Issued Bi-Weekly from State Headquarters at Watertown, SD 57201
Ron Boyd – Department Adjutant – Public Relations Officer
www.sdlegion.org Email sdlegion@dailypost.com
No. 2906 September 21, 2005
FALL DISTRICT CONFERENCES UNDERWAY
The 2005 South Dakota American Legion Fall District Conferences commenced September 8th with the District 9 Fall Conference in Rosebud. The traveling party for the Legion consists of State Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont, State Membership Chairman Mark Weinmann of Canton (member of the Hudson American Legion Post) and State Adjutant Ron Boyd of Watertown.
Commander Anderson has been explaining his “It’s A Family Affair” program and expounding on his newly implemented “Dakota Dream Post” Award program. He has also been surprising Legionnaires with his announcement that the coveted “Department Commander’s Cap Pin” has been changed from a membership award to a participation award and has been presenting one of his unique cap pins to each Legionnaire in attendance at the District Meetings. Participation in District Meetings, MidWinter or the Annual Department Covention is the only way that a Legionnaire can obtain one of these unique cap pins.
In addition to hearing Commander Anderson’s “It’s A Family Affair” and “Dakota Dream Post” programs, Legionnaires attending the District Conferences are hearing from State Membership Chairman Mark Weinmann; receiving information on the South Dakota American Legion Educational Loan Program; the Americanism and VAVS programs and receiving updates on information on the continuation of the American Legion’s VA Benefits Outreach Briefing program that will be continued again this year.
Thus far, the traveling team has presented the outline of Commander Anderson’s “TEAMWORK – Working Together” program and “Dakota Dream Post” program in District 9 in Rosebud, District 11 in Lemmon, District 12 in Spearfish, District 13 in Rapid City, District 6 in Letcher, District 10 in Highmore, District 14 in Bowdle and District 5 in Faulkton.
The Fall District Conference schedule will reconvene on Thursday, September 22 when Legionnaires from District 8 gather in Bonesteel. The conference schedule then continues for the next five straight days with District 7 meeting in Gayville on Friday, September 23; District 1 meeting in Dell Rapids on Saturday, September 24; District 2 meeting in Arlington on Sunday, September 25; District 3 meeting in Estelline on Monday, September 26; and the final meeting will be District 4 meeting in Webster on Tuesday, September 27.
LETTERS FROM THE FRONT
The American Legion is launching yet another service to America and National Commander Tom Bock is inviting Legionnaires to help spread the word.
In support of Resolution 169 (Support Our Troops), a new website feature called “Letter to America from the Front” will feature letters sent home from troops that tell of the good things happening in Iraq and Afghanistan that are not getting reported in the media.
“America needs to hear about all the great efforts and accomplishments first hand from those who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Bock said. “It’s about time that the American public hears about the positive things our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Costguardsmen are doing for this country and for the Iraqi people.”
Members of The American Legion family who have received letters from relatives serving overseas that tell of the fruits of their commitment to freedom are asked to send copies or email the letters to National Headquarters at pr@legion.org. The letters will be posted on the website for Americans to access directly. The public relations office will promote the feature using both traditional and non-traditional marketing techniques.
Additionally, troops overseas will be invited to submit their open letters directly for posting.
“The focus that we are looking for in these letters is positive energy,” said Bock. “We want to share with America their success stories, acts of kindness to the Iraqi people (especially children), camaraderie and most important, their love of God and country.”
U.S. military personnel can send letters direct to pr@legion.org.
The annual meeting of the South Dakota American Legion Boys State Corporation and Board of Directors will be held in Rapid City on Friday, October 7. The meeting will be held in downtown Rapid City at the Higher Education Center West River in the offices of Brad Henrich. (The building was the Old Children’s Science Museum, and also formerly known as the Native American Museum. It is an old stone building on a block between Main and St. Joe streets.)
Business will include election of officers for the coming year, reviewing the past Boys State session, study of the By-Laws, as well as any other pertinent business.
POST COMMANDERS RECOGNIZED
During the Fall District Conferences, State Commander Phil Anderson is presenting 100% Post Commander, Post Adjutant and Post Membership cap pins to those Post Commanders and Post Membership Teams who attained 100% renewal of 2005 membership within their Posts. Cap pins are also being presented to County Commanders who attained 100% of 2005 membership within their respective counties.
Cap pins have been presented to the following Posts:
· District 9: Allen Post 317, Martin Post 240, White River Post 94, Wood Post 19, Parmelee Post 295 and the Bennett County Commander.
· District 11: Bullhead Post 82, Thunder Hawk Post 279, Isabel Post 120, Lemmon Post 66 and the Perkins County Commander.
· District 13: Custer Post 46, Hermosa Post 303, Rapid City Foothills Post 320, Batesland Post 281, Kyle Post 265, Manderson Post 302, Pine Ridge Post 251, Porcupine Post 294, Custer County Commander and the Shannon County Commander.
· District 12: Lead Post 31, Box Elder Post 315, Piedmont Post 311, Sturgis Post 33, Lawrence County Commander, and the Meade County Commander.
· District 6: Chamberlain Post 3, Pukwana Post 201, Ethan Post 261, Wessington Springs Post 14, and Bridgewater Post 111.
· District 10: Blunt Post 77, Hoven Post 159, Lebanon Post 188, Agar Post 271, Onida Post 79, and the Sully County Commander.
