JUNE 2006
COMMANDER’S CORNER: Hello again! It has been my honor and privilege to serve as Commander for the past year through the good times and the bad. The outstanding support I was given during my illness was truly heart warming. I was blessed with the backing I received. I sincerely hope that you give Mary Lee the same. I would like to thank all my officers especially B.J. and Byron. I would like to thank the Association and Sandi for their support. May God bless all of you. They all did a great job and supported you to the utmost along with the American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion. We have had a great year. The elections have been held and my congratulations go to all the new officers. To the new incoming Commander, I wish you and your board all the best for the upcoming year. ELECTION RESULTS: The 2006-2007 Post officers are: Commander - Mary Lee Lupejkis, 1st Vice CDR – Byron Pianalto, 2nd Vice CDR – Johnnie Maples, II, Adjutant - B.J. Miller, Finance – Victoria Bell, Service Officer – Sabrina Smith, Chaplain - Tony Moore, Sgt-at-Arms – Mike Toole, JAG - W.T. Jones, and Historian - Jim Pearson. The 2006-2007 Executive Board members are Gus Anderson, Jim Taylor, Lori Thomas, and Mike Gordon. If any of the new members have not been initiated, please come to the June 13th meeting and do so. Installation of Post 327 officers will be held Tuesday, June 27th at 7:00 p.m. For God and Country, Jim Dunning
FIRST VICE COMMANDER: Current membership is at 1105 members at 88%. I would like to thank you for your continued support for my election to 1st Vice Commander for the 2006-2007 year. For God and Country, Byron Pianalto
SECOND VICE COMMANDER: No Input! For God and Country, Todd Baitis
LADIES AUXILIARY PRESIDENT: Hello Ladies. I would like to announce your 2006-2007 officers:
President: Dawn Thomas, Vice President: Cheryl Loyko, Secretary: Anne Starke, Treasurer: MaryEmma Brown, Chaplain: Nancy Bell, Historian: Lee Forest, Executive Board: Pat Gotta, Rebecca Smith, and Rose Pearson. I look forward to working with everyone this coming year. For new members who have yet to take their oath, please come to the June meeting to take it. The Junior’s second dinner will be meatloaf on Friday, 9 June. We will also have a C&Y skit. Come and see who is here this year. To all this past year, thank you for all your help. This comes from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to Jim Dunning and Dave Samson for all your support to the Auxiliary this year as well. We made a good team guys. Thanks again. For God and Country, Dawn Thomas
SQUADRON 327 COMMANDER: Hello Members! Well we finally did it – 100% membership. All of you did a great job. It’s been an exciting two years. Thank you very much. Congratulations to the new officers and board members of the Post, Ladies Auxiliary, and the SALs. SAL election results: CDR: Brook Gillespie, 1st Vice CDR: Dave Samson, 2nd Vice CDR: Don Klugh, Adjutant: Steve Gower, Jr., Finance: Jeff Evans, Chaplain: Rocky English, Sgt-at-Arms: Brad Gower, Historian: Clifton Carney. Please give your respect and support to the new incoming officers. The Memorial Day picnic was great. I had a good time and hope all of you did. For God and Country, Dave Samson
ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT: I want to THANK Pat Carney for the GREAT job on our three garages. Bravo Zulu! I also want to THANK our JUNIOR GIRLS for the GREAT job with planting the flowers in front of the building. I know each member enjoys them. The Association meeting has changed from 7:00 pm to 6:00 p.m. Just a little reminder: If there are parking spots available in the paved parking lot, PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON THE GRASS. During the picnic times, we ask you to use the parking lot next door at the Garden Club. It’s a short walk to the picnic grounds. Hope to see you all at the 4th of July picnic. For God and Country, Jim Norton
LOOK WHAT’S COMING TO POST 327! Memories are Forever Photography is offering a family photo session at the Post on Sunday, June 11th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Packages will be available. Hope to see you there. For God and Country, Otha Newton & Johnnie A. Maples, II
NOTE: The Friday night dinner schedule for June is: 2nd – Meatloaf, 9th - Spaghetti, 16th – Scottie’s Scottish Stew, 23rd – Bratwurst, PPP, 30th – Seafood Dinner. Before you complain, please remember that all of our cooks are volunteers. Your patience is appreciated. Karaoke DJ’s: 3rd – TBD, 10th – Mary Frost, 17th – Mike & Linda Rios, 24th – Walt DeGraaf
VETERANS DATA BREACH ASSISTANCE: To place an initial fraud alert on your Equifax credit report, contact Equifax at their automated fraud line 1-877-576-5734. When you call the toll-free number, you will be prompted to enter your SSN, last two digits of your birth year, and the number portion of your current mailing address using your telephone key pad. At the conclusion of the call, you will be given a confirmation number for your records. This is a free 90-day fraud alert being placed on your credit report and will be shared with Experian and Trans Union credit reporting agencies. You may request your free annual credit report on line at www.annualcreditreport.com. For God and Country, Sabrina Smith
EDITOR: The 88th Annual Department Convention will be held Thursday through Sunday 6-9 July 2006 at the Holiday Inn Select, 1021 Koger Center in Richmond, VA. Registration info is available in the Club lobby. You must be registered to attend any meeting or function. I want to thank everyone especially Jim Dunning, Ken Loomer, John Schenk, Byron, Dawn, Sandi, and Jean Lewis who helped me during my first year as Adjutant. I look forward to working with you again. If I didn’t mention your name it’s because there’s not enough room in this edition of the newsletter. You know who you are. Thanks again.
Helpful Info from the Virginia American Legion Press Association (VALPA): To keep an identity thief from taking it all from you: (1) When you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks. (2) Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “PHOTO ID REQUIRED”. (3) When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the “For” line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it. (4) Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you don’t have a PO Box, use your work address. NEVER have your SS# printed on your checks. If necessary, you can add it, but if you have it printed, anyone can get it. (5) Place the contents of your wallet on a copier and do both sides of each license, credit card, passport, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and have all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. If your cards are stolen, file a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where the cards, etc., were stolen. The most important of all, call the three national credit-reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and SSN. The numbers to call are 1. Social Security Administration (fraud line) (1-800-269-0271), 2. Equifax: (1-800-525-6285), 3. Experian: (formerly TRW) 1-888-397-3742), 4. Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289. If you want security, KEEP THE HOTEL KEY CARD from the Virginia American Legion Press Association (VALPA). Some hotel keys were found to contain the following info: a. Customer’s name, b. customer’s partial home address, c. hotel room number, d. check in date and check out date, and customer’s credit card number and expiration date. When you turn in the key at the front desk your personal info is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. They can even take the cards home and access the info onto a computer and go shopping at your expense. Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest’s info is electronically “overwritten” on the card and your info is erased. Take the card with you and cut it up. The hotel cannot legally charge you for destroying the card. For God and Country, B.J. Miller-Nobles
Humor: Two little kids are in a
hospital lying on stretchers next to each other outside the
operating room.
The first kid leans over and asks, "What are you in here for?" The
second kid says, "I'm in here to get my tonsils
out and I'm a little nervous." The first kid says, "You've got
nothing to worry about. I had that done when I was four. They put
you to sleep, and when you wake up they give you lots of Jell-o and
ice cream. It's a breeze."
The second kid then asks, "What are you here for?" The first kid
says, "A circumcision." "Whoa!," the second kid replies. "Good luck
buddy.” “I had that done when I was born.” “I couldn't walk for a
year." For God and Country, B.J. Miller-Nobles