Newsletter

American Legion Post 56 Monthly Bulletin

August 2008

Commander's Message

Hi Everyone,

What a busy place the club and Post is getting to be and I can’t believe how fast time flies when you are having fun so please stop in day or night and partake in one of the events or just have a meal or drink.

Tom Conway from Warren, MN is the new Dept. of MN American Legion Commander and other officers were elected this past week.  Les Shaunce is our 1st Vice for District #1.  Congratulations!  We had a great turn out to welcome the troops back home from Kosovo on July 10th.  It was great to see so many people lining the streets and waving the American Flag.  We salute the men and women that served there to help protect our freedoms and also to help that country live their freedom.  The Post will be hosting a dinner in their honor later on this year.  The public will also be invited to attend if they wish.

I would like to thank everyone that supported the Legion Baseball breakfast and at this writing I also hope you will support the Korean War veteran breakfast held on July 27th.  Reminder that Post 56 has breakfast every 4th Sunday.

An added attraction at the Freeborn Co. Fair this year is a Legion display at the Heritage Barn so hope you can stop by and take a look.  We are teaming up with the Freeborn Co. Historical Society for displays in that building.  Kurt Barickman has volunteered to have a few uniforms on display so thank you Kurt.

Please try to attend the Sweet Korn and Brat feed on Sat., Aug. 9th starting at 4 pm.  We would like to honor all soldiers and veterans from Freeborn County that have served since the Persian Gulf War.  We know many of our county residents have served in the different branches of the service and may have not been given a welcome home parade or greeting so if you know of someone that fits the category please bring them to the feed and be recognized and thanked for their service.  A reminder to WWII veterans that you can still order a Medallion for $19.95 by Sept. 1, 2008.  Either call the club or Jon Rhiger at 377-5184.
Another reminder is that this is the year of volunteerism, so please sign up at the club for upcoming events or call the club to see if there is something that you could help with.  A volunteer sign up call list will be put up and you can add your name and phone number if you feel you can help.  Remember this is the “We Can Do It Club”.

I would also like to thank the people that have responded to Todd Utpadel’s flyer notice about debt reduction.  This amount is going down and with added help we can eliminate it.

Don’t forget - Ask someone to be a member.

Just to update you on a financial plan for 2008-2009 is that we are working at consolidating some debt and lowering the note interest rate to make the club more financially sound.  We know that it takes about $6,500 of income to make the club operate and gaming can not be counted on for 100% of their contribution toward bills so a budget has been set up and it seems the $6,500 figure is pretty much what is needed each week to operate.

Also, on Sat., Aug. 23rd the Honor Guard will host a fish fry starting at 4 pm for $8.50 so please come out and enjoy the evening.

There is something going on every night so please check it out and support your club.  You can always check out what is happening by checking our wonderful website at www.americanlegionpost56.com.  Have a great month.

For God and Country
Dave Mullenbach, Commander

Club Update

Is It August Already?

Where has the summer gone? I hope that all of you have had a great summer. First, welcome back home and a huge THANK YOU to the troops. Thanks to you and your families. The legion is very busy these days. We are gearing up for the fall. Texas Hold-em is now available Monday nights and Saturday afternoons.  This is going to be a busy month. Past Commander Gary starts the month off on August 9th with his famous Brat and Corn feed. On the 23rd the Honor Guard will be having a fish fry. Then on the 30th we will have our Membership Dinner. ****Update:  There will not be a membership dinner on August 30.  See the News Flash page for details

  
Don’t forget we serve food 6 nights a week. Have you tried our Walleye, Rib Eye or New York Strip? It available Wednesday thru Saturday.  Say Hi when you stop In.

Todd Utpadel
Club Manager

Club Highlights

Corn and Brat Feed - August 9th

Honor Guard Fish Fry - August 23rd

Membership Dinner - August 30th ****Update:  There will not be a membership dinner on August 30.  See the News Flash page for details

F.Y.I.

The following information was submitted by Don Jacobson who now lives in Hayward, Wis.  He is a 42-year member of Post 56.

Donald R. Jacobson, former Albert Lea citizen, music store owner, piano tuner and entertainer has been notified by the Minneapolis VA Medical Center that he has won a Gold Medal for his music-drama entry in the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition.

3,000 veterans participated from 112 VA Medical Centers throughout the Country.  130 veterans won medals and have been invited to the Veterans Creative Arts Festival in California this Fall.  Don is one of 25 veterans nationwide who was selected to perform at the Festival.  He is a World War II veteran and one of the oldest to perform at the Festival.

Ed Shannon
Editor

Auxiliary News

Hello Members!

Our new Auxiliary year is about to begin. On Wed., August 20th we will host a free luncheon for all paid 2009 members.  You may pay your dues that day and enjoy lunch with your friends.  If they are not a member the cost is $5.00.

