Ron Boyd, Department Adjutant - Public Relations Officer

The official call for the 85^th Annual State Convention of the South Dakota American Legion is enclosed to all Up To Now recipients. The convention will be Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22, 2003 at the Spearfish Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center in Spearfish, SD.

Post Adjutants are also receiving both delegate and alternate credential documents. These completed credentials must be mailed so that they arrive at State Headquarters by June 17, 2003 or be handed to the personnel at the State Headquarters desk at the convention registration area in Spearfish.

NOTE: The registration fee of $5 per delegate, regardless of attendance, must accompany delegate forms when they are mailed to Watertown or submitted at Spearfish. Details are listed on the 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.

Following the last edition of the Up To Now, Spring District Conventions were held for District 10 in Pierre on April 9, District 6 in Wessington Springs on April 10, District 5 in Cresbard on April 11 and District 14 in Eureka on April 13. The traveling team had Easter week off and the meetings resume today, Wednesday, April 23 when District 2 meets in Elkton.

Thursday, April 24, District 1 will meet in Hartford, prior to the traveling party's attendance at the National Leadership and Information Conference in Sioux City, Iowa on April 25-27.

2003 Spring District Conventions will be completed the following week after District 8 meets in Presho on Tuesday, April 29 and District 7 meets in Wagner on Wednesday, April 30.

This year at the Spring District Conventions, District Commanders and District Vice Commanders are being elected to two-year terms in the odd 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.

Paul Norton of Mellette and Larry Lindhorst of Cresbard were elected to two-year terms as District Commander and District Vice Commander, respectively, April 11, during the annual District 5 Spring Convention in Cresbard.

County Commanders were elected at each District Convention as follows:

April 9, (District 10 at Pierre) - Ollie Redden of Pierre, Hughes County; Charles "Chuck" Byrum of Highmore, Hyde County; Larry Madsen of Gettysburg, Potter County; Robert Compton of Fort Pierre, Stanley County; and Bob Pierce of Onida, Sully County.

April 10, (District 6 in Wessington Springs) - Marvin Steffen of White Lake, Aurora County; Preston Olson of Chamberlain, Brule County; Joe Puetz of Ethan, Davison County; Gene Gaspar of Alexandria, Hanson County; Ron Uttecht of Woonsocket, Jerauld County; Dennis Vogel of Montrose, McCook County; and Curt Sundstrom of Artesian, Sanborn County. Buffalo County election results will be announced at a later date.

April 11, (District 5 in Cresbard) - Bob Brodkorb of Wolsey, Beadle County; Larry Lindhorst, Faulk County; and Kevin Roseland of Redfield, Spink County. Hand county election results will be announced at a later date.

April 13, (District 14 in Eureka) - Rich Kezar of Aberdeen, Brown County; Mervin Mittleider of Herried, Campbell County; Kenneth Vilhauer of Hosmer, Edmunds County; David Yost of Leola, McPherson County; and Art Jung of Selby, Walworth County.

The 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 Walt Lindemann as he travels the state of South Dakota conducting the Spring District Conventions. One Legionnaire is selected by the leadership of each District to be recognized as the District Legionnaire of the Year.

Those selected during the recently conducted conventions included:

District 5 - Lance Fuhrman of Mellette

District 6 - Donald Garvis of Ethan

District 10 - Ed Hemmelman of Pierre

District 14 - James Flannery of Roscoe

During the recently concluded Spring District Conventions, the sites were chosen within each District to host the annual meetings for the year 2004. Chosen as the 2004 host sites were:

District 5 - Brentford

District 6 - Mitchell

District 10 - Gettysburg

District 14 - Mobridge

The 58^th Annual South Dakota American Legion State Bowling Tournament was held in Hot Springs at the Winners Circle Lanes and Games during the weekends of March 22-23, March 29-30, and April 5-6. Tournament authorities have reported the following results:

Singles: 1^st place, Frank Joseph of Aberdeen, 706; 2^nd place Bob Beaudoin of Spearfish, 698; 3^rd place, Rob Round of Rapid City, 694; 4^th place, Bryon Popescu of Hot Springs, 682; and fifth place, Clyde Colson of Blunt, 681.

