2023 1st Quarter Hoosier Legionnaire

IN THIS ISSUE From the District Commanders pages 4-5

WWW.INDIANALEGION.ORG

1st QUARTER 2023

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

Membership Credit Refund

In the spring 2021 Finance Committee meeting, it was decided that something had to be done about the growing post rebate account. This account holds the money for posts when it comes in from national for online payments or overpayments from members that pay their dues online and may have already been paid by their post. Checks were sent out late in July and there was some confusion as to what the checks were for.

Twice a year, any post that has over one hundred dollars in their membership rebate account, will receive a check from the Department. The first check will arrive at the end of January or beginning of February and the second will be after Department Convention before August 1st. In the memo line of the check, it will read Membership Credit Refund.

I hope this clears up any confusion, but if there is ever any question of a check from the department, check the memo line, or call department, we are always happy to assist.

Is It Time To Be Smoke-Free?

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Story by Commander Jim Daube

or years, The American Legion in Indiana has been a beacon of hope for veterans, providing them with a sense of community and camaraderie. Unfortunately, the organization has been hampered by members choosing not to visit posts anymore because of smoking.

Many of the Legion’s posts were filled with smoke, making it difficult for non-smokers to even enter the premises. This leads to canceled memberships, and that is a problem.

It was with this in mind that I’m starting a campaign to recommend all Indiana Legion Posts to go smoke-free. Posts who have gone nonsmoking never look back and never regret their decision. I implore you to consider this option not only for the health of your members but the health of the Legion overall.

At first, many Legion posts across the state hesitated to go non-smoking as they had been used to the atmosphere of smoking and believed that it was a necessary part of keeping Legion members happy. Many post commanders of nonsmoking posts will admit that initially, it was not popular with

the members. Legionnaires would threaten to quit or join a different post. However, those same post commanders will tell you that often, not only did those members stay at their current post, but new members also started attending their post as well. To put it another way, posts did not see a mass exodus of members. Instead, they saw an inflow of new members and the members who had been visiting the post for years, started bringing their families in as well. How incredible is that?

“That’s why we have the majority of our members, is because of the non-smoking policy at our post,” Dave Everett from Post 1919 said. “We started from a smoking post in Greenwood, and branched off to a non-smoking post and many members came with us.”

For posts who have made the often-difficult decision, it has paid off and their membership numbers prove it. I ask again that all Legion posts within the state consider why the Legion was founded over 100 years ago and think about putting the focus back on the health of our veterans, their family members, and our communities.

Homes for our Troops Story by Post Adjutant Kevin Thomasson

PG GENTRUP, 25TH INFANTRY DIVISION VIETNAM, KEVIN THOMASSON, POST ADJUTANT, 9TH DISTRICT VICE COMMANDER, CANDY MILLER, AUXILIARY PRESIDENT, LANNY DELL, SONS OF LEGIONEERS COMMANDER, CHUCK BUTLER, POST COMMANDER, TERRY BUTLER, CHARITY GAMING, SPC BRETT BONDURANT, 25TH INFANTRY DIVISION AFGHANISTAN, MIKE WITTE, CHARITY GAMING.

Supporting Our Veterans

Schmack Em’ Bait & Tackle of Nyona Lake has recently demonstrated its commitment to supporting veterans in need. The fishing store received a message from Indiana Legion Post 210 requesting new or used fishing gear to be donated to the veterans’ home in West Lafayette. The purpose of this request was to provide the veterans with an additional leisure activity in the form of fishing.

The veterans’ home has a lake on property, which provides a perfect setting for fishing. Schmack

Em’ Bait & Tackle was quick to respond to the request, stepping up to donate new fishing gear to the veterans. The store has a deep appreciation for the sacrifices that veterans have made to serve their country and is always looking for ways to support them. This act of kindness was a testament to the store’s commitment to giving back to the community and helping those in need.

It is a reminder that every act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a big difference in the lives of others.

The Floyd Becker American Legion Post 209 in Moores Hill, IN was honored to present a check in the amount of $3,000 to SPC Brett Bondurant for Homes for our Troops. Brett was with the 25th Infantry Division in Afghanistan where he was wounded. After his return home, he was one of the first recipients to receive a new home to accommodate his disabilities in the state of Indiana. Brett and his family were able to move into their new home built for our troops in February of 2014.

Homes for our Troops is an organization that builds homes for our disabled veterans throughout the United States. Over 90% of the money donated is used to build homes for our service men and women with disabilities to make living in their own home more comfortable for them and their families.

I would challenge all American Legion posts throughout the United States to look into donating to this program. The only advertising they do is through stories like this one.

Their website is hfotusa.org.

High-Speed Internet for Underserved Posts

Indiana Legion Posts can now apply for grants for highspeed internet through the OCRA Indiana Connectivity Program. This program provides funding for high-speed internet connectivity projects, aimed at improving the quality of life for Indiana residents, especially in rural and

underserved areas.

As the world becomes increasingly digital, access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

High-speed internet can enhance services and provide new opportunities for our members and their families.

The OCRA Indiana connectivity program provides grants to help offset the costs of set-up. The money can be used to pay for the equipment, installation, and ongoing services required to provide high-speed in-

ternet connectivity.

To apply for the grant, a Legion Post must first determine its internet needs, including the number of users, the type of services required, and the cost of installation.

Then, the post must complete a grant application, which includes a detailed description of the project, a budget, and a timeline.

The application must be submitted to the OCRA for review.

Visit in.gov/ocra/ broadband/icp/ to find out how to apply for a grant.

Leading Hoosier Legionnaire Letters jim daube DEPARTMENT commander

Greetings from your Commander.

First of all, I hope everyone survived the Holiday Season, got everything they wanted for Christmas and are off and running into the Happy New Year. First Lady Lois and I want everyone to know that this organization, The Indiana American Legion Family, is awesome. Everywhere we go, and that’s a lot of places, the Hoosier hospitality with old friends and new friends is amazing. Along with the great food, the memories

CHAD WOODBURN department adjutant

Wow, my first year is in the books and I’m still as excited to come to work today as I was on day one to see how I can serve The American Legion, Department of Indiana.

We’ve had some new additions in the office. Cameron Michaels is our new Communications Specialist,

ed trice National Executive Commmittee Chairperson

Greetings American Legion Family!

First of all, I’d like to let you know we considered 25 resolutions at the fall N.E.C. All these resolutions can be reviewed on the National website.

As for our state tour last year, I must say that it was one of the best organized

JEFF EVERMAN RIDERS STATE DIRECTOR

I am honored to be serving my second term as your American Legion Riders State Director. The elected state officers are working hard to educate our members in properly and successfully running a Riders Chapter.

In doing so, we hope that the Riders will become an ever increasing asset to their

Mark Gullion Legislative Chair

The Legislative Committee of the Department of Indiana has undergone serval changes recently that the membership needs to be aware of. One of the biggest changes is that we no longer are part of the Big 4.

The Big 4 consisted of The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (29,000 Indiana members), Disabled American Veterans (18,000 Indiana members), and the National Guard Association (3,500 Indiana members).

This was a very difficult

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will last forever.

Mid-Winter Conference is over and the knowledge that one could get from all the informative meetings and seminars that were presented was nothing but outstanding. You could have learned almost everything you would need to know to run an effective and efficient American Legion post. Not all the committees met during the conference, only the ones that were absolutely necessary. Flag Education and Americanism and Government finalized the fall program. Others that met were preparing for the spring and summer start of those respective programs.

