February 2012
Commander's Comments -
Hope this finds you well and your New Year’s wishes are coming true. We have started planning for our Post home and Charter birthdays. Hard to believe they will be 70 & 80 years old. If you have anything or would like to help with the celebration in June or July let me know.
Ready for a party? Come down to our annual Super Bowl party and pot luck Feb 5. Even if you are not a football fan the food is worth coming by for. Soon afterwards on Feb 21 we are having our Marti Gras party.
The 22nd district commander Bob Juers attended our last meeting along with our Unit president Amy Moser. It's always a pleasure having guests attend. At the same meeting Jim Crowley was approved and installed as a E board member. Jim has already volunteered to restart or Children's Christmas party with the help of Billy Wetzell.
The Unknown Cooks will be making their famous Pork Roast Dinner the 25th. This is one not to miss!!! The SAL has moved their breakfast from the 19th to the 26th this month. I will be cooking a regular breakfast on the 19th.
They’re here! Our new license plates have arrived with all four symbols on them. Not many Posts have all four of them. They are in the club for $5.00.
Bill Hicks, Commander
1ST Vice Commander's Report -
I want to wish all of my members a Happy New Year. Then I will give you the bad news. As of 31 Dec. 2011 your membership dues are past due. Your 2011 Card will be welcome at the American Legion until May 2012 but not at the club or bar because the ABC’s year runs from 1 Jan until 31 Dec 2011.
Be sure to start carrying your card as the bartenders will be asking for you card. And PLEASE don’t give them a hard time, it is not their rules it is the ABC’s. You can pay the bartenders or Bill Hicks, the commander, and they will give you a receipt that you can use that until I get you your new card. I will be out of town part of January so that’s why you should pay at the Legion so you can get a receipt.
Shirley Reeves, 1st Vice Commander
2nd Vice Commander's Report -
Everything ok but need help from auxiliary and SALs for pot luck dinner February 5th Super Bowl Sunday. Sign-up sheet will be behind the bar. Thank you.
Bob Wilson, 2nd Vice Commander
Chaplain's Report -
Four Chaplains Sunday
Early on the morning of February 3, 1943 the troop transport “Dorchester” with 900 US troops on board was lost off Greenland to a German torpedo. In the dark moments of panic 4 chaplains led the men to boxes of life jackets. When the boxes were empty the four chaplains slipped off their life preservers and put them on four young GI’s. The Dorchester went down 25 minutes later with a loss of some 600 men, but the heroic chaplains saved over 200. They stayed with the ship, arms linked in prayer to the one God they all served.
God bless this nation, “For God and Country”, Now go out and be a patriot! Help out at our Post! Make a difference in our community.
Lowell Grimaud, Chaplain
Adjutant's Report -
1-11-12
6:30
REGULAR MEETING
Quorum present.
Minutes as posted accepted.
Mario Martinez, US Marines and Mariano Ramirez, US Marines, accepted as new members,
Financial report as posted accepted.
Motion to have Children’s Christmas Party this year with Jim Crowley volunteering to handle planning and fund raising was passed.
Motion to accept Jim Crowley appointed as E-Board member by acclimation was passed and Jim Crowley was then sworn in as new E-Board member.
Bartenders will be advised that effective 1-11-12, Jaylynn Lansky is no longer allowed on the Post premises and they will be provided a letter, from the Commander, which they may present to her in the event that she returns to the Post.
Amy Moser, Auxiliary President, advised the Auxiliary has formed two committees to help support and encourage the Bingo Program to continue as a viable and profitable operation.
The New Years Eve party by the group from Cardiff has generated several new membership applications.
Planning is to continue for a combined seventieth and eightieth birthday celebration for the Post in June or July this year.
Meeting adjourned 7:12 P.M.
Darrel Hill, Adjutant
SAL NEWS
SAL Adjutant's Report -
We, the Sons of The American Legion at Squadron 416, welcomed in the New Year and performed our duties for the month of January. Our 1st Saturday Fried Chicken dinner was delicious and we sold out. The Sons were proud to assist the Ladies Auxiliary with their dinner the following weekend, accompanied by the music of the very talented Hilltop Ramblers to a packed house at the Post. Our January SAL Corned Beef Hash breakfast (each 3rd Sunday) was also successful and once again sold out.
Please note that the SAL breakfast in February will be one week later (Feb 26) due to an international trip by our chief chef and 2nd Vice Commander, Scott Caesar.
