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. 2913 December 28, 2005
2006 EAGLE SCOUT OF THE YEAR
The American Legion annually honors The American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year at its National Convention. The winner of the competition receives a $10,000 scholarship and the three runners-up each are awarded a $2,500 scholarship.
Forms for nominating Boy Scouts for The American Legion 2006 Eagle Scout of the Year are now available from State Headquarters. State Headquarters must receive nominations no later than March 1, 2006. A Panel will then select the Department Eagle Scout of the Year and that nomination will be submitted to National Headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. The National 2006 American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year will be announced during the 2006 Spring Meetings of The American Legion in Indianapolis in May of 2006.
Nomination forms can also be downloaded from the Internet on The American Legion Webpage at www.legion.org. From this main page, select Programs and Events, and then select Scouting. From the resulting page, you will be able to download the 2006 Application.
Support for the Boy Scout movement came at The American Legions first National Convention in 1919. Today, there are more than 2,500 Boy Scout units sponsored by Legion Posts throughout the country.
Supporting Boy Scout activities is natural for Legionnaires, who bring their service-learned skills and experiences as veterans to help build character and positive traits in "Young America". Few other Post activities generate more goodwill from the community.
Based on Post activities reported to State and National Headquarters, there are currently 33 Scouting units in operation in South Dakota that are sponsored by American Legion Posts.
BOYS STATE PACKETS TO BE MAILED
Brochures, registration forms and other pertinent information related to the 2006 South Dakota American Legion Boys State will be mailed next week to all high schools and Legion Posts in the state. Please be on the lookout for these packets.
Two important items to remember are the April 1 registration deadline and the $130 per boy registration fee. Fees and registration forms for boys selected to attend South Dakota American Legion Boys State must be sent to the Boys State Registrar, Gene Schumacher, 924 N. Main St., Aberdeen, SD 57401.
Journalism City applications are also being distributed by Registrar Gene Schumacher to all schools. Completed Journalism City applications must also be sent to Schumacher at the above-listed address. The deadline for Journalism City is Thursday, February 2, 2006.
Do Not send the $130 registration fee with the Journalism City applications. If the boy is selected, his registration fee will be collected later.
REVISED MIDWINTER SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
There have been some minor realignments of the schedule for the 2006 Midwinter Conference, which will be held Friday-Sunday, January 20-22, 2006 at the Mitchell Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Mitchell. Below is the corrected schedule of events:
Friday, Jan 20
10:00 a.m. Administrative Committee - Boardroom
12:00 noon Registration Desk Opens Pre-Function Area
1:00 p.m. Executive Committee Rooms A/B/C
6:00 p.m. Go-Getters Reception Mitchell Legion Post Home
6:30 p.m. Go-Getters Smorgasbord Mitchell Legion Post Home
7:00 p.m. Past Department Commanders Social and Dinner - Boardroom
Saturday, Jan 21
8:00 a.m. Registration Desk Opens Pre-Function Area
8:30 a.m. Joint Opening Session Rooms G-H-I-J-K
VA&R and Children and Youth
10:30 a.m. SAL - Boardroom
10:45 a.m. Breakout Sessions
Session for Post Historians Room A
Americanism Room B
Session on Resolutions Room C
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions
Post Service Officers Session Room A
Adjutants Session Rooms B/C
3:00 p.m. Membership Panel Discussion Rooms A/B/C and Membership Awards
6:00 p.m. Social Hour/No Host Cocktails Room C
7:00 p.m. Joint/Legion/Auxiliary/SAL Banquet Rooms G-H-I-J-K
Sunday, Jan 22
8:30 a.m. Non-denominational religious Service Rooms G-H-I-J-K
DEADLINE FOR SPORTS BIDS
Posts interested in hosting the 2007 sporting events for The American Legion Department of South Dakota have until Monday, January 16, 2006 to submit their bids and invitations to State Headquarters in Watertown.
The State Bowling Tournament will be held during three or four weekends in March and/or April 2007.
The State Golf Tournament will be held either the first or third weekend in June, 2007. (The second weekend is the Department Convention in Spearfish.)
Tentative dates for the class B State Baseball Tournament are July 25-30, 2007.
Tentative dates for the Legion State Championship Baseball Tournament are August 1 August 6, 2007.
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 for the B Tournament and $7,500 for the Championship Tournament.
