Newsletter

American Legion Post 56 Monthly Bulletin

November 2007

Commander's Message

We will start this newsletter out on an upbeat note.  The Property Taxes are paid!!  Thanks to all of our members that have used the Club and spent a few dollars.  A BIG THANKS to those of you who sent a special check to help cover the cost of our taxes.

Mark your calendar -- Sat., Nov. 10 the club will be serving Dinner on white table clothes.  Menu is Prime Rib, Walleye or Special Prepared Chicken, all served with Wine.  Live music will be in the Bar.  Reservations are required.  This will limit the amount of loss.  Please call the American Legion.  This is being held in conjunction with Veterans Day.

The American Legion is also responsible for Veterans Day, which will be held on Monday, Nov. 12 starting at approximately 10:30 am.  We wil be marching to the Court House for the program, followed by lunch at the American Legion.

Tom & Jerry’s will be served on Thanksgiving Day from 9 am till noon.  Club will close at 1 pm.  This allows our employees to be with their families for the Holiday.

Starting Nov. 1st the club will no longer be serving Bar Menu on Saturday evening’s.  Three - Eight people on any given Saturday night does not cover our overhead.  Sloppy Joes and Pizza will be available.  Sorry about the inconvenience.

Remember Sunday, Nov. 25th we will be serving Breakfast.  Word is that we serve the best breakfast in town.  Bring a friend with you.  To all American Legion Post members - be sure and attend our Nov. Post meeting.  We will be discussing the future of our Club.  At the present time we are not meeting expenses on a regular basis.  Do we want to get something done now or wait till there is no equity left in the building.  I’m only the Commander. We need your input to make a decision on this issue

For  God and Country!
Commander, Gary Anderson

Membership Dinner

A BIG THANK YOU

A big thank you to everybody who helped make the Membership Dinner a success!

I would like to thank Heidi and her staff, all the people from the Auxiliary, SAL, Social and all the Legion Members who helped!  It really makes it fun when there is a lot of good help.  We served over four hundred that evening.  I had nothing but good compliments about how fast they were served and how good it was!  We renewed several memberships and also signed up some new members that evening.  Current paid up membership is 775 which are 74% of total membership.

Remember to continue asking people to join if they are not members!
    
Thanks again, 1st Vice, Dave Mullenbach

Club Update

Goodbye October, Hello November.  It looks to be a very busy month up here.  So on to business.

Nov. 3rd - Sertoma Club Fish Fry serving from 4:30 - 7:30 pm.  Nov. 10th - Saturday join us for a special evening of fine dining (Prime Rib...etc) serving from 5 - 8 pm.  Reservations only.  Nov. 12th - Board Meeting at 6:00 pm.  Nov. 18th - TTT Dads Belgium Waffles.  Nov 19th - Post Meeting at 7:00 pm.  Nov. 22nd - Happy Thanksgiving - join us for Tom & Jerry’s from 9 am - noon.  Nov. 23rd - Destination Albert Lea Chili Supper at 4:30 pm followed by Tree Lighting.  Nov. 24th - Glenville Community Rec Fish Fry serving from 4:30 - 7:30 pm. Nov. 25th - Post Breakfast serving from 8 am - 12:30 pm.

Don’t forget Karaoke with Laurie.  Every other Thursday, Nov. 8th - and due to Thanksgiving Nov. 29th from 7 - 11 pm and every Friday Nov. 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th.  It’s always a great time.

On a final note - we will no longer be serving Bar Menu on Saturday nights. Come in and enjoy a Sloppy Joe or Pizza.
Have a great month.  Thank you for your continued support.

Heidi Watson
Food and Beverage Manager

F.Y.I.

In last month’s FYI I suggested that the small circular city park at the east end of Lee Place be given a different name to honor the memory of a U.S. Marine who died during World War II.  This action would result in Lee Park or Lee Circle Park being given the new name of Weber Park.  After all, the flagpole and bronze plaque on a boulder in the center of this park were placed there in 1943 as a memorial for 1st Lt. John Anthony Weber who grew up in a nearby home.

All it would take for this name change would be the approval of the city’s park board, maybe the city council, and a new sign.

To dispel the thought that this type of name change can’t be done, I mentioned the change a few years ago which resulted in Lincoln Park becoming New Denmark Park.

