Newsletter

American Legion Post 56 Monthly Bulletin

January 2009

Commander's Message

Hi everybody:

What a busy 2008 we have had. Things are going well at the club because of all the support everybody is showing. We have had one of the biggest years this year and let’s have an even better one next year. I can’t thank the volunteers enough for what they have done for the club this year. I will not mention any names as I would probably miss someone and we don’t want that to happen. You all know who you are and a BIG THANK YOU again for everything you all do!

I would like to thank Past Commander Gary Anderson for the extra work he has been doing insulating down in the basement area. He is trying to tighten this up a little. Thanks Gary!

Speaking of the basement, we will be having a clean up day down there sometime after the first of the year. It is starting to pile up again and needs to be attended to. There will be a sign up sheet when we get a date set up.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the W.O.D. program to try and eliminate the debt. We have gotten it down to $54,904.49 which I think is pretty good seeing we were at $106,000 once upon a time. If you still would like to contribute $51.26 or more we will certainly still keep accepting your contributions.

The raffle for the TV and gas cards is going well but we still need to sell a lot more of them to make it worth while. If you haven’t gotten one yet see the bartender the next time you are in the club.  

If anyone would like to help with Bingo on Wednesday night’s it would be greatly appreciated. Some of us need a little break. We really need someone to run the computer which is not hard; just a little training is all it takes to be able to push the BINGO button. Call me or the club and leave you name if you would like to help out.

Mark your calendar’s for the Post 56 Breakfast on Dec. 28th. If you would like to help with the breakfast please sign up. If you can’t help just come for the best breakfast in town and support your club.

Don’t forget Tom and Jerry’s on New Year’s Day. We will be serving them from 9:00 to 11:30 am. Food will be served starting at 11:30 am.

SFC Jeffery Dahlen from Delta Co. 34th Infantry, National Guard presented Post 56 with a plaque at the Post 56 Meeting thanking the Post for their support of the troops. He also presented the Post with a print of the Civil War Battle of Bull Run, a battle in which the 1st Minnesota unit played a major roll. Also with SFC Dahlen was National Guard Armory staff Bryan Tlamka and Scott Heilman.

We have about 120 members that have not renew their 2009 membership as of yet. Please do that if you haven’t already sent it in. We are at 907 renewals which is 88.2 percent of our total membership of 1028.

Have a Happy New Year!

For God and Country
Commander Dave Mullenbach

Club Update

It’s 2009,

Is anyone else as amazed as me as to how fast this year has gone. I want to take this time to review a little of what has happened at the club. A kind of year in review. This year we have added many new faces to the staff, some new and some familiar ones. I am proud of each and every one of them.  We have gone to food 6 days a week. We play Texas Hold-em on Saturday’s and Monday’s. Mega Bingo is still very strong. Flo and the rest of the staff in the kitchen continue to turn out great food. And, Laurie leads the locals in singing every Friday night.

This past month we had the honor of serving the Local National Guard dinner for their Christmas formal. It was a grand night with over 120 soldiers and their wives in attendance. A special thanks to Wes Halverson, who was there as a representative of our Honor Guard. At the end of the evening the American Legion was given a standing ovation for their support of the National Guard.

In January we will be having a Jam Session on Saturday January 10th, it will start at 3:00 and be open to all musicians. Bring your instruments.

Just a reminder of the New Year Eve Dinner and Party. We will be only serving dinner at one setting which will start with a social hour at 6:00 pm and dinner at 7:00 pm. There will be dance music in the dining room and Karaoke in the bar area. There is a sign up book at the bar with a $10.00 deposit to hold your reservation.

I hope the Holidays find you and your families safe.

Continued Thanks
Todd Utpadel
Club Manager

Club Hi-lights

Geneva Cancer Auction January 4
Dad’s Belgian Waffles
8:00 am

Post Breakfast January 25
8 am

Musician's Jam Session

Saturday January 10 starting at 3:00 pm

Open to all musicians - bring your instruments

F.Y.I.

