MARCH 2008
COMMANDER: Membership renewals are in desperate need to achieve our goal for this year. We still have over 150 members who have not renewed. We need to remember that your membership helps our fellow Veterans and to maintain the programs of the American Legion. The 2nd District Spring Conference will be held at Post 5 at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, 2 March. The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be on the 15th, details available at the Post. Come on out and help show your support of the American Legion by marching in the parade. The Department Spring Conference will be held the last weekend in March, 28-30th at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and Conference Center, 2800 Shore Drive in VAB. We need volunteers to help with different events during the conference, if you would like to help contact Jim Pearson or myself. Make sure to send in your registration so that you may attend the meetings and events. FIRST NOTICE- The election of Post Officers will be held in May. If you would like to run for an office please submit your name to the Nomination Committee, Adjutant B.J. Miller, Athletic Officer Jim Norton or the Finance Officer Ray Steckman. All Post positions are open each year and any Post member can run if they have been initiated. Make sure that you keep track of the hours and travel for any assistance that you may provide your friends or neighbors and log them on the sheet hanging on the bulletin board near the offices. For God and Country, Byron L. Pianalto
SECOND VICE COMMANDER: No input received. For God and Country, Gary L. Rodencal
CHAPLAIN: Post Everlasting was held for Richard D. “Dicky” Wolfe on 12 February. John Hopkins is at Lake Taylor and Mike O’Connell is at Bay Point. For God and Country, Robert Edwards
ATHLETIC OFFICER: Last chance to bring in any door prizes. We will be hosting the State Bowling tournament on the 8th and 9th of March at AMF NORFOLK. Opening ceremonies will start at 12:30 p.m. If you get a chance come by and visit with our out-of-town guests. For God and Country, Jim Norton
LEGION RIDERS DIRECTOR: Our meeting will be held on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Post. We will ride behind the marchers at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, 15 March. If you are interested in joining us, please contact me at 287-2797. For God and Country, Chris Steenrod
AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY PRESIDENT: Hello Ladies! March is here, and we have a lot going on. First, let me remind you of membership. If you have not paid your dues, your membership is now past due. We are at 87% and still looking to get our 100% soon, so PLEASE help us do that. The Bowling Tournament is March 8th and 9th. Please come and join us in the fun. We will have a “Surf and Turf” dinner Friday night, 7 March, at a cost of $10.00. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be on Saturday, the 15th of March. We will meet here at 8:00 a.m. The ALA’s 60th Anniversary will be held on March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. The attire is semi-formal. If you plan to attend you need to call Jean Lewis, Nancy Bell, or me because seats are limited. The Spring Conference will be held March 28th - 30th in Virginia Beach. The Juniors have breakfast on Sunday, 23 March. Congrats goes to the new Association members. I look forward to working with you Jim Martin. FIRST NOTICE of Elections for the ALA. If you want to run for an office, let Cathy Rook, Sharon Bukowski, or Rose Pearson know. For God and Country, Dawn Thomas
SQUADRON 327 COMMANDER:
Greetings Comrades! Thanks
to everyone who came out and brought dishes to our Super Bowl
Party! I think all had a great time, even though New England lost.
I would also like to congratulate Jim Martin as our new Association
President and his new Board. The S.A.L. is looking forward to
another great year working together. Special thanks goes out to Jim
Norton for doing a great job the last couple of years and helping us
bring the Legion Family together. We could not have done it without
you! Ladies and Sons, now is the time again. We need to get
together and try to encourage the Association to let us have a VOTE
in the Association elections. We all support the club. The A.L.A.
and the S.A.L. are here all of the time doing breakfasts, dinners,
fundraisers and whatever we can to support the programs of the
American Legion. Let’s get together so we can have a voice about
our club! It will take all of us working together to make this
happen. Parents, coming up on March 20th, I have
arranged for a scared straight program at the Norfolk City Jail.