One of the committees that met was the Strategic Planning Committee. This committee consists of the Commander and the mem-

bership chair plus the commission chairs who are in line to become Department Commander, and their prospective membership chairs.

After much discussion about the continual decline in membership, a couple of ideas sprouted. One idea is that all of us, right down to the post level, need to become salespeople. We must recruit and sell to these recruits why we joined this great organization and why we are proud to be Legionnaires. Another idea is that, somehow, the American Legion has gained a reputation that we are just a bar where old veterans go to drink, smoke and tell old war stories. Most of us know this isn’t true, but some communities think otherwise. There are hundreds of thousands of young veterans out there

and we need to see how we can entice them into becoming a part of the American Legion with their families and children. If that means that your post might consider going non-smoking, so be it. Some posts have large enough facilities to accommodate separate rooms, but some do not. Just remember that these veterans stood with their right hands raised and took the same oath we did and signed the same blank check.

There was no general session at Mid-Winter because there is very seldom any business to be conducted or awards to be presented.

Just before the party started, presentations were made to the commander’s project as well as some other programs. All in all, a total of $28,550.00 was donated by

Channa Sweet is our new SAL Membership Coordinator, and Aaron Bacon has moved to Legion Membership Coordinator. Executive Director Josh Marshall has taken on the task of the staff liaison for The Legacy Foundation and will be pushing out new Legacy Foundation information soon! Last, but not least, we have a new veterans service officer Steve Greger.

Recently, I have received a few emails about the department’s stance on CPR training and the usage of Automated External Defibrillators (AED). The department

has no policy or stance on either, but as a retired first responder, and having to use both CPR and an AED more times than I want to remember, I think that CPR training and having an AED handy in a post would be a good thing. There are grants available for businesses to apply for an AED, and more information will be sent out in the next post mailing. If you’re interested in CPR training, your local fire department or hospital can put you in touch with a CPR course. Most courses are not that expensive and only take a few hours to complete. It’s

always better to know how to do CPR and work an AED and not need it, than not know what to do and need to use it.

Let’s all get together and help Commander Daube and Membership Chair Hilligoss have a 100% membership year. We are getting close, but we can’t do it without everyone’s help!

Indiana has the most talented headquarters staff of any department, if you should ever need something, don’t hesitate to call us and you will be put in touch with someone that can help.

ones that I have ever been on. Thanks to Chad and Josh, the tour with National Commander Jim Troiola was a huge success. I have been on 11 tours, and this one stands out.

What a year it has been for Indiana! With Ken Hylton serving as National Vice Commander, Chris serving as National S.A.L. Commander, and Vickie Koutz as National President, I am constantly being asked what Indiana did to achieve such great representation. My reply is always the same, Indiana just has an abundance of great people.

The Indiana Legion always supports the National Commander, and that will be no different for 2023– 2024 leading candidate Dan Seehafer. We are looking forward to his visit during Spring Conference. It is going to be a fantastic opportunity for our current and upcoming leadership to meet with the leading candidate and learn how Indiana Legion can help him succeed.

Finally, I wanted to share a bit about Alternate N.E.C. Kenney Cooper, who is currently on the campaign trail running for my job. Him being a Marine, I support him

100%. When Kenney found out that one of his duties as Alternate was to carry my luggage, he had knee surgery. As a result, I ended up carrying his luggage for a year. I thought I would have some fun and add some extra weight to my luggage in return during my second year, but then he went and had his other leg operated on. Can’t win them all!

I hope this update finds you well. Until next time, take care.

posts and communities.

Last year we published A.L.R. Officers Guides very similar to those used by the other Legion Families. We began holding Riders College classes and have two classes scheduled for 2023.

We are also excited to announce our first-ever, In-State Legacy Run. On July 15, 2023, Riders from across Indiana will be departing from six starting points around the state to raise funds and awareness about the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Foundation. We will be raffling off a custom golf cart to

generate additional funds for this cause. This is a 2002 Jamerson electric golf cart, customized as a Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Edition.

The drawing will be on July 15th, 2023, at American Legion Post 64 in Indianapolis at 6:30 p.m. as part of the conclusion of our 2023 InState Legacy Run. The golf cart will be on display, and tickets will be available for purchase, at the following events: • Riders College on February 26, 2023, at Richmond Post 65, • Indiana Legion Spring Conference, April 13–16,

2023, at Indianapolis Marriott East, • Indiana American Legion Riders State Rally, June 15–18, 2023, • Indiana Legion Convention, July 5–9, 2023, and • Indiana Legacy Run on July 15, 2023, at Indianapolis Post 64.

Your Indiana American Legion Riders are going to be very busy in 2023 making The Department of Indiana more cohesive and productive than ever before.

decision that was made on January 13, 2023, but the American Legion, Department of Indiana, with 65,000 Indiana members, feels that we can, with the Legislative Committee, better serve our members and all Hoosier veterans in our legislative efforts.

We now have two advocates at the Indiana Statehouse working on our behalf. Lisa Wilken of Post 438 and Kent Morgan of Post 276 will only speak on our behalf with the approval of the Legislative Committee after the committee votes electronically on matters the department feels will benefit all veterans of the state of Indiana.

At present, we are advocating against House bill 1034 and Senate bill 279

which, in part, takes away the right to demand a Court Martial by Indiana Guard members which has been part of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for over 200 years. Utilizing all media outlets at our disposal, our voices have been heard in the Military Times and at the Pentagon. By using Voter Voice, over 500 members contacted their Senators in less than 24 hours.

We are currently tracking several bills that relate to Hoosier veterans and will keep you updated on our web page, www.indianalegion.org under the legislative tab. This is different than how the Legislative Committee has operated in the past, but we feel with help, we can have a very successful legislative year.

hoosier legionnaire 1ST quarter 2023

various posts and individuals. A heartfelt thank you too all for your generosity.

The sweepstakes drawing was conducted during the party and congrats to all the winners. A Henry Golden Boy rifle was raffled during the party as a fund raiser for my project. Congratulations to Steve Jacobs from SAL Squadron 189 in Walkerton, IN who was the lucky winner. Another Henry, Military Tribute Edition, will be raffled off at Spring Conference. I hope everyone at Mid-Winter enjoyed the party.

Until we see you again, whether it be in our travels or at the next conference, be safe and promote the American Legion. For God and Country.

Gina Owens Southern VICE COMMANDER

Wow, this year is going fast! I truly enjoy visiting posts and talking with our Legion family members. Indiana has awesome Hoosier hospitality! Hope everyone enjoyed the training conducted at our Mid-Winter Conference in January. All posts and districts hopefully are completing all the “Of the Year” program applications for submission. Commander Daube’s goal is to see 11 district winners on the stage. Please contact your district chairperson for more information.

The American Legion, Department of Indiana second American Legion College is right before Spring conference. This training is beneficial for post and district level Legionnaires and Sons of the American Legion. Apply at indianalegion.org.

Membership -- now is the time for the membership teams at the post and district level to get into higear. Call, email, knock on doors for each member who has not renewed yet.

Also, when out and about, if you see a Veteran, please thank them, talk to them, and who knows, you may have a new member. Our membership goal is 90% by March 1, 2023, and 95% by noon on April 15, 2023. As a team we can meet these goals to support Commander Daube in meeting the Department of Indiana’s membership goal!!