The Sons will serve the 1st Saturday dinner in February on the 4th: Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Collard Greens with Ham, Cookies for Desert. We will assist the Legion with the 3rd Saturday dinner on the 18th as well.
Membership renewals and new sign-ups for the 2012 membership year are 2.3 times what
they were at this time last year including 13 new members.
Our regular meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7p.m.
We will gratefully continue our efforts to Preserve and Promote.
Scott Bernin, Adjutant
AUXILIARY NEWS
President's Report -
What a great start to the New Year. Connielou’s lasagna dinner with help from Mary Yakel, Barbara Nommesen, and Mom Louise, kicked off the Auxiliary dinners in January. In February, we look forward to dinner by Kimberly St. John and Steve Scholfield -- savory beef stew with all the trimmings. We hope that Auxiliary members will continue to support our dinners (2nd Saturday of every month).
Come to hear 2 exciting speakers at our February meeting (Feb. 7th). Karen Archipley, one of the founders of the VSAT program, will give us a first-hand account of the training program that that is launching vets into new professions in hydroponic gardening. We will also be welcoming the Marine who we are sponsoring from the proceeds from our Fall Golf Tournament. Come and hear how Shaun Fudge’s training is going. He is soon to depart the Marines and will return to Ohio where he owns 3 acres of land, enough to start a gardening business.
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) will be celebrated on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, so join us with costumes and beads starting at 6 pm. We’ll have music and free Cajun snacks. Our “opportunity prizes” will raise money for a new sound system for the Post. Come and join us. Open to the public.
Please send wishes to Mary Culhane who will be undergoing knee replacement surgery and Nancy Crowley who is still recuperating from hers. Thanks go out to Jamie Crowley for filling in for Nancy as secretary at the January meeting.
We have created 2 committees that will be dedicated to helping Bingo with more players and volunteers. These committees will focus on publicity and getting people out to play. Some creative ideas have already surfaced. Remember it’s Bingo that has been providing an annual revenue stream of $6,000 that funds the costs of our bigger programs like Girls State, VA Home projects, Stand Down, student scholarships, and $4,800 toward the upkeep of the Post.
We are excited about a few new faces who have indicated an interest in getting involved. If you read this message and want to become involved in our myriad of projects, please contact me. Join us in “making a difference”.
Amy Moser, President
1st Vice President's Report -
It's that time of the year again when delinquent notices will come out from National Headquarters for those of you that haven't paid your dues to this Unit. The delinquency date is 12/31/11. Let's get all dues taken care of ASAP so we can meet our 100% goal before February. The membership year is winding down and we still have lots to do. The Department of California starts preparing to close their books between March and April to prepare for the next membership year. If your dues are not paid, you may not show up on the next year's roster. Please keep your membership going-it is so important. Without the benefit of what our Unit can keep out of the dues, it would be harder to fund some of our programs and without the programs we are not helping our Veterans or our community. That is what the Auxiliary is all about. Please send your dues to me ($25) - 216 Barbara Ave., Solana Beach CA 92075 and I will send your 2012 card.
I need to hear from the following members-please call me at 858-481-9518:
Colleen Collazo, Jane Coulter, Isela Cowen, Lisa Dugger, Maureen Dupont, Debora Greene, April Hagata, Maria Hughes, Alexandra Lawrence, MaryLou Mock, Mary Nelsen, Tina Nelson, Kristen Rock, Melody Sanderson (junior), Norma Sloane, Carolyn Vincent, Royetta Wallace, and Lula West.
I would like to welcome our new Auxiliary member, Marybeth Barker. I hope to see her at our next meeting, February 7th and we can all greet her and welcome her into the fold.
Happy Valentine's Day,
Roxene McGrory, 1st Vice and Membership
2nd Vice President's Report -
Julie Glinski, 2nd Vice President
Auxiliary Secretary's Report -
Merry Culhane, Secretary
Auxiliary Chaplain's Report -
Anne Cassidy, Chaplain
MISCELLANEOUS
Avenue of Flags Dedication at Miramar National Cemetery
The newest feature of the Miramar National Cemetery – an Avenue of Flags – will be dedicated in a ribbon-cutting and flag-raising ceremony at 12 noon, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. All veterans and members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony. Click HERE for more information.
American flags on the 50 flagpoles placed along the cemetery’s main road will be hoisted simultaneously during the ceremony. Officers representing each of the five military services will join North County Supervisor in the flag-raising ceremony. Veterans and members of the public are invited to tour cemetery grounds following the ceremony.
February 2012 Calendar
