March 2016 Volume 2, Issue 9 American Legion Post 233 American Legion Post 233, 4635 Atlanta Highway, Loganville, GA 30052 www.gapost233.com 770-466-4728 Commander s Column By James Carmona I hope you all had a chance to read our National Commander s column in the March 2016 Legion magazine. Commander Dale Barnett listed several programs that our American Legion fully supports. I was happy to see that our Post 233 is involved and fully supports all those programs that he listed. Inside This Issue: Commander s Column Boys State Sr. Vice Commander s Report Auxiliary Calendar of Events Flyers For example, thanks to George Hinkle and several Post and Auxiliary members, we had another successful oratorical contest with 4 contestants. Our Post 233 winner, Lina Cox, went on to place third in the District oratorical contest. To see and listen to these young adults discuss our nation s Constitution is very inspiring. These young men and women are our future and we need to continue to provide them with an opportunity to learn about our government and our American Legion. Now that the oratorical is completed for this year, our Post is seeking high school boys to attend Boys State in June. Our Auxiliary is seeking high school girls to sponsor for Girls State. These two programs are critical to the future of our State and Nation. We are all recruiters for these and our other American Legion programs. If you know of any potential candidates for these programs, you can let one of our Post officers know and we will get their names to the appropriate program manager. We are less than 50 days away from hosting our first Post 233 golf tournament at Cedar Lake Golf Course on Friday, April 22. Colonial GMC in Loganville is providing a 2016 Buick for the first person who scores a hole in one on the 10th hole during the tournament. We need your help to find sponsors for the tournament and workers on the day of the tournament. You can contact one of the Post officers or George Hinkle to get more information on how you can help to make this the first of many successful tournaments. At our April 5 Post meeting, we will be presenting several Georgia Certificates of Honor to those Vietnam era veterans who have not received them yet. If you know a veteran who may be entitled to this award, please contact one of our Post officers so that we can get the necessary information to get his/her certificate for presentation at this meeting. Please remember that our Post is only successful because or your support and participation. I can never say it enough, thank you very much for all that you do for our American Legion Post 233 and our community. May God bless our veterans, our service members, our families and the United States of America! James Carmona, Post Commander jamescarmona@bellsouth.net
American Legion Post 233 Page 2 of 6 Boys State By Georgia Hinkle Georgia Boys State is a comprehensive one week course in state and local government and is a program of the American Legion Department of Georgia. This year's session will begin on June 12, 2016 and conclude June 18, 2016 and will be held at Riverside Military Academy. It is a "leadership action program" where qualified male high school rising seniors take part in a practical government course. Each level of government is run by those delegates who are elected to serve. Instruction is presented on the law and court system, parliamentary procedure and Georgia political history. The application is open to all male students in their junior year of high school. It is open to all students who attend home school, private and public school. The application for candidates can be found online at http://www.dogboysstate.org/. All completed applications are to be return to George Hinkle at American Legion Post 233. PLEASE, NO MAILING TO ANY OTHER PERSON. George Hinkle will be visiting every high school in the county over the next two months. George Hinkle Boys State Chair 65ghinkle@gmail.com Post 233 held a successful blood drive on Thursday, February 18, 2016 with 68 units of blood donated helping to save up to 204 lives. Thanks to all of the Legion family and friends for their donations.
American Legion Post 233 Page 3 of 6 Sr. Vice Commander s Report By Stan Mauldin MEMBERS Of POST 233, As I sit, trying to get a few words together for our newsletter this month, I find myself looking at a most beautiful day that we have been blessed with. As we all know we have been having a lot of rain this winter but the Post 233 members are still turning out to support and enjoy our special events and activities in spite of the tough weather. Post 233 members, and our surrounding community, are finding value in a very nice, newly renovated, smoke free building. If you have not enjoyed one of our activities recently please come out to "your" American Legion and when you come to enjoy you will be supporting your post and its commitment to our veterans and the community. Please visit our website at www.gapost233.com for a month's list of those fun filled efforts. Members are stepping up with great ideas for us all to enjoy. Our members who share ideas also understand that the Post will benefit if you volunteer. Please continue to invite your friends, neighbors and family to the best and most active American Legion in Georgia. Stan Mauldin Sr. Vice Commander dsmauldin@aol.com Liberty Tax Service will be available at the Post to provide FREE tax services to Post 233 Members on Auxiliary By Sandy Wittenmyer Good Day Ladies, Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine Day. Here it is March already. Something to be accomplished at this time is membership. We need to encourage our members to sign up their children as well as friends. Come on Ladies, I know we can do this. Again we can be one of the best Units in Georgia. Our reports have to be mailed into Department of Georgia, before May1, 2016. I look forward to reading all that you have done. I want to say thank you all who have participated in making our Unit successful. We have Bingo on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. We host dancing on Saturday night. Friday night is our Cruise-In and karaoke. Also there is a great breakfast served on the second Saturday morning each month. March Dates March 13, 2016: Daylight saving time. March 17, 2016: Saint Patrick Day March 18 thru 19, 2016: Spring Conference March 20, 2016: Spring begins March 29, 2016: Easter Sunday April 1, 2016: April Fool's Day April 5, 2016: Our Monthly Meeting For God and Country Sandy Wittenmyer President wittenmyers@bellsouth.net March 10 th 10:00am 2:00pm
American Legion Post 233 Page 4 of 6 Sunday March 27 th EASTER No Bingo Saturday March 12 th 8am-11am ALR Country Breakfast Buffet $6 per person $4 ages 4-12 Under 3 Free Friday EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT: Cruise In Karaoke Poker Monthly Meeting March 1 st 7:00pm
American Legion Post 233 Page 5 of 6 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, received the National Commander s Distinguished Public Service Award from The American Legion at the Legion s 56 th Annual Washington Conference. The Distinguished Public Service Award is given annually to an elected official who has established an outstanding record in support of those principles advanced by The American Legion. In presenting the award to Isakson, American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett recognized him for his continued service to our nation s veterans and his efforts to expand care and benefits for veterans through legislation during his congressional career. In addition to aiding veterans who have served in past years, Senator Isakson has worked to strengthen our armed forces and continues to show a steadfast commitment to the men and women serving our country today, said Barnett, a Douglasville, Ga., native, during today s award presentation. Isakson thanked The American Legion for its service to veterans throughout the country, as well as the invaluable insight the organization has provided to the committee during his time as chair. I thank you for your service because around the world, from Post 123 in the Philippines to my home post where I m a member, Post 233 in Loganville, Ga., members of The American Legion every day fight for the benefits of veterans, honor those who served in the past and look forward to serving those who are serving today, said Isakson. I thank you very much for the recognition you ve given me today but I don t really deserve it. You know, we get so much credit sometimes as members of the House and Senate, but the credit really goes to each of our veterans. Isakson also spoke about the many accomplishments the Senate has made for veterans during this Congress, including passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, improving the Veterans Choice Program and reforming Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) construction. Isakson talked about his plans for accountability reform at the department. I m not going to be a member of the committee who stands up and talks about what I should have done as chairman, said Isakson. We re going to fix the VA s problems, we re going to empower the VA workers and we re going to see to it the veterans of America get the services they deserve in the fashion and the timeliness they deserve to get it. If there wasn t a VA or the veterans that have served our country, there would be no United States of America, continued Isakson. We live in the greatest country on the face of this year. Our citizens volunteer and fight and in some cases give their life for the freedoms and the liberties our forefathers guaranteed us in the Constitution. That does not go unnoticed and it will never go unappreciated.