very important mailing!!! please open and read thru … · dress is casual. . saturday, may 14,...

Department Headquarters • 1100-D Brandywine Blvd. • PO Box 2760 • Zanesville OH 43702-2760

(740) 452-8245 • FAX (740) 452-2620 • [email protected]

From the Office of:

Katie Tucker Secretary/Treasurer Department of Ohio, Inc.

February 19, 2016

To: Unit Presidents Department Executive Committee

District Chairmen Hospital Representatives & Deputies

Department Chairmen/Committee Past Department Presidents

VERY IMPORTANT MAILING!!! PLEASE OPEN AND READ THRU THIS MAILING. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS. This mailing

contains valuable information regarding Department Junior Convention & Poppy Shop as well as, the Unit End of Year

Report Kit and Unit Data Forms. Please share with all members:

Call To Department Junior Convention (pink):

Tentative Schedule

Rules and Order of Business

Housing Information

Awards Information Form

Registration Form

Delegate/Alternate Certification Form

Message from the President(blue) – All Members

Membership (ivory) – Membership Chairman

Public Relations (blue) – Public Relations Chairman

Ohio Rocks (pink) – all Members

AEF(tan) – Americanism Chairman

Chaplain(salmon) –all members\

Community Service (gray)-Community Service Chairman

C&B )-C&B Chairman

Education(lilac –Education Chairman

Junior Activities (cherry) –Unit Jr. Activities Chairman

Leadership(gray) - all Members- District Training Flyer Included

Legislative (buff) – Legislative Chairman

Music (yellow) – Music Chairman

Poppy Shop Information & Little Miss Poppy Applications (Buff) – Poppy Chairman and all members

VA&R (goldenrod) –VA&R Chairman

UD&R (Green)- Membership Chairman

Announced Candidate Form for 16-17

FOOD FOR THOUGHT (Salmon)- Food Bank Donations for Greater Cleveland Food Bank

Unit Data Form-Unit Membership or Treasurer-Deadline April 1st, 2016

END OF YEAR REPORTS (green) Unit Chairmen and President- Deadline: April 15th

Citation of Merit & Award Information

Unit Year End Impact Numbers Report-Need to report Statistics to Congress

Programs Reports

Katie Katie Tucker

Department Secretary/Treasure

ALL END OF YEAR REPORT

FORMS IN THIS MAILING



American Legion Auxiliary Department of Ohio Junior Convention

May 14, 2016

Paschall American Legion Post 164 3363 Mc Dowell Road

Grove City, OH 43123-2907

The 64th Department Junior Convention of the American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Ohio, will be held at Paschallo American Legion Post 164, 3363 Mc Dowell Road, Grove City, Ohio 43123-2907 on May 14. Honorary Department Junior President, Emmeline Phillips will preside. PURPOSE: To elect the 2016-2017 Honorary Department Junior President and the Honorary Department Junior Vice President; to install the newly elected Honorary Department Junior Officers and Honorary District Junior Presidents; to present awards; and to conduct any other necessary business.

Activities Include: Friday Evening (optional)

(Dress is Casual Friday night only)

Fun and Games DJ & Karaoke

Pizza Party ($5.00)

Saturday (Dresses are encouraged for the Convention)

Crafts

Program Workshop District Pre-Convention Caucus

Installation of Honorary Department Junior Officers &

Honorary Junior District Presidents

Registration Form due to Department HQs by May 2nd.

Cost is 6.00 per Person See Department Website for Hyperlinks to Forms and Housing Information

Juniors



www.alaohio.org

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY Department of Ohio, Inc.

PO Box 2760

Zanesville, Ohio 43702-2760

(740) 452-8245

DEPARTMENT JUNIOR CONVENTION

Paschall American Legion Post 164 3363 Mc Dowell Road

Grove City, Ohio 43123-2904

SCHEDULE

Friday, May 13, 2016 7:00 – 10:00 pm Fun and Games

DJ & Karaoke – with Jane Domer. Pizza Party

Dress is casual. .

Saturday, May 14, 2016 Dresses are appropriate for this Convention.

9:00 – 1:00 am Registration

9:00 – 10:00 am Doughnuts, Juice, and Milk 9:00 – 12:00 am American Legion Auxiliary Junior Workshop

11:30 – 12:30 pm Lunch 12:30 -- District Pre-Conference Meetings 1:00 pm Department Junior Conference Session Convenes

Juniors



JJuunniioorrss

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY Department of Ohio, Inc.

PO Box 2760 Zanesville, Ohio 43702-2760

(740) 452-8245

DEPARTMENT JUNIOR CONVENTION RULES AND ORDER OF BUSINESS

May 14, 2016

The Convention meetings shall be called to order at the designated time.

The Chair may deviate from the printed program when necessary.

The audience shall remain seated during the business of the Convention, unless participating in the program. No one shall be permitted to enter or leave the Convention hall during the presentation of awards, when a speaker has the floor, or during voting.

A member wishing to address the Convention shall rise, address the Chair and, when recognized, shall give her name, Unit, and District number before stating her business.