Wed., Sept. 3rd will be our first meeting of the new Auxiliary year.  The meetings last about one hour and are followed by coffee.

Come and learn about the Auxiliary programs.  How many of you know that by being a member you belong to The American Legion Family Hospital Association?  Do you want to find out about it?  Come to the Sept. meeting.

Each month I will highlight a benefit you as a member receive and one of the various programs that is a part of the Auxiliary.

Remember to support the Post and all they do.  Support the activities at the club rooms.  There is food served 6 nights a week and many special events. Commander Dave is planning something new all the time.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and hope to see new faces at our meetings.

For God and Country
Pat Johannsen

 

It has been one full calendar year since we started our debt reduction program.  We have accomplished this:  Reduced debt by $26,660; 96 members or friends of the American Legion have donated; our payoff would be $83,195.  Thank you everyone that has donated and if you haven’t we still are accepting donations.

Taps

HAROLD J. WENDORFF
Born Jan 1, 1923.  Died July 19, 2008.  He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and was a member of the American Legion, VFW, Elks and the Knights of Columbus.

Dollar-A-Month (D.A.M.)

Cobb Knutson    In Memory of Rick Myers
Don and Elaine Ehrich    In Memory of Lois Fairchild
Ethmer and Marlene Wright    In Memory of Malcolm Ernest
Odean and Gerri Berg    In Memory of Lois Fairchild
Odean and Gerri Berg    In Memory of Kelly Pechumer
Mr and Mrs Rollie Green    In Memory of Eslie Bergstrom
Mr and Mrs August Johnson    Donation
Paul Gilpin     In Memory of Omer Majerus
Bill and Marilyn Danielsen    In Memory of Rick Myers
Dennis Smith    Donation
Keith Fliggee Family    In Memory of Nadine Spellman

Honor Guard Donations
R.G. and Mary Keating    In Memory of Darrell Christianson
Family of Don Johannsen    In Memory of Don Johannsen
Family of Dick Maschka    In Memory of Dick Maschka
Donation    In Memory of Don Johannsen

Thank you for your contributions to the Dollar-A-Month fund.  All contributions support the Post 56 club facilities, maintenance & continued growth of our organization.

Judi Olson,

D.A.M. Account Manager

To make a donation, click on the link to our D.A.M. Fund Account Page.

The deadline for the September issue will be the Wednesday following the post meeting.  This will be the deadline policy in the future!

SUPER SALUTE

With this issue we’re inaugurating a special part of this newsletter called Super Salute.  And the first folks to receive this special salutation are two of my Tribune colleagues.

The first person is Sarah Stultz who wrote that excellent front page article about the women veterans who served as the grand marshals for Albert Lea’s July 3rd parade.  The second person is Brie Cohen who took the photo to enhance Sarah’s article.

Then, as an encore, Brie and Sarah covered the return of Albert Lea’s D Company, 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment from a year-long duty assignment in Kosovo on July 10.  That’s when Brie took the photo of McKenzie Wondra running up to her father, Sgt. Robert Wondra, who was in formation with the rest of the company.

This outstanding photo, published in the July 11 edition, was selected by the prestigious Editor and Publisher national magazine as their Photo of the Month for August.  Hopefully, this image will be selected as the magazine’s Photo of the Year.

Brie and Sarah, you’ve both earned this Super Salute!

Ed Shannon, Editor

Post 447 VFW and Auxiliary meetings are held on the 2^nd Monday of every month at the American Legion Post 56 Clubrooms @ 7:00pm. Come and join VFW Post 447. 

Veterans helping Veterans.

Book Your Upcoming Special Event

with Todd  373-7993

  Full Menu

5-8 pm

Full Menu

5:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

League 7:00 pm

Burger Night

and Full Menu

5 pm

House Committee

Meeting 4:00 pm

Bar Bingo

6-9 pm

MEGA BINGO 8:30pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

Bar Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7:00 pm

Gary's Brat

and Corn Feed

4:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

1:00 pm

  Daybreakers

Kiwanis Breakfast

8:00 am

 Board Meeting

6:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

League 7:00 pm

Burger Night

and Full Menu

5 pm

Bar Bingo

6-9 pm

MEGA BINGO 8:30pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

Arc Burger Feed

5:00 pm

Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7:00 pm

 Full Menu

5:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

1:00 pm

Post Meeting

7:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

League 7:00 pm

Burger Night

and Full Menu

5 pm

Bar Bingo

6-9 pm

MEGA BINGO 8:30pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

Auxiliary Luncheon

12:00 pm

Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7:00 pm

Honor Guard

Fish Fry 4:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

1:00 pm

 Post Breakfast

8 am

Auxiliary Board

Meeting 5:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

League 7:00 pm

  Burger Night

and Full Menu

5 pm

  Bar Bingo

6-9 pm

MEGA BINGO 8:30pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

 Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

  Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7:00 pm

Texas Hold'em

1:00 pm