Hope to see you at our Spring Conference!!

twitter@indylegion

Leading Hoosier Legionnaire Letters Ron Byrley

gion mission, our 4 Pillars.

As Commander Daube’s motto is “Better Together,” we are a family. We need the support for the community, state and nation.

Mid-Winter Conference is behind us and had some very good training for all posts.

Congratulations to the 11th District, they had both girl and boy winners for the flag etiquette program with some very good essays.

Enrollment is now open for our American Legion Hoosier Boys State, Girls State and Cadet Law Enforcement programs. Let’s get our enrollment going

and get the students in your community involved in our patriot programs. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Work on the “Of the Year Awards” for our teachers, police officers, firefighters, military and EMS from your community.

Don’t cheat your community by not telling them about or getting them involved in our American Legion programs. This is not only how they get recognition, but also us, as the American Legion. This will help with membership as well.

BE THE ONE is our national program to help pre-

vent suicide. Make yourself available listen to that person and guide them to where they can get help. Let other organizations in your community know about BE THE ONE so we can all help prevent suicide.

In closing, work our programs, membership and BE THE ONE for suicide prevention. Be there for the American Legion in your community.

Let’s have a great upcoming year and remember Commander Daubes project.

canism Commission deals with a wide range of interests, such as American Legion Baseball, Bowling, Golf, National Security/ Foreign Affairs, POW/MIA programs and the Sons of the American Legion. This commission is heavily involved with youth programs – not only through Legion programs but also through the youth programs administered by Sons of the American Legion.

The Children and Youth Commission’s objectives include promoting an understanding of the principles of a democratic government and citizenship, encouraging participation in programs like Hoosier Boys and Girls State and Oratorical contests, advancing patriotism through the Flag Education program at grade schools and encouraging participation in various youth programs, including scouting and Junior

Shooting Sports.

This commission also has committees reporting to it, which include the many Legion scholarship programs; Children and Youth, which coordinates educator awards; Flag Etiquette; and Children’s Education and Welfare, which aims to improve physical, social and mental conditions for all children and to strengthen families.

The department’s Rehabilitation Commission is responsible for the oversight of programs including employment, which helps coordinate job opportunities for veterans; General Hospital, which oversees the Legion Family volunteer efforts at VA medical facilities; a committee to help with efforts regarding homeless veterans; Indiana Veterans’ Home, to help review conditions there and try to fill in the gaps left by government funding short-

falls; Nursing Home, to see to the comfort of veterans in private nursing homes; and Veterans Assistance, to promote resources and care of Indiana’s veterans.

Finally, the Internal Affairs Commission covers areas the other commissions don’t. Its responsibilities include American Legion Riders, Community Involvement, Convention Contests, Firefighter/EMS awards, Legislative which helps our legislative priorities; and Membership to oversee member retention and recruitment efforts.

That’s a lot of programs impacting every aspect of every member of our Legion Family. Those programs are the legacy of the American Legion and its founders. These programs are the reason we have the Legion and should be why we are Legionnaires.

It is hard to believe that the membership year is halfway completed. I am enjoying my travels around the state. I have visited many great posts and met lots of great people. I appreciate the hospitality that I am shown on every visit.

We had 21 posts qualify for the National Post Honor Ribbon by achieving an advance membership (for the year about to begin) equal to or exceeding the Close of Books membership for the year ending by December 31st.

As of Mid-Winter Conference, we are at 78.40% for the Department. We did not meet the National target date goal of 80%. Congratulations to the four districts (6th, 8th, 9th and 10th Districts) that did meet the goal. We also have 19 posts that have met or exceeded 100% of their goal. Congratulations to these posts.

One of the major incentives for this membership year was a chance to win a trip on the Lincoln Pilgrimage for two post commanders and membership chairs.

I am excited to announce that the winners of this contest are: Jasper Post 147 (8th District): Large Post (500 members or more) Orleans Post 69 (9th District): Small Post (fewer

than 500 members) As we continue to work towards achieving our membership goals, we need to make a strong push towards recruiting new members. The only way we will be able to reverse the trend and begin growing our membership is by recruiting new members.

To assist in your recruiting efforts, I would like to remind everyone that we have four fully equipped and functional booths (canopy, banners, TV with looping promotional video and recruiting brochures) available for use by our posts and districts. Two of these booths are maintained at Department Headquarters.

Contact Thad to reserve your dates. One booth is maintained in the southern

part of the State. Contact Southern Vice Commander Ron Byrley to reserve this booth. The final booth is maintained in the northern part of the State. The point of contact for this one is Northern Vice Commander Tom Frederick.

I would once again like to thank the staff at Headquarters for their assistance and support. Channa Sweet has joined the membership team at Headquarters. She is mainly working with the SAL membership team but is also assisting Aaron Bacon with the Legion program. A huge thank you to Aaron for taking over the Legion membership program and continuing to do a great job.

U-boat torpedo struck. In the vast destruction of the war, this event is an example of collateral damage - loss of 670 out of 900 personnel and loss of a non-strategic battleship.

Andy Warhol stated in 1968, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” which seems a downplay of fleeting fame. Yet, after 81 years, the actions of Jewish Chaplain Rabbi Alexander Goode, Catholic Chaplain Father Johnny Washington, Reformed Chaplain Reverend Clark Poling, and Methodist Chaplain Reverend George Fox continue to be an inspiration for so many!

Each chaplain had answered the call of God to serve as a symbol of his presence in the most horrific war in all history which claimed 35 to 60 million

lives! Those on board the Dorchester only logged eleven days at sea in a hostile environment. Outside of George Fox, a World War I combatant, only a handful of senior officers and enlisted were seasoned veterans.

No weapons were drawn.

No ammunition was issued.

The majority aboard were barely old enough to shave.

It was their first time at sea and most likely (except for a rushed basic training) their first time away from their hometown. For quite a few, their only battle experience had been to overcome seasickness.

In times of great despair and tragedy most cry out, “Where is God?” We ponder - how can such a hellish event be allowed to transpire? Yet, a number of those on board saw the presence of God in four chaplains

of varying faiths who had calmed fears, given away their life jackets, gloves, etc., and were joining hands and praying to their God, unified in faith, as the ship forever sank beneath the waves. The memory of this moment in history has become a lasting testimony of the faith of our nation and its inhabitants for over eight decades.

So moved by this incident, a grateful nation issued the Chaplain’s Medal for Heroism, also known as the Chaplain’s Medal of Honor. This was due to the efforts of The American Legion, which passed a resolution in 1957 asking Congress to award the Congressional Medal of Honor to the Four Chaplains.

However, since the specific criteria for the Congressional Medal of Honor was not

met, the Chaplain’s Medal for Heroism (Chaplain’s Medal of Honor) carried the weight of the Congressional Medal of Honor and was posthumously awarded to the families on January 18, 1961.

The Legion Family continues to be inspired by this pinnacle story of faith and self-sacrifice. It is strongly representative of the men and women of our great nation who have given their very lives for the cause of freedom. It indelibly emphasizes our motto “For God and Country” and inspires our continued commitment of service to our community, state, and nation.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) NIV

Tom Frederick

Southern VICE COMMANDER

Northern VICE COMMANDER

Greetings from the south.

First, I would like to congratulate the 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th for their hard work on membership. By the time this is published we should all be at 90% or better. This is the time the work gets hard, but we can succeed with our teams getting out and knocking on doors.

