USS Cyclops (Ac-4) American Legion Dewey Lowman Post #109 Commander s Message At the last issue of the Cyclops we hoped Santa might bless Dewey Lowman with a grant from the Home Depot Foundation. Well, Santa came through! The Home Depot Foundation has awarded us a $17,000 grant and Team Depot is working with Team Dewey to make some much needed renovations here at the Post. Witness the freshly painted hall with some ceiling panel replacements, renewed caulking around the perimeter of the building to prevent water intrusion, landscaping projects, picnic area upgrades, removing the brush alongside our driveway, repainted curbs and the upcoming renewal of the carpeting in the lounge and canteen areas. Yay Team Depot! My personal thanks go out to the Dewey Lowman members who spent a busy Sunday morning preparing the halls for painting and another busy day putting the halls back in ready condition afterwards. Yay Team Dewey! We ll be hosting another veterans organization beginning November 13th. B More Military Muster is a group, primarily of post 9/11 veterans, meeting quarterly to organize community support projects in the Baltimore region. Visit their website at missioncontinues.org and consider attending their meeting to learn more about who they are and what they do. The Vietnam Veteran s luncheon promises to be another nice one. For all you Vietnam era vets who haven t yet attended one of these, there is a sign-up sheet in the canteen. I certainly enjoyed the last one and this one is sure to be even better. Kudos to Sharon Knecht for organizing this event. Additional sign-up sheets are in the canteen for Post members and their guests who want to join us for a Thanksgiving dinner on November 22 nd and the Children s Christmas party on December 2 nd. Dot Meile would certainly welcome some additional help with making the Children s Christmas party another great success, so if you have a couple hours.. well, you know. Give her a call or see her in the canteen on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. In closing, I want to wish all of you a happy and joyful holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! Enjoy it, celebrate it, but do it with care so we can all be together for a wonderful New Years Eve. In Veterans Service, Clyde Thomas Commander, 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 November /December 2018 Page 1
Service Officer s Corner Hi there Legionaire s! I thought I d try something a little different in this article. This year is the 100 th Anniversary of The American Legion. From time to time we ll share some insight into how and why The American Legion was formed. While George Washington s army was still in the field, officers of the Continental Army formed this nation s first veterans association the Society of the Cincinnati. Today there is no accurate record of the total number of veterans organizations. But among them, none has grown so large or has exercised such wide influence as The American Legion. None is so intimately identified with the word veteran. Since its origin in 1919, this largest of all veterans organizations has become as integral and accepted a part of the American scene as hot dogs, baseball and presidential elections. The American Legion was born at a caucus of the American Expeditionary Force (A.E.F.) in Paris, France. This caucus was the result of a proposal by Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., to a group of representatives of A.E.F. divisions and service units. Roosevelt s vision resulted in the founding Paris caucus of March 15-17, 1919, and subsequent organizational caucus held in May 8-10, 1919, in St. Louis, MO. His unwavering service during these vital times won him the affectionate title, Father of The American Legion. As these weary, homesick delegates assembled for that 1 st Paris caucus, they brought with them the raw materials with which to build an association of veterans whose primary devotion tws to God and Country. In the minds of those veterans of the A.E.F. were a number of lofty ideals, hence our Four Pillars, i.e. Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism & Children & Youth. Even though The American Legion was formed overseas, organizers realized members of the armed services had no choice whether they served in the United States or overseas. Accordingly, it was decided that membership in The American Legion should be open to all who served honorably in the armed forces in WWI. World War I had been over for nearly a year when delegates from across the United States began gathering in Minneapolis in 1919 for the first convention of The American Legion. The convention hall was located in the heart of the city on 11 th Street. Today the Minneapolis Orchestra Hall and Peavy Plaza now stand at that site, and two plaques one for the Legion and one for the Auxiliary commemorate that first convention. One estimate was that as many as 20.000 delegates, guests and other interested parties descended on the city. Yours in Legion Service, Wild Bill Ganz (410)418-5597 yncdd840@gmail.com Sons of the American Legion (S.A.L) Dear Squadron Members, Since our last article in the Cyclops, Post 109 s S.A.L. has 1) hosted the September Post Family meeting and posted minutes of the meeting s proceedings, 2) held a successful and profitable steamed shrimp event on Sunday, September 23 rd during the Ravens home game, and 3) been able to fill vacant Squadron officer positions as follows: Officers 2018 2019 Sid Williams Commander Windsor Kessler First Vice Commander Mark Laroche Adjutant Donald Goetz Finance Officer Jim Bailey Sgt-at-Arms Ron Kratz Historian Justin Leimkohler Chaplain Advisor William Ganz Membership renewal efforts have also proven to be fruitful with our squadron ranking near the top among the Maryland State Post s reporting. We are in the process of planning activities for each of the remaining months in 2018 but have not finalized those plans as of the due date for this offering going to print. Please be on the lookout for future communications announcing the dates and specifics of those events. Lastly, please note that the November membership meeting for the Squadron has been cancelled as Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of the month meeting day. For God and Country, Sid Williams Commander, S.A.L. Squadron 109 (443)752-0058 Sid.swilliams@gmail.com Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 2
