Piedmont Valley American Legion Post #311 in Piedmont has endorsed Rod Martens for the office of Area Vice Commander for Districts 10, 11 and 12.

Sioux Falls American Legion Post #15 in Sioux Falls has endorsed G. D. "Hoot" Gibson for re-election to the office of Department Master-At-Arms.

State Commander Wayne "Red" Vetter has announced the appointment of Kerwin P. "PeeWee" Douthit of Hot Springs as the VAVS Hospital Representative for the Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home and the Hot Springs VA Medical Center.

The South Dakota American Legion Boys State Corporation and Board of Directors established criteria and developed plans for the 2004 session of South Dakota American Legion Boys State at their most recent meeting in Mitchell.

The decision was made to leave the registration fee to sponsor a delegate to Boys State during the 2004 session at the same price as the fee for the 2003 session. The fee, which will be unchanged for the 2004 session, is $115 per delegate.

State Headquarters will close at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 24 and reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, December 29 for the Christmas holiday.

State Headquarters will close at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 31, 2003, and reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 5, 2004 for the New Year holiday.

This is a reminder that January 1, 2004 is the deadline for submitting applications for educational loans from the South Dakota American Legion Educational Loan Fund. Due to the holiday closing of State Headquarters for New Years, loan applications received on Monday, January 5, 2004 will be accepted. The program has two deadlines each year for the submission of applications: January 1 and July 1.

Loans of up to $1,500 per person, per academic year are available and will be granted on the basis of need and prospective best use of training sought, as determined by the educational Loan Committee. It is provided further that no one person may borrow in excess of $3,000 from the Educational Loan Fund. The loans draw 3% interest on the unpaid balance. Repayment commences 90 days after graduation or withdrawal from school.

The loan applicant must be a veteran who is eligible to belong to The American Legion, or the child of a veteran who is eligible to belong to The American Legion. The applicant or the parent do not have to belong to The American Legion.

Loan applications can be obtained from State Headquarters in Watertown. Completed applications must be signed by the local Post Commander or other Post official and must be submitted to the Secretary of The South Dakota American Legion Educational Loan Committee at State Headquarters, PO Box 67, Watertown, SD 57201.

Posts are reminded that those interested in hosting the 2004 sporting events for The South Dakota American Legion have until Thursday, January 15, 2004 to submit invitations to State Headquarters.

The State Bowing Tournament will be held during three or four weekends in March and/or April, 2005.

The State Golf Tournament will be either the third or fourth weekend in June, 2005.

Tentative dates for the Class "B" State Baseball Tournament are July 27-31, 2005.

Tentative dates for The South Dakota American Legion State Championship Baseball Tournament are August 3-7, 2005.

To ensure that participating baseball teams take home some money to help defray expenses, the State Athletic Commission requires that bidders for the baseball tournaments guarantee a split of $2,500 in the State "B" Tournament and $7,500 in the Championship Tournament.

The only membership award associated with the Pearl Harbor Membership Target Date is the County Commanders' Award. This award is presented to the County Commander in each of four goal-size groups that has enrolled the highest percentage of assigned membership for 2004 by Pearl Harbor Day. This year's award recipients are:

• 15-199 Goal-size: Sully County with 126 members vs. 130 goal for 96.92 percent of goal. Sully County Commander is Bob Pierce of Onida.
• 200-349 Goal-size: Faulk County with 236 members vs. 247 goal for 95.55 percent of goal. Faulk County Commander is Larry Lindhorst of Cresbard.
• 350-549 Goal-size: Deuel County with 435 members vs. 459 goal for 94.77 percent of goal. Deuel County Commander is Bob Quail of Brandt.
• 550 and up Goal-size: Kingsbury County with 664 members vs. 720 goal for 92.22 percent of goal. Kingsbury County Commander is James Pekron of De Smet.

