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. 2918 March 8, 2006
ENCLOSED FOR ALL RECIPIENTS
Enclosed for all recipients is the Official Call for the 2006 Spring District Conventions that start Wednesday, March 29. All recipients are encouraged to provide the widest possible dissemination of this information to members of their Posts.
NOTE: A constitutional amendment was passed at the 2005 SD American Legion Department Convention that requires the nomination of Delegates and Alternates for The American Legion National Convention to be made at the individual Spring District Conventions. Under the Constitution of The American Legion Department of South Dakota (2005) each District is entitled to two (2) Delegates and two (2) Alternates to the National Convention. Any Delegate and/or Alternate slots which are not filled with nominees after the conclusion of each Spring District Convention will be filled as Delegates and Alternates At-Large at the Department’s Annual Convention in Brookings during the elections on Sunday, June 18, 2006.
Also enclosed are Post by Post membership statistics as of Tuesday, March 7, 2006.
SPRING DISTRICT MEETINGS
The schedule for the 2006 Spring District Conventions has been finalized. The finalized schedule is outlined below:
District 1 – Monday, April 24 in Sioux Falls – 6 pm Social at Legion Post, 7 pm Meetings – Legion at Legion Post, Auxiliary at the Moose Lodge (about a block west of the Legion Post). Lunch will be served after the meetings at the Legion Post.
District 2 – Wednesday, April 19, in Iroquois – 5 pm District Executive Committee Meeting at the Legion Post, 5:30 pm Social at the Legion Post, 6:30 pm Dinner at the Legion Post, 7:30 pm Meetings – Legion at Post Home, Auxiliary at Community Center.
District 3 – Thursday, April 20, in Clark – 5 pm Social at the Legion Post, 6:30 pm Banquet at the Legion Post, 8 pm Meetings – Legion at the Senior Citizens Center, Auxiliary at the Legion Post Home.
District 4 – Friday, April 7, in Milbank – 6-7 pm Social at Legion Post lower level, 7 pm Banquet at the Legion Post upper level Pizza Ranch, 8 pm Meetings – Legion at Legion Post upper level, Auxiliary at the Legion Post lower level in the regular meeting room.
District 5 – Thursday, April 27, in Wessington – 5 pm Social at Legion Post, 6 pm Dinner at Legion Post, 7:30 pm Meetings, Legion at Legion Post, Auxiliary at Senior Center.
District 6 – Wednesday, April 26, in Mitchell – 5:30-6:30 pm Social at the Legion Post, 6:30 pm Banquet at the Legion Post, 7:30 pm Meetings, Legion and Auxiliary both at Legion Post.
District 7 – Tuesday, April 25, in Pickstown – 6 pm Social at the Rainbow Room, 7 pm Banquet at the Rainbow Room, 8 pm Meetings – Legion at the Rainbow Room, Auxiliary at the Pickstown Community Church.
District 8 – Wednesday, March 29, in Reliance – 5-6 pm Social at the Legion Post, 6-7 pm Banquet at the Legion Post, 7 pm Meetings – Legion at the Legion Post, Auxiliary at City Hall.
District 9 – Thursday, March 30, in Philip – 5:30-6:30 pm MST Social at Legion Post, 6:30-7:30 pm MST Banquet at Legion Post, 7:30 pm MST Meetings – Legion and Auxiliary both at Legion Post.
District 10 – Friday, March 31, in Pierre – 5 pm Social at Legion Post, 6 pm Banquet at Legion Post, 7 pm Meetings – Legion at Legion Post, Auxiliary at the VFW Post Home. Legion District Executive Committee Meeting at 5 pm at Legion Post.
District 11 – Monday, April 3, in Lemmon – 5:30 pm Social at Legion Post, 6 pm Banquet at Legion Post, 7 pm Meetings – Legion at Fire Station, Auxiliary at the Legion Post.
District 12 – Saturday, April 1, in Piedmont – Meetings beginning at 1 pm – Legion and Auxiliary both at the Legion Post.
District 13 – Sunday, April 2, in Wall – Legion District Executive Committee meeting at 1 pm, District Convention Meetings at 2 pm – Legion and Auxiliary both at Legion Post.
District 14 – Thursday, April 6, in Aberdeen – 6 pm Social at VFW Post, 7 pm Dinner at VFW Post, 8 pm Meetings – Legion at VFW Post, Auxiliary meeting site to be determined.
ENCLOSED FOR ADJUTANTS
Enclosed for all Adjutants is a copy of the entry form for the 2006 American Legion Baseball season. If your Post will field a baseball team this year, the yellow-colored entry form must be completed with the name, address and phone number of the Post Athletic Officer.
The completed form, $70 entry fee and certificate of insurance must be sent so that they reach State Headquarters by May 15, 2006. The fee with be $110 for registrations received May 16-31, 2006 and $160 for registrations received June 1-15, 2006. Teams not registered by June 15, 2006 will be ineligible for Post-season tournament competition.
Teams will not be allowed to register until they prove that they have insurance, which is mandated by Department and National Rules. As a reminder – your team should not even commence practice until they have the required insurance. All teams sponsored by the Post must be registered.
Once a team is registered, State Headquarters will send a copy of the National and Department Rule Books, plus pertinent information to the person named as the Post Athletic Officer.
APRIL IS CHILDREN AND YOUTH MONTH
Enclosed for the Post Commanders is a copy of The American Legion’s “April is Children and Youth Month” brochure. “Children…Our Most Precious Natural Resource” is The American Legion’s national theme for Children and Youth Month. We encourage your use and support of this theme in the promotion of all your Children and Youth programs.