Only registered Delegates, or authorized Alternates acting as Delegates, seated in the assigned location, are eligible to vote.

An alternate replacing a delegate unable to attend the convention shall have her senior advisor notify the third member of the Department Junior Activities Committee, who is in charge of the registration committee.

All Junior and Senior members shall observe appropriate conduct and dress during Department Junior Convention.

The District Junior Activities Chairman or the Senior District President shall be the adult advisor for the District Delegation.

The Credentials Committee shall report at such times as directed by the Chair.

Each District Junior President shall poll her delegation and announce the voting strength upon District Roll Call prior to voting. This number cannot be more than that reported by the Credentials Committee.

No one will be permitted to enter or leave the Convention Hall during voting time. Delegates must remain in their District, not leaving the section in which their District is located, except for dire emergency. Delegates will lose their vote if not in the proper voting section when voting by ballot occurs.

Nominations for Honorary Junior Officers shall be made from the floor by her District’s Honorary Junior President.

The current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised” shall be the parliamentary authority on all points not covered by these rules.



American Legion Auxiliary

Department Junior Convention

May 14, 2016

Awards Information Form

Unit Number

District Number

Membership – number of paid Juniors as of March 31, 2016

Date sent Junior Activities Unit Report to District Chair

Number of Juniors from your Unit attending the 2016

Department Junior Convention

Round-trip mileage – number of miles traveled from Post home to Department Junior Convention multiplied by 2

Check the following American Legion Auxiliary programs your Junior Unit participated in this year – May 2015 through April 2016.

Americanism

Children & Youth

Community Service

Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation

Senior Advisor Verification: Name: Phone: Email:



Greetings from your

Rocking President

Martha, Last Sunday was Valentine’s Day and I wonder how many of you made a Veteran your Valentine. Our VA Hospitals have so many veterans that would make great Valentines so please try to visit them and give them a big hug. It does not have to be on a special day. Please start collecting nonperishable food for our “Food for Thought” ALA Service Project. Bring/Send to the Department Convention, June 24th and 25th. Items will be stored at the Holiday Inn and Embassy Suites, then picked up by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank trucks. Cash donations can be made to www.alaohio.org/Donate. Don’t forget my Special Project – Volunteers of America-Homeless Veterans. If you need help at a special fundraiser please contact me. If I can attend I will be there! Those donations go to Department. Have you Kept the Promise? This is National President Sharon Conaster’s theme this year. You can help by getting new members or renewals. Help your Unit hit the monthly membership Promise Dates. 1st VP/Department Membership Chairman, Denise Conrad, has been working very hard to increase Ohio’s membership. Let’s give her a hand. Shirley Maurer, 2nd VP, has been trying to “Ring the Bell” more often for Public Relations. Have you “Rang the Bell?” If not get busy and do some publicizing about what your Unit has done for veterans and the community. KEEP ON ROCKING FOR VETERANS. Your Rocking President Martha

http://www.alaohio.org/Donate



MEMBERSHIP IS

EVERYONE’S

RESPONSIBILITY Let’s score BIG and push our Department totals to the top of the charts. WE

WILL BE SUCCESSFUL if everyone is helping their Unit Membership chairman to renew and recruit

members for our great organization.

As the time is right around the corner to be filling out the Department Report Forms, I would like to address the

Membership Report form in hopes of having 100% reporting. GAME ON!!

Boxes 1-3 should be easy to record. However, did you know that if your Unit had help from men, women and

children who are not members or are not eligible for our organization, they can be counted in total number of

volunteers too? They are called Auxiliary Advocates, people who believe in our mission but are non-members.

Box 4- should record any funds spent to promote Membership (cost of flyers, posters, promotional items,

postage for sending renewal notices, etc.)

Box 5- If any Veteran’s dues are paid by the Unit, the total number of Veterans whose dues are paid by the Unit

is recorded in the box marked "Number of Veterans Served" regardless if they are Legion or Auxiliary dues.

In the last box Units should record total dollars spent for all of the following:

1) If the Unit paid dues for any member for any reason

2) If the Unit paid for a Life or VIM membership for any member.

3) If the Unit paid a Legionnaire's dues so that eligibility for an Auxiliary member could be achieved

then the money for both memberships can be counted.

It is not necessary to fill out all the boxes. Only fill out the boxes that apply to your Unit. This is true for all

Department Program "green" reports. But at least one box must be filled in with a number, otherwise the Unit

just wasted the money for a stamp to send it. Sending in a report with 0's in all the boxes is NOT a report.

Asking the chairman to guess or putting a question mark in the boxes also does not count.

If your Unit had a great way to renew or recruit members please share your experience. Write a story about

how you planned and promoted your year or idea. Tell us about the outcome. Was it better than last year?

What might you have done differently? Will you make changes or improvements to your ideas for next year?

Even if you didn’t feel it was a success, someone else might take your idea and make it work for their Unit.

There it is ladies the recipe for a NARRATIVE. Just tell the story of how your Unit promotes Membership.