· District 14: Aberdeen Post 24, Groton Post 39, Stratford Post 207, Eureka Post 186, Leola Post 78, Long Lake Post 276, Brown County Commander and the McPherson County Commander.
· District 5: Virgil Post 268, Wolsey Post 59, Ree Heights Post 101, Conde Post 148, Mansfield Post 289, Mellette Post 151, and Northville Post 149.
NATIONAL COMMANDER OFFERS CAP PIN
National Commander Tom Bock of Colorado has announced an incentive for recruiting new members and reinstating expired members for The American Legion
Throughout the 2005-2006 membership year, Legionnaires and Legion Family members in every Post, Unit and Squadron will be eligible to earn National Commander Tom Bock’s “Rounder” pin. The concept is simple: For every five new Legionnaires recruited into The American Legion, the recruiter will receive one cap pin. For every four reinstated members, the recruiter will receive one cap pin.
The goal is simply to recognize those individuals who build so much of our membership at the “grass-roots” level—and to emphasize the importance of individual involvement.
All certification forms for this program may be submitted at any time, but must arrive at National Headquarters on or prior to June 30, 2006. Upon receipt, national membership staff will confirm the new member status, and mail the recruiter the pin within three weeks. Commander Bock’s Rounders Pin program will end when supplies are exhausted.
Certification forms and information sheets are included with each copy of this Up To Now and may be duplicated at the local level as needed.
Be a Rounder! Do your part to ensure that this is a successful Legion recruiting year and goes down in history as the year we reversed the membership slide!
SD LEGIONNAIRES CALLED TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
Three South Dakota Legionnaires traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this week to attend the annual testimony of The American Legion before the joint session of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Tuesday, September 20, 2005. This year’s testimony will be presented by National Commander Tom Bock of Colorado.
Attending the testimony were NEC Paul Evenson of Sioux Falls (member of the Garretson Legion Post), PDC Wayne “Red” Vetter of Cresbard and PDC Gene Schumacher of Aberdeen.
These three SD Legionnaires serve on the National Legislative Council. Vetter serves as a liaison to Senator Tim Johnson, Evenson serves as a liaison to Senator John Thune and Schumacher serves as a liaison to U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth. In addition to attending the National Commander’s Testimony, the three will visit with the members of the South Dakota Congressional Delegation in Washington.
SIX ARE CALLED TO INDIANAPOLIS
Six South Dakota Legionnaires have been called to Indianapolis. State Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont and State Adjutant Ron Boyd of Watertown have been called to attend the annual Commanders and Adjutants Conference.
Also called to Indianapolis to attend the annual fall meetings of the National organization are NEC Paul Evenson of Sioux Falls, National PDC Glenn Green of Pierre, PDC Don Mason of Platte, and PDC Ron Tolrud of White.
Evenson will attend the Fall NEC meeting and serves as Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Committees; Green will attend the fall meeting of the National Convention Commission; Mason serves as a member of the National Security Commission and Tolrud serves as a member of the Children and Youth Commission for Region 6.
All of the meetings that these Legionnaires are scheduled to attend will be held in Indianapolis, IN during the Annual Fall Meetings, October 1-4, 2005.
TWO TO ATTEND NATIONAL LEGION COLLEGE
Two Legionnaires from South Dakota have been selected to attend the National American Legion College in Indianapolis, IN, October 29-November 4, 2005.
Ron Kazmierczak of Rapid City (member of the Hill City American Legion Post) and Rick MacDonald of Rapid City Foothills American Legion Post were nominated by Department Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont and selected by a panel of Past National Commanders during the recently completed National Convention.
Both Kazmierczak and MacDonald are Past Commanders of District 13 and both are retired from the United States Air Force.
The attendance of these two Legionnaires will increase the number of Legion College graduates in South Dakota to five. Previous graduates of the National Legion College include Melvin Lee of Winner, Mark Weinmann of Canton (member of the Hudson American Legion Post) and Charemon Dunham of Iroquois.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY FUND
The following contributions have been received by Department Headquarters and forwarded on to National Headquarters since the special call for contributions for the National Emergency Fund was issued in response to the devastation to the Gulf Coast of the United States by Hurricane Katrina:
$200 from Butrick American Legion Post 89 of Presho
$100 from Schmidt-Barnes American Legion Post 268 of Virgil
$200 from Dean Bymers of Raymond
$260 from Hill City American Legion Post 160 of Hill City
$ 25 from Ron and Carol Kazmierczak of Rapid City
$ 50 from Gunner Baatrup of Virgil
$250 from Roy S. Hickman American Legion Post 78 of Leola
ENCLOSED FOR COMMANDERS
Enclosed for all Commanders with this Up To Now is a copy of a brochure entitled “Make Holloween A Fun and Safe Night”.
This brochure, distributed by The American Legion, National Commission on Children and Youth, should be shared with your local elementary schools. The brochures may be duplicated as necessary at the Post level.
COMMANDER ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS
Department Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont has announced the following additional appointments:
· Bob Miller of Kimball – reappointed for an additional five-year term on the Department Legislative Committee
· Elton Blemaster of Pierre – reappointment for an additional five-year term on the Department Athletic Commission
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
2006 membership stands at 14,898 or 57.27 percent of our 2006