The American Legion and Auxiliary have been actively involved with children’s issues since the early 1900’s. In many instances, we have been the driving force on the federal, state and local levels representing their interests and voicing our concerns.
In 1938, April was formally designated as the Child Welfare Month (now called Children and Youth Month) and has continued on an annual basis. During this special time, we urge each of you to show your community that The American Legion Family is committed to Children…Our Most Precious Natural Resource!
VETERANS FORUM SCHEDULE
Department Service Officer Warren Aas of Watertown has announced the final four Veterans Forums for this Legion Year. The forums will be conducted according to the following schedule:
Mon., March 13, Herreid, SD at the Community Center
Tues., March 14, Waubay, SD at the American Legion Post
Mon., March 20, Watertown, SD at the American Legion Post
Thur., March 23, Belle Fourche, SD at the American Inn Restaurant
All forums are scheduled to commence at 7:00 p.m. and will cover the full range of veteran’s benefits. All veterans and their spouses are encouraged to attend this comprehensive briefing on veteran’s benefits.
LEGION COLLEGE AD-HOC COMMITTEE TO MEET
The Department Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the feasibility of establishing a Department Legion College will meet in Pierre at the Governors Inn on West Sioux Ave., on Saturday, March 18 at 10:00 a.m.
EMPLOYER OF THE DISABLED AWARD
State American Legion Employment Committee Chairman Donn Grandpre of Aberdeen has announced that after careful review and consideration, Hardee’s of Milbank has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Employer of the Disabled Award.
Grandpre reported that the committee had received three nominations and had applied objective standards to determine whether or not the nominations were worthy of merit and consideration. He further reported that Hardee’s of Milbank employs three young disabled persons. The employer exhibits a superb attitude towards these disabled employees and states “I have strong feelings in giving people a chance in this world to become successful; these jobs give these three individuals the ability to earn some money and feel important at the same time.”
Congratulations to Hardee’s of Milbank. Hardee’s of Milbank will be recognized at the State Convention in Brookings in June and the appropriate award will be presented at that time.
ENCLOSED FOR POST COMMANDERS
Enclosed for Post Commanders is a blank copy of the 2005-2006 Consolidated Post Report for which should be filled out by ALL POSTS and returned to State Headquarters in Watertown.
The Consolidated Post Report is one of the most important documents that your Post can complete and submit. The form may appear complicated and look like it takes a lot of time and effort to complete – but if your Post has kept fairly good records during the course of the past year you will find that it is quite easy to compile the information required. Your Post is not expected to have something to report in every category or on every line in the report. We only ask that you report on the information that pertains to your Post.
This is a very important document; it is utilized extensively in compiling the annual report that The American Legion National Headquarters is required to provide to congress on an annual basis.
REMINDER: The submission of the Consolidated Post Report is one of the seven mandatory items required to be designated as one of Department Commander Anderson’s Dakota Dream Posts. The deadline for submitting the Consolidated Post Report to State Headquarters in Watertown is June 1, 2006.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICAN LEGION
The American Legion is 87 years old on March 17. It was in 1919 that World War I veterans assembled in Paris, France to create what is now the world’s largest wartime veterans’ organization, The American Legion. The meeting began on March 15 and ended on March 17.
The founders, all military men serving in Europe, were trying to organize a fraternity of veterans. Congress incorporated The American Legion on September 16, 1919, and the organization held its first convention November 10-12 of that year in Minneapolis.
From its first membership of 843,013, the Legion has grown to include 2.6 million veterans who have served in all eight American wartime eras from WWI to the current war on terrorism, Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Today there are more than 23 million American military veterans eligible to join our organization. Since August 2, 1990, every man and woman serving on active duty is eligible for membership. More than 60 percent of Reserve and National Guard members are eligible. New members can always find opportunities for service in our multi-faceted organization.
We bridge all racial and religious differences and cross all economic and social barriers in building a force of 2.6 million men and women who simply want to make their wartime service and sacrifice count for something positive for America.
This year, as we celebrate 87 years of comradeship, let us take pride in continuing our legacy. We are American Legionnaires – We are “Still Serving America.”
DEADLINE APPROACHING FAST
April 1 is the deadline for all fees and registrations for delegates to the 2006 session of the South Dakota American Legion Boys State to be in the hands of the Registrar, Gene Schumacher of Aberdeen.
The fees and registrations should be sent to Schumacher at 924 N. Main St., Aberdeen, SD 57401. The registration fee of $130 is required with the registration of each boy.
Boys selected for Journalism City at the 2006 Boys State session do not count against the regular quota system, which is based upon enrollment figures sent in January with information and registration forms to all schools.
LEGIONNAIRE OF THE YEAR
Nomination forms for each Post Legionnaire of the Year in competition for District Legionnaire of the Year are to be submitted to the respective District Commander at least 15 days prior to the District’s Spring Convention Meeting.
Nomination forms can be found in the 2005-2006 Post Adjutants’ Administrative and Awards Manual. Those selected as District Legionnaires of the Year are the nominees for the Department Legionnaire of the Year competition at the State Convention in June in Brookings.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
2006 membership stands at 23,913 or 91.93% of goal.
We have done much better than this in the past - and we can do much better today. The Department is experiencing a significant problem with persons who are not renewing their membership in our great organization. We are asking each and every Post to PLEASE make contact with your 2005 members who have not yet renewed their membership and find out why. It is imperative that we have the personal one-on-one contact with each of these delinquent members and take whatever action may be necessary to get them to renew.
Each Post must immediately review their membership roster, identify the delinquent members, and take the steps necessary to ensure that these members are given the opportunity to renew their membership. These delinquent members are our comrades and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are given the opportunity to continue to enjoy the benefits of belonging to this great organization.