ROBERT H. BURNS AMERICAN LEGION POST #16 LEGION LINES & VIEWS December, 2011 PO Box 1137 Covington, La. 70434 (985) 892-0677 Commander: Stacy Miller Chaplain: Bishop Chopin Cusachs Executive Committee: 1 st Vice Commander: William Rosevally Service Officer Ron Burkhalter David Rice 2 nd Vice Commander: James Laccasagne Judge Advocat Julian Rodrigue, Sr. Emil Johansen 3 rd Vice Commander: Terry Charrier Sgt-at-Arms David Rice Roy Kellum Adjutant: Rick Sunders Color Bearer: Rick Sunders Clinton Lounsbury Finance Officer: Mike Peats Color Bearer: David Rice Charley Craddock. Post E---mail:americanleg16@bellsouth.net Post website: ---http://louisianabulldog.com/americanlegionpost16 The December general meeting will be held on Tuesday December 6 th 2011 at our Post 16 home. Dinner will be at 6:00pm with the meeting at 7:00pm. The Executive Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 20 th, 2011 at 6:00 PM There is a critical need for Bingo workers. We have lost several volunteers and really need help!! Please volunteer, even if you can only spend a few hours with us. Please call Mike Peats at 502-8802. We really need help!!!!! Jack-Pot Bingo!!! We especially need workers for Wednesdays. Call Mike Peats at (985) 502-8802. Game times Wednesday night at 7:30pm and Friday Morning at 10:00am. Regular winners are $200 per game --- Jackpots $1000 --- Progressive Jackpots Maximum $6000 with 50 balls or less. Workers need to be there at least 1 hour earlier. BINGO December Birthday: James Fitzmorris, Mildred Buchert, John Cobb Jimmy Slade Julius Holden Dates to Remember: Dec. 3 Special needs Christmas Party at Post 16 1pm to 3pm Dec. 3 Cub Scout Pac 85 Christmas Party at Post 16 6pm to 9pm Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor Day breakfast at Post 16 7am to 9am Dec. 10 Adult Christmas Party at Post 16 1pm to 4pm- Bring a $5 donation for needy families Dec. 25 Christmas Bingo 6:30pm Volunteers Needed Dec. 31 New Year s Party 8pm to 1am, Music by the Wagner Jan. 23 Jackson Veterans Home visit leave Post at 9am Jan. 28 Cub Scout Pac 85 Pinewood Derby at Post 16 8am to 12pm Adult Christmas party We will be holding our Adult Christmas party on Saturday December 10 from 1 to 4 pm. I am asking everyone to bring a covered dish for the party. The Post will provide the turkey and ham. I am also asking everyone to bring a $5 donation for our needy family Christmas program. This donation allows us to help 4 or 5 families each year.
NEW YEARS DANCE There will be a New Years Dance held at the Post Home on Saturday, New Years Eve from 9:00pm to 12:00am with a breakfast to be served from midnight till 1:00am.!!! BYOB!!! Music will be by the Wagners Bring your own snacks, munchies, beer, wine, etc. Set-ups will be provided. Cost $10 per couple non-members with Post members free. Come on out and have some fun. Bring some friends. Enjoy yourselves and help us welcome in 2012. Commander s Remarks: November has been a busy month for Post 16. We had members visit the Reserve Veterans home. Our Honor Guard did flag retirement ceremonies at two schools. Members of Post 16 were involved in at least six Veterans Day ceremonies. December is going to be a busy month also. We have our special needs Christmas party, which is a lot of fun if you haven t been to one. We also have our adult Christmas party. We have to do the shopping for the needy families we have identified and then we have to get all the gifts delivered. It s a busy time but a blessing to help the ones we do. Membership!!!!!!!!!!!!! As of the day of this writing we are 57 members short of our100% goal by the end of the year. We have done a real good job this year getting membership paid, so if you haven t yet paid please help us reach our goal by sending in you dues. Thank you Notice: As stated in the National Constitution and By-Laws if dues are not paid by January 1 the member becomes delinquent. National By-Laws Article IV, Section 4. For God and Country Stacy L. Miller, Post Commander POST MEMBERSHIP:. 2012 Dues are now available.!!! Dues are now $30!!! There are a lot of changes for Membership this year. We can now pay dues online directly to National and use our personal credit card. If you have any issues or need help doing this you can call Mary Leaycraft at the Post at 985-892-0067, or Mike Peats at 985-502-8802. Or you can come into the Post and Mary will be glad to help you sign up on line. You can still mail your dues to the Post as you have in the past and your membership card will be mailed to you. 1st Vice Commander Bill Rosevally reported that Post 16 membership for 2012 stands just under 370 paid up members for 86%. The membership year runs from January 1 to December 31 each year. PUFL (Paid Up For Life) membership is available and on the time payment plan, Ask about it Quotes from our Founding Fathers The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all. George Washington, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796
Chaplains Corner ********** Bishop Chopin Cusachs Post Everlasting: In November Post 16 said farewell to legionnaire George Marks that was call by the Supreme Commander of us all. Sick Call Report: The following Legionnaires and Auxiliary members are in our thoughts and prayers: Elsie Mottinger, Jennifer Corbett, Marilyn Gorgas, Chuck Ogle, Mae & Avery Mooney, Mimi Bennett, Dwight Johnson, Aries Gaulon, Bay Welch, Cindy Kellum, Terry Charrier and Ollie Plennert (Mother-in-Law of Mike Peats) Clint Lounsbury HONOR GUARD Cmdr.: The Honor Guard meets on the 2 nd Monday of each month starting at 4:00 PM. The Post Honor Guard represents all veterans in this area. Families of veterans need to be informed of our services. The Honor Guard will meet on Monday, August 8, 2011 at 4:00 PM at the Post. The Honor Guard continues to accept new members who are willing to spend the time and effort required to perform requested duties. We invite you to come join us. The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 16 Commander Danny McArthur is asking all Sons members to supply him with their birthday so he can finish his information list. Detachment of Louisiana now has its own brand new website. All information concerning them will be posted on their website. FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION, DETACHMENT OF LOUISIANA, go to website address: www.louisianasal.org La Societe Des 40 Hommes Et 8 Chevaux Voiture Locale 224 Voiture 224 now has Lapel Pins for all operating programs for a donation of $5 each; Carville Star, National Box Car, Nurse s Training, Child Welfare, Americanism. We urge anyone who wishes to donate $5 to any of these programs and receive a Lapel Pin to show your support, (or all if so desired), please contact any 40/8 Officer. Casino Trip; Voiture Locale 224 now has tickets available for our 2 day Casino trip, February 12-13. Tickets are $55 per person and entitles the holder to round-trip bus ride, room for one night, $25 gaming credit, and $10 breakfast buffet.!! Can t Beat That!! Anyone wanting tickets contact Mike Peats or any 40/8 Officer. All proceed to go to Nurses Training Scholarship. Christmas Celebration; VL 224/LaFemmes Cabane 224 and MOPH 741/ LAMOPH 741 will once again hold a joint Christmas Dinner Party at Post 16, December 15 th, at 6:00pm.!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Veterans Day On Veterans Day, Robert H. Burns American Legion Post 16 hosted a ceremony at the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center to honor America s veterans. Col. William Harkin, USMC was our main speaker. Also speaking was Mike Peats, Commander VFW Post 8720. Also present to Honor Veterans was Covington Mayor, Mike Cooper, Parish Assessor, Patricia Core and Captain Jack West from the Covington Police Dept. Col. William Harkin at the Podium right In addition to our Post 16 Colors, we had Colors represented from the Military Order of the Purple Heart Northshore Chapter 741, VFW Post 8720, VFW Post 7286, Voiture 224 of the 40 & 8 and the Sons of the American Legion. Covington High Navy J.R.O.T.C. presented the Colors The crowd was entertained by the third grade class from Lyon Elementary School. The class performed four patriotic songs.
Veterans Day at Franklinton Library Friday, November 11, 2011, a Veteran s Day Ceremony was held at the Washington Parish Library in Franklinton. The JROTC Honor Guard from Franklinton High school raised the Flag at the Library early in the morning with a solemn ceremony and then Terry Sharp, Department Vice Commander spoke on the History of Veterans Day and what it means to us today. He also spoke of the transition issues that our returning veterans will face as they return from their service and what our duties are to support and honor them. The event was officiated by Father Stephen Bryant. Army Major Rick Fredieu led the JROTC. There were numerous comments by those in attendance. Afterwards there was a reception inside the Library where those in attendance could come together in fellowship and reflect upon the morning s event. The event was organized by Washington Parish Library System Director Al Barron who also represented the 40/8 as the Locale Conducteur. Abita Elementary School Post 16 was asked to present the Colors at the November PTA meeting. After a short business session the Veterans that were present was entertained by students. Rick Sunders, Clint Lounsbury, Jim Lacassagne and Mike Peats presenting the Colors
On Veterans Day William Pitcher Jr. High School hosted a Veterans Day ceremony in the school gym. The crowd was entertained by the school band and choir. There were readings of poems written by the students of the school. At the end of the ceremony Sharon McLeese led the students in hanging photos of their loved ones on the Wall of Heroes. Lake Castle Elementary School - Robert H. Burns American Legion Honor Guard members performed a Dignified Flag Retirement ceremony for Lake Castle Elementary school in Madisonville on November 17 th, 2011. The entire school was present for the ceremony and nine (9) flags were retired. Present at the event were the following: L to R front Clinton Lounsbury, David Rice, Percy Naquin, Rick Sunders and Elizabeth Rice. Back row L to R John Scallan and Mike Peats. Folsom Elementary - Robert H. Burns American Legion participated in the Veterans Day program at Folsom Elementary on November 11th, 2011. Present at the event were Clinton Lounsbury, Mike Peats, James Lacassagne and Ray Hartley.
Adjutant s Corner: Rick Sunders American Legion - November 23, 2011 The American Legion had some great gains this year volunteering at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities. Legion VA Volunteer Services representatives brought in more than 2,400 new regularly scheduled (RS) volunteers. Since 2007, the Legion has averaged approximately 6,300 volunteers; that number has climbed to 8,807 RS volunteers currently. The increase allowed the Legion to log an additional 3,855 RS hours, providing consistent and much-needed support for U.S. veterans. However, there is still much work to be done. Even though the Legion increased in all categories dealing with RS volunteers, overall hours dropped due to a decrease in occasional hours. Occasional hours are usually captured in large or small events, where many volunteers participate, and could easily be used as a recruitment tool for RS volunteers. Legion occasional hours went down by 9,378, causing an overall loss in total hours by 5,523. For the year, the Legion donated 938,306 total hours. The goal for fiscal 2012 is to increase the total number of hours to more than 1 million. Instrumental in this process is tracking all service hours and creating new events to increase the services provided. For ideas about how to get involved with VAVS, contact Brian Bertges at bbertges@legion.org or Amanda Leigh at aleigh@legion.org in the Legion s Washington office. Remember our service men and women currently serving our country in the Global War on Terrorism during this Christmas Season. They are away in Foreign Lands, Far from their families, their wives and children. Let their well being and a safe return home be ever in our prayers. Remember our sick and shut-in veterans here at home and make their Holiday season be a Happy time. Visit with them and share the joy of the season. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR BE SAFE AND I LL SEE YOU IN 2012 FOR GOD AND COUNTRY Commander Stacy Miller