Phone 605-886-3604 - Fax 605-886-2870 - Email sdlegion@dailypost.com

Competition is underway in Groton to determine the championship for the South Dakota American Legion State "B" Baseball Tournament, which started Wednesday, and continues through Sunday. Teams that emerged victorious from their respective Regional Tournaments will compete in the five-day, eight-team, double-elimination tournament.

First round pairings were:

Game 1 - Reg. 5 Champs Chamberlain vs. Reg. 2 Champs Flandreau

Game 2 - Reg. 3 Champs Lennox vs. Reg. 1 Champs Milbank

Game 3 - Reg. 7 Champs Winner-Colome vs. Reg. 6 Champs Redfield

Game 4 - Reg. 4 Champs Freeman vs. Host Groton

Complete first-round results were unavailable at the time of the printing of this bulletin.

A change in the program this year allows the "B" Championship team to make a choice of advancing to the State Championship Tournament in Rapid City or they may elect to travel to The American Legion Central Plains Division II National Tournament at Ottawa, Kansas on August 8-11, 2002. Whichever choice is made by the "B" Champions, the 2^nd place team from the State "B" Baseball tournament will participate in the other competition.

EUREKA TO HOST EVENT

Members of Fred Weller Post #186 of Eureka are gearing up for one of the largest American Legion events that a Post can host. Commander Walt Lindemann's Homecoming Celebration will be held in Eureka on Saturday, August 3. All Legionnaires and Auxiliary members are invited to attend.

Food and drink will be available throughout the day in a concession area behind the Post Home.

The Homecoming events will include a parade at 1:00 p.m. Line-up for the parade commences at 12:30 p.m.

All attendees are asked to stop by the Post Home, starting at 9:00 a.m. to register.

The Homecoming Program will get under way at 3:00 p.m. in the Eureka School Auditorium, located at 9^th Street and G Ave. Al Neuharth, founder of the USA Today newspaper, will be the featured guest speaker. Governor Bill Janklow's office has also advised State Headquarters that the Governor will be attending.

The event is also our first Department Membership Target Date for the 2003 American Legion Membership Year. All Posts are encouraged to bring whatever membership has been collected by that date to the Homecoming Celebration. There will be a special Membership Turn-In at the ceremony. August 14^th, is the first National Membership Target Date with all Departments expected to be at, or above, 35 percent of their membership goal by that date. The Homecoming Celebration Membership Turn-In will be a large part of the Department's input to that national target. Make sure that your Post's membership efforts count toward this target - bring your Post membership cards to Eureka on Sat., August 3.

PUFL CHECKS MAILED

Most Post Adjutants should be receiving a State Headquarters check for 2003 Paid-Up-For-Life membership dues. The checks were mailed out from State Headquarters last week.

Before 1995, State Headquarters issued a credit memorandum to individual Posts because of the time required to manually write the checks. However, the computerization of all membership and financial records at State Headquarters has made it practical to get PUFL dues directly to the Posts.

Each Adjutant should carefully check the accuracy of the PUFL listing from National Headquarters and report any discrepancies to State Headquarters.

National credited the Department with 5,208 PUFLs this year, compared to 5,058 last year and 5,005 in 2001.

CONVENTION SITES CHOSEN

Sites, dates and times for most 2003 Fall District Conferences have been determined, according to District Commanders who have made the arrangements. The schedule will be:

• District 1 - Sept. 25, Tea American Legion, 6 p.m. social, 7 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary also meets at The American Legion
• District 2 - Sept. 26, Madison City Armory, 7 p.m. social, 8 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary meeting at Nicky's
• District 3 - Sept. 27, Clark American Legion - further information to be announced
• District 4 - no information available
• District 5 - no information available
• District 6 - Sept. 14, Mitchell American Legion, 6:30 p.m. social, 8 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary also meets at The American Legion
• District 7 - Sept. 24, Platte American Legion, 6 p.m. social, 7 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary meets in Kings Inn Motel.
• District 8 - no information available
• District 9 - Sept. 10, Martin American Legion, 6:30 p.m. social, 7:30 meeting, Auxiliary also meets at The American Legion
• District 10 - Sept. 11, Onida American Legion, 6:30 p.m. social, 7:30 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary will meet at Bakery Café.
• District 11 - no information available
• District 12 - Sept. 8, Box Elder American Legion, 4 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary to be announced
• District 13 - Sept. 9, Hermosa American Legion, 6-7 p.m. social, 7 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary to be announced
• District 14 - Sept. 6, Aberdeen VFW Post, 5:30 p.m. social, 7 p.m. meeting, Auxiliary to be announced

Members of the Americanism Commission and District Americanism Officers met in Huron, at the Crossroads Convention Center, on Saturday, July 20, to map out this year's Americanism program. District Commanders and Area Vice Commanders were also invited to attend.