Things to Remember for all Department Program Reports:

You must have the Department Report form attached to the Narrative for consideration of a

Department or National award. Specific Award name must be on the form (if applicable).

Annual Unit Impact Report is now required for a Department Citation of Merit or Department

President’s Award of Excellence. Send to District President. Deadline is May 1, 2016.

Denise Conrad, Membership Chairman

Department 1st Vice President 2015-16



ARE YOU “KEEPING THE PROMISE”?

“I promise to work the centennial plan”

--102% July 30, 2016 - “I Promise to continue working membership”

--100% July 4, 2016 – “I Promise to celebrate our independence”

--95% June 14, 2016 – “I Promise to fly my flag every day!”

--90% May 21, 2016 – “I Promise to continue to support our military.”

--85% April 22, 2016 – “I Promise to plant the seeds of membership!”

--80% March 15, 2016 – “I Promise to breathe life into our organization!”

--75% February 14, 2016 – “I Promise to show my love for our veterans!”

--70% January 15, 2016 – “I Promise to celebrate new and renewed members”

If you have moved or know of a friend or family member who has moved within the past year,

PLEASE notify your Unit Membership Chairman AND Department Headquarters of the change

of address. If a current address is not on file it is very difficult for your Membership Chairman

to get their dues renewal. In addition this member will not get the

Buckeye Messenger, the National Auxiliary Magazine, or any

communication the Unit has with its members. Even if they have moved

out of state, they are still eligible to remain an Ohio member.

Checking with the Post and the SAL can sometimes also be helpful. The

member who has moved may have changed the address for the Legion or

SAL member in the household but the change was not submitted to the

Auxiliary. We can’t renew these members if we don’t have current

contact information. So I’m asking everyone to think about your circle

of friends and family and make sure your Unit has the proper contact

information. Let’s all help the Membership Chairman of our Unit in any

way possible to RENEW and RETAIN all members.

Dept.Target

Currently



PUBLIC RELATIONS

This will be the last Bulk Mailing before your reports are due. And when are your reports due? APRIL 15,

2016 IS THE DEADLINE.

No one says you have to wait till the last minute. If you feel you have all your information and all the

information from your Unit, you can fill out the report and mail it now. And if you are sending it snail mail,

allow a few extra days before APRIL 15TH for it to get to the chairman. There are chairmen that are allowing

you to send your report by e-mail. You might want to check with them.

Be sure to look at the bottom of the report to find the correct Department chairman to send it to. Reports for

Americanism, Children & Youth, Community Service, Junior Activities and VA&R are to be sent to your

District Chairman. A list of all the District Chairmen is provided to each unit in the Kit of Reports.

The National Impact Report which reports the totals of all programs combined is to be sent to your District

President. The District President will then add all the totals together and send one completed District Report to

Department Secretary Katie Tucker by May 1, 2016.

Remember if you are applying for a Department or National Award attach the narrative to your report. Follow

all the criteria when composing your Unit Program Narratives. Criteria for ALL narratives are as follows:

Narratives must be typed written in narrative form; narrative must not exceed 1,000 words; narrative may

include photographs and news articles. Remember to look at your PLAN OF ACTION to make sure you have

followed all the criteria.

Please remember we still have an ongoing “RING YOUR BELL” contest for the second half of our reporting

year. Entries from January 1, 2016 to May 31, 2016 will be tabulated and the winners will be announced at the

Department Convention. Each winner will be given a certificate in her Membership Category. Please do not

wait until the last minute to send me your articles. June is a very busy month for officers and chairmen to get

everything done by Department Convention.

Continue to promote your events/fundraisers in your Units. This can be done be promoting your next event at

your current event. Using snail mail, Facebook, putting up flyers, newsletters, making phone calls, and even

giving people a schedule of when the events are scheduled. You could even ask the people for their e-mail

addresses and you can send them a reminder of the event or events.

PROMOTE – PROMOTE – PROMOTE

I cannot stress this enough, ALWAYS BE PROMOTING THE NEXT EVENT. It will pay off in the long run.

Shirley Maurer

2015-2016 Public Relations Chairman



OHIO "Rocks" Shirley Maurer, Editor

Volume 1, Issue 5 February - March, 2016

“Ring Your Bell” Contest

I would like to thank all those that participated in the Mid-

Winter “Ring Your Bell” contest. I did not receive an

entry from Membership Class VI. The Winners of the

Mid-Winter “Ring Your Bell” contest are:

Class I (10-50) District 2

Maria Stein Unit 571

Class II (51-100) District 9

Orwell Memorial Unit 719

Class III (101-200) District 7

Russell D. Williams Unit 471

Class IV (201-400) District 9

Palmer-Roberts Unit 214

Class V (401-600) District 12

Don Gentile Unit 532

The “Ring Your Bell” contest continues and all entries

must be received no later than May 31, 2016 to be

eligible for the 2nd half of the year. Everyone starts from

0 again allowing all Units the opportunity to participate.

Send me those articles for our Newsletter!

Ladies, thank you for all the articles that you

have sent me so far, but our year is not over

yet. Keep those success stories coming in.

