UP TO NOW!
Issued Bi-Weekly from State Headquarters at Watertown, SD 57201
Ron Boyd – Department Adjutant – Public Relations Officer
www.sdlegion.org - Email: sdlegion@dailypost.com
Phone 605-886-3604 - Fax 605-886-2870
MEMBERSHIP AWARDS
The only membership award
associated with the Pearl Harbor Membership Target Date is the County
Commanders' Award. This award is presented to the County Commander in each of
four goal-size groups that has enrolled the highest percentage of assigned
membership for 2005 by Pearl Harbor Day. This year's award recipients are:
· 15-199 Goal-size: Sully County with 125 members vs. 130 goal for 96.15 percent of goal. Sully County Commander is Richard McGee of Onida.
· 200-349 Goal-size: Perkins County with 184 members vs. 202 goal for 91.09 percent of goal. Perkins County Commander is Bill Erhart of Lemmon.
· 350-549 Goal-size: Roberts County with 499 members vs. 496 goal for 100.60 percent of goal. Roberts County Commander is Douglas Carl of Sisseton.
· 550 and up Goal-size: Brown County with 1,124 members vs. 1,246 goal for 90.21 percent of goal. Brown County Commander is Charles Strom of Aberdeen.
In the 15-199 goal-size group, Aurora County Commander Roy Kluth of Mt. Vernon was in second place with 90.56 percent. Jerauld County Commander Ralph Winegar of Wessington Springs was in second place in the 200-349 goal-size group with 90.23 percent. In the 350-549 goal-size group, Meade County Commander Jerry Lolley of Sturgis was in second place with 93.20 percent of goal. And, in the 550 and larger goal-size group, Kingsbury County Commander David Carlson of Erwin came in second with 89.35 percent of goal. The awards will be presented February 12, 2005 during the annual Midwinter Conference at Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma.
COMMANDER ANNOUNCES APPOINTEMENT
Clarence Kooistra of Garretson has accepted an appointment as the Department of South Dakota Coordinator on The American Legion National Homeless Veterans Task Force.
EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES AWARDS
Donn Grandpre, Chairman of the South Dakota American Legion Employment Committee has announced the following selections for American Legion Employer of the Year for Hiring Veterans:
In the small employer category, for employers with 50 or fewer employees, the award will be presented to Aurora Convenience Store of Aurora, SD. Aurora Convenience Store has 50% veterans.
In the mid-size employer category, for employers with 51 to 200 employees, the award will be presented to Sturgis Bus Company of Sturgis, SD. 32% of the Sturgis Bus Company’s employees are veterans.
The award in the large-size employer category, for employers with 200 or more employees, will be presented to Daktronics, Inc. of Brookings, SD. 6% of Dactronics’ employees are veterans.
All three businesses will be presented with their awards during the 2005 South Dakota American Legion’s Annual Department Convention in Sioux Falls in June of 2005.
EAGLE SCOUT OF THE YEAR
Forms for the submission of nominations for the 2005 South Dakota American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year are available from State Headquarters in Watertown. Nominees must be a registered, active member of a Boys Scout Troop, Varsity Scout Team, or Venturing Crew Chartered to an American Legion Post or Auxiliary Unit or be a registered, active member of a duly chartered Boy Scout Troop, Varsity Scout Team, or Venturing Crew, and the son or grandson of a Legionnaire or Auxiliary member.
The nominee must have received the Eagle Scout Award; be an active member of his religious institution and must have received the appropriate Boy Scout religious emblem; have demonstrated practical citizenship in church, school, Scouting and the community; and have reached his 15th birthday and be enrolled in high school at the time of selection. NOTE: Eagle Scouts still in high school who have reached their 18th birthday during the nomination year remain eligible if otherwise qualified.
The Scout who best meets the qualifications outlined in the Nomination Application will be selected as the 2005 Department Eagle Scout of the Year by the Department Americanism Commission. The Department Eagle Scout of the Year’s nomination form will be forwarded to The American Legion National Headquarters for national level competition.
The 2005 Department Eagle Scout of the Year will be invited to attend the Department 2005 Annual Convention in Sioux Falls where he will be the guest of the Department at the Sheraton Sioux Falls Hotel and Convention Center for one night, he will be an honored guest and introduced at the Legion, Auxiliary and SAL Joint Banquet and on the Convention Floor. Appropriate awards designating him as the 2005 Department Eagle Scout of the Year will be presented at the convention.
The national American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year will receive a $10,000 scholarship and join the Youth Champion delegation and participate in the 87th Annual National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, August 19-23, 2005.
Three second-place scholarship awards will be given in the amount of $2,500 each at the national level.
The deadline for submission of nomination forms and all required documentation supporting the nomination to be in to State Headquarters in Watertown is March 1, 2005. Nomination forms and supporting documents must be sent to South Dakota American Legion State Headquarters, PO Box 67, Watertown, SD 57201.
MIDWINTER JOINT BANQUET TICKETS
Tickets for the Legion, Auxiliary and SAL Joint Banquet are now on sale from the Chamberlain American Legion Post. The banquet will be held on Saturday evening, February 12, 2005 at the Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma during the Midwinter Conference. Tickets are $20.00 each. The meal will be a pork loin dinner.
Tickets can be purchased by sending the appropriate funds to: Gene Harmon, PO Box 53, Oacoma, SD 57365. Gene Harmon’s telephone number is 734-5240 if you have any questions.
ALL TICKET SALES WILL BE IN ADVANCE. THERE WILL BE NO TICKETS SOLD AT CEDAR SHORES DURING THE MIDWINTER CONFERENCE. YOU MUST PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE.