Chaplain s Report September/ October $2 From Each Meal Sold Goes Back to The Legion! Nov. 2nd - Lasagna $10 Nov. 9th - Beef Brisket $13 Nov.16th - Thanksgiving Dinner $13 Nov. 23rd - NO DINNER Nov. 30th - Stuffed Pork Chops $12 Dec.7th - Baked Boneless Chicken $10 Dec. 14th - White Chicken Chili $10 Dec. 21st - Ham Christmas Dinner $13 Dec. 28th - NO DINNER We welcome dinner suggestions at: GetFoodGo@Gmail.com Called To Post Everlasting Edwin Kirstukas past on October 2, 2018 Recuperating At Home Blaine R. Irvin, Ronnie Stallings In Nursing Home or Hospital George Litz Caritas House, Room 237 Wes Corbin Lorien Health Systems 11150 Resort Rd., Ellicott City Wes would love visitors! 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 Veteran's Day is fast approaching and our nation has set November 11th aside to honor all living veterans and active duty personnel who have put their lives on the line to defend our country; ensuring the safety and peace of its citizens. Imagine the state of our nation without a strong military presence and then thank God, each veteran, and active duty members of the military branches that you see on this day. No matter which branch nor occupation they hold, at the sound of danger, they are ready to spring into action to assure American citizens and allies remain free to enjoy the basic necessities of life. God bless our military and God bless the United States of America. Tonya D Green, Chaplain Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 3
Children s Christmas Party Sunday, December 2nd 1:00 pm 3:30 pm at the Post Hall Children up to and including 12 year olds FREE Adults $4.00 (for lunch) Sign up Sheet located at the Canteen Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 4
8th Annual Breakfast with Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus Saturday 24 November 2018, 8 to 11:30 am Spaghetti Dinner $8.00 3rd Thursday of the month. Nov 15th & Dec 20th 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! On Saturday, 24 November 2018 from 8am to 11:30am, come join us as we celebrate the fast approaching Christmas holiday season. Each child will have an opportunity to visit and talk with Santa Claus. Professional photos with your family & Santa will be available for purchase. Santa s helpers will also be there to provide fun activities/crafts (some for a small cost) to keep the children entertained throughout the event. Cost: $5/child (12 & under) and $10/adult. (Child must be accompanied by an adult and children under 2 years old are free with a paying adult.) Tickets will be available for purchase at the door of the American Legion - Post 109 (see address above). All funds raised from this event will go to help support Troop 109 s Scouting Program. Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 5
~ November 2018 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 5p-7p 50 Cent Wing Night 2 3 Band - Blue Line 4 5 7p-8:30p Canteen Cleanup Party 6 7:30p-8:30p Sons of the American Legion Meeting 7 8 9 10 Band - Major Company 11 12 13 7:30p-8:30p Auxiliary Meeting 14 15 4p-7p $8.00 Spaghetti Dinner. Good food at a great price. 16 17 Band - Switch 18 19 20 7p-8p 27 Flags Meeting 7 p 8p-9p Legion Members Meeting. 21 22 23 24 Band - Dodson Creek 25 26 27 28 29 30 Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 6
~ December 2018 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Band - Assorted Nuts 2 1p-3:30p Children's Christmas Party (In the Post Hall) 3 7p-8:30p Canteen Cleanup Party 9 10 4 7:30p-8:30p Sons of the American Legion Meeting 11 7:30p-8:30p Auxiliary Meeting 5 6 5p-7p 50 Cent Wing Night 7 12 13 14 8 Band - Never Too Late 15 Band - West Side Rocks 16 17 23 24 30 31 8p-8:30p New Years Eave Party with Blue Line Band 18 7p-8p 27 Flags Meeting 7 p 8p-9p Legion Members Meeting. 19 20 4p-7p $8.00 Spaghetti Dinner. Good food at a great price. 21 25 26 27 28 22 Band - Wile Grey Hairz 29 Band - South Paw Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 7
