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. 2909 November 2, 2005
NOVEMBER 11TH IS VETERANS DAY
November 11th is Veterans Day. This day must be especially important to members of The American Legion, The American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of The American Legion. All members of The American Legion Family are encouraged to find time in your busy personal lives to participate in or attend the local Veterans Day observance in your local community.
This year it is extremely important that we again remember that we are a nation at war. It is equally important that we remember that we are members of The American Legion and that our great organization adopted a monumental resolution at our most recent convention – that resolution is Resolution 169.
Resolution 169, passed at the 87th National Convention of The American Legion in Honolulu, Hawaii, called for The American Legion to “fully support the President of the United States, the United States Congress and the men, women and leadership of our armed forces as they engage in the global war on terrorism.”
Resolution 169 further “urged all Americans and freedom-loving peoples everywhere to stand united in their support of the global war on terrorism, and united in their support of the troops who are engaged in protecting our values and way of life.”
This resolution is a definitive expression of The American Legion’s support for the war and the warrior alike, for they are inseparable. God bless America and God bless our troops.
HONOR A HERO – BE A HERO
The following Executive Proclamation has been issued by South Dakota Governor M. Michael Rounds:
Whereas, A constant supply of blood is necessary for communities to meet the needs of their immediate area; and
Whereas, Blood must be readily available in the event of a medical crisis or man-made or natural disaster; and
Whereas, Eligible blood donors can have a significant lifesaving impact because each pint of donated blood may help to save up to three lives; and
Whereas, Every two seconds someone in America needs blood and United Blood Services must collect enough blood each day to meet the needs of area hospitals; and
Whereas, National Guard and military personnel are loyal donors, many of who are now deployed and unavailable for donations, so we ask civilians to step up to replace the blood normally donated by these soldiers; and
Whereas, South Dakota residents are encouraged to donate blood in honor of veterans who have served or are serving in the armed forces; and
Now, Therefore, I, M. Michael Rounds, Governor of the state of South Dakota, do hereby proclaim November 2005 as
HONOR A HERO – BE A HERO
in South Dakota.
The American Legion Department of South Dakota has teamed with United Blood Services to promote this need for new sources of blood to replace that which has been lost due to deployed Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.
Enclosed for all recipients of the Up To Now you will find a copy of a flyer that has been prepared for use in your communities to advertise this need for blood. The flyer has a quote from Department Commander Phil Anderson and provides a schedule of the blood drives that will be conducted in several communities in South Dakota.
Additionally, we are working with United Blood Services to attempt to coordinate a blood drive with our MidWinter Conference in Mitchell in January. More information will be provided as it becomes available on this subject.
AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK
November 13-19, 2005 marks the 84th anniversary of American Education Week. The American Legion, a co-founder of American Education Week, has a long-standing interest and commitment to American Education. The American Legion believes a strong education program is important and significant in maintaining American traditions and instilling in our young people a sense of personal obligation and responsibility.
American Education Week should remind each of us that we have a duty and a responsibility to see that our children are prepared to take up the roles of citizens and leaders in the years to come.
Make sure that your Post sponsors some sort of event to mark the 84th anniversary of the founding of American Education Week. Show your community that The American Legion is involved, concerned and dedicated to the education of our youth.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO MEET
Members of the Department Legislative Committee will be meeting in Pierre today to plan for the upcoming 2006 Session of the South Dakota Legislature.
Department Commander Phil Anderson of Piedmont and Chairman Gerald Goetzinger of Martin have issued an official call for the members to attend the annual meeting which is being held at the Pierre American Legion Post Home. Committee members receiving the official call include Don Clarke of Wessington, Bob Miller of Kimball, Larry Madsen of Gettysburg, and Curt Halverson of Rapid City (member of the American Legion Post at Custer). Also attending will be NEC Paul Evenson of Sioux Falls (member of the American Legion Post at Garretson, and Department Legislative Representatives (lobbyists) Department Adjutant Ron Boyd of Watertown, Department Judge Advocate John Dewell of Pierre and Department Service Officer Warren Aas of Watertown (member of the Milbank American Legion Post).
The committee will review the 2005 Legislative Session and review the 2005 Department Convention Proceedings to ensure that all convention mandates requiring legislative action are dealt with during the upcoming session.