This is opened to only 9 or 10 teenagers. We will put up a sign-up
list at the post. Parents are not allowed to go in the jail with
the kids, as they say it would take away the effect, but you would
need to sign a permission slip for them to attend. This is a great
program for the teenagers to help them make the right decisions in
life and not end up in one of the cells. I hope to have a full
slate and will try to do another one soon. On Saturday, 8 March
from 6-8:00 p.m., we will serve North Carolina BBQ Chicken and Pork
dinner for $8.00. For God and Country, Steve Gower, Sr.
ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT: Well, as I write my last newsletter input, I want to thank each and every member who has given me a hand in running this fine clubroom. I will miss being involved with the inter-working of the building and Association. I want to wish the new President Jim Martin and his board all the success in the future. I hope everyone will give them the support I have received during my tenure. The new board is President Jim Martin, Vice-president Jim Dunning, Secretary Lori Thomas, and Treasurer Leonard Frederick. The Board of Directors for two years are Larry Perez, Jerry Mason, Dave Birch and Tony Moore. Coming back for one year are Larry Turner, Jim Pearson and Lee Hemmerich. Sam Huffman will serve Jim Dunning’s remaining one year. Congratulations and the Best of Luck. I also want to thank the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 48 for their donation for ceiling tiles. For God and Country, Jim Norton, Past President
ASSOCIATION CLUB MANAGER: Hello Everyone! Remember entertainment and dinners are for YOUR enjoyment, so please try to support both. All dinners are charity fundraisers!! If you have any suggestions concerning Club activities or operations please remember we have a suggestion box in the lobby area of the Club. Due to the Bowling Tournament the weekend of March 7-8-9, breakfast will be served Saturday and Sunday morning that weekend as well as dinner Friday and Saturday night. For God and Country, Sandra Wright
HUMOR: From my friend, Obie: (No offense intended) The Nagging Wife: An attorney arrived home late, after a very tough day trying to get a stay of execution for a client who was due to be hanged for murder at midnight. His last minute plea for clemency to the governor had failed, and he was feeling worn out and depressed. As soon as he walked through the door at home, his wife started on him, "What time of night to be getting home is this? Where have you been?" "Dinner is cold, and I'm not reheating it". And on and on and on. Too shattered to play his usual role in this familiar ritual, he poured himself a shot of whiskey and headed off for a long hot soak in the bathtub, pursued by the predictable sarcastic remarks as he drug himself up the stairs. While he was in the bath, the phone rang. The wife answered and was told that her husband's client, James Wright, had been granted a stay of execution after all. Wright would not be hanged tonight. Finally, realizing what a terrible day he must have had, she decided to go upstairs and give him the good news. As she opened the bathroom door, she was greeted by the sight of her husband, bent over naked, drying his legs and feet. "They're not hanging Wright tonight," she said. To which he whirled around and screamed, "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WOMAN, DON'T YOU EVER STOP?"
EDITOR: Please let me know if you change your address so I can correct it in our AIM Program. Email from Ray Steckman: Shipmates, Veterans, Military Retirees and Family: "Retiree costs shared have fallen from 11 percent to four percent. Yet premiums for employer-provided health insurance in the private sector, and out-of-pocket health costs for federal civilian employees, have held fairly steady, enough to cover 25 % of overall program costs. The proposed fee hikes are aimed at retirees and their dependents, and not active duty members, reservists or their families. The task force also endorses indexing of fees to ensure they keep pace with health costs. Pharmacy co-pays under the TRICARE retail network, now $3 to $22, would be raised to a range of $15 to $45. Select mail order drugs would be free to encourage use of this cheaper point-of-service. To learn more, read the following articles at Military.com: TRICARE for Life Enrollment Fee, Raising Retiree TRICARE Fees. We need to do some heavy work on this and contact our Congressmen and Senators before more drastic measures are taken by DoD to raise our Tricare fees. Contact your Representatives and Senators now! We cannot stand by and wait for this to happen. We need to act now! For God and Country, B.J. Miller-Nobles