This suggestion of changing the name of a city park reminds me of an incident years ago.  I was involved with the Eddie Cochran Historical Organization (ECHO).  At one meeting a suggestion was made to have the city designate the area near the corner of Front Street and Frank Avenue as Cochran Park.  In fact, there’s still an overlooked plaque on a field rock near this corner to help indicate he grew up in a nearby home.

I went to the city’s park board as a delegation of one.  We had a nice sociable visit.  However, the board said it wasn’t interested in having the Cochran name on a park by the city’s cement pond (swimming pool).

Let’s hope the more logical name change from Lee to Weber becomes a future reality up in Shoreland Heights.

Ed Shannon

Editor

Auxiliary News

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  If you didn’t celebrate it, I think you should.  Our Salad Luncheon is scheduled for that day and I plan to go all out because I think it is such a fun holiday.

I had a great 9-day trip to Columbus, Ohio and Midland, Michigan in September.  Came home in time to re-pack for a week’s trip to Branson, Missouri for our 59th wedding anniversary.  If you have never been there, do try it; it is so much fun and there are so many things to do besides seeing lots of good shows. They have a fantastic Veterans Museum that is awe-inspiring to anyone, veteran or not.  It touches on all the wars that our veterans have served in.

While I was gone First Vice-President Wanda Christensen presided at the October meeting.  It was decided there will be no installation of new members until February of next year.

The District Department Fall Conference is scheduled for October 26 and 27 in St. Cloud.  There will be news from that in the next newsletter.  One of the President’s Projects this year is “Stop It Now Minnesota”.  This is an educational project with the goal being to share information about this program and how can all help to PREVENT child sexual abuse.  In Freeborn County we have great resources in our own Health and Human Services in the building that people still call “the old armory”.

Also scheduled is the District Leadership School in Austin on Saturday, November 3.  All members of the American Legion family are encouraged to attend. Following the workshop, they plan to go to Adams for their Chicken Fry to help support the fundraiser for the Rushford Legion.

The next regular meeting of Legion Auxiliary will be Wed., Nov. 7 at 7:00 pm, with the Board meeting at 5:00 on Mon., Nov. 5.  I hope to see you there!  Bring a friend.  Stop and think: is there some gal who used to come to our meetings that doesn’t come now because she doesn’t like driving at night?  Give her a call; give her a lift.

For God and Country

Joyce Rhody, President

 

Flag flown at the Legion Post in the First Week of October was in Memory of Bud Bolinger

 

Debt Elimination: Thank you to the 75 members and friends that have donated to the Post 56 debt elimination fund.  Our barrel is filling up and currently is at $23,231 however the goal is still $120,000.  Since last flyer there has been 3 new donors and we thank them as well as the past donors.  We also asked if anyone had any ideas or suggestions to pass them on to the executive committee or Cmdr. Gary but none came in so does that mean we are doing things right or what ever happens happens or we don’t care?  Total debt elimination will probably allow the club to operate several more years but with the debt payment still being made ($1,433.32/month) you will be asked from time to time for an extra donation to make certain payments.  A person receiving a discount prescription or even free - what would it cost if you had to pay full price?  Could some of your cost savings be donated to the debt elimination program? Arnie Mulso, Debt Elimination Coordinator

ALTON NEVE
Born August 15, 1920.  Died Oct. 8, 2007.  He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was a member of the Careyaires and the American Legion.

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

Paul Gilpin    In Memory of Harold Wolff
Ruth Perry    In Memory of Bertha Frydenlund
Ruth Strand    Thanks to all Legion, Auxiliary, SAL and Honor Guard Volunteers
Bill and Dorie Thompson    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Charlotte Sevaldson    In Memory of Stan Sevaldson
Dave and Connie Buhs    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Dave and Connie Buhs    In Memory of Don Turnbull
Ray and Ruth Porter    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Lavonne Oftedahl    In Memory of Bud Bolinger

Donations to the Honor Guard

Jim and Mary Hallum    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Ray Keating    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Cliff Anderson    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Bob and Betty Guenther    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Marge MacKay    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Vern and Shirley Strand    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Myrtle Nelson    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Bill and Lavonne Christenson    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Ray McMillan    In Memory of Bud Bolinger
Leo M Meyers    Donation
Bill and Lavonne Christenson    In Memory of Edna Hassler

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

Veterans Memorial Update

As of September 19th, a total of 2,392 of the paver bricks and 44 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.

Book Your Upcoming Special Event

with Heidi  373-7993