ROBERT H. BURNS AMERICAN LEGION POST #16 LEGION LINES & VIEWS November 2013 PO Box 1137 Covington, La. 70434 (985) 892-0677 Commander: James Lacassagne Chaplain: Bishop Chopin Cusachs Executive Committee: 1 st Vice Commander: Mark Herman Service Officer: Matt Cole William Rosevally 2 nd Vice Commander: Ray Hartley Judge Advocat Julian Rodrigue, Sr. Charley Craddock 3 rd Vice Commander: Open Historian: Ray Hartley Emil Johansen Adjutant: Roy Kellum Sgt.-at-Arms: James Livermore H.T. Terry Sharp Finance Officer: Mike Peats Stacy Miller. Post E-mail:americanleg16@bellsouth.net Post website: ---http://louisianabulldog.com/americanlegionpost16 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. POST MEMBERSHIP: 2014 Cards are now available -!!!Dues are $30!!! 1st Vice Commander Mark Herman reported that Post 16 membership for 2013 stands at 360 paid up members for 88%. 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 Let s get the 2013-2014 membership year started right by getting your dues paid early. October Birthdays Clinton Lounsbury, Roy Kellum, Cindy Kellum, Avery Mooney, Cora Reily and Stacy Miller Best Wishes and Happy Birthday If you want your birthday listed contact the Post and give your name and month. Monthly Membership Drawing Just pay your dues to be entered in the drawing for that month John Scallan won the membership drawing for September at the October general meeting. John was presented a $50 gift card by Commander Jim Lacassagne. Pay your 2014 dues to be entered in the next drawing. Please send your dues to: American Legion Post 16, P. O. Box 1137 Covington, La. 70434.
Page 2 Commander s Remarks: Well, by the time you read this, we'll be in November. This is the month during which we celebrate the gifts and opportunities that we as Americans have enjoyed. This is the month of Thanksgiving. It is also the month in which we remember those who have helped ensure that we were able to enjoy those gifts and opportunities. November 11 th is Veterans' Day. Post 16 will be holding our annual Celebration at the Justice Center at 10:00 AM. I hope to see a lot of you there. This month we hosted the 6 th District Conference at the Post. My thanks and appreciation to the Auxiliary for preparing the fine dinner that everyone enjoyed. We also kicked off the Poppy Poster Contest and distributed Halloween Safety Brochures to the local schools. The crowning touch for October will be the October 30 th Halloween Costume Party/Contest at Bingo on the 30 th. In November, in addition to the Veterans Day Celebration, we will be having the Post Pot Luck Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday the 17 th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, A visit to the Reserve Veterans Home on Monday, Nov. 25 th and our final (for this year) Hunter Education Class on Saturday and Sunday (2, 3 November- Visit the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Website for more information). I'll be looking for you at the November 5 st meeting. Dinner is at 6:00 PM and the meeting starts at 7:00 PM. One Last Thing. Happy Birthday to the Ladies Auxiliary! For God and Country, James (Jim) Lacassagne Post Commander Chaplains Corner Sick Call Bishop Chopin Cusachs Sick Call Report: The following Legionnaires and Auxiliary members are in our thoughts and prayers: Jennifer Corbett, Mae and Avery Mooney, Dwight Johnson, Bay Welch, Cheyenne Lafleur, Lorraine Flanagan, James Jernigan, Roy and Cindy Kellum, Terry Charrier, Elmer Hathaway, Sandra Sharp, Clinton Lounsbury, Bobbie Peterson, Joe Dash, Bert Bickham, May Hartley, Frances Rosevally, Ben White, Pat Oster, David Duracher Sr. and Bishop Chopin Cusachs. Commander Ethan Sharp: The Sons of the American Legion At the November meeting we will be reviewing the Squadrons Constitution and Bylaws and voting on them. Squadron 16 members Lenard Collins Jr. and Alan Abdullah were presented a Sons of the American Legion Coin for all their hard work in the Squadron. This was presented at the 6 th District Fall Conference on October 26 hosted by Post 16.
