Ron Boyd - Department Adjutant - Public Relations Officer

Issued Bi-Weekly from State Headquarters at Watertown, SD 57201

The final 2002 Spring District Convention will be held this Saturday, April 27, when Legionnaires from District 14 meet in Leola.

The official call for the 84^th Annual State Convention of the South Dakota American Legion is enclosed to all Up To Now recipients. The convention will be June 13-16 at the Rapid City Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center.

Post Adjutants are also receiving both delegate and alternate credential documents. These completed credentials must be mailed so they arrive at State Headquarters by June 11 or handed to the personnel at the State Headquarters desk at the convention registration area in Rapid City.

NOTE: The registration fee of $5 per delegate, regardless of attendance, must accompany delegate forms when they are mailed to Watertown or submitted at Rapid City. Details are listed on forms and the official call. In addition, each Post must pay the entire delegate strength registration fee, whether or not all delegates attend the convention. For example: a Post with five delegates must pay $25, even if only 2 delegates actually attend the convention.

This year at the Spring District conventions, District Commanders and District Vice Commanders are being elected to two-year terms in the even numbered Districts. Additionally, County Commanders and County Vice Commanders are being elected in all Districts unless those leaders have already been named by an established county council.

Tom Scoblic of Ortonville, MN (member of the Big Stone City American Legion Post) and Bernard Rolstad of Sisseton were elected to two-year terms as District Commander and District Vice Commander, respectively, April 13 during the annual District 4 Spring Convention in Big Stone City.

Ralph Ripley of Onida and Gene Simon of Hoven were elected to two-year terms as District Commander and District Vice Commander, respectively, April 11 during the annual District 10 Spring Convention in Gettysburg.

Jeff Hrabanek of Colome was re-elected to a two-year term as the District 8 Commander and Robert Hausmann of Bonesteel was elected to a two-year term as the District 8 Vice Commander, April 18 during the annual District 8 Spring Convention in Reliance.

Rod Martens of Black Hawk (member of the Piedmont American Legion Post) and Jim Lang of Spearfish were re-elected to two-year terms as District 12 Commander and Vice Commander, respectively, April 20, during the annual District 12 Spring Convention in Lead.

County Commanders were elected at each District Convention as follows:

April 10 (District 11 at McIntosh) - Tom Hooker of Watauga, Corson County; James Hulm of Timber Lake, Dewey County; Robert Fisher of Faith, Meade and Ziebach Counties; and Bill Erhart of Lemmon, Perkins County.

April 11 (District 10 at Gettysburg) - Ollie Redden of Pierre, Hughes County; Jerry Lacher of Lebanon, Potter County; Robert Compton of Ft. Pierre, Stanley County; and Richard McGee of Onida, Sully County. Hyde County was not represented and their newly elected officers will be reported at a later date.

April 12 (District 5 at Cresbard) - Robert Brodkorb, Jr. of Wolsey, Beadle County; David Nichols of Miller, Hand County; and Jerry Zerbel of Mellette, Spink County; and Carlos Sunne of Faulkton, Faulk County.

April 13 (District 4 at Big Stone City) - Jack Kempter of Waubay, Day County; Tammy Schroeder of Big Stone City, Grant County; Larry Bosse of Britton, Marshall County; and Douglas Carl of Sisseton, Roberts County.

April 18 (District 8 at Reliance) - Vic Hoffart of Gregory, Gregory County; Dave Moore of Vivian, Lyman County; Buck Warren Sealey of Colome, Tripp County.

April 19 (District 9 at Philip) - Clarence Hunt of Martin, Bennett County; Marvin Denke of Philip, Haakon County; Don Perault of Belvidere, Jackson County; Ed Castaway of White River, Mellette County; and Gilbert Noisy Hawk of Wanblee, Washabaugh County. Jones and Todd County will be reported later.

April 20 (District 12 at Lead) - Harold Sulzbach of Spearfish, Butte County; Don Thompson of Buffalo, Harding County; Larry Rounsevell of Nemo, Lawrence County; and Phil Anderson of Meade County.

