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April/May 2012
Smoking Ban To Affect All American Legion Posts; Here’s How Late last month Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law legislation establishing strict rules governing the use of tobacco products in public places. The new law, which takes effect July 1, 2012, has far reaching implications for Posts of The American Legion. The law as originally written would have exempted American Legion Posts from the law’s prohibition against smoking indoors where workers and others might be exposed to second hand smoke. The exemption would have depended on a vote by the Post membership to permit smoking in the Post
home. What was not made clear to most supporters of the exemption for Legion Posts was that a vote to allow smoking was, in effect, a vote against allowing persons younger than 18 years of age into the Post under any circumstances. On that basis, Department Commander Michael J. Miller prepared a statement for presentation to the Sen. Ron Alting’s Committee on Public Policy, which had scheduled hearings on proposed compromises with the very strict language of the original bill. The Department’s Position In that statement, Commander Miller wrote, in part
“The nearly 200,000 men and women of The Indiana American Legion Family firmly believe that regulating individual behavior among members of private clubs and organizations is not the proper role of government. Our members are grateful to the authors and sponsors of HB 1149 for recognizing that principle and including the right of self-determination on the question of smoking in the legislation under consideration. To that extent, we support the bill… “It is not clear in the bill, and apparently not well understood by most of our members, that a vote for exclusion
from the smoking ban is, in effect, a vote against allowing young people under the age of 18 into post facilities. That would be a crippling blow to those posts whose focus is on youth programs, but considerably less severe for those posts in which service to veterans is the primary focus. No one policy, no one yea or nay vote on smoking, can apply equally to all Legion posts, and in that lies the fundamental issue before The American Legion: A vote pits one vital interest against another in many cases… “The amendment offered by the Chairman, Sen. Alting … permits a vote to limit
smoking and set aside areas of the post facility where young people can be isolated from the effects of second hand smoke. Accordingly, The American Legion Department of Indiana can support the bill, with the amendment. “Be it noted however, that we are not naïve. We know that this issue is not closed, and if and when the bill makes its way to the Senate floor, many amendments and changes may be offered. We intend to, and will, monitor its progress closely, inform our members by every means available to us, and encourage them to speak out
on this measure.” The Compromise Reached The bill signed into law by Governor Daniels does not conform well to the Legion’s understanding of the amendment that was anticipated. It was amended, in its final form, to permit American Legion posts to continue to allow smoking in their facilities and to host persons under the age of 18, only insofar as the Post provides a separate, independently ventilated area that does not permit smoke to seep into, or in any other way, enter into non-smoking areas of the building.
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Vice Commander Urges More Contact, Respect; Candidate Says ‘Thanks’ Conference Also Honors A&G Winners And Successful County VSOs; Mulls Smoking Ban And Contributes $51,683 National Vice Commander Milton Heifner headlined the annual Joint Spring Conference April 14 with a stirring address designed to encourage membership workers to finish the race and, in a nod to the Legion’s first ChineseAmerican Commander, respect the diversity of the veteran community. Heifner told the more than 400 Legion, Auxiliary and SAL members assembled for the conference’s general session that “it is not time to Milton give up. The Heifner work before National you now is to Vice Commander get out and visit those members who have not renewed, and find out why.” He encouraged them to help those members who, for whatever reason, are unable to pay their own dues, and to take into consideration the individual circumstances of each member contacted. The Vice Commander also reminded the General Session that not all veterans will share the same characteristics and attitudes that they share. A good example, he said, is National Commander Fang Wong, who was born in China, emigrated to the United States and completed a career in the United States Army before becoming an active Legionnaire. “The Commander is an
example of how the difference among people is not as important as the values we share with them,” he said, adding that the nation’s youngest veterans deserve the same opportunity to become Legionnaires. Indiana’sowncandidatefor National Commander, James E. Koutz, also addressed the general session, reminding those in attendance that the coming National Convention in Indianapolis is a chance for Indiana to put its best foot forward. Koutz said to do that requires compliance with the rules for participating in a national convention, and suggested that delegates should carefully consider the cost before choosing not to be housed at the Indiana delegation’s hotel, the downtown J.W. Marriott. “The Department does have a rule that delegates who do not register at the convention hotel will not receive their delegate pay,” he reminded those in the audience. “And, the cost to the department if we do not meet our guarantee of reserved rooms in the hotel can be huge. We need to avoid that if we can.” The candidate also thanked the Legion Family for it “overwhelming support” of his candidacy, citing the historic nature of his nomination, since Indiana’s last National Commander was elected in 1979.