The members of the committee are also anticipating hearing updates from Major General Gorman, SD Adjutant General; Dennis Foell, Director of the Division of Veterans Affairs; Larry Wilcox, Superintendent of the Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home in Hot Springs; Deb Helmer, Director of SD Motor Vehicles and Karen Assman, Director of the SD Retail Liquor Dealers, Association.
On the agenda for the meeting are discussions related to the anticipated legislation that will authorize a real veterans’ license plate for South Dakota veterans.
VAVS COMMITTEE TO MEET
Members of the Department Veterans Affairs Volunteer Service (VAVS) Committee will be meeting in Pierre on Thursday, November 3, 2005. Department Commander Phil Anderson and Department VAVS Committee Chairman Clarence Blunck of Platte have issued an official call for the members to attend the annual meeting which is being held at the Pierre American Legion Post Home. Committee members receiving the official call include Gary Warne of Aberdeen, Kerwin P. Douthit of Hot Springs, Don Smith of Clear Lake, LaVaun Holan of Chamberlain, Kenneth VanKekerix of Witten and Ollie Redden of Pierre.
Also this year, for the first time in several years, the Department’s VAVS Hospital Representatives for the VA Medical Facilities and the SD State Veterans Home are being invited to participate in the meetings. The Hospital Representatives include Darwin Wahlert of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls VA Hospital Representative; Larry Rounsevell of Nemo (member of The American Legion Post at Lead), Ft. Meade VA Hospital Representative; and Kerwin P. “PeeWee” Douthit of Hot Springs, VAVS Representative of Hot Springs VA and the State Veterans Home.
The members of the committee will formulate the Department’s VAVS program for the upcoming Christmas holiday season and discuss plans to satisfy some of the needs of the various facilities.
DEPARTMENT HISTORIAN WINS AWARD
The American Legion National Historian Johnny B. Keel has announced that South Dakota has been awarded the First Place Award in the One-Year Department Narrative History Contest. South Dakota American Legion Department Historian Charemon Dunham has received awards for her preparation of South Dakota American Legion history for the past several years. DeSmet Post 138 and Humboldt Post 62 were both awarded Certificates of Participation for their entries in the National level competition.
Additionally, Historian Dunham was elected as Secretary of the National Association of Department Historians of The American Legion at their annual meeting in Indianapolis in October.
Congratulations Charemon on both achievements.
All Posts should be aware that our Award Winning Department Historian will be presenting a breakout session at the 2006 MidWinter Conference in Mitchell. If your Post needs some guidance and direction in preparing a Post History, this will be your opportunity to learn first-hand from an award winner.
SPORTS AWARDS TO BE MADE
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.
SOUTH DAKOTA’S FLAG POLICY
The following flag policy has been copied from the South Dakota State Webpage.
“Flags will only be lowered to half-staff at the direction of the president or governor.
The governor may order flags, including the National flag, to half-staff in the event of the death of a present or former official of state government, territory, or possession of the United States. The governor may also order the state flag to half-staff on any occasion he deems appropriate.
Half-Staff Etiquette:
30 days from day of death for the president or a former president.
10 days from day of death for vice president, U.S. chief justice, retired chief justice, U.S. speaker of the house, governor, former governor.
Day of death until interment for U.S. senator, U.S. representative, state senator, state representative, state supreme court justice, former supreme court justice, lieutenant governor, former lieutenant governor, or former state senator and representative.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
2006 membership stands at 18,268 or 70.22 percent of goal.
The Veterans Day Membership Target date is rapidly approaching. The Post Adjutant’s Administrative and Awards Manual outlines some valuable membership awards that will be presented based on memberships that have been received at State Headquarters in Watertown by the deadline date which is November 16, 2005.
This is the target date for determining who the winners are for the two military swords that Commander Phil Anderson has offered this year. One will be awarded to a name drawn from a list of all members who have paid their 2006 dues by this date and one will be awarded to an individual who has recruited new members for The American Legion. To qualify to have your name in the drawing for paid up members, all you have to do is ensure that your 2006 dues have been paid and transmitted to Watertown by the deadline date. To win the recruiter’s sword, you must have signed up at least one new member or reinstated member and that membership and your name as the recruiter must have been transmitted to Headquarters in Watertown by the deadline date.