April 21 (District 13 at Rapid City) - Curtis Halverson of Custer, Custer County; R. E. "Chub" Long of Hot Springs, Fall River County; and Vern Tech of Rapid City, Pennington County. Shannon County will be reported later.

During the recently concluded Spring District Conventions, the sites were chosen within each District to host the annual meefor the year 2003. Chosen as the 2003 host sites were:

District 4 - Big Stone City, District 5 - Cresbard, District 8 – Presho, District 9 – Kadoka, District 10 - Pierre, and District 11 - McLaughlin, District 12 – Sturgis, and District 13 – Hill City.

Those Legionnaires who have been chosen by their Posts for providing outstanding support to the programs and projects of The American Legion are being recognized by Department Commander Vernon Sip as he travels the state of South Dakota conducting the Spring District Conventions. One Legionnaire is selected by the leadership of the District to be recognized as the District Legionnaire of the Year.

Those selected during the recently conducted conventions included:

District 4 - Don Carl of Sisseton

District 5 - Russell Testerman of Wessington

District 8 - Charles Bowar of Kennebec-Reliance

District 9 - Ray Clements of Philip

District 10 - Nancy Hannah of Pierre

District 11 - Floyd Short, Jr. of Lemmon

District 12 – Dorothy Erhart of Lead

District 13 – Bobbi Jean Davis of Rapid City

Deadlines are approaching for resolutions that will be considered during the 2002 State American Legion Convention in Rapid City.

Resolutions proposing amendments to the South Dakota American Legion Constitution and By-Laws must reach State Headquarters at least 6 weeks prior to the convention. To meet this deadline, those resolutions must reach Watertown by Wednesday, May 1, 2002. This allows adequate time for the Standing Committee on Constitution and By-Laws to consider any proposed changes and transmit its recommendations to the local Posts via State Headquarters.

The Committee will meet in Watertown during the week of May 6-10 to consider any resolutions that are submitted.

General resolutions should be submitted to State Headquarters by Monday, June 10, 2002. Two typewritten, double-spaced copies of the resolutions should be submitted. Post officials must also certify that each resolution was adopted during a regular Post meeting. The certification should include the meeting date. All general resolutions will be reviewed by the Convention Resolutions Committee which will then assign the resolutions to the appropriate convention committee. The Convention Resolutions Committee will meet during the morning of Friday, June 14. The resolutions will then move to the various other convention committees which will meet during the afternoon of Friday, June 14, during the convention in Rapid City.

Invitations to host the 2005 State American Legion Convention are now being accepted.

The offers must be submitted in writing by the prospective host Post, signed by the Post Commander and attested to by the Post Adjutant. Invitations must reach State Headquarters by Friday, June 7, 2002.

Invitations should consider all available facilities and accommodations. The Convention Next Meeting Place Committee will consider the invitations when it meets during the State Convention on Friday, June 14, 2002, in Rapid City.

Invitations should be submitted to State Adjutant, American Legion State Headquarters, P.O. Box 67, Watertown, SD 57201.

Sharon Klein of Colome represented South Dakota at the 65^th Annual National American Legion High School Oratorical Contest in Indianapolis, IN April 13-14, 2002.

National has announced the winners as: First Place, Candice Neal of Alabama; Second Place, Jacquelyn Evans of California, and Third Place, Scott Chaloff of Massachusetts.

The American Legion Auxiliary Americanism Youth Conference was conducted by Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge March 14-17. The three-day program allows students the opportunity to interact with experts on current issues of citizenship, tour the Philadelphia and Valley Forge sites and participate in seminars designed to develop leadership skills and deepen the participants' understanding of the value of community service. Three young South Dakotans qualified to participate in the program by writing a 300-500 word essay, along with their applications and student profile forms.

Those students were:

Called to Indianapolis were:

The next membership target date is May 1. This is the pre-convention cutoff.

Several membership awards are tied to this target date. These awards include: District Honor Ribbons, District Commander Achievement Awards, Consecutive All-Time High Post Awards, and other District Commander and Area Vice Commander awards. See your 2001-2002 Post Adjutant's Administrative and Awards Manual for details.