PLEASE keep emailing me your articles so I

can let the whole Department know what your

unit or district is doing. I want this newsletter

to be about you and what you do for our

veterans. President Martha would enjoy

reading all about you also. So let’s get busy

and see how many I can receive in the month

to come.

President Martha and myself attended the

Mission Training held in Las Vegas, NV on

January 23rd. We learned a lot that day and

both of us would recommend to anyone in the

Auxiliary to attend this training. You can

learn so much about the Auxiliary that you

didn’t know. We even learned how to make a

Poppy that day! Also, there were 23 Juniors

that attended that day.

On Monday, December 7th, the American Legion

Family of Post 239 celebrated the veterans at the

Columbus VA facility with their annual “Holiday

Coffee and Snack Cart”. They presented a small

gift bag to each veteran and then free coffee, tea,

cocoa, cookies and snacks. Department funds were

used to purchase 72 lbs. of fresh apples for the

veterans, were given sugar free candy and given a

Christmas card made by the children of Salem

Elementary School. District President Paula

Christman and Past District 12 President Beth

McKee joined them for this heart warming event.

Cheryl Smith

Unit 239 “Ring Your Bell”



CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FEBRUARY

1 Buckeye Messenger Articles

Due

14 Valentine’s Day

15 President’s Day

15 Bulk Mail Due

21-24 Washington Conference,

Washington, D.C.

MARCH

13 Daylight Savings Time Begins

25 Good Friday

27 Easter

APRIL

9 Finance Mtg. (11 am)

9 DEC Mtg. (1 p.m.)

Both of above at Sandusky Post 83

10 Poppy Shop Open House,

OVH (9 a.m.)

15 Bulk Mail Articles Due

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

½ c. butter or margarine 1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup sugar ½ tsp. salt

2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour 1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. baking powder

TOPPING

1 cup pecans, chopped ¼ cup white sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter with sugar and add eggs one at a time.

Mix thoroughly. Add vanilla to sour cream and add

alternately with sifted dry ingredients. In a separate

bowl, combine topping ingredients. Pour ½ cake batter

into lightly greased 9”x13” pan. Add ½ of the topping,

the rest of the batter, then the remaining topping. Use a

table knife and slightly “marble”, so topping is woven

through cake. Bake in 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

POPPY DAYS

The Sidney American Legion Auxiliary held their

annual Poppy Campaign on November 5-7, 2015. The

auxiliary along with the Juniors were at Walmart,

Kroger and Sidney Foodtown. By taking our Juniors

along, many cannot say no to them. They are able to

help us collect quite a bit. The donations from the

poppies is used for needy veterans and their families.

Many are disabled or homeless or without jobs. These

people are the ones that we use the funds for. Grocery,

clothing and medical needs all fall under this category.

Poppy Days are held all over the United States. There

is a need everywhere. And we don’t ask a person to

buy a poppy. It is all a donation, whatever they want to

give. Just remember our needy veterans who have

fought and risked their lives for our country.

Sidney Auxiliary Unit 217

“Ring Your Bell”



Auxiliary Emergency Fund

Cindy Masowick, Department Chairman

Disasters can happen at any time, anywhere, day or night. Sometimes without any

warning. Is your Unit prepared to handle a disaster? Will Department or National

Headquarters be prepared to handle all the disasters that have happened and the

future disasters? Ladies, we need your help by raising monies to donate to the AEF

program. Your Unit doesn’t have to wait til the end of the year to mail in

donations. You still have time to do fundraising to get these donations.

At the Mid-Winter Conference, I had an afghan / pillow raffle. We were able to

raise $117.00 for the AEF Program. Congratulations to Past Department Squadron

Commander Jon Coakley winner of that afghan.

As, I have stated in the past, the Auxiliary Emergency Fund is National President

Sharon Conaster special project. National President Sharon has set a goal of

$232,500. As of February 5, 2016, $43,275.84 monies have been raised. Still have

a ways to go.

On February 22, 2016, at the ALA Washington DC Conference “Parade of

Checks”, National President Sharon set a goal of $40,000 to be collected from

Departments, Units, Districts and individual donors towards the Auxiliary

Emergency Fund.

Remember to get your reports in by April 15. I am looking forward to reading your

reports and narratives. Let me know what fundraising you have done for the AEF

Program.

Did you have an auxiliary member who needed these funds?

Department Awards: The "Ardith Cooper" Plague is awarded to the District

President with the highest donations per capita. This plague will be given at

Department Convention.

National Awards: National Citation Recognition --given to one Unit and one

Department contributing the largest donations to the AEF program per capita.

Citation and Lapel Pin Recognition presented to any Unit or individual contributing

$50.00 or more to the AEF program.



CHAPLAIN Department of Ohio

February 2016

February is the month of “hearts and flowers”, Valentines Day wishes and

most importantly, LOVE. As Auxiliary members we take great pride in loving

our God, our Country and each other. As Auxiliary members we continually

strive to do random acts of kindness and love. Keep up the good work ladies –

we make God smile.

