The Cyclops American Legion Dewey Lowman Post #109 July / August 2018 - Our 85th Year Commander s Message I m honored to present this message as Dewey Lowman s new Commander. Serving as your 1 st Vice Commander for the past year has opened my eyes to how much effort goes into operating a Post as large as ours. I am awed by the dedication of the officers and members who put so much of themselves into making Post 109 a place where we can meet in comfort, sharing experiences, thoughts, and laughter while making us relevant to our community and Veterans needs. On behalf of the Post I would especially like to thank Alicia Knecht for her hard work and wisdom in managing the affairs of the Post during her two terms as Commander of Post 109. Her leadership brought us much in terms of stability, continuity, and allegiance to the ideals of the American Legion. I certainly appreciate that she and others will continue to be in place to keep us on track. We welcome back Vernon Wilkens who will once again assume the responsibilities of our 3 rd Vice Commander. Among other duties Vernon will edit and publish the bi-monthly Cyclops so please be sure to keep him informed of all planned Post events and activities. John Henn has agreed to continue publishing our Facebook page as well as continuing his weekly newsletter to keep us all advised of current Post events. Tara Leimkuhler is our new Hall Rental Chairman. Our thanks go out to Dot Meile for her four years of hard work and readiness to help Tara get off to a great start in her new endeavor and pledge our support to keep the frustrations at a minimum. Pete Sommers has agreed to be our new Kitchen Chairman. Pete is already actively engaged in keeping our kitchen up to snuff, making sure that we stay on top of sanitation issues and that our equipment is in good operating condition. Among the upcoming Post events are The Original 27 Flags participation in the Arbutus and Catonsville 4 th of July parades, a Beach Party in the lounge, the annual Crab Feast, steamed shrimp put on by the S.A.L., and a bus trip to visit the war memorials in Washington D.C. with a stop at Post 136 in Greenbelt. See the details in the Cyclops, Facebook, and flyers in the lounge and help us with your participation to make these events successful. Yours in Veteran Service, Clyde Thomas Commander, Dewey Lowman Post 109 Stay Connected With What s Happening at Post 109 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dewey109/ Email:Cyclops@AmericanLegionPost109.org Website: http://www.americanlegionpost109.org/ Visit our Facebook Page or subscribe to the weekly emails and stay up to date on everything happening at Post 109. Email your name to our address (above). We use a secure service and you can unsubscribe at any time. Canteen News All Day Every Sunday 50 Cents off all beer, wine and drinks. Bucket of beer $10 Friday night dinners from 5 to 8 pm and Karaoke at 8. Every Saturday night live bands start at 7 pm and the 50/50 raffle. Hall rental, contact info etc. can be found on the inside of the back cover. Pg. 11 Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 1
Service Officer s Corner Fellow Legionaires, Auxiliary and S.O.N.S. I can t believe another year has passed us by. As the saying goes, Time waits for no man or woman. This 2017-2018 year has certainly been fruitful in our Post 109 s activities. We ve all participated in a lot of Post events in the last year. A few of the more memorable were the Annual Crab Feast, the Viet Nam Veterans Pinning Ceremony, the Christmas Party at Perry Point, the Queen of Hearts, the Hub Caps, the Post Everlasting Ceremony and of course our delicious Spaghetti Dinners. And try to remember, our Post is only as good as our members who are willing to participate in these events. 1. McVets: We are continuing to make these trips to McVets to help out fellow veterans earn their place in society. The veterans there deeply appreciate your generous donations. So please keep bringing your donations (clothes) to the Post. I would like to have another tour of McVets in the Fall. If you re interested, please let me know. The tour takes about an hour and lunch will be served. 2. Eye Glasses: So far, our Post has donated over 300 pairs of glasses to the Lions Club. When you find a pair of old glasses please bring them to the Post. Tell all your friends and I will get them in the proper hands. 3. Cell Phones: Keep the cell phones coming into the Post. I will get them mailed overseas to our troops. 4. U.S.O: There is a donation sheet that John Henn puts in the Post Happenings every week. Look at the list and drop your donations in the Blue Tub in the Lounge. The USO representative has asked me to limit the size of the hand lotion or shampoo to 2 to 4 oz. Bottles. 5. I feel honored that our new Commander Clyde Thomas has asked me once again to serve as your Service Officer. If I can be of assistance, don t hesitate to call me. I will try to get you in the right hands. 