planned and that we had a guest speaker, Ms. Lindsey Rogers, from South Georgia Hospice coming to explain their We Honor Vets program for Vets in their care. Lindsey also came to thank our Post members for giving the personal camaraderie that adds worth to the Certificate of Honor and Challenge Coin we give the Vet and family. We seal that camaraderie with a hand salute Veteran to Veteran. The Legionnaires and Legion Family present at a WHV, represents all of the Legion Family. January 2019 went without a Newsletter and I wonder if that is why January s membership meeting, including Officers, barely had a quorum with 12 attendees. The Auxiliary membership meeting did not reach a quorum. The meeting barely made a quorum. I don t know results for the ALR meeting. Flu and illness sidelined
some officers and members. February s membership meeting had a few more attendees. I thank the ladies of the Auxiliary for preparing the meal at 6 pm. We now have adequate parking lot lighting for the safety and security of our members and guests after sun down. The American Legion is in its Centennial year and is in its 8 th decade. Legionnaires Serve for God and Country, we serve fellow veterans whether legionnaires or non-members. Our Legion Family groups assist each other for the Good of the Legion. It takes money to serve a stranded veteran or a veteran needing a onetime financial hand up, a free Post meal for members and family at Christmas, ice cream for our Jr. AF ROTC recognition and support for Moody AFB kids. We cannot serve our 4 Pillars without member participation in programs and fund raisers. The $5 we get to keep from dues covers approx. 4% of our budget. Money from investments will not last forever. The American Legion is in its 100 th year, is in its 8 th decade. Will reach its 100 th birthday? Ask yourself, What can I do as a member to help be an asset to our community and reach its 100 th birthday? Ask yourself, What can I do and what have I done to help a fellow Veteran today? My concern is I know more people at other District 12 Posts and Department level than I do at. Please let me know what you like or don t like about. Please send suggestions and comments to my email or by letter (with or without signature or return address if you wish to be anonymous) to JVC Blanton, 115 Sunnymeade Dr., Valdosta Ga. 31605 Cell 864 680-3865 Home 229 232-4891 leave message on either phone. Email sabusn6976@gmail.com. Stephen Blanton Jr. Vice Cmdr. Service Officer Ed was unable to comment this month with his being in Washington DC. Ed Kent kentj2@bellsouth.net UNIT 13 Scoop Next membership meeting is on Tues.12 March, 2019 at 7:00 pm. Dinner to be served at 6:00 pm. If you are a or a Dual AL / Member, our 2019 Sons of the American Legion Membership Cards are still available from the Squadron 13 Adjutant for renewal. $20 for Sons Memberships, $10 for Junior Memberships and $9 for Dual AL / Memberships.
Squadron 13 s First Monday meeting will again be conducted in the Lounge on March 4th, 2018 at 7:00 PM. I hope to see as many as possible; we hopefully might even need to hold the meeting in the Room. For God and Country ***Our next Squadron 13 meeting will be conducted at the Post on March 4, 2019 at 7:00 PM. Rod Pedersen rod.pedersen.1956@gmail.com Squadron Commander, Valdosta Legion Riders We will look forward to seeing everyone on March 21, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. for our Meet & Greet with the meeting starting at 7:00 p.m. Thank you, Tina Dooley ALR Officer Secretary & Activities March 2019 1 2 3 4 7:00 pm 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dinner @ 6 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 ALR Meet & Greet 6, 22 23 24 25 PEC 5:30 pm 26 27 28 April 1 2 3 4 7:00 pm 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dinner @ 6 13 14 15 16