Thursday, January 26, 2012

NATIONAL COMMANDER HOMECOMING



Greetings,

The attached information was mailed out to the entire American Legion family on Wednesday and you may have received it already or will soon receive it. It is all of the information you will need to make reservations for National Commander Fang A. Wong's Homecoming Celebration May 11 & 12, 2012 in Albany, NY. Please pass this information along to others that may be interested in attending this great event honoring our National Commander.


Because of limited capacity for housing and all events, I urge you and your friends to make reservations early and no later than April 1, 2012.


I look forward to seeing you at this event which promises to be the highlight of our American Legion year.


"We Serve With P.R.I.D.E.!"


Bob Morrill

Campaign Chairman

*************************

Robert L. Morrill  PDC
The American Legion
Department of New York
112 State Street Suite 1300
Albany, New York 12207

Phone:
518-463-2215 ext. 19
Fax: 518-427-8443
E-mail: robert@nylegion.org
Cell Phone: 518-469-9970

**************************

3 attachments — Download all attachments  
NEW YORK GENERAL HOMECOMING DINNER INVITE .docNEW YORK GENERAL HOMECOMING DINNER INVITE .doc
82K   View   Download  
FANG NY HOMECOMING HOUSING FORM .DOCFANG NY HOMECOMING HOUSING FORM .DOC
38K   View   Download  
EVENT REGISTRATION FORM.docEVENT REGISTRATION FORM.doc
246K   View   Download  

Friday, January 6, 2012

AMERICANISM / CHILDREN and YOUTH REPORT


Weekly Report to the National Commander
January 6, 2012
Jill Druskis, Director – (317) 630-1203



Children & Youth
“April is Children & Youth Month.”  Now is the time to begin planning your posts activities to benefit children during April.  For more information contact the Americanism and Children & Youth Division at ACY@legion.org.

Family Support Network
The American Legion’s Family Support Network stands ready to assist those families affected by activation and deployments in support of the Global War on Terror. Families and military personnel can contact the Family Support Network in one of two ways: the toll-free national hotline 1-800-504-4098 or by completing the electronic application located at http://www.legion.org/fsn.  The National Headquarters of The American Legion received 2,158 requests during 2011.   

Oratorical
Department oratorical contests begin Thursday, January 5, 2012.  These contests will culminate by determining which one single contestant will proudly represent each department at the 75th Oratorical Contest National Finals in Indianapolis on April 13-15, 2012. 

Junior Shooting Sports Program
The deadline to order target sets for the 2012 American Legion Junior Shooting Sports National Tournament is January 10, 2012.  Fired target sets must then be returned by February 1, 2012. 

American Legion Baseball
Online registration for the 2012 American Legion baseball season began on January 1st, signaling the start of this new season that will conclude in August at the ALB World Series in Shelby, North Carolina.

The ACY baseball staff is attending the annual American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) conference in Anaheim, California, from January 5th – 8th for information gathering and sharing.  An American Legion baseball information booth will be staffed by several American Legion baseball coaches also attending from across the nation.

On January 7th while in Anaheim, the ACY baseball staff is attending a USA Baseball youth committee meeting, followed by attendance to a USA Baseball Board of Directors meeting on January 8th. 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 



INTERNAL AFFAIRS WEEKLY STATUS INPUT
Jack Querfeld, Director, Internal Affairs
(317) 630-1330
January 5, 2012

Membership
The current 2012 membership total is 1,695,520, which is 81% of the 2012 goal. Next target date is January 19th (80%).

DMS Program
The following is the status of the DMS program for the 2012 Membership Year:
The second mailing campaign of the 2012 Membership Year was completed on November 11, 2011. 
Current DMS Acquires:        Prospects    120,466 (81%)
                                                Expires           28,603 (19%)
                                              TOTAL            149,069
2012 Goal---  210,000         % of Goal--    70.98%

The third and last DMS mailing be will mailed in late January- tentative drop date 1/27/12
Current Renewal Rate for 2011 DMS Members—44.01% (95,437 of 216,823 new 2011 members)

On-Line Renewal Activity
2012 Membership Year On-Line Renewals (since 7/1/11) --   120,750. Of that number 55% are DMS acquired and the remaining 45% is traditional. Interesting fact is that 36% are three year and less members with 74% being DMS and the remaining 26% traditional of that cohort of members.

National Emergency Fund
Between December 21-January 5, 2012, 28 applications have been processed totaling $20,000.