The Magic of Love – Helen Steiner Rice

Love is like magic and it always will be, For love still remains life’s sweet mystery. Love

works in ways that are wondrous and strange, And there is nothing in life that love cannot

change. Love can transform the most common place, Into beauty and splendor and

sweetness and grace. Love is unselfish, understanding and kind, For it sees with its heart

and not with its mind. Love is the answer that everyone seeks, Love is the language that

every heart speaks. Love can’t be bought, its priceless and free. Love like pure magic, is

life’s sweet mystery.

Some thoughts to ponder: “I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it

is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as if

they were great and noble. Our world is moved

around not only by the mighty shoves of its

heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny

pushes of each honest worker.

Helen Keller

When you ask God for a gift, Be thankful if he

sends, Not diamonds, gold or pearls, But the love

of a real true friend.

“To live long and achieve happiness, cultivate the act of radiating happiness” Malcolm

Forbes

Over, please

The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer somebody else up.

Mark Twain



So, when you are feeling a little down and out, try to motivate yourself by doing

something for someone less fortunate. It will truly brighten your day and your way.

A Daily Prayer

Bless me heavenly Father, Forgive my erring ways,

Grant me strength to serve thee, Put purpose in my days,

Give me understanding, enough to make me kind,

So I may judge all people, With my heart and not my mind.

Teach me to be patient, in everything I do,

Content to trust Your wisdom, And to follow after you.

Help me when I falter, Hear me when I pray,

And receive me in Thy kingdom, to dwell with Thee some day.

Keep praying for our Country, our service men and women and each other. Prayer is

powerful.

Keep sending in those prayers for President Martha’s prayer book. The collection is

growing. The angels will be in the mail soon and thank you all for contributing. There is

still time, keep them coming.

God Bless you and keep you in his care

Mary Lee Mercier



COMMUNITY SERVICE Hope each of you take the time to write your unit’s Community Service story, it is easier than you

think. At your next meeting review the plan of action and brainstorm with your members. What did you do last April? How about May? I bet your members have made a difference each month in the community. Now take your notes and put it in a story form. Just a few sentences about each activity and a longer paragraph about the big projects. Include pictures whenever possible. If you have a junior unit I bet they would love to help you type the story. Now follow the directions in your Plan of Action and send your report to your District Chairman.

There are several special awards and You should take the time to apply for these

awards. Write a detailed story about the special projects you have worked on this administrative year. Include pictures and send your special report to the name and address as directed in the Plan of Action. Remember we want to know your successes and how your unit made a difference in your community.

There are two awards for individuals who have done an outstanding job with your

units Community Service Program. One Senior member will be recognized and One Junior member. Please take the time to apply for these special awards and send the entries to the name and address as instructed in the Plan of Action. It is always a bonus if you include pictures. PLEASE take the time to apply! Last year one of our junior members was recognized at the National Convention and received the top award from Central Division! And this happened because someone took the time to type up what the Junior member did, her projects and how she helped with her units Community Service program.

I am excited to hear what your unit has been doing. I know from some midyear reports that many members have been doing great things. Even if your unit has only one or two projects you still need to complete the reports so we can count your hours! And smaller units PLEASE send a report. My experience has been that every unit makes a difference in our communities.

Please tell us what your unit has done April 2015- March 2016.

Community service comes natural to many American Legion Auxiliary units. If you

are struggling for a special project please check on line. There are so many ideas! You can contact your local Center for Abuse Prevention and treatment or your Job

and Family Services office. One unit donated gently used and new suite cases with a Ziploc bag in each with a new tooth brush and toothpaste, and personal items. The unit also included small new stuffed animals and other items for the smaller suitcases that were for the young children entering the system. Many children entering into foster care leave their homes with very little; often only some clothes that are put into a trash bag and their clothing is often not the best. The unit reported the Job and Family Services case workers said the suitcases and items helped the children and teens entering the Foster Care system.



Another unit works with the local school system donating new backpacks to grade school and middle school students filled with school supplies appropriate for each school. They leave a number with the school so they will be contacted when there are more items needed. Recently they contacted the local High School and found there is a need at that level, more often for notebooks and pencils. They are excited to offer this opportunity for students in need. They wear their American Legion Auxiliary apparel when interacting with the School and they split their hours and times with their education report.

Many units hold some kind of event open to the public. They provide snacks, wear their American Legion Auxiliary apparel and many of them work together with their Legion Family. Having the Commander giving opening remarks and SAL officer also saying a few words. Some ideas for this type of event are having Sheriff or Police officer come in and discuss safety or identity theft. Other units have had local K9 Unit come.

Many units also have helped feed low income and homeless, donated to local food pantries and help at them. Other units help donate blankets to homeless shelters, personal items and fast food gift cards.

I know your unit is active in your community please send your reports in!



CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS

DEBBIE MONROE

DEPARTMENT CHAIRMAN

Well, our year is over the half way mark and I have received 26 Constitution and Bylaws from our great Ohio Units. Some I have had to return for corrections and some have been approved and filed at Department headquarters. There are so many more Units that need to update their documents. It really is not difficult to update as long as you follow the model provided by Department of Ohio. You can find this on their website, www.alaohio.org. If you do not have access to the internet I will mail one to you so you can follow, just give me a call. Don;t forget your Standing Rules are just as important as Constitution &Bylaw’s, but they are different. They have the flexibility to be changed as often as desired to keep up with current times. Changes to Standing Rules do not require a change to the Constitution and Bylaws; therefore, require only a majority vote . Send me a copy of your Standing Rules, so that I may approve them and send a copy to Department for filing. Constitution and Bylaws should not be amended more frequently than every 10-15 years. The IRS views organizations that amend their Constitution and/or Bylaws frequently as unstable, which, in turn, can trigger an IRS audit. When you have revised your Constitution & Bylaws, e-mail a copy to me at [email protected] and I will look it over before you present it to your unit for review. This way the process can go a little quicker. Just a quick reminder, don't forget to send me your reports by April 15, 2016. I have already received a couple, so anytime before then is ok. Also, as promised at School of Instructions, any Unit who has sent me a revised Constitution and Bylaws, your Unit will be put into a drawing for a gift. I have a patriotic bird house to give away at Department Convention. Remember, if you have any questions; do not hesitate to contact me at (513) 289-2220. Thanks Debbie Monroe

http://www.alaohio.org/

mailto:[email protected]



Bulk Mailing - February, 2016

EDUCATION

Greetings from your Education Chairman. The holidays have passed,

we have settled back into our daily routines and are enjoying the cold,

windy, snowy days of Ohio's winter season! Well, maybe not all of that

statement is correct for many of us!!

The deadline for applications for three (3) of our National Auxiliary's Educational scholarships is soon upon

us, March 01, 2016, those being:

1. Children of Warriors National Presidents Scholarships

2 Non-Traditional Student Scholarship

3. Spirit of Youth Scholarship

The Education Plan of Action provides a brief description of each. Go to National's website at

www.alaforveterans.org/scholarships for requirements and applications.

Please note that a $500 scholarship is awarded to the applicant selected by the Department of Ohio who has

applied for but is NOT a National winner for the National President's Scholarship. the Spirit of Youth

Scholarship for Juniors, and the National Non-Traditional Scholarship. Additionally, we also have a

Department President's Scholarship with the first place selectee awarded $1,500 and second place $1,000 (due

no later than March 1st)!

It is not uncommon for the children of military service men and women to have their life uprooted quite

often, perhaps a parent has been called to active duty or the family has been relocated. In-state tuition is now

available in some states for servicemembers' children who otherwise could not get those lower rates in the past.

Additionally, some may qualify to receive a once/year benefit if their military parent has been assigned outside

the continental United States. Several resources to review for service members, spouses and children are:

1. Pell Grant - This federal grant does not need to be repaid, and the award amount varies based on a number

of factors, the most important of which is a student’s income to cost of attendance ratio. For 2015-2016, the

maximum award amount is $5,775. (http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html)

2. Marine Gunnery Sgt. John David Fry Scholarship also known as the Fry Scholarship. This program

grants the surviving children and spouses of deceased servicemember to receive up to 36 months of education

benefits at the 100% level. As with the GI Bill, these benefits should be explored and applied for with the

assistance of a VSO or VA administrator. A servicemember must make elections to pass on their benefits to a

dependent after meeting a certain time-in-service mark.

(http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/factsheets/fry_scholarship.pdf)

3. Many programs require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form

(www.fafsa.educationconnection.com). Families also may find helpful information at FinAid: The

SmartStudent®Guide to Financial Aid (www.finaid.org) and Scholarshiphelp.org.

Additionally, Collegescholarships.org offers a comprehensive review of college scholarship websites. Several

scholarships focus on military children. They are sponsored by:

• Air Force Aid Society. The General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program gives grants to children of

active duty Air Force members, as well as some Reservists and retirees. Grants are need-based. See Air Force

Aid Society (www.afas.org).

• Army Emergency Relief. The MG James Ursano Scholarship Fund offers scholarships for children of



active duty, soldiers, retirees, or those who died in service. These scholarships can be used for undergraduate

studies, vocational training, or to help a student prepare to enter a military academy. See Army Emergency

Relief (www.aerhq.org)

• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. The Vice Admiral E.P. Travers Scholarship and Loan program

provides financial aid to children and spouses of active duty and retired Sailors and Marines. There are also

scholarships for the children of those killed in action. See Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (www.nmcrs.org)

• Scholarships for military children. Every commissary gives at least one scholarship. The scholarships of at

least $1,500 per student are supported by the companies that sell goods to the Defense Commissary Agency

(DeCA). See Scholarships for Military Children (www.militaryscholar.org)

*Post-9/11 GI Bill - This complex but extremely worthwhile program allows servicemembers on duty after

September 10, 2001, to receive money to cover most tuition, fees, books, and living expenses at state colleges

and universities. An applicant for this program should work with a veteran service officer and/or a given

school’s VA administrator to apply for and receive benefits. In some cases, these benefits may be passed to

qualifying spouses and children. (http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911

gibill.asp)

In closing for this month, thank you to all Units that promote education to members of your Post, Unit, their

families and your communities. Taking the time to volunteer in any way at schools is a priceless gift. We all

recognize the importance of furthering one's education in today's world; please make a donation to the

Education Fund. Your contributions help sustain the scholarships we offer which leads to a stronger and

brighter future for all of us.