The Commander’s emphasis on the “Of the Year” programs should have all districts working on candidates. Let’s fill the State convention stage in every category showing our first responders, educators and military personnel how proud the American Legion is of their efforts. Every community, no matter how small, has someone they can honor in one of these categories. The Hoosier Boys State program is well underway in recruiting applicants for this year’s program. Boys State dates are June 11th through the 16th.

Juniors can enroll at HoosierBoysState.org. Indiana Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Academy is accepting applicants, any Boy or Girl freshman thru senior is eligible. This program is put on by the Indiana State Police partnering with The Department of Indiana. It gives these young men and women a chance to see the workings of law enforcement. There is a limit of 75 cadets, so they need to enroll now! Cadets can enroll at trooper.org or there is a link on our website. The dates are July 16th to the 22nd.

Remember the National Commanders “Be the One” campaign. Be the one that listens to a veteran that needs assistance and be the one who prevents that one suicide. To get to the suicide help line, dial 988 and then press 1.

Finally, I would like to thank the 8th, 9th and 10th for being so welcoming and for their hard work on membership and programs. Let’s win this battle on membership!

I hope everybody had a great holiday season. We had fun at all the Christmas parties this last year and met many new friends.

If you have not paid your membership, it has expired.

We will be very disappointed if you do not renew and we need you as a Legionnaire, SAL, Auxiliary and Legion Riders. You are all very important to the American Le-

NORRIS KEIRN DEPARTMENT CHAPLAIN

Following our great MidWinter Conference of training, many of us turn our attention to remembering the service of those phenomenal chaplains on the USAT Dorchester on February 3, 1943. Four Army Chaplains were aboard a ship, a costal liner now sent out to open sea, a ship unable to keep up with her escort in freezing north Atlantic waters during a time of brutal war.

So many paradoxes collide in this amazing moment of World War II history. It was not a memorable battle. It was over in twenty-five minutes after the German

Steve DeFeo DEPARTMENT HISTORIAN

Which came first, Legion programs or club rooms?

Contrary to some perceptions, the Legion programs.

Commander Daube has made Legion programs a priority this year, but what are they?

Since the establishment of The American Legion, programs helping veterans and their families have been the center of the American Legion’s mission. While I’d need more space than I’m allowed to mention everything, here are highlights of the programs of the National Legion as administered by our department’s commissions.

The department’s Ameri-

Roger Hilligoss MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON

FACEBOOK.COM/INDIANALEGION

hoosier legionnaire 1ST quarter 2023

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FROM THE DISTRICT COMMANDERS Michael Wooden 1st DISTRICT COMMANDER

Greetings to all our Legion Family members. We just completed the MidWinter Conference last month. Alcoholic Beverage Commission presented a class to help with canteen operation. The Charity Gaming Seminar was held to explain changes. The Post Adjutants Seminar was held to explain veterans’ financial assistance, clubroom and social activities, department website reports and forms, and MyLegion.

These seminars were repeated in the afternoon.

There were also 27 committee meetings that took place. As always, the MidWinter Conference continues to be a great training resource.

Now is the time to prepare for convention awards.

They are due to the department by May 1st. They cover the period from the previous May 1st to April 30th of 2023. Below are brief recaps of three awards. More information is available at https://www.indianalegion. org/conventionaward/Convention-Award-Submission-Forms.

Blood Donor Award: Questions include how many post members participated, number of pints donated, whether the post participated in the Holiday American Legion blood

Karen Clark 4th DISTRICT COMMANDER

Greetings from the fabulous Fourth District. I cannot believe I am already halfway done with my year.

This year is flying by fast. I hope everyone had amazing holidays with family and friends. It was an honor to attend Commander Daube’s Christmas party in Indianapolis. I am sure all our posts in the Fourth District had fun holiday parties.

We had a fantastic MidWinter Conference in January. I believe everyone learned a lot at the various meetings and training sessions. Thank you to everyone that helped me with the hospitality room and keep it running smoothly. I hope to see everyone again at the Spring Conference in April.

Programs are what The American Legion is all about. Hoosier Boys State is now open for registration. Please contact your local high schools. It is open to boys in their junior year that will be seniors next year. We had our Oratorical District Contest on January

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drive. The American Legion’s annual Holiday Blood Donor Drive is Nov. 23 through Dec. 31, 2023.

More than 92,000 units collected by posts during 2021-22 membership year, the biggest in 15 years. It’s too late to participate for 2022. But this might be a good time to plan to conduct a blood drive in 2023.

Byron Waggoner Award: Questionnaire asks how many initiation ceremonies has your post done for new members? How many funeral services has your post done for veterans this past year? How many post everlasting ceremonies have they done? Does your post have a uniformed Color Guard? How many functions did they represent at post, district, and community observances? How many flag retirement ceremonies did they perform? How many US flags did your post present to other groups?

Did they do a Veterans Day or Memorial Day ceremony for the public? How many halls or memorials did your post dedicate? Did your post conduct a Four Chaplains ceremony for the public? Did your post open and close all meetings in accordance with the Manual of Ceremonies?

Community Involvement: (small <500, large >500) scrapbooks should include newspaper articles, pictures and descriptions, and any other associated substantiating evidence regarding community involvement activities.

The types of items that

demonstrate involvement in the community include (but are not limited to) Get out the Vote, blood donor programs, baskets for needy, toys for underprivileged, observance of patriotic holidays, dedication memorials & monuments, drug abuse prevention, care for community property, youth activities, Special Olympics or games, junior bands, Color guard, ROTC Drill & Ceremony, sponsoring Boys & Girl Scouts, oratorical contests, school awards, emergency shelters, youth recognition days, athletics, First Aid training, cancer awareness, use of Legion Home, disaster relief, senior citizen projects, parades, Boys & Girls State, Local & VA Hospital visitations, Youth Law Cadet, library support, Gold and Blue Star programs, Meals on Wheels, reading programs, CEWF / IVETS, TFA, flag education, Adopt-a-Highway programs, JROTC, public relations, Firefighter of the Year, Law Officer of the Year, Educator of the Year, Military person of the Year, recycling programs, assistance programs, local fundraising efforts, cemetery restoration, veteran cemetery flag displays, and monetary donations.

These activities make us important to our community. More post participation in the community makes us a better asset to our areas.

It helps to be recognized as helpers in the community.

8th between Madeline Phuong, from Homestead High School, and Kyle Stark, from Wayne High School.

They both did a wonderful job. Madeline will represent the Fourth District at the zone contest on February 12th at Post 296. You can check out all the programs on the Department website.

We are having a district revitalization and mylegion.org training on March 4th at 10 a.m. Post 157 in Churubusco. Post 157 is also serving breakfast. You can learn more about mylegion.org and we can call members of 777/704 and transfer them to your local posts. This is open to all members of the posts but would be especially helpful for your adjutants and membership teams.

Membership is important to the continued success of our organization. As of January 25th, the Fourth District was in fifth place in the state for membership. I know we can do better than that. Please contact your members that have not renewed for 2023. My Membership Chairperson is Pat Esslinger from Post 157 in Churubusco. Pat and I are willing to help you in any way we can. Engage your younger veterans to recruit

new members and when they join ask what the Legion can do for them and their family and give them some ownership in their posts. The 10-year membership is a great way to save on your dues. $350 for a 10-year membership and it locks in your dues for 10 years. It is a great alternative to a lifetime membership.

I want to encourage all members to attend our district meetings and see how the district can help your post. We are here to help.