Sons of The American Legion

The Sons of The American Legion membership for 2012 currently stands at 189,621 members or 54.4 % on January 5, 2012.  At present, the Sons are running 4,650 members ahead of this same date last year. The second Sons membership renewal postcard mailing will be made later in January subsequent to the January membership target date.  We expect to mail approximately 95,000 postcards for this mailing. The next Sons membership target date is January 19th, which will be the 60% membership goal

Over 304,000 plus SAL National Update newsletters have been mailed just prior to Christmas and is being received by Sons members this past week.  The SAL web site (www.legion.org/sons) is up and running.  Modifications and the posting of articles of information are being made daily.

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION
January 7, 2012

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

 

Weekly Report to National Commander

Joe March, Director

(317) 630-1253; Cellular: (317) 748-1926

1.       Video Streaming
          Public relations A/V has received new TriCaster hardware designed to facilitate future Internet streaming projects. In addition to those events which streamed live last year, 2012 events will also include the Spring and Fall meetings at National Headquarters.

2.       2012 Commander’s PR Award
          Recipient has accepted and is gratified to receive the award in Washington Feb. 29.  Will be sending video, photos and promotional kit in advance.

3.       Operation Comfort Warriors
As of today, $750, 773 has been raised for Operation Comfort Warriors since its inception in December 2008.  More than $550,000 has been spent or committed to purchases to improve the morale, welfare and recreation of wounded, injured or ill warriors. Next week, PR staff will be visiting wounded warriors and distributing donations at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the Department of Washington. Included in the donations are Amazon giftcards for each of the wounded warriors, air rifle equipment, bicycles, yoga equipment and golf carts to transport outpatients from the barracks to the medical center.


Breaking Stories During the Week:
·         The Philadelphia Inquirer published a piece by Catharine Hill, president of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., titled, “Colleges owe much to veterans.”  She wrote, “If we commit to working together to identify a pool of veteran candidates and place them in the most appropriate schools, perhaps we can do our part to pay our debt to the young men and women who have borne the burden of the United States' wars.”

·         In a national wire story headlined, “Panetta: Smaller military means extra risk,” reporter Robert Burns of the Associated Press wrote, “President Barack Obama vowed Thursday the United States will maintain the best-equipped military in history despite deep and looming defense budget cuts, but Pentagon leaders acknowledged the changes present additional risk.”


·         National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized as of September 13, 2011-- This week the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard announced a decrease in activated reservists. The net collective result is 1,312 fewer reservists activated than last week. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease.  The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 66,218; Navy Reserve, 4,410; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 9,683; Marine Corps Reserve, 5,141, and the Coast Guard Reserve, 761.  This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 86,213, including both units and individual augmentees.


PLEASE NOTE - - -

CORRECTION TO LAST POST:


I've been informed that the following is true. 


To all, if you check Snopes you will find that only a Commissioned Officer can use "The President of the United States" in the presentation. If there is not a commissioned officer doing the presentation, then "the Secretary of Defense " is used.

ON BEHALF OF . . . . .

  

If the American people are stupid enough to re-elect this clown, then they deserve what they will get.  
 Today I was incensed at the conclusion of a traditional Serbian-Orthodox funeral for my beloved 85 year old uncle, Daniel Martich,  who proudly served in the US Army during The Korean Conflict. 
 
During the committal service at a Pittsburgh cemetery the local military detachment performed their ritual, then folded and presented the American Flag to my aunt. 
 
As I'm sure you have witnessed during military funerals, a soldier bends to one knee and recites a scripted message to a surviving relative that begins "On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, I wish to present you with this flag in appreciation for your husband's service." However, today the dialogue was "On behalf of the Secretary of Defense and a grateful nation..." After the service I approached the soldier who presented the flag to my aunt to inquire about the change in language. 
 
His response was "The White House notified all military funeral service detachments to immediately 'remove 'the President' and insert 'the Secretary of Defense'".
I couldn't believe what I heard and the soldier smiled and said "You can draw your own conclusion sir but that was the order."
 
He, too, was ashamed of what he was required to say.
This president has taken off the gloves. 
 
My only response to this endless cesspool of Anti-American rhetoric dripping from his mouth is to borrow a phrase (with one minor change) uttered by another temporary Washington resident living in government housing:  "Today for the first time in my adult life I was ASHAMED of my country."
 
I did not serve in the military but my love of country parallels that of people like my late uncle who bled Red, White and Blue. 
 
As a second generation Serbian-American who's heritage produced many patriotic military men and women who fought for freedom both in The United States as well as in the former Yugoslavia (most recently in Kosovo against the slaughter of Serbs by Muslim extremists), I implore you to make the American people aware of this little-known or, at least, publicly acknowledged fact.
May God Bless you and your family during these difficult times. 
 