HATS IN THE RING
The following additional intentions and endorsements for Legionnaires running for office in 2005 have been received by State Headquarters in Watertown:
Urban-Hanson American Legion Post 118 of Hartford has endorsed Bob Bender for the office of Area Vice Commander for Districts 1 & 7.
Bennett County American Legion Post 240 of Martin has endorsed Kenneth Spears for the office of Area Vice Commander for Districts 8, 9 and 13.
Sioux Falls American Legion Post 15 in Sioux Falls has endorsed G. D. “Hoot” Gibson for the office of Department Master-At-Arms.
STATE HEADQUARTERS CLOSING FOR HOLIDAYS
State Headquarters will close at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 22 and reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, December 27 for the Christmas holiday.
State Headquarters will close at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 29 and reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2005 for the New Year holiday.
VETERANS’ FORUMS
In keeping with Commander Schumacher’s VA&R plan for 2005, we continue to make great progress with our Veterans’ Forum program.
We are extremely pleased to report that all District Commanders are working very hard planning and coordinating their Veterans’ Forum in their District.
I would like to provide you with a progress and update report of the outstanding results we have experienced thus far with our SD American Legion VA&R Veterans’ Forum outreach program.
VETERANS’ FORUMS COMPLETED:
· District #14, Oct 27, 2004, Aberdeen, SD. 65 veterans & spouses attended.
· District #11, Nov 15, 2004, McLaughlin, SD. 39 veterans & spouses attended.
· District #9, Nov 17, 2004, Kadoka, SD. 42 veterans & spouses attended.
· District #11, Dec 8, 2004, Eagle Butte, SD. 22 veterans & spouses attended.
VETERANS’ FORUMS SCHEDULED:
· District #7, Jan 10, 2005, Post Home, 7-9 PM (CST), Corsica, SD.
· District #6, Jan 11, 2005, Post Home, 7-9 PM (CST), Kimball, SD.
· District #2, Feb 19, 2005, Swiftel Center, 2-4 PM (CST), Brookings, SD.
· District #1, Mar 31, 2005, Post Home, 7-9 PM (CST), Lennox, SD.
We are currently in the planning and coordination stages to conduct a Veterans’ Forum in Districts #3, #4, #5, #8, #10, #12 and #13. The dates, times and locations of these Veterans’ Forums will be announced as soon as the preparations are finalized.
The Veterans’ Forum presentation consists of information packed briefings of VA benefits that lasts approximately 2½ hours. The briefings are all based around a computer Power Point slide presentation that consists of 72 slides that covers 19 VA benefit topics. The briefings are conducted by The American Legion Department Service Officer Warren Aas and several guest speakers that include representatives from The SD Division of Veterans Affairs, the VA Medical Centers from Sioux Falls or the Black Hills VA Health Care System, SD Career Center Veteran Outreach Representatives and the local and surrounding County and Tribal Veterans Service Officers.
Please keep in mind that it really wouldn’t be fair to judge success only by the numbers that attend the Veterans Forums. Isn’t it a success story if we assisted only one veteran and his family with the entitlements they deserve? We are fortunate indeed to be reaching many veterans and their families with the Veterans’ Forum program.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO QUALIFY FOR EARLY BIRD MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE
DON’T FORGET – You still have time to qualify for the drawing that will be held for a FREE Paid-Up-For-Life (PUFL). State Commander Gene Schumacher of Aberdeen has announced that all South Dakota Legionnaires whose 2005 membership dues have been received at South Dakota American Legion State Headquarters in Watertown by Friday, December 31, 2004 will be eligible for the drawing.
All current PUFLs will automatically be entered into the drawing.
YOUR DUES MUST BE IN STATE HEADQUARTERS TO QUALIFY FOR THE DRAWING. NO EXCEPTIONS.
If the individual, whose name is drawn, already has a PUFL membership, that individual will receive the cash equivalent of the cost of a PUFL membership.
SPORTS AWARDS TO BE MADE
Posts that are interested in hosting the 2006 sporting events have until Monday, January 17, 2005 to submit invitations to State Headquarters in Watertown.
The State Bowling Tournament will be held during three or four weekends in March and/or April 2006.
The State Golf Tournament will be held either the third or fourth weekend in June 2006.
Tentative dates for the Class “B” State Baseball Tournament are July 27-31, 2006.
Tentative dates for The American Legion State Championship Baseball Tournament are August 3-7, 2006.
To ensure that participating baseball teams take home some money to pay expenses, the State Athletic Commission requires that bidders for the baseball tournaments guarantee a split of $2,500 in the “B” Tournament and $7,500 in the Championship Tournament.
CEREMONIAL BUGLE AWARD
Thirty-five Posts have qualified for the drawing for the FREE CEREMONIAL BUGLE that will be held at the Midwinter Conference in Oacoma in February.
Department Commander Schumacher announced that the Department would purchase one of the Ceremonial Bugles ($525.00) and that every Post, that had attained 100% or better of its 2005 membership goal by Midwinter, would be eligible to participate in a drawing for the bugle.
Make sure your Post has a chance to win this valuable prize. Many Posts are within one or two members of being at goal. It would be a shame to miss out on this opportunity to win such a valuable award for your Post because you couldn’t persuade one or two members to pay their dues prior to Midwinter. Get those membership teams working.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
2005 membership stands at 22,442 or 84.75 percent of goal.
Pine Ridge Post 251 has the highest percentage of membership of any Post in the State at this time with 132% of goal.
District 4, led by District Commander Bernard Rolstad, is leading the District Commander’s race with 89.66% of goal.
Area Vice Commander Larry Nupen for Districts 3, 4 and 14 is leading the Area Vice Commander’s race with 87.06% of goal.