God bless.

Carole Sowards, Education Chairman



JUNIOR ACTIVITIES KAREN PEEL – ADVISOR

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who bought items, brought filled backpacks, and helped assemble the Blessing Backpacks! The response was overwhelming! We will be distributing over 275 backpacks throughout the Department of Ohio for the homeless! The girls had a wonderful time at Mid-Winter filling the backpacks. Thank you President Emmeline Phillips for selecting this project. Here are a few reminders from our Central Division Junior Activities Chairman – Susan Masten: Scholarships March is almost here and with it the deadline for submitting applications for scholarships. Check the Plan of Action for Education for detailed information and the applications are on the National Website. Don’t forget about the Parke Scholarships under the VA & R Plan of Action. March is Community Service Month Explain the program and its importance to your Juniors. Are your Units doing a service project that the Juniors can help with? At the Unit level host a “Daddy/Grandpa and Me Dance”, plan a “Cookie Pack” project or supply bags and supplies for ditty bags. Easter is March 27th Are you looking for a project for our military? Send them Easter cards and candy. Use the plastic eggs and fill with one toy Army man and some candy. To participate in AdoptaPlatoon go to their website www.adoptaplatoon.org and fill out a Supporter application. AAP approval is needed for participation. Packages must be mailed not later than March 24th. Patch Program Encourage your Juniors to work on patches. Mentor them so they are learning leadership qualifications and program information. Reports Your reports need to go to your District Chairman. They are due by April 15th! Department Junior Convention Department Junior Convention is May 13 and 14th. It will be help at Paschall American Legion Post 164 in Grove City. I hope that you will bring your Juniors and join in the fun. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me – [email protected] or (330) 962-0738.

http://www.adoptaplatoon.org/

mailto:[email protected]



American Legion Auxiliary Department of Ohio MUSIC Program



First off, I'd like to say CONGRATULATIONS to the Unit Music Chairmen who earned Mid-Winter Rockin'

Certificates & trophies at the Dept of Ohio Mid-Winter Conference at the Crowne Plaza Columbus North Jan

16th for submitting nice reports showing how music has been involved with your Unit!

This is the time to be exploring our COUNTRY roots in patriotic music, and there's several heart-gripping

country timeless music hits that apply to our active military & veterans as much today as they did when they

were first written.

And keep in mind, The Patricia Courtney Plaque will be awarded to the Unit submitting the best

narrative regarding the promotion and usage of music to enhance unit programs, so get those music reports &

Dept Report Forms to me by April 15, 2016!

With that I'll leave you with this brief interview with Lee Greenwood when asked about his famous song we all

love so greatly, God Bless the USA...

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‘God Bless the USA‘ is a patriotic song written by Lee Greenwood and first released as a single in 1984. It

reached No. 7 on the country charts, and in the same year it was the song played at the Republican National

Convention with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in attendance. The song would gain

even more prominence after the launch of Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War in 1991, and following

the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

Pat Gallager caught up with Lee at his home in Nashville to talk about the inspiration for this enduring patriotic

hit. This is what Greenwood told Gallager:

"I wanted to write it my whole life. When I got to that point, we were doing 300 days a year on the road, and we

were on our fourth or fifth album on MCA. I called my producer, and I said I have a need to do this. I’ve always

wanted to write a song about America, and I said we just need to be more united.

I’m from California, and I don’t know anybody from Virginia or New York, so when I wrote it — and my

producer and I had talked about it — [we] talked about the four cities I wanted to mention, the four corners of

the United States. It could have been Seattle or Miami but we chose New York and L.A., and he suggested

Detroit and Houston because they both were economically part of the basis of our economy – Motown and the

oil industry, so I just poetically wrote that in the bridge.

When I put it on stage … I think it was the fall of ’83, I put it in the middle of the show just as a brand-new

song. Wow, it was like the audience jumped up, and they were applauding. It helps to have a career that is

really exploding to bring a song to bear that is palpable. I did it for about two weeks like that and then I had to

put it at the end of the show as an encore. I couldn’t follow it.

It keeps having a different kind of life. I mean during the Gulf War, it was a song of the war for General

Schwarzkopf. After Hurricane Katrina, it was a song for life and hope, and then after 9/11, it was a song of

unity and rebuilding. It just makes me really proud that I’ve done something for the country and for my family.

It’s my family’s heritage.

I recorded the ‘American Patriot’ album as a way to embrace ‘God Bless the USA’ with all other American

songs including ‘God Bless America,’ ‘America the Beautiful,’ ‘The National Anthem’ … even the ‘Battle Hymn

of the Republic.’ The ‘American Patriot’ album really was the one that solidified ‘God Bless the USA’ in a time

capsule, if you will, for all time.”