6. The Bake Table Lady: I have just received the news that Miss Grace is now in an assisted living facility. She had been baking cakes and cookies for our Spaghetti Dinner Bake Table for a very long time. We all miss Grace and wish her well in her new house. Please take the time out of your busy schedule to send hew a card and tell her how much you miss her. She and Nick were dancers extraordinaire at our dances and galas back in the day. We miss ya, Baby! Grace Brocatto : c/o Woodlands Assisted Living 1320 Windlass Road Middle River, MD 21220 Your In Legion Service, Wild Bill Ganz Service Officer (410-418-5597) yncdd840@gmail.com Sons of the American Legion (S.A.L) I am honored to be able to introduce myself as the incoming commander of Dewey Lowman Squadron 109. I hope to meet each of you over the next several months either at our membership meetings, held at 7:30 on the first Tuesday each month, or less formally at the Post. In any case you can reach me at the number below regarding S.A.L. business at any time. The monthly meetings are more than a chance to meet and greet; it is our opportunity to share ideas and opinions about how we can re-energize our Squadron, plan activities that our members will want to attend, and integrate Squadron 109 more fully into the Dewey Lowman American Legion family. I have met with some of the officers and members of Post 109 and the Women s Auxiliary and we plan to continue meeting on a regular basis to share information, ideas, and plans. I ll be looking forward to volunteers from our membership to join these informal meetings, ensuring the tenets of transparency and inclusiveness. For God and Country, Sid Williams Jr. Commander, S.A.L. Squadron 109 (443) 752-0058 Sid.swilliams@gmail.com Membership I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank Clyde Thomas for taking on the position of Post Commander. I know he will do a great job leading our post! I have reprised my roll as 1st Vice for the 2018-19 membership year, and look forward to working with our Post membership and officers to build and maintain our roster. Membership is the life blood of The American Legion and is every member's responsibility! Alicia Knecht 1st Vice Commander Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 2
$2 from every meal sold goes to the Legion. July 6th - Chicken Salad Sandwich with Pasta Salad $12 July 13th - Meatloaf, mashed potato, gravy and veggie $12 July 20th - Baked Salmon, rice and veggie $12 July 27th - Pork BBQ sandwich with coleslaw $11 Chaplain s Report March / April Called To Post Everlasting Bob McElroy Recuperating At Home Blaine R. Irvin, Ronnie Stallings In Nursing Home or Hospital George Litz Caritas House, Room 237 Chaplain services are available to you if you need prayer, encouragement and family support or if you need a listening ear. Feel free to email prayer requests weekly. Anyone having information about a Post member entering the hospital or a nursing home; recovering at home from an illness or surgery; or being called to Post Everlasting, is asked to please notify the Chaplain. Contact the Chaplain directly by phone or email to schedule a Memorial Service. Please send your email address to receive notifications for Memorial Services other important information from the Chaplain s office. Tonya Green, Chaplain 301-732-9109 PostChaplain@AmericanLegionPost109.org August 3rd - Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies $11 August 10th - Pit Beef, potato salad $12 August 17th - Stuffed peppers $11 August 24th - Open Faced turkey and gravy with veggie $11 August 31st - Corned Beef and Cabbage $11 We welcome dinner suggestions at: GetFoodGo@Gmail.com Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 3
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Spaghetti Dinner $8.00 3rd Thursday of the month. May 17 & June 21 4 pm to 7 pm Good Food at a Great Price. Every 3rd Thursday of the month. Includes Spaghetti, Meatballs, Sausage, Salad and bread. Beverages and Dessert Available. Carry Out Dinners too! No doggy bags please! Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 5
~ July 2018 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 * NO * Sons of 6p-7p POST NO WING the American CLOSES AT 6 NIGHT Band - Greater 7p-8:30p Canteen Cleanup Party Legion Meeting this month PM Image 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Band - Wild Grey Hairz 15 16 17 7p-8p 27 Flags Meeting 7 p 8p-9p Legion Members Meeting. Free Food after meeting. 18 19 4p-7p $8.00 Spaghetti Dinner. Good food at a great price. 20 21 Band - 4 on the Floor with Overdrive 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Band - Dodson Creek 29 30 31 Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 6
~ August 2018 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 5p-7p 50 Cent Wing Night 3 4 Band - Furious 5 5 6 7p-8:30p Canteen Cleanup Party 7 7:30p-8:30p Sons of the American Legion Meeting 8 9 10 11 4p-8p Crab Feast Band - West Side Rocks 12 13 14 15 16 4p-7p $8.00 Spaghetti Dinner. Good food at a great price. 17 18 Band - Nautical Wheelers 19 20 21 7p-8p 27 Flags Meeting 7 p 8p-9p Legion Members Meeting. Free Food after meeting. 22 23 24 25 Band - Blue Line 26 27 28 29 30 31 Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 7