You can meet the district officers and see how they can help. There is always valuable information shared at these meetings. We can also answer any question or find the answer to any question you may have. The district meetings are on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. You can check the department website for meeting dates, times and location. You can also contact me, and I can inform you.

Lastly, I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

If you need to contact me, you can email kjeanclark@ gmail.com.

God Bless the United States and the American Legion

John Mort 2nd DISTRICT COMMANDER

Greetings from the second District. What a great Mid-Winter Conference.

We had so many opportunities to learn from subject matter experts like Excise, Charity Gaming, National Headquarters and so many more. If you have never attended a Conference, this would be one that would be very beneficial, and time well spent. Going from one training session to another and the people you get to see, and meet is well worth it. Next year, the Mid-Winter Conference will be in January 2024.

Programs are in full swing. Hoosier Boys State and Junior Cadet Law Academy are two outstanding programs that benefit our youth in so many ways.

It’s a life changing experience so don’t overlook any eligible candidate, get them signed up. The other programs, like the “Of the Year” awards honor our Police Officers, Firefighter, EMS and Educators. These are the unsung heroes in our communities that deserve our recognition. Go to Indianalegion.org under the programs tab to find out more about all the programs

Steve Short 5TH DISTRICT COMMANDER

After a great Mid-Winter Conference this past week, the mighty Fifth is heading down the home stretch for membership and we need to work very hard in the coming weeks. As of writing this, we are struggling in eighth place at 77.8%. We continue to urge our posts to embrace MyLegion online tools, but some posts are concerned about switching to this method of keeping track of all membership functions. Our Fifth District Membership Chairman, Dave Burnette, is available and willing to travel to any post in our district to assist your post membership team with this system. If you know how to use Facebook or send emails, you can handle MyLegion. Call us and let us help you before the year ends and your members have disappeared!

Our Fifth District Oratorical concluded on January 22, with the contest at Kokomo Post 6. We also have a department finalist from the Fifth District in

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and how to sign up.

Membership is the life blood of our organization.

We must recruit, renew and educate members if we are going to be relevant for our veterans and their needs.

The recruiting is finding those eligible veterans and getting them joined up, but don’t stop there. Mentor them and encourage them to be an “active” member coming to meetings and learning about what all the American Legion has to offer. Next is retention. Keeping our current membership strength and keeping them engaged and educated. A well-educated and active member serves everyone well. Second District, as I write this is in fifth place in the department, but we are working hard on recruiting, renewing and educating. We are only less than 3.5% out of first place. I encourage all our members to take the time to do “Buddy Checks.” It really pays off in so many ways, making that personal contact with our members we have not seen in awhile.

In closing, the Second District has a brand new “Green Machine” polo shirt for 2023. It’s made in the USA, a hunter green color and comes with or without a pocket. If you are interested, contact Chuck Mason at chuck5021@comcast. net or (219) 299-5447. Get your shirt now!

the fourth grade Flag Education program and we are very proud of that. Please consider sponsoring one of your high school juniors for Hoosier Boys State this June. Now is the time to be contacting your local high school and finding these future leaders for HBS! Continue to support American Legion youth programs whenever possible to show our State what a difference The American Legion can make in our communities and State!

Finally, I would ask that you support your friends and family with the National Commander’s “Be the One” program in working for suicide prevention. Do buddy checks on everyone you know who might be struggling with life’s many problems. Be the one to provide comfort and trust to those who face seemingly unsurmountable issues and be the one to be there whenever they are in need. Have a wonderful rest of the winter and I look forward to revisiting our many posts in the Fifth District in the coming weeks!

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FROM THE DISTRICT COMMANDERS Judy Pearson 6TH DISTRICT COMMANDER

As we start 2023, what is your resolution for The American Legion?

My resolution is to spread the education I have received to as many veterans and help my brother and sister out of harm’s way. One way to do that is educate and help spread the word about the Be the One campaign. We are asking ourselves, “How can I be the one person who actively listens to my buddies or a fellow veteran?

By calling a member of my post who I haven’t seen in a while or doing a buddy check on a friend or acquaintance, can that alone

Dale McDonald 7TH DISTRICT COMMANDER

Hello fighting 7th District Legion Family!

I hope everyone had a great holiday and I hope we all have a better new year.

Anyone that did not make it to the Mid-Winter Conference missed a lot of good information from our committees, gaming and A.T.C. If you could not attend, I hope to see you at Spring Conference.

All posts I talked with are having a hard time with membership. This is a reminder to all; let’s do our buddy checks on our members and let them know we are here for them. Some-

DAVE ROACH 10TH DISTRICT COMMANDER

During my tenure as 10th District Commander, I have received numerous phone calls from veterans seeking help with basic necessities such as rent, food, and more. The Indiana Depart-

make a difference?”

I encourage you all to visit https://www.legion.org/ betheone for resources to coach and guide you to help our fellow veterans. There are resources to make cards to hand out at your post, among your veteran buddies at an event. Banners to hang at your local post and many other items premade for you. Just take the time to print or take some of these to your local print shop to have them made up.

Who is going to join us in spreading the word about “Be the One” and dial 988 then press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line?

I want to thank all the schools and posts that participated in the American & Government test and Flag & Education test. We did not have contestants for the Oratorical Contest from the times they cannot get out this time of year due to weather or health reasons.

We are behind on reaching our goal, so please check on the ones you have not seen lately.

Remember the Legion programs. Get out to the schools or to your families and spread the word about all our programs. If you need more information, please feel free to call me or contact Wendy at the department.

I hope all is going well and I am looking forward to seeing you at our conferences or conventions.

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy 2023.

God bless you all and God bless the American Legion.

ment of Veterans Affairs provides the military family relief fund, which is a one time grant of up to $2,500.

CEWF/IVETS are also available for veterans needing assistance.

There are also numerous other programs available through The American Legion. In order for these calls to be properly vetted, I sometimes refer the veterans to their appropriate county veterans service of-

Sixth District this year, but we will work on that for next year.

We have members within the district who have received training on MyLegion. Our goal is to get as many posts online to process membership as possible out of the 45 posts in our district. We currently have around 15 posts online. Please reach out to me by email at sixthdistrictcommander@yahoo.com if you would like to hear more about receiving this training. I promise we won’t leave you high and dry after the training. We are here to help each other because it takes a village.

The following programs below have deadlines in the coming months. Please look over these dates to see where your post can have youth go to Boys State or

Lonny Barnett 9TH DISTRICT COMMANDER

Greetings from the Ninth District and our American Legion Family. Mid-Winter Conference has wrapped up and we are reminded of our responsibilities to not only serve our veterans, members and community, but also to train our post leaders and district chairs. We always gain a better understanding of the inner workings and processes in our daily activities and the need to not only do things “the way we’ve always done them,” but continue to learn the proper way to do them. We always come away with a greater ficer with a condition that if they cannot receive the help needed, they call me back and I would try to provide assistance in another way.

Other ways individuals can help veterans, soldiers and their families are by donating an old cell phone, sending care packages or letters, helping build homes for injured veterans (which has been done in Delaware County), and /or helping veterans heal with animal

Junior Cadet Law Academy. We hope you reach out to your local educators, firefighters, EMS technicians, law enforcement or military personnel so you can nominate them for the Of the Year Awards. My officers and I are happy to help with the paperwork, if needed. Just reach out at

any time! You will see the website link below where you can get more information or email me at sixthdistrictcommander@yahoo. com.

