Newsletter

American Legion Post 56 Monthly Bulletin

December 2006

Commander's Message

Let me greet you with a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year now before it is too late.  Where has this year gone?  December brings up many memories as the celebration of Christmas with family so let us also remember our troops serving at home and overseas by prayer and gifts.  Several Post 6 members helped out the Daybreakers Kiwanis by buying postage for a box of goodies that were sent on November 6th and some of them got their box on November 11th so thank you for your help.  Another day of remembrance is December 7th known as earl Harbor Day.  Hopefully, you were able to attend the Pacific Theater display on November 11th of area veterans to learn, share, and view items of that Pearl Harbor time.  A couple of years ago I was talking with Ernie Mattson a member of the Bloomington Legion (maybe soon to close) and former member of Post 1 now closed who is the oldest living survivor of the attack on the USS Nevada at Pearl Harbor.  I had his number and called him and to my delight he answered and thanked me for calling.  In our visit he reminded me that he would be 92 next week and still is playing his harmonica.  Do you have a story to share or tell someone, if so maybe we can start getting together at the Legion.

Remember your loved ones during this very important holiday season and God Bless you and your families.  Please remember that December 31, 1946 WWII ended.  AMVETS founded on December 10, 1994, Christmas on December 25th and Hanukkah on December 16th.

Since this is a remembrance letter - remember to pay your dues - letter enclosed.  Our current membership is only at 852 or 72.9% of goal so please help us out by getting them in before December 31st.

I again thank all the volunteers that helped Post 56 and the club during the Herberger's community days as we raised $600 and the veterans day exhibit sharing with old and young.  December is full of Christmas parties and some less fortunate than others so again Post 56 and the American Legion family would like to help by ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Nelson's  Food Marketplace on December 11th and December 14th from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.  Sign up sheets at the club.  Thank you for your help.

We also will need volunteers to help with delivering flowers to the nursing homes so watch for the date by checking at the club.

What's ahead?  Well on Wednesday, December 6th at 6:00 pm come join the auxiliary for supper and listen to the high school music, get ready for the new year by coming on Saturday, December 30th and fine dine with the Legion and then celebrate the New Year at 10:00 pm with the extras, and then come on Monday, January 1st to enjoy Tom & Jerry's 9:30 am - noon and then baskets if you want to eat and join in the music with Donnie Klosner to old time and country from noon - 4:00 pm.

Thanks again for the help with the air purifiers as my project is up and working.  Thank God for a Blessed past year and we wish you the best for 2007 and may we have peace.

For God and Country

Arnie Mulso, Commander

ALERT !     (All members please read) 

Dear Fellow Legionaires:

This is your last reminder for you to pay your Legion dues before December 31, 2006.  Your 2007 dues pay for your fiscal year July 1 to June 30 and if you haven't paid them yet you are in jeopardy of loosing your continuous number of years as a member.

National has increased their dues effective January 1, 2007 and our Post 56 has voted to increase our dues by $5 starting January 1, 2007 so this is why we are asking you to pay your dues if you haven't yet by December 22nd so we can get the paper work in to National in tie so you will not be assessed the extra $5 this year.  Please help us out and save $5 at the same time.

Please make the check out to American Legion Post 56 and mail to PO Box 1056, Albert Lea, MN 56007.  You may also stop in at the club and pay there also.

We thank you for your membership and your dedication of support to a patriotic organization.  This is more important than ever to maintain the operation of the American Legion Post 56.

Arnie Mulso, Post 56 Commander

Club Update

Season's Greetings!

The holidays are here.  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with your family and friends.

We would like to extend a warm welcome and thank you to all the various companies hosting their holiday parties up here this month.

