UTN 02-25-04

All recipients of this Up To Now will find enclosed an Application Form for designation of your Post as a Dakota Dream Post. The form is self-explanatory. The deadline for satisfying all qualifications is June 1, 2006. All applications for designation as a Dakota Dream Post must be received at State Headquarters in Watertown by June 5, 2006.

Enclosed with this edition of the Up To Now all recipients will find an Entry Form for the 2006 South Dakota American Legion Golf Tournament. The tournament is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, June 2-3, 2006 at the Pine Hills Golf Course in Milbank, SD. The deadline for receipt of the Entry Forms is Wednesday, May 31, 2006.

The following individual Legionnaires were elected as District Commanders and District Vice Commanders at Spring District Conventions conducted since the last edition of the Up To Now:

Del Heupel of Aberdeen (member of the Eureka American Legion Post) and David Yost of Leola were elected to two-year terms as the District 14 Commander and District 14 Vice Commander, respectively, April 6 during the annual District 14 Spring Convention in Aberdeen.

Tim Jurgens of Milbank and Hans Nelson of Veblen were elected to two-year terms as the District 4 Commander and District 4 Vice Commander, respectively, April 7 during the annual District 4 Spring Convention in Milbank.

April 6 (District 14 at Aberdeen) - County Commanders - Dale Strom of Aberdeen, Brown County; Kenneth Vilhauer of Hosmer, Edmunds County; Dan Yost of Leola, McPherson County; and Arthur Jung of Selby, Walworth County. County Vice Commanders - Zach Kern of Groton, Brown County; Dwight Lehr of Roscoe, Edmunds County; Gary Hoffman of Long Lake, McPherson County; and Jack Lemburg of Selby, Walworth County. Campbell County was not represented at the convention and will have to hold their election and report the results at a later date.

April 7 (District 4 at Milbank) - County Commanders - Paul Peterson of Webster, Day County; Tammy Schroeder of Big Stone City (recently transferred to the Milbank American Legion Post), Grant County; Larry Bosse of Britton (member of the Kidder American Legion Post), Marshall County; and Douglas Carl of Sisseton, Roberts County. County Vice Commanders - LeRoy Lautt of Webster, Day County; Dr. M.S. Dorsett of Aberdeen (member of the Milbank American Legion Post), Grant County; LeRoy Nelson of Langford, Marshall County; and Ted Yochim of Sisseton, Roberts County.

Department Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont is recognizing those Legionnaires who have been chosen by their Posts for providing outstanding support to the programs and projects of The American Legion during the past year as he travels the state of South Dakota conducting the Spring District Conventions.

One Legionnaire is selected by the leadership of each District to be recognized as the District Legionnaire of the Year. Those selected during the most recently completed Spring District Conventions include:

These two individuals, along with the other 12 individual Legionnaires who have been or will be selected as District Legionnaires of the Year will be in contention for selection as the Department Legionnaire of the Year for The American Legion Department of South Dakota at the Annual Department Convention in Brookings, June 15-18 of this year.

2006 Spring District Conventions restarted today after a week-long hiatus for Easter Week. Today found Legionnaires gathering in Iroquois for the District 2 Spring Convention.

One additional Spring District Convention will be held this week on Thursday when Legionnaires from District 3 meet at Clark American Legion Post 60. Then the traveling party will take the weekend off and reconvene on Monday, April 24.

District Commanders and District Vice Commanders are being elected for two-year terms in even-numbered Districts this year. County Commanders and County Vice Commanders are being elected for one-year terms in all Districts unless those leaders have already been named by an established county council. District Legionnaires of the Year are being selected in all Districts.

Because of the resolution that was adopted at last year's Department Convention, Districts are also nominating Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the American Legion National Convention which will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 25-31, 2006. Delegate and Alternate slots which are not filled at the District Conventions will be filled through the election of Delegates-At-Large and Alternate Delegates-At-Large from the floor of the Annual Department Convention in Brookings on Sunday, June 18.

There is still time to register and participate in The South Dakota American Legion State Bowling Tournament! All Bowlers who are members of The American Legion or The Sons of The American Legion are welcome.

The 61^st Annual South Dakota American Legion Bowling Tournament is being held at the Riverview Lanes, 960 4^th St. NE in Huron, on the weekends of April 8-9, April 22-23, and April 29-30, 2006. There will be singles, doubles, and team competition.

