Newsletter - February 2008

“FOR GOD AND COUNTRY”
Veterans Serving America
Since 1919

Paul Stewart Irwin Post 136 Monthly Newsletter –Feb. 2008

http://www.al136.com/

American Legion Family:

Four Chaplains Ceremony was held at the Post this past Tuesday, Feb. 5. I mention this only to tell everyone, if you have never seen this before, it was a short, but one of the most impressive honor ceremonies I have seen. If you ever get the chance to see it, do not let the opportunity slip away. Thank you Rose for setting this up.

Post Officer Elections at March 3 General Meeting:

Post officer elections have been moved up to March this year. Nominations, elections and installation will take place. I understand it is easier to not participate in the process and complain afterward, but it is not the preferred way. Below are the known candidates. If you do not agree with the choices, there is a month left to step up or offer a nominee. In any event, please vote!

Commander-Rick Babinger (dependent on other qualified candidate wishing to run)

1st Vice: Open
2nd Vice: Open (both Vice Commander positions can be combined as one)
Adjutant-Terry Knight
Finance Officer: Richard Carpenter
Chaplain: Ron Herndon
Sgt. at Arms: Andy Webb
Historian: Terri Thornton
Service Officer: Tom Knight
2 At Large E-board-Presently held by Leroy Perkins & John Miranda-do not have confirmation of intent.

An open BOG position will also be nominated and moved on.

Your Post 136 will host THE 5th District Star Party, on Saturday, March 8th. Social hour will begin at 5:00 pm. Those receiving a silver or gold star will be notified by mail and the meal will be free.

Facility update: I will not list all the improvements that have taken place in the bar/lounge area this past month. It only takes a glance to see the before/after changes. The important thing is this:

1) While we understand not everyone agrees with the improvements, they are necessary to accommodate membership and recruit the next generation of Legionnaires.

2) There are a lot more improvements to come. Better ventilation, lighting, seating, tables, bar efficiency are in the plans.

3) None of these facility changes have been made in a vacuum. We have BOG meetings which are open to membership, E-board meetings which are open to membership, monthly membership meetings (do I have to state they are open to membership), newsletters, bulletin boards, and general chitchat all the time. If things are happening, and you feel you are left in the dark, I’ve just given a subtle hint as to how you can keep up.

Membership and recruiting: We had a great discussion at the meeting concerning this subject. We are no longer in a position to just sit back and expect new members to come to us. A few ideas were acted upon.

1) Money was approved for postage to send a letter to our members that do not have e-mail. The letter is to tell our story and explain the changes over the past two years. Many have not attended post functions because of smoke and that is just one of the updates we need to get out to all members.
2) See attached flyer: The purpose is to have you, our membership, print the flyer and make a few copies. More copies will be at the post. If you see a veterans tag on a car, put one on the windshield. If you have a bulletin board at work, put one up. We need to let people beyond Mulvane know we are here and what we stand for.
3) We are looking into the possibility of taking the same flyer and having it stuffed in local papers for maximum exposure.
4) Reaching out to National Guard units. Plans are being looked at to occasionally go to the troops and deliver lunch, invite them here for a Sat. cookout, etc. In all cases we would have American Legion brochures and applications with us.
5) Auxiliary and SAL push. If you are a male member of the Legion, your spouse is eligible for the Auxiliary. Why not get her signed up? If you know of someone that had a veteran family member, they may be eligible for the SAL. Our own members are an untapped recourse for new members just by getting their family members to join.

Membership unity: No, this is not another ‘why don’t you get involved’ discussion. This is about unifying our membership. After becoming Commander two years ago, the first thing I learned was no matter what you do, someone would not like it. The second thing learned, was not to worry too much about the fist thing learned.

One thing I have never figured out though is the perceived division among the different groups that make up our Legion family. Have you ever heard anyone say ‘The Riders are taking over’ or ‘they are bringing the post down’? Do you realize the Riders make up approximately 20% of the eligible voting membership of our post? I have heard we need to try and fill offices with some non-Riders, and yet less than half of our elected officers (not counting at large E-board) are Riders. Why do some people only see Riders when so many of our members give time and money and talent for the betterment of the post? Do people honestly feel they are taking over?

What is it that makes members feel when there are homecomings, VA visits, troop send offs, parties, etc., you are not welcome if you are not a Rider? I need this explained to me so if someone has an answer, let me know.

Now the other side. The Riders (and I include myself) are very good at recruiting other riders into the post, but are not good at recruiting Legionnaires. While it is not a bad thing to join just to become a Rider, it should not be the only reason. How often do we walk through the bar and say hello to every person there in a vest and ignore everyone else? When we sit down for dinner or breakfast, how often do we sit with or spend time talking to other members? This is normal behavior to a point, but it can give the impression only Riders are welcome. Not everyone is guilty of this, but it is prevalent. And finally, how many Riders only show up for a Riders event? Kind of gives the impression it is not important if it’s not a Rider function. No wonder some members see it as a storming of the troops.

One last thing for every group: Why are there not more of our members at social functions, dinners and ceremonies? Holy Crap! Those are fun things.

This will probably irritate some and I will hear about it later, but I refer back to the first paragraph of this section. Lets stop being petty. Not everything goes our way all the time. I found that out early. But no matter what you do, no matter which group you belong to, and no matter how much you participate, we are all members of the American Legion.

Rick Babinger
Commander


Since 1918

If you served during wartime, are a descendent or spouse of a veteran, you may be eligible to join our family, dedicated to serving America.

Mulvane American Legion Post 136
Invites you to visit our home and see what we offer.

American Legion Riders
Sons of the American Legion
Ladies Auxiliary
· Birthplace of the Patriot Guard
· Charter Post of Kansas American Legion Riders
· Newly remodeled and smoke free dining and meeting room
· Bar/Smoking lounge remodeling in process
· Friday dinner and Sunday Breakfast
· Multiple Veterans assistance programs and success stories

Military service builds a common bond-The American Legion continues that bond forever. Duty, Honor, Courage: Legionnaires share that commitment with you.
Mulvane American Legion Post 136
410 SE Louis Blvd
On K-15 across from the grade school
Mulvane, Ks 67110
www.al136.com