Special thanks goes to both the city’s park board and the Albert Lea City Council for their recent action to change the name of Lee Park to Weber Park.  This is a logical way to honor the memory of 1st Lt. John Anthony Weber who was killed in action when his aircraft was shot down on April 7, 1943, near Guadalcanal Island.  The bronze plaque on a boulder and the flagpole were dedicated on May 23, 1943.  This patriotic gesture was made by the neighbors in this part of Shoreland Heights to commemorate the Marine pilot who grew up in a nearby home.  Now this name change gives real meaning to this small circular park.

Right about here let’s shift the topic to something which is even more timely.  There’s really no way of knowing just when this publication will go out to the membership of Post 56.  If it’s before Dec. 25, then it’s Merry Christmas to everyone.  If it’s after Dec. 25, then there’s hope that everyone had a nice Christmas.  And hopefully the arrival date will be time to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Ed Shannon
Editor

Auxiliary News

Happy New Year!

As we begin a new year I want to remind our members that we do not meet in January.  Our next regular meeting will be Feb. 4th at 7 pm.

The next fundraiser for the Auxiliary will be our salad luncheon.  We are in need of 2 members to serve as co-chairmen.  The date has not been set at this time. Remember to keep track of your donated hours for our chairman.  These are hours you give to the community, a veteran or their family especially or children in our community.  In April we will be filling out annual reports and applying for trophy's within the District and the Department.

Again Happy New Year and please join us at our Feb. meeting.

President Pat

Taps

HAROLD L. HANNEGREFS
Born June 2, 1925.  Died Nov. 22, 2008.  He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was a member of the American Legion and VFW.

LAWRENCE ROCHE
Born July 17, 1926.  Died Dec. 1, 2008.  He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a member of the American Legion.

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

Dave and Sue Olson    In Memory of Charles Stephenson
Ruth Strand    In Memory of Chuck Stephenson
Vern and Shirley Strand    In Memory of Chuck Stephenson
Donald and Arlis Smith    Donation
Don and Elaine Ehrich    In Memory of John Steffen
Marshall and Helen Bendixen    In Memory of Leona Rhiger
William D Nelson    Donation
Ken and Brenda DeCramer    In Memory of Charles Stephenson

Honor Guard Donations
Bill and Marilyn Danielson    In Memory of Chuck Stephenson
Beulah Wiegland    In Memory of Lawrence Roche
Patricia and Family    In Memory of Husband and Father Lawrence Roche
Bill and Marilyn Danielson    In Memory of Lenny Bosacker
John Kempe Family    In Memory of John Kempe

My thanks to all of you who have so generously donated to the D.A.M. Fund and to the Honor Guard this past year.  May you have a very Happy New Year!

Judi Olson

Please consider supporting Leo Carey American Legion Post 56 with a contribution to the Dollar-A-Month (D.A.M.) fund.  Whether it’s a dollar a month, or a larger donation, these funds are used to support the Post 56 club facilities, maintenance & continued growth of our organization.

If you would like to make a donation to the Post 56 D.A.M. fund, please complete the form in this newsletter and return it to Leo Carey American Legion Post 56.  You can recognize someone special by naming that person in their memory or honor.  Your contribution will be listed in the Post’s monthly flyer and on the website.

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

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

Happy New Year

Tom & Jerry's

9am

 Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7 pm

Texas Hold'em

1pm

 Geneva Cancer

Auction Breakfast

Dad's Belgian

Waffles

8am

Texas Hold'em

 7 pm

Taco Night

5-8 pm

Burger Night

5 pm

Mega Bingo 6pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7 pm

Texas Hold'em

1pm

Musician's Jam

Session 3pm

Texas Hold'em

 7 pm

Taco Night

5-8 pm

Board Meeting

6 pm

Burger Night

5 pm

Mega Bingo 6pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7 pm

 Texas Hold'em

1pm

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Texas Hold'em

 7 pm

Taco Night

5-8 pm

Post Meeting

7 pm

Burger Night

5 pm

Mega Bingo 6pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

 Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7 pm

Texas Hold'em

1pm

 Post Breakfast

8 am

Texas Hold'em

 7 pm

Taco Night

5-8 pm

  Burger Night

5 pm

Mega Bingo 6pm

Bar Menu 5-8 pm

Thursday Supper

5-8 pm

(See menu above)

 Full Menu

5-8 pm

Karaoke with Laurie

starting at 7 pm

 Bar Menu

5-8pm