Dewey Lowman Unit # 109 Auxiliary Auxiliary Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month except July & August I write this as we end the 2017-2018 year for our Auxiliary Unit. Our Unit had a successful year, we met or exceeded goals and objectives due to the diligence and dedication of our officers, chairs, and members. Our June meeting was the last meeting of the fiscal year. We do not hold meetings in July or August, please mark your calendars for our next membership meeting on September 11, 2018. The annual election of officers was held at our June meeting. Thank you to the officers and chairs who will continue in their leadership positions and thank you to RoseMary Tittsworth for taking on the role of Treasurer. Our elected leaders are: President: Margaret Henn 1 st Vice President: Sharon Knecht 2 nd Vice President: Elain Lucy Sears Chaplain: Darlene Cline Treasurer: RoseMary Tittsworth Secretary: Laura Foerster Puglisi Historian: Vacant Executive Committee: Judy Ganz, Donna Hayes, Ann Ross We need a Historian as well as leadership for committees including Americanism and Children and Youth. Would you consider helping? Please give some thought to investing some time with a group of great ladies to help our organization fulfill the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary. Please contact me by calling 410-789-2019 or email Auxunit109@gmail.com. Before the last meeting we held a brief recognition of our Girl s State Citizen, Kayleigh Coe and scholarship winner Nicodemus Imbraguglio. Education Chair Laura Foerster Puglisi handed out the certificate of recognition to Kayleigh who attended with both parents. Our scholarship winner was enjoying Senior week at the beach, but his mother was present to accept his certificate, and letter of congratulations. Nicodemus is the grandson of longtime member Ann Ross. Many thanks to the Village Junction Bakery in Arbutus for donating a delicious sheet cake for this celebration. We are very pleased to announce that our Unit has donated an iced tea brewer/dispenser to Post 109. I hope to enjoy fresh iced tea at the Post s annual crab feast scheduled for 8/11/18. Additionally, the Unit approved a $500 donation to McVet Maryland Center for Veterans Education & Training Our membership grew this past year, as did attendees at our meetings. Sharon Knecht has done a great job as membership chair. Thank you to our Unit members who helped bring in new members. Special recognition goes to Laura Foerster Puglisi, who recruited new members for our Unit, the Sons of the Legion, and the Post. Way to go, Laura! We held two Vietnam War Commemoration programs this past year, the first on Veteran s Day and the second at the McVet facility in Baltimore. Both were well attended and appreciated by both the Vietnam Veterans who were Welcomed Home but by those of us who were moved to be a part of this. Our next one is scheduled in the Post hall on Veteran s Day 2018. Details will be forthcoming. The American Legion Auxiliary Department of Maryland Convention is being held in Ocean City from July 11-13, 2018 and our Unit will be represented. Have a wonderful 4 th of July, it is a day of celebration and a day to remember those who fought and died to establish this country, as well as veterans, heroes, and our military who have sacrificed to secure our freedoms. I wish you all a great summer of fun in the sun with friends and family. Please be safe and don t forget the sunscreen. Margaret M. Henn President Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 8
VA and R On Saturday May 26 th, Unit 109 was honored to conduct a pinning and WELCOME HOME ceremony at the Maryland Center for Veteran Education and Training (MCVET) in Baltimore. The Center houses and administers a comprehensive recovery and training program for at risk and homeless veterans. Thirty five Vietnam Veterans received the Commemoration pin with over 70 folks in attendance. Several Unit members attended and did the pinning for the veterans. A lite fare reception followed the main event. We will be having another WELCOME HOME and pinning ceremony at the Post Home on Veterans Day November 11, 2018. So spread the word and help us say THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE and WELCOME HOME to our precious Vietnam Veterans. Registration and tickets for this event will begin on September 1 st in the Post Canteen. Sharon Knecht, Chair 410-227-0169 or nonniek@verizon.net Membership Another membership year closed at the end of June 2018. And what a great year it was thanks to our hard working and dedicated membership. The Unit made GOAL + 3 this year which means we were three over the membership goal set by the Department of Maryland. That is quite an accomplishment and I sincerely want to thank the membership for helping us achieve this difficult goal. A special thanks