On to business.  December 2nd - The Family Y will be hosting a Youth Drive Fish Fry.  December 4th - The Auxiliary board meeting.  December 11th - the post board meets.  December 18th - is the post meeting - dinner not be available before the meeting.  December 30th - come in and celebrate the New Year early.  We will be offering a very special Dinner Menu, followed by Karoake.  Sunday, December 31st - the club will be closed.  However join us New Years Day - January 1st - Tom & Jerry's served from 9:30-noon, followed by old time and new music from noon - 4pm by Donnie Klossner.  Basket specials will also be available during that time.

Don't forget every Friday night his month with Laurie's Karoake Korner.  Please stop in, visit and have a good time.  On a final note, there will be no post breakfast this month.  However, we look forward to seeing you in January.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Heidi Watson

Food and Beverage Manager

F.Y.I.

It's obvious that the Veterans' Memorial on the Freeborn County Government Center block near the corner of South Broadway Avenue and East College Street is evolving very nicely.

Once activity we'll get used to seeing depending on the weather and snowfall, is based on folks wandering around this particular part of the block.  they will be carefully looking at those newly installed bricks.  The goal for some is trying to find the engraved brick for a relative or friend.  and for many area veterans this will be a search for his or her particular brick.

Those bricks are palced in a random pattern in eight separate grouping.  They are not alphabetical, by years of service, or by branches of the military forces.  Anyway, good luck and success goes to anyone looking over those newly laid bricks.

We'll have more information about this new Veterans' Memorial in next month's FYI.

Now, here's an update on another topic.

In last month's issue we mentioned a photo of a boy's drum and bugle corps sponsored by Post 56.  Since then a very printable photo of this group has been located.  Also, contact has been made with several people who can furnish the names of most of the boys who were in this unit about 70 years ago.  As soon as everything comes together, we'll have an article in the Tribune.

To close off, there's a correction for TAPS in the September 2006 issue.  the right spelling for one of the honored veterans listed should have been RUTH PLEISS.

Ed Shannon, Editor

Auxiliary News

Holiday Greetings!  We hope you had a "thankful" Thanksgiving with friends and family.  Now we can enjoy the wonderful month of December with parties and gifts and loved ones around us.

Start off the holiday season by joining us on Wednesday, December 6.  In the Legion dining room the Auxiliary will be hosting our annual potluck dinner at 6:00 pm and we will be entertained by the Albert Lea High School Chorale.  They are sure to get you in the holiday spirit.  Legion and Auxiliary members alike are cordially invited.

I hope you gathered with pride at the Government Center for the services on November 11, Veterans Day.  the two young soldiers who spoke make us proud of our young people who are serving their country.  Thanks, Carry Aires, for the beautiful songs at the Government Center services and at our luncheon at the Legion Hall.  If you didn't come in the evening for the hot beef supper you missed a good meal.

When we celebrated Veterans Day, the memorial on the grounds of the Government Center was not quite done.  But doesn't it look impressive?  It will be exciting when it is finished and we can dedicate it to all our brave service people.

Whether your favorites won or not, we hope you voted on November 7.  That is one of the rights and privileges our veterans fought for.

On Thursday, November 16 we had the annual banquet for past presidents of the Auxiliary.  The food is always good, we play a little bunco, and instead of exchanging gifts, we bring items for the local food shelf.

We will have a brief membership meeting after the meal and entertainment Wednesday, December 6.  First District President, Pat Miner, will be a guest at our December meeting.  The board will meet Monday, December 4 at 5:15 pm.  There will be no meeting in January.

May your holidays be blessed and happy.

For God and Country

Joyce Rhody

SAL Officers

Commander	Jeff Elseth
Vice Commander	Tom Baas
Sergeant At Arms	Scott Rasmussen
Adjutant	Bernie Priebe
Chaplain	Mike Bennett
Membership Director	Jack Briggs

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

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 January issue will be the Wednesday following the post meeting.  This will be the deadline in the future!

Veterans Memorial Update

As of November 20 a total of 1,908 of the paver bricks and 37 sponsorships have been sold to honor those who served in the nation’s armed forces.  There’s still room for more paver bricks and more sponsorships!

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.

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with Heidi  373-7993