UP TO NOW!
Issued Bi-Weekly from State Headquarters at Watertown, SD 57201

No. 2826 August 14, 2002

The American Legion Post #248 Baseball Team from Freeman captured the State "B" title Sunday, August 4 during the final game of the South Dakota American Legion State "B" Baseball Tournament in Groton.

Scores from the five-day, eight team, double-elimination tournament were as follows:

Wednesday, July 31 - Flandreau 3, Chamberlain 0; Lennox 11, Milbank 9; Winner-Colome 8, Redfield 3; Freeman 6, Groton 3.

Thursday, August 1 - Chamberlain 11, Redfield 7; Milbank 10, Groton 9 (10 innings); Flandreau 15, Winner-Colome 13; Freeman 10, Lennox 0.

Friday, August 2 - Milbank 16, Winner-Colome 11; Lennox 12, Chamberlain 8; Freeman 9, Flandreau 6.

Saturday, August 3 - Lennox 9, Flandreau 8; Milbank 11, Freeman 7.

Sunday, August 4 - Milbank 10, Lennox 0 (six innings) and in the Championship Game it was Freeman 5, Milbank 4.

The Porter T. Talcott Memorial Sportsmanship Award was presented to Freeman. The South Dakota Umpires Association Big Stick award went to Kyle Broderson of Lennox with a .471 batting average. The State "B" Tournament Player of the Year was Pat Krause of Milbank.

The "B" Championship Team, Freeman, elected to travel to Ottawa, Kansas this year to participate in the Central Plains Division II National Tournament August 8-11. Thus the State "B" Runner-Up Team, Milbank, went on to the South Dakota American Legion State Baseball Championship Tournament in Rapid City.

 RAPID CITY POST #22 - STATE CHAMPIONS

Rapid City Post #22 won its 33^rd State American Legion Baseball Championship since 1961 on Sunday, August 11 by defeating Rapid City Post #320 6-4 in the Championship Game of the South Dakota American Legion Baseball Tournament at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City.

Scores for the five-day, eight team, double-elimination tournament were:

Wednesday, August 7 - Rapid City Post #320 2, Aberdeen 0; Pierre 9, Brookings 6; Mitchell 12, Milbank 8; Rapid City Post #22 5, Sioux Falls West 1.

Thursday, August 8 - Milbank 6, Aberdeen 5; Sioux Falls West 14, Brookings 10; Rapid City Post #320 15, Mitchell 7; Rapid City Post #22 10, Pierre 5.

Friday, August 9 - Sioux Falls West 15, Mitchell 3; Pierre 12, Milbank 2; Rapid City Post #22 12, Rapid City Post #320 0.

Saturday, August 10 - Rapid City Post #320 11, Pierre 8; Rapid City Post #22 10, Sioux Falls West 0.

Sunday, August 11 - Championship Game Rapid City Post #22 6, Rapid City Post #320 4.

The Porter T. Talcott Memorial Sportsmanship Award was presented to Sioux Falls West. The South Dakota Umpires Association Big Stick award went to Andrew Shepherd of Rapid City Post #22 with a .579 batting average. The Player of the Year for the South Dakota American Legion Championship Tournament was also awarded to Andrew Shepherd of Rapid City Post #22.

Rapid City Post #22 now advances to the American Legion Central Plains National Region 6 Baseball Tournament, August 15-19, 2002 in Williston, North Dakota. The winner of the Region 6 Tournament will advance to the American Legion Baseball World Series in Danville, Virginia. The World Series will be held August 23-27.

 EUREKA HOSTED HOMECOMING IS SUCCESS

The Homecoming for South Dakota American Legion State Commander Walt Lindemann, hosted by Fred Weller Post #186 in Eureka, on Saturday, August 3, 2002 was an enormous success. Legion officials, Legionnaires and Auxiliary members from across the state were in Eureka on Saturday to participate in the celebration.

Al Neuharth, Eureka native and founder of the USA Today newspaper, was the guest speaker. Also appearing during the program was South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow, who flew into Eureka from the State Fair in Huron, just for the program. Greetings were delivered for both gubernatorial candidates, Don Rounds delivered greetings from his son Mike Rounds who is the Republican candidate for Governor; and Mike Wilson who is the Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, delivered greetings for Democratic candidate for Governor, Jim Abbott. Additionally, State Adjutant Ron Boyd read letters of congratulation from Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Congressman John Thune and the Democratic candidate for Congress, Stephanie Herseth. Rounds, Abbott, Daschle, Thune and Herseth were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts with activities at the State Fair in Huron.

One of the main events during the program was the turn-in of membership by the Posts in conjunction with the first National Membership Target Date. Department Headquarters tallied the membership turn-in at the event at 1,600 members. This turn-in of membership pushed the Department over the 35% Target Date goal. Thanks to all that worked so hard to help make our goal for this important target date.

 ENCLOSED FOR ALL RECIPIENTS

Enclosed with this Up To Now! Is a Post-by-Post and District-by-District composite of the membership standings at the Commander's Homecoming target date.

