May 2009: Participation is Highly Encourged!

Greetings! As the Commander has mentioned, this year’s elections are underway. Nominations were held at the last General Meeting & there are a few positions that are still open. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that these positions are not only important to the Post, your community, & the American Legion, but also very rewarding volunteer service opportunities in which you have the ability to drive how they are accomplished. Sure, meetings take place, but the schedule is manageable, the team understands, & all are very forgiving when faced with schedule conflicts (as long as the job gets done & communication is there). During Executive Board (or “E-Board”) meetings, we get to the heart of the matter quickly & take care of business. When you look at it, we accomplish a great deal in a short time. Also, I remind all members that the General Meeting is held at 6:00pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month. You don’t have to be a Post Officer to attend nor to participate. If you are passionate about an issue that affects the Post, other Veterans, or even the community or merely want to catch up, be there. If you get your info via others, you may get the “filtered” version, as it is just normal that info is lost each time the story is told. There is nothing as accurate as being there in person. And, of course, if you try to get the info via the meeting minutes, remember, no person can scribe all that is said. You know, when I started in the American Legion as a younger man than today, I, myself didn’t feel that I was eligible to contribute or that my voice was even heard. Let me tell you, this Post encourages participation from ALL ages, ALL former services, & ALL walks of life. Each person has earned their right to be a member based on their service to our country & each member has the ability to shape this Post in a manner where “we belong, respectful of others, & ALL feel at home.” Many folks work very hard to see to it each day! Please set July 17th on your calendar, as it is our Annual Day to support the San Diego Veterans Stand Down. We need your support!!! We will be serving food to the homeless veterans that day. We historically have a small showing. We’ll try a sign-up sheet at the Post… more to follow. Also, we start collecting clothes beginning June 15th to July 10th. See you at the Post, friends!