Doubles: 1^st place, Larry Neuharth and Gay Evenson of Alpena, 1369; 2^nd place Bob Brodkorb and John Brophy of Wolsey and Hot Springs, 1296; 3^rd place, Roland Klienschmidt and Lavon Kozel of Blunt, 1278; 4^th place, Jim Parker and Steve Lesselyoung of Cresbard, 1266; 5^th place, Wayne Kluth and Randy Oliver of Mt. Vernon, 1257.

Team Winners: 1^st place, Mitchell Post #18, Wayne Kluth, Dave Kluth, Bob Uptagrafft, and Randy Olivier, 2538; 2^nd place, Wolsey, Delbert Vasknetz, Don Kleinsasser, Bob Brodkorb and John Brophy, 2498; 3^rd place, Stallman Ditching of Chamberlain, Bill Stallman, Ralph Gray, Greg Paulson, and Mike Chilson, 2485; 4^th place, Black Hills Meat of Hot Springs, Bryon Popescu, Carl Oberlitner, Carl Popescu, and Mel Pence, 2484.

Special Scratch - Gordon Norton of Hot Springs, 890.

All Events - Gary Evenson, 2014. 

Heather Haley of Colome, winner of the District 8, West River, and State Championship of the South Dakota American Legion High School Oratory Contest represented South Dakota at the 66^th annual National High School Oratorical Contest Finals, April 12-13, 2003 at the Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. According to National, the 54 Department winners who entered the National Competition were all outstanding representatives of today's youth.

The winners announced by National Headquarters are: first place, Henry (H.J.) Shea, IV of Minnesota; second place, William Glaser of Oregon; and third place, Thomas Joraanstad of Arizona. The winners received scholarships of $18,000, $16,000 and $14,000, respectively.

Winners in the National quarter-finals and semi-finals who did not advance to the finals were recipients of $1,500 scholarships for the quarter-finals and $1,500 scholarships for the semi-finals.

The Department will host the New District Commanders' Seminar the weekend of May 3-4, 2003 in Watertown. The seminar will be held at Watertown's Codington County American Legion Post #17.

Topics of study will include duties and leadership, responsibilities and obligations, budgeting and finances, membership, public relations (print and electronic), as well as becoming acquainted with other District Commanders and Department leaders. There will be a social event on Saturday evening for all participants.

The 85^th Annual South Dakota American Legion State Convention will be held in Spearfish during the period of Thursday-Sunday, June 19-22, 2003. The headquarters hotel will be the Spearfish Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center located at I-90 exit 14 in Spearfish, SD.

The guaranteed room rate for persons attending the convention has been set at $78.00 per night, plus tax, for standard sleeping rooms. Reservations for sleeping rooms must be made directly with the hotel at (605) 642-4683. Please mention The American Legion to get the contracted rate.

Additional hotels/motels in the area are listed below:

All American Inn - $79.00 - 605-642-2350

Days Inn - $69.00 - 605-642-7101

Fairfield Inn by Marriott - $79.00 - 605-642-3500

Howard Johnson Express Inn - $69.95 - 605-642-8105

Kelly Inn - $95.00 - 605-642-7795

Spearfish Canyon Lodge - $109.00 0 605-584-3435

Spearfish Super 8 - $68.40 - 605-642-4721

All Post Adjutants are reminded that certifications of 2003-2004 officers for your Post are due to State Headquarters. The form for certifying Post officers can be found in the 2002-2003 Post Adjutant's Administrative and Awards Manual. If you need a duplicate form, contact State Headquarters and we will send one to you immediately.

District Commanders are reminded that if they get all of the Post officers within their District certified to State Headquarters by June 1, they will receive two free tickets to the Joint American Legion/Auxiliary Banquet at the 85^th Annual State Convention in Spearfish.

Enclosed for all Post Adjutants is the form for nominating Post Recruiters of the Year for the Department Recruiter of the Year. The forms must be filled out by the Post Adjutant and forwarded to State Headquarters on or before May 14, 2003.

Please note that the form requires that a list of names and membership ID numbers for the new members that were recruited must accompany the nomination form.

On May 15, 2003, the Department Adjutant will select the Department Recruiter of the Year from those nominations that have been received. The Department Recruiter of the Year will be recognized in June at the State Convention in Spearfish.

2003 membership stands at 25,694 or 96.15 percent of the Department's 2003 membership goal as established by National Headquarters.

The next membership target date is May 8, 2003. This is the pre-convention cutoff target date.

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 2002-2003 Post Adjutant's Administrative and Awards Manual for details.