Department Americanism Officer Bill Dolan of Beresford conducted the meeting. The plans for the 2003 American Legion High School Oratorical Contest were reported as follows:

Local Post Contests must be completed by January 19, 2003.

District Contests must be completed by February 2, 2003.

This year instead of a semi-final round, there will be an East River and a West River contest. The winner from each of these two contests will be brought to the State Finals contest, which is expected to be held in Pierre. Current plans are to attempt to have the East River contest in Mitchell on Saturday, February 15^th, 2003, and the West River contest in Rapid City on Sunday, February 16^th. The finals are being planned for Pierre on March 3, 2003.

Due to the early date of the Midwinter Conference, January 24-26, 2003, more time is available for Posts and Districts to complete their competition.

In addition to covering other existing items within The American Legion's Americanism program, Commander Walt Lindemann discussed some specific Americanism projects he wants to devote resources to this year. These programs are:

 

• Refurbishing of all American Legion Memorial Highway signs on US 281 from the North Dakota border to the Nebraska border.
• Support for the SD Heritage Fund's request for funds for a display "Changing Times - The Wars" which will be placed in the SD Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The Fund is looking for donations of $100,000 from the various Veterans Service Organizations of South Dakota.
• Patriot Day - a project initiated by National Commander Ric Santos and National Headquarters to provide a day of remembrance on September 11^th.

More information on all of these projects will be coming out for all Posts.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

When the Department Executive Committee met on July 13 in Watertown, one of the items of business on their agenda was consideration of a resolution submitted by Dell Rapids Post #65. The Dell Rapids Post had passed a resolution opposing the recent court ruling that had declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because it contained the phrase "under God". The resolution called for the Department Executive Committee to draft a resolution opposing any attempts to delete the phrase "under God" from the pledge and supporting all efforts to retain the Pledge of Allegiance in its current form.

The Department Executive Committee supported Post #65's resolution and a resolution has been submitted to National Headquarters for inclusion with those resolutions being submitted for the upcoming National Convention in Charlotte, NC. The resolution reaffirms The American Legion's support of the Pledge of Allegiance in its current form, to include the phrase "under God" and requires the National organization to use its resources to oppose an attempts to change the Pledge of Allegiance from its current form and to fight all efforts to uphold the unconstitutionality ruling.

7 POSTS HAVE NOT CERTIFIED

The following Posts, 7 in all, have not certified their 2002-2003 officers to State Headquarters in Watertown. PLEASE DO SO IMMEDIATELY!!

District 4  Roslyn Post #253

District 5  Doland Post #322*

District 9  Mission Post #287 and Parmelee Post #295

District 10 Gettysburg Post #135*

District 11  Bullhead Post #82

District 13  Kyle Post #265*

State Commander Walt Lindemann of Eureka has announced that the 2003 Midwinter Conference will be held at the Ramkota Inn and Convention Center in Pierre, Friday through Sunday, January 24-26, 2003.

Due to the early date for the Midwinter, which is normally held in mid-February, 2003s Midwinter Conference will not be the forum for the High School Oratorical Contest Finals. Plans are being made to increase the scope of the breakout training sessions. One of the options being considered is having someone come in from National Headquarters to facilitate an "American Legion Extension Institute" course during the Midwinter. More details will be released as plans are firmed up.

EDUCATIONAL LOAN COMMITTEE MEETS

The State Educational Loan Committee had its semi-annual meeting last Friday, July 20, at State Headquarters in Watertown. The three-member committee, comprised of Chairman Jim Kurtz of Garretson, B.J. Gottsleben of Brookings and Bruce Herman of Conde reviewed 10 applications for loans. The committee approved 6 first loans and 1 second loan. Two loans were disapproved because the student's choice of field of study at an out-of-state school would be available at a South Dakota school. One loan was disapproved because the student was seeking eligibility for the program based on the veteran status of a grandparent.

The South Dakota American Legion Educational Loan Program is available to the children of veterans who are eligible to belong to The American Legion. The program offers loans in the amount of $1,500 per year, with a maximum of two loans for a student during the period that they are enrolled in college or vocational technical training in South Dakota. Veterans are also eligible, in their own right, to apply for the educational loans.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

2003 membership stands at 7,247, or 26.05 percent of goal.

This years Department and Post membership goals are identical to last year.

There have been some significant changes in the rules for qualifying for Go-Getter status. Adjutants and Post Commanders should familiarize themselves with these changes, as outlined in the 2002-2003 Adjutant's Administrative and Awards Manual, and ensure that all personnel in their Post understand those changes.

Don't stop collecting 2002 dues just because the 2003 cards are out. Those individuals who have not yet paid their 2002 dues will lose their continuous years of membership if they skip paying their 2002 dues.