Your voice of reason is a welcome change from the insanity plastered across the country by the liberal media.
 
Keep up the great work and thank you for your service to our country.
 

Thursday, January 5, 2012

BY THE NUMBERS


The American Legion:
By the numbers
The American Legion - September 6, 2011

New Mexico American Legion Riders brought items purchased
through Operation Comfort Warriors to wounded warriors – 
just one of dozens of ways Legionnaires are making an impact
across the country. U.S. Army photo

 
Approximately 60 percent of American Legion posts submit annual reports to National Headquarters quantifying local activities that support the organization's mission and values. Across the country and beyond, the Legion helps hundreds of thousands of veterans, military families, schools and young people. The report presents that involvement in terms of dollars raised, volunteer hours put in, events coordinated and people affected.

A snapshot of that activity appears in the 2011 Consolidated Post Report, recently summarized by the Legion's Internal Affairs Division. "Every year, this report shows just how important The American Legion family is to local communities," immediate Past American Legion National Commander Jimmie L. Foster said. "Even with only 60 percent of posts reporting, it's a very impressive set of numbers."

American Legion posts are encouraged to submit their Consolidated Post Reports online using myLegion.org. Paper report forms are mailed annually to departments' headquarters and distributed to local posts for completion.

 Highlights of the 2011 American Legion Consolidated Post Report include: 

• 3,899,125: Hours of community service performed by post members

• $4,249,713: Money spent performing community service by American Legion posts

• 159,187: Number of veterans benefits cases handled by American Legion post service officers

• $2,319,797: Money spent by posts providing emergency aid in their communities

• 968,233: Volunteer hours Legionnaires spent providing emergency aid

• $208,486: Money raised locally for the National Emergency Fund, which provides cash grants to veteran and military families who have suffered hardship due to a natural disaster

• $1,953,108: Dollars raised by local posts for VA hospitals

• 34,621: Number of Legionnaires who are registered in VA Volunteer Services

• 830: Number of local Heroes to Hometowns coordinators, who assist wounded warriors and newly discharged veterans as they adjust to civilian life

• 3,619: Number of veterans placed in jobs with help from the Legion

• 811: Number of veteran job fairs with local post involvement

• 80,097: Number of pints of blood donated by 45,457 Legionnaires

• 7,209: Number of ROTC medals presented by Legionnaires

• 21,074: Number of school medals presented to students by local posts

• 109,475: Number of funeral honors provided by local Legion posts for veterans and military personnel 

• 16,105: Number of American Legion Boys State participants sponsored by Legion posts at a cost of $3,059,628

• $1,037,926: Local donations to The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund, to help the children of military personnel killed on duty after 9/11

• 314: Number of citizenship and naturalization activities conducted by local Legion posts nationwide

• 2,058: Number of local posts with websites

• 2,786: Number of local posts with publications

• 47,508: Number of youths participating in Legion-sponsored Scouting units at a cost of $1,833,442

• 3,599: Number of competitors participating in local American Legion Oratorical contests

• 13,934: Number of college scholarships granted by local American Legion posts at a cost of 
$4,039,834

• 875: Number of posts that have Vets in the Classroom programs

• 39,048: Number of U.S. flag presentations by Legion posts

• 1,464: Number of local Legion events to recognize the anniversary of 9/11

• 4,401: Number of posts with local Flag Day activities

• 6,899: Number of posts with local Veterans Day activities

• 7,317: Number of posts with local Memorial Day activities

• 1,506: Number of posts with local Get Out the Vote programs to encourage registration and participation in the electoral process

• 2,272: Number of American Legion Baseball teams sponsored at a cost of $5,989,272.

• 6,943: Number of participants in post-sponsored Junior Shooting Sports clubs at a cost of $245,030

• 719: Number of posts with Family Support Network programs, which help military families during the deployment of a parent

• $211,946: Money donated locally for the Family Support Network

• $288,949: Money donated locally for the Legion's Temporary Financial Assistance program, which helps military and veteran families with minor children at home

• $202,486: Money donated by local posts to help children's hospitals

• 8,334: Number of American Legion posts submitting Consolidated Post Reports in 2011

• 13,807: Number of American Legion posts worldwide

 EDITOR'S NOTE: This is with ONLY 60% of Posts reporting! What would it be with 75% or 80% or more reporting??? Did your Post send its report last year? Why not? It is the Post Commander's responsibility to see that this is done EVERY year!