--Submitted by Kathi Jo Zornes, American Legion Auxiliary Dept of Ohio Music Chairman, Feb. 2016



UNIT DEVELOPMENT & REVITALIZATION

Chairman-Karen Kaczmarek

Every Unit has that special member who goes out of her way to help her unit and its

members any way she can. She is always there to volunteer to help in the unit. She

takes timeout to help the new members understand the programs of the American

Legion Auxiliary, working with the legion family, spear head programs for our Veterans, our Military and their

families. She is kind, understanding and is an example of what a member should be. If you do, why not

nominate her for the “Mentor of the Year” plaque. The following are the guidelines for Mentor of the Year.

GUIDELINES FOR “MENTOR OF THE YEAR”

Yearend must be filled out correctly

A narrative of no more than 1000 words must accompany the report

There must be a cover sheet that will include the Unit’s name and address

The city the Unit is in and the District the Unit is in

The mentor’s name and unit number

That you state on the report form what award you are going for

That this report and narrative be to this chairman by April 15, 2016

GUIDELINES FOR THE UD&R BEST YEAR END REPORT

Yearend report must be filled out correctly

A narrative of no more than 1000 words must accompany the report

That you fill in what award you are going for

That the boxes at the bottom of the report have at least 2 filled in

That it be to this chairman by April 15, 2016

We all know that our units work the programs of the American Legion Auxiliary and so I am asking you as unit

members to take the time to fill out your reports and send to the proper chairman of that program.

My address is the following:

Karen Kaczmarek

P.O. Box 350665

Toledo, Ohio 43635-0665

E-mail

[email protected]



From the Office of:

Katie Tucker

Secretary/Ex. Director

Department of Ohio, Inc.

TO: Unit Presidents

FROM: Katie Tucker, Department Secretary

DATE: February 15, 2016

SUBJECT: CANDIDATES FOR 2016-2017 DEPARTMENT OFFICES

A Member wishing to be an announced candidate for Department Office must complete and return this form along with

their Letter of Intent, to Department Headquarters by April 1st of the year of elections. Unit Presidents are asked to share

this information and make this form available to all members upon request.

Announced Candidate for the Office of:

Name of Candidate:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Home Phone: Business Phone:

Email: Cell Phone:

Unit Name Unit # District #

Endorsed by Unit? Yes Date: No

Endorsed by District? Yes Date: No

Signature of Candidate _______________________________ Date ______________________

Return to Department Headquarters by April 1, 2016: American Legion Auxiliary

PO Box 2760

Zanesville OH 43702

Please see Policy regarding Candidates for Department Office on reverse.



POLICY REGARDING CANDIDATES FOR DEPARTMENT OFFICE

CANDIDATES FOR DEPARTMENT OFFICE-Paragraph 13 of 2015-2016 Department Policy

13. CANDIDATES FOR DEPARTMENT OFFICE

a. Any Unit member in good standing is eligible to hold a Department Office.

b. All candidates seeking a Department Office must submit a Letter of Intent to Department Headquarters

by April 1st of the year of elections.

c. Each District may endorse no more than one candidate for a Department Office. A letter of endorsement

may be submitted to the Department Headquarters by April 1st of the year of elections to be published in

the May, June, July issue of the Buckeye Messenger.

d. A candidate seeking a District’s endorsement for a Department Office may only be endorsed by a majority

vote of delegates attending a District Summer Convention.

e. A Candidate may use either a letter or flyer (not both) to announce her candidacy to the Units. The

reproduction of this announcement shall be at the candidate’s expense. The candidate shall send her

announcement to Department Headquarters no later than April 30th for inclusion in the May Bulk Mailing

to Unit Presidents.

f. The candidate may have one poster, not to exceed 22” x 28”, announcing her candidacy. This poster may

have a picture of any size and may be placed at the entrance of the Convention Hall. Requests and

payment for display easels must be into Department Headquarters at least two (2) weeks prior to

Department Convention.

g. All Department Officer candidates may visit each District caucus as a group or as deemed appropriate with

the schedule.

h. There will be no campaign material or campaigning allowed in the convention center or hall. Pages will

be instructed to ask individuals to remove the material as they enter or will be asked to leave the

Convention Hall.

i. All Department Officer candidates may have a Joint Reception to be coordinated by Department

Headquarters held at a time that does not conflict with any Auxiliary convention activities including the

Joint Session. Light refreshments may be provided by the candidates. Campaign materials are permissible

ONLY during this time and must be coordinated with the Department Secretary/Ex. Director for hotel

logistics.

j. Candidates for any office shall be nominated by a Delegate of their choosing other than any member of the

Department Executive Committee (Department President, Department First Vice President, Department

Second Vice President, Department Secretary/Treasurer, National Executive Committeewoman, or District

President.)

k. The Presiding Officer will ask for further nominations prior to presenting all candidates to the delegation

before the election.

l. Each candidate may address the Department Convention for two (2) minutes when introduced.

very important mailing!!! please open and read thru … · dress is casual. . saturday, may 14,...

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