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Everything On The Table
The chief legislative aide to Senator Richard Lugar met with several members of the Indiana contingent attending the 2012 Washington Conference. The group, led by Department Commander Michael J. Miller, delivered the Legion’s Legislative Drop Sheet, a summary of Legion positions on key veterans and other issues in Congress. At the table, clockwiase from the aide, are Commander Miller, Allen Titus, Ed Trice, Damon Bradtmueller and Ray Giehll.
Morgantown Teen Is National High School Oratorical Champion A 17-year-old homeschooled student from Morgantown, Indiana, capped a busy weekend of competition in Indianapolis by earning an $18,000 college scholarship and first place in The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program – “A Constitutional Speech Contest.” Her winning oration was titled “Maintaining Liberty: The People’s Call.” Rebecca Frazer, who repeated as this year’s Indiana State High School Oratorical Champion, started the weekend as one of 52 champions from around the country in the 75th annual contest. She advanced to the championship through three rounds
of intense competition. In her prepared oration, Frazer said “Every great creation requires great effort to maintain –including our nation’s powerful founding document – the United States Constitution. Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘The Constitution … must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.’ But President Lincoln was not speaking of the original paper Constitution – he was praising the very words and mandates of our Constitution. Together, we can understand the full importance of Lincoln’s charge by first viewing the Constitution’s beautiful power and by second seeing the neces-
finishers earned sity of maintaining $16,000 and $14,000 this great founding college scholarships document.” respectively. She mentioned In each round of that the Constituthe weekend comtion was improved petition, orators dethrough its amendlivered a rehearsed ments. “The simplicRebecca 8- to 10-minute ity and limited scope Frazer address and a ranof the Constitution National domly assigned 3showed the world Champion to 5-minute oration that the strength of a on a constitutional nation is not defined topic, each without the benby the power of its governefit of notes and in front of ment, but by the freedom of its people. The Constitution a live audience, including the judges. The 2.4-million built our government from member American Legion the roots up. By itself, the document is not perfect, but developed the contest to it gave the people the ability encourage young people to to make their government improve their communicaperfect.” tions skills and to study the Second- and third-place U.S. Constitution.
More Than A Prison Correctional Facility’s Legionnaires Take Seriously What It Means To Give Back To The COMMUNITY By Ann Hubbard MCF Public Information Officer When they walk through the doors of the meeting room, they are no longer just inmates of the Miami Correctional Facility -- they are members of The American Legion. There is a pride that is felt by the 36 members who make up American Legion Post 555 at the Miami Correctional Facility. Post 555, which was chartered on July 26, 2009, is doing well and increasing in membership. The group is impressive, according to members of District 5 American Legion leadership.
“This is my second trip here. I think it’s fantastic,” Jerry Stevens, Fifth District Commander, said of the post. “I don’t think of it as a prison. I think of it as an American Legion post. “MCF is one of three facilities which have American Legion posts. The other two are in Pendleton Correctional Facility and Indiana State Prison. There are 390 posts in Indiana and a quarter to a third of them cannot do what you’re doing in here,” Ed Trice, a Past Fifth District Commander and active Indiana Department leader, said of the MCF post and the donations they make to the community “Because of to-
day’s economy, some of the smaller posts are even having a tough time making it. “I’ve visited many Legions in the Fifth District and never have seen a post honor the flag like this. This is something. What a magnificent way to show respect to the flag. It overwhelms me every time I’m here,” Dick Thomas of the Kokomo American Legion post and a Fifth District representative, added, “The state will know what you are doing here, because I’m going to tell them.” Stevens said he, too, is impressed with the respect the group shows the American flag.
“A lot of posts do not go through that much formality at their regular meetings. I think that’s very impressive. I think they do a very good job and conduct their meetings well.” At the beginning of each meeting, the color guard presents the flags -American, State and American Legion flags. The American Legion is one of two groups in the facility allowed to host food fundraisers for the offender population. With the money earned from these fundraisers, the group gives back to the community. To date, they have given away $5,134 to local charities and organizations.
Most recently, they donated $340 to Indiana C.U.R.E. (Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants); $500 to Blue Star Mothers; and $500 to Special Olympics. Post 555 has also donated to Whites Institute, Sew Much Comfort, Salvation Army, Kokomo Rescue Mission, Red Cross/ Japan Disaster. Besides giving back locally, the offender organization is giving back to the facility. Plans are in the works for putting up a flag pole that can be seen from the inside of the prison. The three groups who most recently received donations had representatives at
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