Boys State - June 12-18, 2023 Boys in 11th grade going into 12th Grade https://www.hoosierboysstate.org/ Junior Cadet Law Academy - July 16-22, 2023 Boys & Girls in 9th thru 12th Grade Deadline to sign up is July 1, 2023 https://www.indianalegion.org/lawcadet Of the Year Awards – Due to 6th District by Spring Conference Educator, Firefighter, EMS, Law Officer or Military Person of the Year https://www.indianalegion.org/conventionaward Thank you and God Bless our veterans!

appreciation for what we do.

The last few months have given us a great opportunity to demonstrate our mission and purpose. Due to a generous donation from SmithAshcraft-Kissell Post 235 in Milan, our Nursing Home Chairman, Kevin Thomasson, was able to deliver over 500 gift bags to our American Legion Family members who may be in a nursing home or shut in their own home. The bags contained several everyday items including games, snacks and a throw blanket. We have received several messages of thanks and appreciation for Kevin’s efforts. This is just one example of how we can make a difference in our families lives.

As we continue to focus on our membership and bringing in new members

to our district, I am proud to announce that our very own Warren Brock Post 69 in Orleans is the small post winner of the Lincoln Pilgrimage on February 11th and 12th. This is great recognition for Orleans as they have been in either first or second place in membership in the district all year. Congratulations to Commander Ron Taylor, Adjutant Sam Moore and Membership Chair Tom Roney. This is well deserved.

I would like to thank all the membership efforts in the district for helping to deliver our 80% target for January 19th. We still have a lot of work to do to deliver our overall 100% Target for the end of the year by May 17th. We also kept fourth place in the Department which I’d like to improve as well. Let’s close this year out with great momentum.

companions/service dogs.

A lot of the time, the veteran’s DD214 will be required. If you have trouble finding this important document, try contacting your veterans county service officer or National Archives & Records Administration at 1-866-272-6272 or www. archives.gov.

DEPARTMENT COMMISSION REPORTS Rehabilitation Commission

Roger Hilligoss MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON

The Rehabilitation Commission met at 4:30 p.m. on January 14, 2023 in Salon C of the Marriott East Hotel during the Mid-Winter Conference. Chairman Roger Hilligoss opened the meeting in proper form. Roll call was conducted. 8 members were present and 1 member absent (but excused). The following reports were given by the respective Committee Chairmen.

Employment Meeting was opened in proper form by Chairman William Parks at 12 p.m. in Salon D of the Marriott East Hotel on January 14, 2023.

Roll call was conducted. 10 members were present, and 4 members absent. Districts not represented were the 3rd, 4th and 5th Districts.

Employment awards were discussed. Reviewed submissions from the districts and selected Department Employment Awards in the following categories: DVOP, Small Business Employer, and Older Worker Employer.

There were no resolutions and no request for additional funds. Meeting was adjourned.

General Hospital Meeting was opened in proper form by Chairman Rex Ikemire at 12 p.m. in Salon A of the Marriott East Hotel on January 14, 2023.

Roll call was conducted. 6 members present, 9 members absent and 1 guest.

The budget for the new program year was reviewed

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and discussed.

There were no resolutions and no requests for additional funds. Meeting was adjourned.

Homeless Veterans Meeting was opened in proper form by Chairman Ben Olsen at 1 p.m. on January 14, 2023, in Salon B of the Marriott East Hotel. Roll call was conducted. 9 members present, 6 members absent and 5 guests. Districts not represented were the 2nd, 5th and 8th Districts.

A motion was made and seconded to donate $500 to A Better Way and a donation of $1,000 to Hope House.

Motion carried.

There were no resolutions and no requests for additional funds. Meeting was adjourned.

Indiana Veterans Home Meeting was opened in proper form by Chairmen Jack Platt at 2 p.m. in Sa-

lon D of the Marriott East Hotel on January 14, 2023.

Roll call was conducted. 18 members present, 5 members absent and 10 guests.

It was reported by Danny Rice that Post 64 and SAL Squadron 64 have donated $11,539 to renovate the gazebo.

Paul Steward made a motion to donate $400 for a Volunteer Luncheon. Seconded by Danny Rice. Motion carried.

District visitations were discussed.

There were no resolutions and no requests for additional funds. Meeting was adjourned.

Nursing Home Meeting was opened in proper form by Chairman James Grauvogl at 2 p.m. on January 14, 2023, in Salon C of the Marriott East Hotel.

Roll call was conducted. 15 members present, 0 absent

and 0 guests.

Activity reports were received from several districts.

There were no resolutions and no requests for additional funds. Meeting was adjourned.

Veterans Assistance Meeting was opened in proper form by Mark Gullion at 8 a.m. in Salon A of the Marriott East Hotel on January 14, 2023. Roll call was conducted. 8 members present, 9 members absent and 15 guests.

A Veteran’s Benefit Seminar and Post Officer Training were conducted by Department Service Office Director John Hickey.

There were no resolutions and no requests for additional funds. Meeting was adjourned.

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DEPARTMENT COMMISSION REPORTS Internal Affairs Commission

Rob Burkhart Commission Chairman

The American Legion, Department of Indiana Internal Affairs Commission Report for Mid-Winter Conference 2023. The Internal Affairs Commission met on January 14, 2023, at the Marriott East Hotel in Indianapolis, IN. The following reports were given: American Legion Riders: The ALR meeting was opened in proper form by Lonnie Boyce, in Salon 6 at 15:00. The roll call showed there were 11 members present, 2 absent, and 6 guests. 1st District was not represented.

Motion to accept the previous meeting minutes made and approved.

Old Business: • They are waiting on a quote for Insurance for the Legacy Ride and Distribution procedure for ALR OPR New Business: None.

Committee has requested a 1½hour block for Spring Conference and was adjourned.

Community Involvement: No meeting/no report Convention Contests: No meeting/no report FF/LEO/EMS Awards: Nick Nicoloff opened the meeting in regular form, in Salon D at 10:00.

The roll call showed 14 members present, 0 absent, and 4 guests. All districts were represented.

Minutes were read and approved.

Old business: None New business: • A motion was made and accepted to change the name of the program from Firefighter/ EMS/Law & Order Awards to Firefighter/EMS/Law Officer Awards.

• A motion was made and accepted to purchase 3 $50 gas cards as gifts for the judges of the awards.

• Wendy McGinness was introduced to explain the change to the End of Year Awards Luncheon. She explained that the invitees would be limited to the department award winners only instead of all the district winners. District winners should be recognized by the district. Ron Byrley made

a motion that we continue to include all district winners; second by Harold Adams and carried.

• Wendy provided a handout that was requested at last conference.

District reports were given.

Meeting was adjourned at 10:20.

Legislative: The Legislative meeting was opened in proper form by chair Mark Gullion at 11:00 in Salon B. The roll call showed there were 14 members present, 12 Absent, 4 guests. 9th District was not represented.

Old business: • Legislative Day at the Statehouse was first week of January and well attended.

New Business: • Cmdr. Daube announced on 13 January, 2023 that the American Legion of Indiana will no longer be part of the “Big 4”. False Allegations were made that the American Legion supported bills that we did not approve of, so we are dropping out. After discussion motion made by Jim May and seconded by John Vanatta to officially drop out of the “Big 4” and ratify Cmdr. Daube’s decision passed.

Meeting was adjourned.

Membership: Roger Hilligoss opened the meeting in regular form, in Salon 4-5 at 15:00. The roll call showed there 22 members present, 2 absent, 19 guests. All districts were represented.