Page 3 Post Honor Guard and Flag Chairman Honor Guard Commander Clint Lounsbury: The Honor Guard meets on the 2 nd Monday of each month starting at 5:00 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, November 11, 2013 at 5:00 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. Americanism Here is a general Halloween Safety write up that covers all the schools we did this year and has four photos, one for each school. The Robert H. Burns American Legion Post 16 family again provided Halloween Safety brochures for local area elementary schools this year. We visited Covington Elementary, Folsom Elementary, Abita Springs Elementary and Lancaster Elementary. We distributed over 2,000 brochures to the local students. These brochures help keep our community children safe during this busy season. Below are pictures from each school. Participating in the program were the following American Legion family members: James Lacassagne Post 16 Commander, Ray Hartley Post 16 2 nd Vice Commander, Mike Peats Post 16 Finance Officer, May Hartley Post 16 Auxiliary President, Alaina Abdullah Unit 16 Historian, Aaliyah Abdullah Post 16 Little Miss Poppy/Junior Auxiliary member, and Alan Abdullah Squadron 16 S.A.L.s member. Folsom Elementary Covington Elementary h Abita Elementary h Lancaster Elementary
Page 4 6 th District Conference Robert H. Burns American Legion Post 16 family hosted the American Legion s 6 th District conference at the Covington Post home on Saturday, October 26, 2013. Special guests were Department of Louisiana Legion Commander James A. Jackson, Vice Commander Billy Ray Foley, Department Adjutant Matt Farlow, Department Historian Donna K. Fransen-Miller, and Department Chaplain Gerald Theriot. District membership and program reports were given and other business was conducted. Coffee and Donuts and a fine meal of pork roast, green beans, potatoes and salad were prepared by the American Legion Post 16 family. Photo right: Department Commander James Jackson talks with Legionnaires before the conference begins. Special Delivery Commander Jim Lacassagne and Finance Officer Mike Peats were asked by Jeane Parsons to deliver two bears. Jeane Parsons made the bears for Reagan and Riley Wissing. Their father Ray Wissing is serving in Afghanistan with the 1021 st Vertical Engineering Group. Members of the Legion Riders of Post 7 in Arizona after reading about the boys on Ray s Facebook page. The bears were made from Ray s uniform for his sons. Above: Cmdr. Lacassagne and Mike Peats Right photo: Lisa Wissing, Reagan and Riley Wissing and Mike Peats. Far right photo: Lisa, Reagan and Riley Wissing.
Page 5!!!!!!!!! Urgent Notice!!!!!!!!!! American Legion Post Targeted by the IRS In the face of reports that The American Legion and other veterans service organizations (VSOs) are being targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, delegates to the Legion s national convention in Houston recently passed three resolutions that include calling for Congress to look into the IRS field investigations into Legion posts chartered under 501(c)(19) or nonprofit status. Auditors with the IRS reportedly are starting to fine Legion posts around the country for not keeping records of veterans DD-214s, the separation document given by the military to prove honorable service, or other valid documentation. The DD-214 reveals Social Security numbers, dates of birth and, in some cases, places of birth and medical information. The American Legion and IRS do not need this information; the information may be "blacked out" and a copy filed by the post. The Legion and the IRS only need your name, dates of service and character of service. Documents with this information need to be kept securely. If your DD-214 or Discharge document is not on file you will be contacted by the Post to get a copy. Please help us get this done. All documents are kept locked in a secure cabinet in the Office at the Post. La Societe Des 40 Hommes Et 8 Chevaux Voiture Locale 224 Fellow Voyageurs, Our next promenade will be November 13th at 7pm. Come and join in the social hour from 6pm to 7pm. Grande Chef de Gare Dennis Engdahl will visit us at our next Promenade. Let s all try to be there to welcome him to our Voiture. All program Directeurs should have their program pins. If you haven t gotten your pins yet, contact the Locale Directeur to purchase a pins. We need candidates for membership, so be on the lookout for veterans that would deserve the honor of a membership in La Societe. If you haven t paid your 2014 dues contact Membership Directeur Mike Peats at 985-502-8802 Chef de Gare Stacy L. Miller 985-246-9246