The entry fee is $18.00 per event. The entry fee is divided as follows: $7.25 bowling, $1.50 expenses, and $9.25 to the prize fund. 100% of the prize fund will be awarded.

The entry forms were mailed to all recipients with the February 22^nd edition of the Up To Now and the entry form was also printed in the March 2006 edition of The South Dakota Legion News. Additional entry forms are available from State Headquarters if needed.

Get your Post Bowlers together and head for Huron on one of these three weekends and support your American Legion athletic events.

Deadlines are also approaching for resolutions that are to be considered during the 2006 State American Legion Convention in Brookings, June 15-18.

Resolutions proposing amendments to the South Dakota American Legion Constitution and By-Laws must reach State Headquarters at least six (6) weeks prior to the convention. To meet this deadline, those resolutions must reach Watertown by Friday, May 5, 2006. This will allow adequate time for the Department Standing Committee on Constitution and By-Laws to consider any proposed changes and transmit that committee's recommendations to the local Posts via State Headquarters.

The Constitution and By-Laws Committee will be scheduled to meet at State Headquarters during the week of May 15-19 to consider any resolutions that are submitted.

General resolutions should be submitted to State Headquarters by Monday, June 12, 2006. All general resolutions will be reviewed by the Convention Resolutions Committee, which will then assign the resolutions to the appropriate convention committee. The Convention Resolutions Committee will meet during the morning of Friday, June 16, 2006, during the convention in Brookings.

All resolutions must be typewritten, double-spaced and two copies must be submitted to State Headquarters. Post officials must certify that each resolution was adopted during a regular Post meeting, with the date of the meeting in the resolved clause of the resolution, and the resolution must be signed by the Post Commander and attested to by the Post Adjutant.

Invitations are being accepted from Posts wishing to host the 2009, 2010 and 2011 South Dakota American Legion State Conventions.

The offers must be submitted in writing by the prospective host Post, signed by the Post Commander and attested to by the Post Adjutant. Invitations must reach State Headquarters in Watertown by Monday, June 12, 2006.

Invitations should consider all available facilities and accommodations. The Convention Next Meeting Place Committee will consider the invitations when it meets during the State Convention in Brookings on Friday, June 16, 2006.

Invitations should be submitted to the State Adjutant, American Legion State Headquarters, PO Box 67, Watertown, SD 57201.

Post Adjutants are reminded that they have the responsibility of certifying the Post's 2007 officers to Department Headquarters in Watertown. This certification process is one of the last official duties of the outgoing Post Adjutant. The form for certifying your 2007 Post Officers can be found in the 2005-2006 South Dakota American Legion Adjutant's Administrative and Awards Manual. Immediately after page 11 in that manual there is a white-colored page that explains the certification process and the next page is the green-colored Post Officers Certification Form.

Newly elected Post Officers WILL NOT be placed on mailing lists at State or National Headquarters, nor will they be recognized as Post Officers by either headquarters until they have been certified. Additionally, Posts WILL NOT receive their 2007 membership cards until this certification process is completed.

Complete information is REQUIRED on the Officer Certification Form. All blanks must be filled in. We cannot certify Post Officers without their dates of service (enlistment and discharge dates). We must have complete mailing addresses, phone numbers, Legion ID #, and would certainly appreciate having the officer's email address if one is available. All Post Officers who are being certified must be members in good standing - this means they must have already paid their 2006 membership dues. If any of this information is missing, including the payment of the 2006 membership dues, your officers WILL NOT be certified.

Five South Dakota Legionnaires have been called in to American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis, IN to attend the 2006 Spring Meetings of the national organization during the period May 7-11, 2006.

Those receiving official call-ins include: NEC Paul Evenson of Sioux Falls (member of the Garretson Post), member of the National Executive Committee and the Child Welfare Foundation; Alt NEC Larry Price of Redfield, Vice Chairman of the National Americanism Commission; Glenn Green of Pierre (member of the Lake Preston Post), member of the National Convention Commission; Darrell Haskell of Aberdeen (member of the Conde Post), member of the National Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission; and Ron Tolrud of White, member of the National Children and Youth Commission.

UP TO NOW!