Motion to accept minutes from last meeting made and approved.

Guest Speaker: • Doug Chace, Regional Liaison from the Internal Affairs & Membership Division, spoke on efforts by everyone in the room to reach goal plus help from the posts. Revitalizations are imperative for success. You need to have a pulse on your community. Programs are important to membership.

Need to make the canteen more inviting to families to draw in post 9/11 veterans. Be willing to try something new.

Everyone needs to complete the online basic training.

Old business: None.

New business: • Introduced Aaron Bacon & Channa Sweet. Aaron spoke briefly and will assist us in any way he can.

• Jim May asked if department

could post credit the posts have on the books? Chad said twice a year checks will be sent out for the balance – posts can call and get their balance.

If less than $100 may not be sent out.

• 4 promotional “booths” are available, 2 at Department, 1 North, and 1 South. Would like to see them booked every weekend.

• Membership reports are done on Wednesday instead of Thursday now.

• District reports were presented.

There were no funds requested and the meeting was adjourned.

Post Education: No meeting/no report Public Relations: Dwight Smith opened the meeting in regular form, in Salon A at 14:00. The roll call showed there were 13 members present, 4 absent, and 2 guests. It was reported that one of the members is deceased. There were no minutes from the previous meeting.

Old Business: None New Business: • Motion to judge newsletters at Close of Books at IVH, Time TBD, Passed.

• Discussion about adding new category for digital content to include Facebook pages and/ or websites.

• Discussion about establishing written rules/criteria for judging.

• Committee will meet at Spring Conference and requested 1-hour block.

Meeting was adjourned at 14:50 Religious Emphasis: Rev. Norris Keirn opened the meeting in regular form, at 11:00. The roll call showed there were 12 members present, 2 absent, and 5 guest. 8th District was not represented.

Regular Business was suspended for training. This was a training session not a business meeting.

The committee requested a 1-hour block at Spring Conference and the meeting was adjourned at 13:00.

Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Academy: The meeting was opened in proper form by Mark Gullion, in Salon B at 14:00. The roll call showed there were 14 members present, 1 absent, 1 guest. 3rd District was not represented.

Minutes were approved.

Old business: None.

New business:

• Registration still not open due to a problem on the trooper. org side, but hopefully it will be operational next week.

• Medical Clearance being added.

• May have some insurance stuff to cover.

• Sending packets to career centers.

• Hugh Dagley requested better communications on when registration goes live. Wendy will make arrangements to send this information out to all posts.

• $50 non-refundable registration charge is being added to the cost to be paid by the applicant with the $300 paid by the posts. It will be handled through the website when they sign up. A motion was made

by T.J. Small and seconded by Ron Byrley to do away with the $50 registration fee, 6 in favor/7 apposed, Motion did not carry. The registration fee is to try to eliminate the no shows and dropouts.

• District Chairs need to conduct an orientation with the applicants prior to the start of the academy.

No Funds were requested, and the committee will meet for an hour at Spring Conference.

Meeting was adjourned at 14:45.

IMVHOF: No meeting/no report Department Legion College: Rich Brown opened the meeting in proper form in Salon A at 11:00.

The roll call showed there were 9 members present, 4 absent, and 5 guests. 1st, 6th, and 7th Districts were not represented.

Minutes from the previous meeting were accepted.

Old business: None New business: • Suggestion to add how to run a meeting to curriculum.

• Motion to accept the first 23 applicants into the course, Passed.

• Delegate responsibility and authority to Chair to accept new applicants into the class.

There were no new funds requested and the meeting was adjourned at 11:15.

Americanism Commission

Ron Hoaks Commission Chairman

The commission met at 4:00 p.m. on January 14, 2023, in Salon E of the Marriott East Hotel during the Mid-Winter Conference. Chairman Ron Hoaks opened the meeting in proper form. Roll call was conducted, and all were present except Golf and NSFA, they did not meet. The following reports were given by the respective committee chairpersons.

Junior ROTC Meeting was opened by Chairperson Greg Peete at 10:00 a.m. on January 14, 2023, in Salon C. Roll call was conducted, 10 members were present, 1 was absent and 1 guest was present.

The 7th District was not represented. Previous minutes were read and accepted.

A motion was made and passed to make Indiana’s application the same as the one Florida uses.

A motion was made and

6

passed to add the District Commander endorsement to the application.

A motion was made and passed to eliminate the senior year requirement in hopes of getting more applicants.

The committee is still working on getting a list of all JROTC programs in the State.

The committee would like to meet for 1 hour at Spring Conference.

There were no resolutions or additional requests for funding. Meeting adjourned.

Golf There was no meeting during Mid-Winter Conference.

The Committee would like to meet for 1 hour at Spring Conference.

Baseball Executive Meeting was opened by Chairperson Jerry Schrock at 1:00 p.m. on January 14, 2023 in Salon E. Roll call was conducted, 4 members were present, and 3 absent and 0 guests were present.

Previous minutes were read and accepted.

A motion was made and carried to make the executive meeting a closed meet-

ing.

Ray Dix from 1st District, Lake Station Post 100, spoke on behalf of young players unable to afford the entry fee for Legion Baseball. He requested that the Organization find a way to help raise funds to cover fees for those in need. He is currently covering fees out of his own pocket for several players because he sees how this program changes these young people’s lives.

Further discussions from the October meeting were still tabled regarding a site for State finals around Indianapolis.

The board continued to discuss the possibly of going to 4 regionals next year and taking the winners and runners up to the state finals.

Committee would like to meet at Spring Conference for 1 hour.

There were no resolutions or additional requests for funding. Meeting adjourned.

Baseball Meeting was opened by Chairperson Jerry Schrock at 2:00 p.m. on January 14, 2023, in Salon E. Roll call was conducted; 9 members

were present, 2 absent and 14 guests were present. The 4th and 5th Districts were not represented. Previous minutes were read and accepted.

A bid for Senior State Tournament was submitted

by Kokomo for $5,000.00.

All Junior Tournament bids are due by Spring Conference.

Midland Regional National bids are now $20,000.00.

Several managers and coaches were in attendance to hear schedule, rule and registration fee changes.

Registration fees were increased to $125 for seniors and $100 for juniors; $25 of which is non-refundable.

Registration deadline to reserve your spot is March 31, 2023, with money due by May 15, 2023.

Teams must use the updated American Legion logo on any new uniforms but can continue to use their old uniforms with the original logo.

A motion was made, and passed, to extend the junior season by one week.

Committee would like to meet at Spring Conference

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for 1 hour.

There were no resolutions or additional requests for funding. Meeting adjourned.

S.A.L. Advisory Meeting was opened by Chairperson Larry Horvath at 3:00 p.m. on January 14, 2023, in Salon C. Roll call was conducted, 13 members were present, 4 absent with 6 guests. The 8th District was not represented. Previous minutes were read and accepted.

Two resolutions were made matter of record.

• One for Gary Throgmorton as 11th District Detachment Commander.

• One for changing the criteria for the SAL History Contest to be similar to that of the American Legion as presented in the American Legion Officers’ Manual to be submitted for approval by the Sons of the American Legion National Executive Committee at the 2023 National Convention.

Committee would like to meet for 1 hour at Spring Conference.

There were no other resolutions or additional reSee page 7

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DEPARTMENT COMMISSION REPORTS Children & Youth Commission

Ron Patterson Commission Chairman

The Children & Youth Commission meeting was opened in due form by Commission Chair Ron Patterson at the Department Mid-Winter Conference January 14, 2023, at the Marriott East. Chairman Patterson asked for the respective Committee chairs to provide their reports.