to Laura Foroester Puglisi who led the way in recruiting new members for our unit. Fantastic job Laura! In July we will begin the membership drive for 2019. Courtesy renewal notices will be sent out by National beginning in September but you can pay your 2019 dues any time by dropping them off at the Post canteen (remember to get a receipt) or mailing a check for $30 and made out to Unit 109 to me at 6 Bray Court Catonsville, MD 21228. Our goal will be even harder to reach next year but I know we can do it! Sharon Knecht, Membership 410-227-0169 or nonniek@verizon.net Auxiliary Chaplain Please notify me as soon as possible if you know of an auxiliary member who is sick, hospitalized, recovering at home or has sadly passed away so that the appropriate remembrance may be sent. Our auxiliary offers a funeral / memorial service for members upon family request. I can be reached at 410-455-0580. I wish everyone a wonderful and safe summer. In Love of Service, Darlene Cline Auxiliary Chaplain Hubcaps The Fabulous Hubcaps show on May 19 th was a huge success. For those of you who were lucky enough to score tickets I am sure you will agree. It was SOLD OUT two and a half months before the show! This is a significant fund raiser for the unit and helps us meet our commitments to our veterans and our community. We will be hosting the event in the spring of 2019 and are finalizing details at present. Keep an eye out in the Cyclops for the exact date and ticket sale date. Don t hesitate if you want a great night of fun and dancing because it s going to sell out again. Guaranteed! Sharon Knecht, Chair Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 9
Open to the Public 12:30 pm every Monday in the Post Hall Bingo Every Monday with lunch, refreshments and lots of fun and prizes. Lunch served from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm. $4.00 for soup and a sandwich. 3 packages - $6, $11 and $16. A total of 25 games. $20 to a winner of a regular game. Progressive Jackpot Every Week. Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 10
The Original 27 Flags The 27 Flags Unit honors our flag at events throughout the year. Memorial Day at the Arbutus Flag Pole, July 4th and other parades, Labor day and other occasions. If you are interested in joining a great group of people honoring our flag and its history we meet at 7 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. For info contact John Calvert, Director of the Original 27 Flags at: 410-370-7629. Post 109 Hall Rental Our hall can accommodate both large and small events with ample parking. Call Tara for competitive hall rental prices and the best service around. Tara Leimkuhler 410-409-8390. Post Hours Sunday & Monday 1 to 7 pm Tuesday 6 to 11 pm Wednesday & Thursday 12 to 11 pm Friday & Saturday 12 to 1 am 2017 Flag Raising Schedule The Original 27 Flags Unit along with help from additional post members raise and lower the flags on the poles lining the post driveway. When all the flags are up it is a very impressive site. Please consider taking a little time to meet us at the Legion and help us accomplish this duty. It usually takes less than 30 minutes. Thanks in advance for your help! Flags go up at 8 am and down at 5 pm on the following days: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln s Birthday, Washington s Birthday, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Patriots Day, American Legion Day, Constitution Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day. 2018-2019 Officers Contact Us 1610 Sulphur Spring Road Halethorpe, Maryland 21227 Phone Number: 410-242-5956 Email: Cyclops@AmericanLegionPost109.org Website: www.americanlegionpost109.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/dewey109 Commander Clyde Thomas 443-917-9821 1st Vice Alicia Knecht 443-554-9754 2nd Vice Gregory Miller 410-350-1455 3rd Vice Vernon Wilkens 410-303-8099 Adjutant Dick Paronto 410-353-0333 Judge Advocate Pat Miller 410-802-7587 Finance Officer Paul Black 410-788-1588 Chaplain Tonya Green 301-732-9109 Historian John J. Henn 410-789-2019 Service Officer William Ganz 410-418-5597 Sgt.-At-Arms John Calvert 410-370-7629 Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 11
Dewey Lowman Post 109 Department of Maryland 1610 Sulphur Spring Road Halethorpe, MD 21227 Time Dated Material Please Do Not Delay Deliver by July 1 PLACE STAMP HERE IN GOD WE TRUST The American Legion FOR GOD AND COUNTRY AFFIX LABEL HERE The Cyclops July / August 2018 The bimonthly newsletter of American Legion Dewey Lowman Post 109 Bingo Every Monday Lunch At 11:30 am Bingo at 12:30 pm Refreshments Progressive Jackpot Questions? 410-761-0127 27 Flag Meetings 3rd Tuesdays 7 pm. July 17 & Aug 21 Questions? 410-370-7629 Membership Meetings 3rd Tuesdays 8 pm July 17 & Aug 21 Attend the Meetings and be part of Your Post. Questions? 410-242-5781 Spaghetti Dinners On the 3rd Thursday July 19 & Aug 16 4 pm to 7 pm $8 includes Spaghetti, meatballs, sausage and salad. Questions? 410-242-5781 Cyclops July /August 2018 Page 12