"The Four Star"
January/February
Edition No. 1 - 11
Commanders Message
Happy New Year,
I pray you're all doing fine, and "Welcome" to our new members. What a year (smile) this was. We had some trouble at the end, but we will survive if we just work together. We are still having serious money problems, and are trying all we can to deal with them.
We also have just two of our Post Officers resign, and I believe they will be moving to the Greenbelt Post. One is Tom Davis, our present Adjutant, and the other is our service Officer, Bill Bladen. Tom has been a Past Commander, Department Exec Comm. person (DEC), and adjutant under 3 different Commanders, including myself, and will be sorely missed for all the wisdom and knowledge that he passed on to me. Bill Bladen will be badly missed too. His work work with the Veterans at Walter Reed was truly an outstanding, compassionate, and wonderful thing to behold. Both of these men have worked hard for the Post for many years and in many various ways, and there just isn't enough space in this newsletter to list all they've done to uphold and honor the principles of what it is to be a member of the American Legion. Good luck to both at whichever Post is fortunate enough to have them as members.
We are still looking for information for our "Post Directory" so if any members who'd like others to be aware of any jobs or service that they offer, we will try one more time with this, so see the article on the inside of this newsletter. I think we would all prefer to pay our veterans for services like plumbers, electricians, etc. first if we can.
We had our Halloween Party, and it was a great affair, so thanks go out to Charlie Allen, the Auxiliary Unit, Joe, Clancy, and Steve. I cannot thank you guys enough for all you do. Thing like this make our Post great, so please don't stop! Our Veterans Day Ceremonies was also a very nice affair, as usual. Brian did a great job with the food for lunch we had afterwards at the Post. Thanks Brian.
Thanks also go to the SAL again all they do at our "Annual Leaf Affair: on the 11th of December, and thanks to Beth, you're a Sweet Heart! We also had the guys from the 450th come by for some pizza and a "Thank You" for all their service. If you see a veteran, or active duty personnel, always thank them for their service. I always do, and everyone has always appreciated the fact you took took the time to stop and say "Thanks".
We have a staff here at the Post and they all seem to go "above and beyond", so here's a Special Thanks" to all of them too, as I look forward to all of their help this coming year. If anyone has any thoughts on helping us work through our present "economic predicament", please let us know. And you can always help out by coming to the Post for lunch, and bringing your friends.
a "Big Thanks" goes out to Pat for all she does for the Post, she's helped me out on so many things, I don't know where to start. God bless you all.
Elando H. Lindsey
Commander Post 217
1st Vice Commanders Message
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RECRUITMENT
HELP
If
you are trying to recruit new members into
the American Legion
National
Personnel Records Center
9700
Page Avenue
St.
Louis, Mo. 63132-5100
include complete name, Social Security number, and return address.
At this time we are at 70% of the Department Goal. This puts us in 28th place with other Legion Posts in our district. As of January 1st 2011, your "yellow key' card will not work in the door at the Post. The new card is "white", so renew your membership now guys! Time is running out fast! I'm sure you don't want to be left out in the cold!
The SAL is doing their thing at renewals, which is now at 50%, so let's all renew as soon as we can. Let's keep the Post moving forward. and don't forget to try and recruit some new members.
2nd Vice Commanders Message
No Message
Chaplains Message
No Message
Unit 217 President's Message
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
What a glorious time of year! I hope each of you will have time to spend with your family and friend, and enjoy all that is dear to you. Your Unit family has been exceptionally busy during this time, so here's a little synopsis of what we've been up to recently...
First - We had a wonderful "Early Bird Dinner", and I'd like to thank all of those who were able to attend. It was a great success and it was nice to see so many of you that we don't get to see often enough.
Second - A very special thank you for all the Unit "elves" who worked so hard to get 36 stockings stuffed for the Salvation Army again this year. Mary Keller once again donated her time to shop for all our adopted families as our Unit's Community Service project. And thanks to all the Post members who donated "extra" so this could be, once again, a chance to give back to our community and put smiles on the faces of so many children. By the time you have received this newsletter, we will have had our "Children's Christmas Party", another one of our annual "Fun Projects". I would like to thank Angie, Miss College Park, Devin Fendlay, and our new "Children and Youth Teen Director", Kayleen Yermal, for helping out with both the Halloween Party, which was a blast, and the "Kids Christmas Party" on December 12th.
Third - On October 28th, Angie, Joan, Pat F. and myself went to Baltimore to visit the MCVETS facility. What a wonderful place this is! They provide a home for over 200 veterans who need a hand during a difficult period in their lives. We had heard about MCVETS during the Legion Convention in Ocean City, and the stories from the vets who were helped, had touched us immensely. We were determined to return home to our Posts and do something to help them. When we went to the MCVETS facility in Baltimore, we were given a tour of the facility and were proud to give them a donation. In the Spring we hope to do a "Clothing Drive" to further assist in this worthwhile endeavor. Stay tuned for more info on how you can give a helping hand to some veterans in need.