One Post is the first winner in the 2003 membership awards program. Witten, in District 8, is the only Post to achieve 100% of its membership goal by the Commander's Homecoming.

Meanwhile, District 3 Commander Robert Ching of Castlewood had the District with the highest percentage of 2003 membership turned in by the Commander's Homecoming. District 3 had 920 members, or 42.93% of its 2,143 members assigned goal.

District 7 was in second place with 41.94%, followed by District 12 at 37.93%.

The appropriate awards will be presented in January, 2003 during the Midwinter Conference at the Ramkota Inn and Convention Center in Pierre.

2003 membership stands at 10,972 or 39.45 percent of goal.

 NATIONAL CONVENTION APPROACHING

The 84^th National American Legion Convention is less than two weeks away. The convention, in Charlotte, North Carolina, will commence Saturday, August 24.

Headquarters for the South Dakota delegation will be at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in uptown Charlotte. The facility is located approximately 4 blocks from the convention center. South Dakota Delegates will gather at the hotel for a caucus on Monday morning, August 26.

The National Color Guard Contest will be held in the Charlotte Convention Center, Hall A, Saturday, August 24, 2002 starting at 8:00 a.m. The National Band Contest will commence at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2002 in the Ballroom of the Charlotte Convention Center.

Delegates may attend the National Commander's Banquet in Hall C of the Charlotte Convention Center, Tuesday, August 27, 2002, from 6:30-10:30 p.m. The featured entertainment for the National Commander's Banquet will be the Osmond Brothers.

Convention committees and commissions are scheduled to meet on Sunday, August 25. The pre-convention meeting of the National Executive Committee will be Monday, August 26 in the Charlotte Convention Center, Rooms 208 A&B, 2^nd Level.

General convention business sessions will be Tuesday through Thursday, August 27-29, in the Charlotte Convention Center, Hall A, Lower Lobby Level.

A Patriotic Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Sunday, August 25, 2002, in the Charlotte Convention Center, Hall A, Lower Lobby Level.

 6 POSTS HAVE NOT CERTIFIED

The following Posts, 6 in all, have not yet certified their 2002-2003 officers to State Headquarters in Watertown:

District 4  Roslyn Post #253

District 5  Doland Post #322*

District 7  Volin Post 192

District 9  Mission Post #287 and Parmelee Post #295

District 13  Kyle Post #265*

Some officer certifications sent to State Headquarters have been incomplete. Those Posts, which are marked with an asterisk, have been notified of their individual discrepancies.

 CONVENTION SITES CHOSEN

Sites and times for most 2002 Fall District Conferences were reported in the last edition of the Up To Now! Additional information is reported below:

District 3  Sept. 27, Clark American Legion, 7 p.m. social, 8 p.m. meeting.

District 4  Sept. 28, basement of Britton VFW, 5 p.m. registration and social, 7 p.m. banquet, 8 p.m. meeting. Auxiliary will meet at 8 p.m. at Fun After 50 on Main Street.

District 5  Sept. 13, Redfield American Legion, 6 p.m. social, 6:30 p.m. banquet, 8 p.m. meeting. Auxiliary will meet at 8 p.m. in the VFW building.

District 8  Sept. 15, Dallas American Legion, 5 p.m. social, 6 p.m. light lunch, 7 p.m. meeting. Another lunch will be served after the meetings.

District 11  Sept. 7, Eagle Butte Nutrition Center, 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. meeting. Auxiliary will meet at 7 p.m. at "The Main".

 PATRIOT'S DAY, SEPTEMBER 11

During the latter part of July 2002, all Post Commanders should have received a package on Patriot Day from National Commander Ric Santos. Commander Santos' letter stated, "On Sept. 11, 2001, through four separate, but coordinated attacks, the affairs of the world changed forever. A war of terrorism was declared upon humanity. Most importantly, the war was brought to our "Homeland."

"It is now nine months after the tragic events that senselessly ended the lives of thousands of innocent victims. The sites of these terrible incidents have been cleared. But, scars permanently remain. And, it is right that they should. What happened on September 11 should never be forgotten. Officially, September 11 has been designated by Public Law 107-89 as Patriot Day.

"The world needs to remember the victims. The people of the world need to see that we have carried forth and have become stronger in our will to protect and preserve our precious liberties. They need to realize that we will pursue those responsible.

"On September 11, 2002, and each year thereafter, it is The American Legion's intention that a National Day of Commemoration will be observed. The American Legion encourages all Posts to coordinate a 9-11 Memorial Commemoration at noon in concert with Governors, County Executives, Mayors, and Borough Presidents. Get everyone involved in carrying out this event because, directly or indirectly, all of us have been touched by the events of last September.

"Patriot Day will be a day to remember the victims of the attacks. It will remind us of our military service personnel who gave, and continue to give, their lives in the war on terrorism."

State Commander Lindemann encourages all Posts within the Department to become involved in coordinating or participating in local events to mark this Patriot Day. The packet which was received by all Post Commanders provides guidelines for the execution of an event to commemorate September 11.