Dewey Lowman Unit # 109 Auxiliary Presidents Message I am happy to report that we had several fresh faces at the October meeting! Thank you to all the members who attend the meetings regularly, and welcome to the new attendees. I was great to see more people showing up to get involved in Unit 109 s programs and projects that support the American Legion Post, Veterans, our community, Educational opportunities, and more. We have a great time working together to achieve great things. We begin this time of year with the Vietnam Veteran s Salute. This event was a great success last year. It was an honor to welcome home Vietnam era veterans in 2017, and earlier this year at McVets. I look forward to the November 3 rd luncheon in the Post Hall that begins at 1:00 p.m. We are honored to have the Maryland Military Band present to play rousing music for the veterans, auxiliary members, and guests. Sunday, November 11 th is Veteran s Day when we, as a Nation, honor those who served to protect our freedoms. Plan to attend a Veteran s Day Event, and particularly thank the Veterans in your life. Unit 109 is participating in the American Legion Department of Maryland Americanism Essay Contest. This year s essay is: How can we address and prevent veteran homelessness in our communities? We hope to distribute the information on this to local schools by November 1 st. If you have children or grandchildren in elementary or middle school that would like to participate, please let me know call 410-375-2434 or email auxunit109@gmail.com. We will get you the information you need. There are four classes to be judged: Grades 3-4 150-200 words, Grades 5-6 250 300 words, Grades 7-8 350-400 words and Special Needs word count corresponds to student s grade. There will be small amounts awarded to the winners, and the firstplace winners will move on to further judging at the Department Level. If you are able, please help make this happen. Entries are due on 2/9/19. We hope to sponsor two young women to attend Maryland Girl s State leadership program June 16-21, 2019. This is open to high school girls who will be completing their Junior year in 2019. The attending citizens will learn about our government including how to run for public office, establish a party platform, and much more. Deadline for completed applications is March 1, 2019. Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 13 th, and in December we will meet on Tuesday, December 11 th. The December meeting is potluck please plan to attend and celebrate the season with us and bring a snack to share with other members. 2019 will be the 100 th Anniversary since the founding of the American Legion Auxiliary. We will celebrate ten decades of making a difference. For God and country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security. Thank you for your membership. Please help us grow this organization, to continue these efforts for the next 100 years! May you and yours enjoy a peaceful and joyful holiday season. Margaret M. Henn President 2017-2018 Unit 109 Officers President: Margaret Henn 1st Vice: Sharon Knecht 2nd Vice: Elaine Lucy Sears Treasurer: Rose Mary Tittsworth Secretary: Laura Foerster Puglisi Chaplain: Darlene Cline Sergeant at Arms: Patricia Calvert Historian: Open Executive Committee: Judy Ganz, Donna Hayes, and Ann Ross Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 8
Auxiliary Chaplain On occasion Auxiliary Unit 109 members become ill, are in the hospital, or recovering at home, and, sadly, some are called home to be with the Lord. Please notify me as soon as possible should you know of a member who is ill or has passed. I can be reached at 410-455-0580. Our auxiliary offers a funeral / memorial service for the active member upon family request. Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving & Christmas with family and friends VA and R We look forward to sponsoring our third Salute to Vietnam Veterans in the Post Hall on November 3 rd. This year we are proud to have a military band to play for all attendees to enjoy. Our guest speaker will be Tom Glenn, an author who experienced the fall of Saigon first hand. We will be serving a fried chicken lunch. If you are reading this prior to Nov 3 rd and want to attend, please call Sharon at 410-227-0169 for more details. The public is welcome to attend. Sharon Knecht, VA & R Chair With love in service, Darlene Cline Membership The 2019 membership reminders have been sent out by National. Many of you have sent in your $30 dues and earned the coveted I m an EARLY BIRD stamp on your card. But it is not too late you can get that stamp too by sending your check for $30 made out to Dewey Lowman Auxiliary Unit 109 and mailing it to me at 6 Bray Ct Catonsville, MD 21228. I am proud to announce we have our first dual member Alicia Knecht. Thank you, Alicia, for joining the ladies too! If you have any questions about membership, please don t hesitate in contacting me. I am more than glad to answer your questions and concerns. Sharon Knecht, Membership Chair 410-227-0169 nonniek@verizon.net Cyclops November /December 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 November /December 2018 Page 10
2018-2019 Officers 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. Commander Clyde Thomas 443-917-9821 1st Vice Alicia Knecht 443-554-9754 2nd Vice Gregory Miller 410-350-1455 3rd Vice Vernon Wilken 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 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 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 The Cyclops is the official newsletter of Dewey Lowman Post #109. All questions about the Cyclops can be directed to: Vernon Wilkens, Editor & Distributor Email: Wilkens325j@gmail.com Cell: 410-303-8099 Cyclops November /December 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 November 1 PLACE STAMP HERE IN GOD WE TRUST The American Legion FOR GOD AND COUNTRY AFFIX LABEL HERE The Cyclops November /December 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. Nov. 20 & Dec. 18 Questions? John Calvert 410-370-7629 Membership Meetings 3rd Tuesdays 8 pm Nov. 20 & Oct 16 Attend the Meetings and be part of Your Post. Questions? 410-242-5781 Spaghetti Dinners On the 3rd Thursday Nov. 15 & Dec. 20 4 pm to 7 pm $8 includes Spaghetti, meatballs, sausage and salad. Questions? 410-242-5781 Cyclops November /December 2018 Page 12