In the 15-199 goal-size group, Jones County Commander Gene Cressy of Murdo was in second place with 94.83 percent. Custer County Commander Larry Schulte of Hermosa was in second place in the 200-349 goal-size group with 91.35 percent. In the 350-549 goal-size group, Meade County Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont was in second place with 94.29 percent of goal. And, in the 550 and larger goal-size group, Brown County Commander Rich Kezar of Aberdeen came in second with 89.34 percent of goal. The awards will be presented February 7, 2003 during the annual Midwinter Conference at Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma.

The South Dakota Legislature will convene on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 in Pierre.

All Up To Now recipients should watch for the bi-weekly reports, "From Pierre", by Legislative Representatives Ron Boyd of Watertown and John Dewell of Pierre. They will team up, again this year, to serve as the Department's Legislative Lobbyists to cover the 2004 legislative session in Pierre.

The main part of the 35-day-session, will end on Saturday, February 28, 2004. Following a two-week recess, legislators will return to the Capital City on Monday, March 15, 2004, to consider any vetoes by the governor, plus any unfinished business.

The American Legion's Annual Legislative Reception will be held at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 29, 2004 at the Pierre American Legion Post #8 Log Cabin. This reception is open to all Legionnaires, SAL and Auxiliary members and their spouses. Why not get a carload of Legion Family members from your community and come to Pierre on January 29^th to visit with your legislative representatives.

National Commander John Brieden of Texas will be the guest speaker at the 2004 Midwinter Conference which will be held at the Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma, February 6-8, 2004.

The schedule of events will be similar to last year's conference. That schedule is as follows:

10:00 AM Administrative Committee

12:00 Noon Registration Desk Opens

1:00 PM Executive Committee

6:00 PM Go-Getters Reception

6:30 PM Go-Getters Smorgasbord

8:00 AM Registration Desk Opens

8:30 AM Joint Opening Session

State Veterans Home and C&Y

10:30 AM Membership Panel Discussion

10:30 AM SAL

12:00 Noon Lunch

1:15 PM Breakout Sessions

Americanism

Post Historians

VA&R - Post Service Officers

Post Adjutants

2:45 PM Breakout Sessions

Americanism

Post Historians

VA&R - Post Service Officers

How to write a resolution

4:00 PM Membership Awards

6:00 PM Social Hour/ No Host Cocktails

7:00 PM Joint Legion/Auxiliary Banquet

8:30 AM Legion Family Memorial Service

The Department's Post by Post membership statistics for the Pearl Harbor membership target date are enclosed to all recipients of this Up To Now!

The Headquarters Hotel for the South Dakota American Legion Midwinter conference will be the Cedar Shore Resort, located on Shoreline Drive in Oacoma.

Additional lodging facilities in the Chamberlain/Oacoma area which may be considered by those wishing to attend the Midwinter Conference who do not yet have reservations would include the following:

          605-734-6548                                       605-734-5591

Steve Robertson, National Legislative Director for The American Legion, will be making numerous stops across South Dakota between December 17 and December 31. Robertson will be meeting with American Legion leaders as well as leaders of other civic, fraternal and veterans organizations who are members of the Citizens Flag Alliance. The purpose of the meetings is to develop short-range and long-range grassroots strategies for local communities to constructively promote Senate Joint Resolution 4 (S.J. Res. 4), a proposed constitutional amendment in the United States Senate. S.J. Res. 4 reads: The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.

These meetings are not intended to be public forums. The audience should be limited to those persons invited by Mr. Robertson and leaders of other civic, fraternal and veterans organizations within the local communities who's organizations are members of the Citizens Flag Alliance. Questions and or comments related to these meetings can be addressed to State Headquarters in Watertown.

The following individuals are the most recent winners of Commander Vetter’s New Membership Recruiting Incentive $50 Savings Bonds:

George Quillin of Kennebec-Reliance Post #179– December 5th winner.

Ron Kazmierczak of Hill City Post #160– December 12th winner.

The winner of the Pearl Harbor Day Membership Target Date $200 Savings Bond Drawing from all 2004 paid members is Gary Heitz of Kimball Post #130.

2004 membership stands at 23,113 or 86.84 percent of the Department membership goal for 2004.