VETERANS FORUM SCHEDULE
The Department has scheduled Veterans Benefit Forums in all 14 Districts during the course of this Legion year. These informational forums are a must for Veterans and their spouses. If you are looking for information on the benefits to which you are entitled as a veteran, plan on attending the one closest to your home.
The following is the schedule for the upcoming forums thru the end of January 2006:
District 10 Monday, Jan 9 at the Hoven American Legion Post at 7 p.m.
District 8 Tuesday, Jan 10 at the Winner American Legion Post at 7 p.m.
District 6 Wednesday, Jan 11 at the Woonsocket Community Center at 7 p.m.
District 5 Thursday, Jan 12 at the Miller American Legion Post at 7 p.m.
There will be additional Veterans Forums held in February in Dist 1, Dist 2, and Dist 7; plus a short forum in Dist 6 at the Wessington Springs Farm and Home Show.
Forums will also be held in March in Dist 3, Dist 4, and Dist 14.
ORATORICAL CONTESTS
Local Oratorical Contests are supposed to be completed by January 8, 2006. Following shortly behind the local contests are the District Contests which will be held in accordance with the following schedule:
· Dist 1 Jan 15 at the Beresford American Legion Post at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 2 Jan 15 at the Arlington American Legion Post at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 3 Jan 15 at Lake Area Vocational Technical School, Watertown at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 4 Jan 8 at Sisseton American Legion Post at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 15.
· Dist 5 Jan 15 at Wolsey Elementary School at 2 p.m. Storm date- Jan 22.
· Dist 6 Jan 15 at Ethan American Legion Post at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 7 Jan 15 at Wagner American Legion Post at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 8 Jan 15 at Winner American Legion Post at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 9 Jan 8 at White River High School 3 p.m. CST. Storm date Jan 15.
· Dist 10 Jan 15 at Gettysburg High School at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 11 Jan 8 at Lemmon American Legion Post at 2 p.m. MST. Storm date Jan 15.
· Dist 12 Jan 15 at Spearfish High School at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
· Dist 13 Jan 8 at Rapid City American Legion Post #22 at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 15.
· Dist 14 Jan 15 at Hosmer American Legion Post at 2 p.m. Storm date Jan 22.
Area Contests will be held in accordance with the following schedule:
· Area 1 (Districts 1 & 7) Jan 29 at Irene American Legion at 2 p.m. Storm date - Feb 5.
· Area 2 (Districts 2, 5 & 6) Jan 29 at Brookings American Legion Post 74 Home at 2 p.m. Storm date - Feb 5.
· Area 3 (Districts 3, 4 & 14) Jan 29 at First United Methodist Church, 4 2nd Ave. SE, Watertown at 2 p.m. Storm date Feb 5.
· Area 4 (Districts 8, 9 and 13) Jan 29 at Bennett County High School (South Entrance), 101 1st St., in Martin at 1 p.m. MST. Storm date Feb 5.
· Area 5 (Districts 10, 11 and 12) Jan 29 at Sturgis Veterans Club at 1 p.m. Storm date Feb 5.
HATS IN THE RING
Rapid City Foothills American Legion Post 320 of Rapid City has endorsed Rick MacDonald of Rapid City for the office of State Vice Commander for the Area comprised of Districts 8, 9 and 13.
Brattvet-Green American Legion Post 66 of Lemmon has endorsed Albert Colgrove of Lemmon for the office of State Vice Commander for the Area comprised of Districts 10, 11 and 12.
Greer American Legion Post 11 of Wagner has endorsed Merle Stone of Wagner for the office of State Vice Commander for the Area comprised of Districts 1 and 7.
STATE HEADQUARTERS NEW YEARS HOURS
The South Dakota American Legion Department Headquarters offices will be closed Friday, December 30 and Monday, January 2, 2006 because of New Years.
This schedule follows the schedule of National Headquarters of the American Legion and the Codington County Courthouse.
Everyone at South Dakota American Legion Department Headquarters wishes you and your families a very Happy and Joyous New Year.
Department Headquarters will reopen for business at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, January 3, 2006.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
2006 membership stands at 21,717 or 83.48 percent of the Departments 2006 membership goal.
Posts are requested to NOT HOLD MEMBERSHIP for turn-in at the Mid Winter Conference but rather to forward all membership in a timely manner to State Headquarters in Watertown. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.