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. 2915 January 25, 2006
ENCLOSED FOR ADJUTANTS
Enclosed for Post Adjutants is a copy of the annual Post Americanism Report form that should be completed and submitted during Spring District Conventions. It can also be returned to State Headquarters.
The same form (green in color) may also be found in the 2005-2006 Post Adjutants’ Administrative and Awards manual.
MIDWINTER DECLARED A SUCCESS
State Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont declared the 2006 Midwinter Conference a great success. Commander Anderson commended Mitchell Post #18 Commander Norman Schoenfelder and Unit #18 President Judy Wise and the Legionnaires and Auxiliary members of Mitchell for their superb efforts in hosting the event.
Saturday’s activities commenced with a joint Legion, Auxiliary and SAL Opening Session on VA&R and Children and Youth.
This year’s Midwinter Conference saw the format go back to the breakout sessions that consisted of some excellent briefings. The breakouts consisted of sessions for Post Historians, Post Service Officers as well as a session for Post Adjutants along with a session on Resolutions and Americanism. All breakout sessions were very informative and well attended.
National Vice Commander Sebastian “Seb” Roll from Mott, North Dakota was at the Midwinter Conference Center for the entire period of the event. National Vice Commander Roll congratulated Commander Anderson and South Dakota on their great work in membership and encouraged everyone to continue that good work in their membership recruitment drive. National Vice Commander Roll also was in attendance at the Executive Committee Meeting held on Friday afternoon as well as the Go-Getter’s Reception at the Mitchell Post Home that evening and several other meetings throughout the conference.
National Vice Commander Roll gave a very dynamic speech at the Joint Legion, Auxiliary and SAL Banquet on Saturday evening to a large contingent of Legion Family members. He spoke on several important topics that included the importance of mandatory funding for the VA as well as protecting and flying the U.S. flag.
All attendees were also honored to have the 2007-2008 Candidate for National Commander Martin “Marty” Conatser from the Department of Illinois in attendance at the Midwinter Conference. National Commander Candidate Conatser is a Vietnam Era Veteran that has held several Post, County, District, Division, Department positions in the Department of Illinois as well as several National appointments.
PUFL WINNER
This year every Legionnaire within the Department of South Dakota who purchased a Paid-Up-For-Life (PUFL) membership by December 31, 2005 was eligible to have their name entered into a drawing.
The winner of the PUFL drawing was Christina Brodkorb, a member of Wolsey Post 59. She will receive full reimbursement for the purchase price of her PUFL.
SERVICE SWORD MEMBERSHIP AWARDS
The 2005-2006 Post Adjutants’ Administrative and Awards Manual reported that there would be two service swords awarded on the Veterans Day Membership Target Date. One sword would be awarded, based on a drawing, to an individual Legionnaire who had paid his/her 2006 membership dues by the Veterans Day target date. Every SD Legionnaire who has paid his/her dues by that date, to include all PUFL members, had their names entered into that drawing. The other sword would be awarded to a recruiter. Names were entered into the drawing every time a new member was recruited.
The drawings for this award were held during the Midwinter Conference in Mitchell, SD on Saturday, January 21, 2006. The winner of a service sword in the Individual category was Kenneth Kinkler from Pierre Post #8.
The winning name drawn for the recruiter service sword award was Leonard Martinek from Sioux Falls Post #15.
Congratulations to both winners of these beautiful service swords. The Department Adjutant will order the swords for the specific branches of service of the winners and the presentations of the swords will be made at a later date.
ATHLETIC COMMISSION REPORT
Members of the SD American Legion State Athletic Commission met at the Mitchell Holiday Inn on Sunday, January 22, 2006.
After considering all bids for the various athletic events, the commission decided that they would be making the following recommendations to the Department Executive Committee during the 88th Annual South Dakota American Legion Convention in Brookings in June 2006.
Pierre Post #8 will be recommended to host the 2007 State Championship Baseball Tournament and Elk Point Post #134 will be recommended to host the 2007 State “B” Baseball Tournament.
At this point, there were no bids submitted to host either the 2007 State Bowling Tournament or the 2007 State Golf Tournament.
Commissioners voted to make no changes to the registration fees for 2006 American Legion Baseball teams. However, Posts are reminded that all teams must be registered and the Post must have an insurance policy on each registered team.
HATS IN THE RING
Iroquois-Bensley-Rounds Post 280 of Iroquois has endorsed Charemon Dunham for the office of District 2 Vice Commander.
Pierre Post 8 of Pierre has endorsed Nancy Hannah for the office of District 10 Commander.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ORATORY CONTEST
The State Championship for The American Legion High School Oratory Contest in South Dakota will be held at the Zion Lutheran Church in Chamberlain, SD Sunday, February 12, 2006. The contest will commence at 1 p.m.
All Area Champions should be instructed to be at the contest site in Chamberlain at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the contest.
VETERANS BENEFITS FORUM SCHEDULE
The Veterans’ Forums are well underway across the state of South Dakota. As of the printing of this issue of the Up To Now, we have conducted 7 very successful Veterans’ VA Benefits Forums.
In December 2005, we conducted forums in Mission, Hot Springs and Lemmon. During January 2006, we conducted forums in Hoven, Winner, Woonsocket and Miller.