ALFS, Girls Scouts, and Junior Shooting Sports did not meet at this conference.

There were no requests for funds and no resolutions made. The meeting was adjourned in due form.

Americanism & Government Committee Meeting The Americanism & Government Committee Meeting was held on January 14, 2023, in Salon D of the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.

The meeting was opened in proper form by Chair Rees Morgan.

There were 13 Members present and 5 guests. The 7th & 5th Districts were not represented. There were nearly 3,600 students who participated in the program this year. All testing was done online with no issues noted in the process. The department staff along with other volunteers conducted the judging of the contestants. Districts who participated in the program were the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th. Thank you all for your support of this valuable program. A noteworthy point was that Post 147 in Jasper, IN had 679 students participate and processed online in a single day. Nice job Post 147! All awards will be presented at Spring Conference.

AMERICANISM COMMISSION from page 6 quests for funding. Meeting was adjourned.

Bowling Meeting was opened by Chairperson David Hurtt at 10:00 a.m. on January 14, 2023 in Salon D. Roll call was conducted, 12 members were present, and 7 were absent and 2 guest present. The 9th and 11th Districts were not represented. Previous minutes were read and accepted.

A motion was made and accepted to increase entry fees by $3.00 per event and $1.00 for all events which would bring the total entry fee to $85.00 per person.

A motion was made and accepted to change the required number of lanes from 32 to 24 lanes for a facility to host the tournament.

A motion was made and accepted for future tournament dates to include the month of February as well as March.

No proposals for the 2024 tournament have been received.

The 2023 tournament will be at MVP Lanes in Fort Wayne on March 4–5 and March 11–12 2023.

Committee would like to meet for 1 hour at Spring Conference.

There were no resolutions or additional requests

There were no resolutions or funds requested.

The meeting was adjourned in proper form by Chair Rees Morgan.

Boy Scouts Committee Meeting The American Legion Boy Scouts Committee Meeting was held on January 14, 2023, in Salon E of the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.

The meeting was opened in proper form by Chair Anna Murphy.

There were 15 members present, and 3 guests. All districts were represented.

The committee discussed their fund raiser of selling pins. Two different designs were brought in front of the Scout committee.

The first was a pin shaped like a canoe, dimensions would be about 1.25” long and about .75” tall, at the top it would say “FORWARD TOGETHER” at the bottom, “AMERICAN LEGION” with the scout emblem on the rear and the Legion emblem on the front. The second was a rectangle shape about 1.25” by 1.5” white background with the Legion emblem at the top the eagle scout emblem at the bottom. On the top it would say” American Legion Department of Indiana, the bottom Eagle Scout supporter.” The committee decided that the rectangle shaped one would be better turned into a challenge coin, and would need to put the Eagle scout moto on the back. The committee will get quotes for the coins and the pins. Deadlines were set up for the Eagle Scout of the Year, and a motion was made and 2nd to make the time for the Judging to be at 10 a.m. on March 18, 2023, at Department Headquarters.

Guest speaker Mark Seavey National American Legion Judge Advocate spoke about recent law-

suits that have been brought against the BSA. No major concerns or comments arose from his discussion.

There were no resolutions, and no funds were requested. The meeting was closed in due form.

Boys State Enrollment Committee Meeting The American Legion Boys State Enrollment Committee Meeting was held on January 14, 2023, in Salon C of the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.

Chairman Mason opened the meeting in due form.

All districts were represented and there were 4 guests present.

The district chairs provided their respective reports. Director Rich Brown spoke about two new policies being added. One is a crisis management plan and the second was a social media release plan/policy.

Programs Director Wendy McGinness spoke about all volunteers who will be directly involved with attendees needing to take the online background training and check. HBS will be held at Trine University in Angola, IN June 11-17.

At the time of the meeting there were 28 delegates signed up. There were no resolution or requests for funds. The meeting was adjourned in due form.

Children & Youth Committee Meeting The American Legion Children & Youth Committee Meeting was held on January 14, 2023, in Salon E at the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.

The meeting was opened in due form by Vice Chairman Darrell Bowman.

Newly appointed Chair Brian Barnett was present as well.

There were 13 members and 4 guests present. The 4th District was not represented.

Riley Hospital’s Commu-

nity Fundraising Coordinator Melissa Sexton brought in a bag containing a bucket for collection of donations for the committees’ fundraising effort for Riley Hospital patients. The committee set a goal of $1,500 to raise. Each District will be given a bucket for collections. The fundraising effort will run from January to July 1st. Darrell will reach out to the District Chair to get the total amounts collected each month, which will be shared with the committee. The committee will meet at Spring Conference. There were no resolution or requests for funds.

The meeting was adjourned in due form.

CEWF / IVETS Committee Meeting The CEWF/IVETS Committee Meeting was held on October 1, 2022, in Salon B of the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.

The meeting was opened in proper form by Chairman Brian Barnett.

All districts were represented.

The minutes from the previous meeting were read and approved. The finance report was read and approved. There was no old or new business. There were no requests for funds and no resolutions made. The meeting was closed in due form.

Flag Education Committee Meeting The Flag Education Committee Meeting was held on January 14, 2023, in Salon D of the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.

The meeting was opened in proper form by Chairman Tom Frederick.

All districts were represented and there were four guests present.

Chairman Tom handed out a paper with discussion points regarding the flag ed/etiquette program.

Key points were that he

had been asked if students should or could get their test back to see how the did.

His thoughts were if the graded test could be taken home this would allow for discussion about the importance of the flag and flag education with the parents.

Tom noted that the grade is note necessarily as important as the essay, which gets to the true spirt of how well the students understand what flag etiquette/education is about. There was also discussion of whether or the flag education program should go online. Part of the goal of The American Legion presenting the program in person is to get a veteran in front of the students so that they see and feel what being patriotic is all about. No one will know more about the flag and why it should be held with great respect than a veteran.

There were no resolution or requests for funds. The meeting was adjourned in due form.

Oratorical Committee Meeting The Oratorical Committee Meeting was held on January 14, 2023, in Salon D of the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.

The meeting was opened in proper form by Chairman James Grauvogl.

There were 12 members present. The 7th & 8th Districts were not represented.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The committee discussed the dates for the Department Contest to be held March 5th at Department HQ. The National contest will be held April 22-23. The committee will meet at the Spring Conference. There were no resolution or requests for funds.

The meeting was adjourned in due form.

for funding. Meeting was adjourned.

POW / MIA Meeting was opened by Chairperson Larry Macy at 3:00 p.m. on January 14, 2023, Salon B. Roll call was conducted, 11 members present, 4 absent and 2 guests present. The 3rd and 10th Districts were not represented. Previous minutes were read and accepted.

Current statistics were presented stating more than 81,500 remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the Gulf Wars/other conflicts. 75% of those losses are located in the Indio-Pacific, and over 41,000 of the missing are presumed lost at sea.

In the past calendar year 125 MIA have been identified.

September 15th is National Day of Recognition for POW/MIA. Committee will not meet again until Mid-Winter Conference 2024. At which time they will meet for 1 hour.

There were no resolutions or additional requests for funding. Meeting was adjourned.

NSFA There was no meeting during Mid-Winter Conference.

The Committee would like to meet for 1 hour at Spring Conference.

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