As everyone knows, the end of the tear is coming, so if you have not already sent your renewal dues, please send in ASAP to the Post to ensure that you get your new card. I am very proud of how well our membership is coming in, but we are still missing a few of you.
As I sit to write this, I have just found out that long time member Virginia Galvin has passed away. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers, especially at this time of the year when we're all reminded about how important family is to each and every one of us.
May the year 2011 be a year filled with Peace, Kindness and Love for all.
Diana Nix
Unit 217 President
Maryland Veterans Creative Arts Program
The American Legion Auxiliary Department of Maryland has some very exciting plans we would like to share with everyone. We have really adopted the "Veterans Creative Arts Program" in a big way. This is an art therapy program through which our "Wounded Warriors" have found some measure of healing after what has been, in many cases, a lifetime of suffering from their war experiences. "Veterans Creative Arts" began in 1981, and evolved into a nationwide event where talented Veterans compete in various art therapies, which are held at their local VA facility, and include both visual an performing arts. Painting, sculpting, photography, beadwork, needlework, pottery, latch work, and model making model making are just a few of the more than 150 visual arts that are represented and dance, music, drama and creative writing represent the performing arts. In 2010 over 3,600 Veterans competed from 123 facilities across the United States. 140 of these Veterans were chosen and then invited to the week long "National Creative Arts Festival" held in La Crosse WI, and hosted by the Tomah VA Medical Center. The national festival is hosted by a different VA Medical Center each year. In 2000, it took place in Washington , D.C. and was hosted by the Washington VA Medical Center. This year seven volunteers from the American Legion Auxiliary of Maryland, spent the week October 17 -24 in La Crosse, WI Working with the Veterans in many different capacities as needed.
Since so few of the "prize winners" can actually be invited to showcase their talents on a national level, it was decided to hold a "Maryland Veterans Creative Arts Festival" to bring more attention to this great program as well as offering an opportunity to showcase the talented Veterans who represent the many VA Medical facilities we serve in Maryland. The Festival is scheduled for April 9th and will be held in the Allen Chotiner Auditorium at High Point High School which is located in Beltsville, Maryland. The address is - 3601 Powder Mill Road, 20705. The American Legion Auxiliary is seeking support of the entire American Legion family to insure the success of this program. Support can be manifested in many ways, such as taking out ads for the program, making donations, and buying tickets, $10.00 each, and attending and cheering on our Veterans. If you would like to take out an ad or be a sponsor, keep in mind the date of March 1st, as we need time to for the program book to be published. All checks should be made payable to the "American Legion Auxiliary Department of Maryland" and be earmarked for the "April 9th Creative Arts Festival" and mail to Ivy Christoffers, Creative Chair, 11508 Allview Drive, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705. The price of the ads are: A full page ad (8 1/2" x 11") is $75.00 - 1/2 page ad is $50.00 - 1/4 page ad is $25.00 - business card size ads are $10.00. The Sponsorships begin with "Platinum" at $1,000, "Gold" at $500 , "Silver" at $250 and "Bronze" at $100. The Festival begins at 1:00 PM and you can find a lot more info on the internet.
Please call me with any questions at (301) 595-5225 or e-mail me at ichristoffers@verizon.net
Ivy Christoffers - Creative Art Chair
Message from the "4 Star" editor
No e-mail at this time
February 10th is the next "Due Date" to submit articles for the March - April 2011 edition of the "4 Star". Also remember that any member of 217's "Legion Family" can submit articles for the newsletter. If you've got something that you think may be of interest to our members, please do send it along to me. At this time I don't have an "e-mail" address because I'm in the process of signing onto another "Service Provider", when I get one I'll post on the bulletin board.
Home phone - (301) 459-6278
Larry Schaffer - Editor " 4 Star"
Legion Membership Directory Project
Question? How many of our members have needed a "specialist" in the past? An electrician, a plumber, someone to fix the furnace, repair the roof, cut down a tree, or install a carpet, or many other services we all need in maintaining our homes. Wouldn't it be better to hire a Veteran - a Legion member? I think if you have to "pay someone" money, I would rather give it to someone who's a veteran. Who knows, you may get a "preferred member discount" on the cost of the work you need done, and if not (we all have to make money to take care of our families), I think at the very least you could expect a "high quality" level of work. After all, these people are not gonna disappear next week and never be heard from again! You'll probably see them at next month's meeting! Or at the next "Crab Feast" or "Spaghetti Dinner'.
So if you would like to be included in our "Post Membership Directory" - please fill in the form below and send it to the Post c/o Elando Lindsey or Larry Schaffer. If you'd like, send in your business card to be included in the Post directory. We are thinking of printing a small pamphlet with the collected info that will be available to our members. None of the info will be made available to any third party people. your confidentiality is assured. This is for access to our own Post members. As it says in our preamble - "to consecrate and sanctify our devotion to mutual helpfulness". If I need a "plumber" - I'd rather give you my money, instead of someone I pulled out of th phone book I don't even know!
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