For the most part, the SD Winter weather has cooperated with us very well and as a result, we are pleased that the veterans, spouses and family members are coming out and attending the veterans’ forums.
The next round of forums will commence on Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 in Flandreau.
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF THE YEAR SELECTED
National Security Committee Chairman Don List of Yankton has announced that there were two applications received for the South Dakota Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. The two nominees were Officer Daryl VanDover from Aberdeen, SD and Officer Derald Gross from Blunt, SD.
We are pleased to announce that Officer Daryl VanDover from Aberdeen, SD has been selected as the South Dakota Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. His application will be forwarded to the National Security-Foreign Relations Division in Washington, D.C. and entered into the National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year competition.
Officer Daryl VanDover is a native of Aberdeen and is a 15 year member of the Aberdeen, SD police department. Before becoming a police officer, he was a Naval Communication Specialist in the U.S. Navy for 7 ˝ years. Officer VanDover spent 9 years as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) instructor in the Aberdeen elementary schools. He and his wife Crysolyn have two children, Becky and Gary.
LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION
The annual South Dakota American Legion Legislative Reception for members of the 81st Session of the South Dakota State Legislature will be held from 5:30 – 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at the Pierre American Legion Post Home. Members of the Legion Family from across South Dakota are encouraged to participate in this annual event.
Although festivities at the Post Home do not commence until 5:30 p.m., Legionnaires are encouraged to arrive early and visit the State Capitol to meet with their respective Legislators and to extend personal invitations to those Legislators from their home districts.
FROM PIERRE
The 81st Session of the South Dakota Legislature is underway in Pierre. Department Legislative Lobbyists Ron Boyd of Watertown, John Dewell of Pierre and Warren Aas of Watertown will be monitoring the session for legislation of interest to veterans and veterans’ organizations. Those bills currently being monitored include:
HB 1030 – Permit persons in the armed services, their spouses and dependent minor children, to acquire a license to hunt turkey if the service member is absent from the state on active duty during the entire time for making application, or if the spouse or dependent minor child is absent from the state during the entire time for making application. Bill was assigned to House Ag and Natural Resources Committee. Passed Committee 13-0, was placed on the Consent Calendar and Passed the House 68-0. Bill now moves to the Senate.
HB 1067 – Classifies persons actively serving in the armed forces of the United States, and who at the time of registration, is stationed for active duty in the state of South Dakota, as residents for the purpose of determining tuition rate at institutions controlled by the Board of Regents. This provision also applies to the spouses of such persons. Assigned to the House Education Committee and is awaiting hearings.
HB 1089 – Appropriates $100,000 from the general fund to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to partially allay costs of creation, placement, dedication, and on-going maintenance of a Vietnam War Memorial. Assigned to the House Appropriations Committee and is awaiting hearings.
SB 14 – Revises the residency requirements for eligibility for admission to the State Veterans Home. Under the current statute the applicant must have been a resident of the state for a period of year immediately prior to admission. Under the revised statute, the applicant must have been a resident of the state at any time in the five years preceding the date of application. Assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and is awaiting hearings.
SB 73 – Allows any member of the National Guard or other reserve component of the armed forces of the U.S. who was issued an elk license, but was ordered into military federal service before the license could be used, may be issued a replacement license. The replacement license shall be issued for the hunting season immediately following the member’s release from active duty. Passed Senate State Affairs Committee 9-0; placed on Consent Calendar and passed the Senate 33-0. Moved to the House and has been assigned to the House Ag and Natural Resources Committee where it is awaiting hearings.
SB 151 and 152 – Deal with the construction of new National Guard armories in Watertown and Mobridge and the appropriation of monies to that end. Both bills have been assigned to Senate State Affairs and both bills are scheduled for hearings on 02-25-06.
SB 156 – Prohibits picketing that is likely to cause emotional distress to a family member who is privately and peacefully mourning the loss of a deceased relative during the period of one hour before the scheduled commencement of a funeral until one hour after the completion of the funeral service. Funeral services are defined as any ceremony, procession, memorial, or burial at a church, private home, funeral parlor, mortuary or cemetery. Assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee and is awaiting hearings.
SB 172 – Allows non-resident members of the South Dakota National Guard to be subject to pay tuition at the resident rate at all institutions under the control and management of the Board of Regents. Assigned to the Senate State Affairs Committee and is awaiting hearings.
SB 182 – Allows non-profit organizations to procure their own decals for organizational license plates. (This will allow The American Legion to use our own reflective American Legion emblems on the organizational plates.) Assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee and is awaiting hearings.
SB 183 – Provides for a distinctive license plate for military veterans. Plates will be special plates (applicant will have to purchase a regular license plate and then pay a $10 fee for the special license plate – both sets of plates will have to be with the vehicle at all times.) The plates will be special ordered and will be available with your choice of Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard emblems. The emblems will be imprinted on the plate – this will not be a decal. Assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee and is awaiting hearings.
SB 184 – Provides for screening of certain members of the armed forces and veterans for exposure to depleted uranium. Assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and is awaiting hearings.
SB 191 – Expands the current gaming laws which allow bingo and lotteries sponsored by veterans bona fide congressionally chartered veterans’ organizations to be expanded to allow “card game tournaments”. Assigned to Senate State Affairs Committee and is awaiting hearings.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
2006 membership stands at 22,817 or 87.72 percent of the Department’s 2006 membership