The American Legion Department of Colorado Blog

By: C. Pat Smith, Department Adjutant

Your state Oratorical Committee just completed the state finals contest for 5 outstanding and impressive students who spoke on the U S Constitution. These 5 students came from throughout the state to Longmont Colorado to compete for $6,000 in scholarship money at the department level and the chance to represent Colorado at the national finals and compete for over $18,000 in scholarship monies. These students are the best and the brightest and will be the guiding hand as American moves forward in the coming years. Their knowledge and understanding of the constitution and its impact on our daily lives brings renewed hope to all of us who have worn the uniform to protect America’s freedom. These youngsters “get it” and thanks to the American Legion they have the opportunity to showcase their skills and tell all of America that they look forward to the challenges of the future.

Coming up in June your American Legion will conduct the 62nd annual Boys State program at the campus of CSU in Pueblo. It is anticipated that over 200 high school juniors will attend this week long event to learn how their government works in a hands on exercise designed to teach these young men the worth and values embedded in our system of government. If past history is any indication these 200 young men will leave the campus at the end of the week with a real sense and understanding of the need to keep this political system intact in the future and, in fact, use their skills and talents to improve the quality of life for all citizens while preserving the freedoms we enjoy today. Concurrently while the Boys State program is running the American Legion Auxiliary is running a similar program in Gunnison at the campus of Western State. They also anticipate over 200 young ladies to participate.

Your American Legion Baseball committee has begun the planning process to host over 2,000 young men in the annual ritual known as “The Boys of Summer.” What an outstanding program to teach young men team work, sportsmanship, and discipline. This year the program anticipates over 110 baseball teams in the A, B, C and newly formed D programs. Young men from the ages of 13 to 19 will compete this year on the baseball fields all over Colorado. Hundreds of parents, teachers, friends and legionnaires will be witness to the maturation of these young men as they learn the important values that cement this great country together. Without the support of our local American Legion posts this great program could not exist. What better way to spend a few hours this summer witnessing the American Legion in action as we prepare our youth for the future. Be sure to get involved.

At our recently concluded Mid-Year conference The American Legion sponsored our third annual U S Army recruiting command’s induction ceremony. This year 136 young men and women were inducted in the Army in the future soldiers program. These young men and women came from several surrounding states to take the oath of enlistment as they prepare to serve our country as the front line of defense for our values and our freedoms. In the three years we have sponsored this program over 350 new soldiers have been exposed to the American Legion and what we stand for. You can bet they will pass along our message as they wear their uniforms proudly during their term of service. Once again the American Legion is looking to the future with this program.

The American Legion is deeply involved in the Boy Scout program. Currently we are number two in the nation in sponsoring scout troops. The history of the connection to the scout program with the American Legion goes back to our founding days. Again this program teaches our strong American values of citizenship, discipline and team work.

Let’s don’t forget about the Jr. Shooting Program. While this program is relatively new, it is one of our growing programs. Mid-August every year 30 young men and women converge on Colorado Springs at the Olympic Center to “shoot off” for the top honors in the nation as a possible future Olympian in the shooting sports program. Literally thousands of boys and girls compete in this program nationwide before the final 30 are chosen. You want to talk about discipline? This program requires discipline to the nth degree. These kids really “get it.”

And did I mention, every one of these fine programs have scholarship opportunities attached. What a better way to ensure the future by teaching strong American values while offering the opportunity to further their education.

Our WWI veterans realized the importance of teaching our youth about Americanism and Patriotism. That is why they founded the organization on four pillars, two of which are educating our youth and teaching Americanism. They were right on target. Connecting the organization to the future, and insure a strong America.

So, in your recruiting efforts when a veteran asks why they should join The American Legion, or when you ask a member to renew and they ask why, just remember to tell them, we are connected to the future with our youth programs. If they can’t see the value in that, then there is no hope, move on to the next prospect, for we are truly “Connected to the Future.”

By: C. Pat Smith, Department Adjutant

The 2011 Mid-Year Conference is over and what a great one it was. Over 250 Legion, Auxiliary, SAL and Legion Riders attended to soak up all of the great information provided by our program committees.

The highlight was the induction of 126 future soldiers into the U S Army. This ceremony was conducted on Friday evening, January 28th before a packed house of Legion members, new soldiers and their families and the Army cadre who conducted the ceremony. The walls of the hall were lined with all 50 of the state flags. And, members of the audience were waving small American flags showing their support of our great country.

The enthusiasm level and excitement in the room was contagious. Major General Steven Best gave the oath of office to the new troopers. Our Department Commander Rick Friend offered advice to the new troopers from his perspective as a former Army troop. He encouraged the new soldiers to seek out The American Legion when they need help or assistance during their tour of duty. Our National Vice Commander Bill Schrier, a retired Army soldier, served with the U S Army Recruiting Command on his last tour of duty, offered the new soldiers a vision of what they can expect. He thanked them for their commitment to their country, and their willingness to serve to help protect the freedoms we enjoy in America.

This was our third year of hosting this event and we sincerely thank the Army Recruiting Command and LTC Dionne Wilson for her support of the American Legion. Thanks to all who made this a great event!

The business of the organization was conducted on Friday afternoon, January 28th, when the Department Executive Committee (DEC) met to discuss and vote on several important items. Two resolutions were submitted to the DEC for their consideration and both were approved.

The first resolution was to study the feasibility of setting up a multi-year dues payment structure to permit our members to pay for 3, 5 or 10 years in advance. The PUFL program exists for our members but it is expensive and not really attractive for those members whose lifespan may be limited. It would also be attractive to those younger members who want to see if the American Legion is really for them without a large investment up front. The committee will report their findings and recommendations at our convention in June.

The second resolution involved improving the American Legion Riders Program. This is an outstanding program and offers our members a way to put their passion of the road on two wheels to good use by promoting the programs of The American Legion with their “rides” and comradeship they develop through this program. The Riders program is growing in numbers and as a result the DEC feels we need to have a more formal structure to manage the program. The DEC gave the Riders permission to form their own Colorado not-for-profit corporation with its own board of directors, and too eventually from an IRS 501 (c) (3) corporation to utilize the fund raising benefits of that type of structure.

This new structure will provide for financially accountability and reporting procedures for the income realized from their activities. This is a positive step for the Riders program and will greatly assist the program as it grows in the future. Congratulations to the Legion Riders for getting the DEC to approve this significant piece of legislation.

Commander Rick Friend took a step forward in appointing a “Technological” committee. This committee will be charged with reviewing the physical electronic assets at the Department Headquarters and making recommendations as to the serviceability of the equipment and recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of the office through the electronic tools we use. The committee will also be looking at ways to improve our communications to our members and prospective members using the Internet and the various tools available through that medium. They will serve as an advisory committee to the Department Officers and staff and will make their recommendation to the DEC at the June meeting.

The opening session on Saturday was chock full of special guests. Our National Vice Command Bill Schrier addressed the audience. Candidate for National Commander Jim Koutz from Indiana brought his vision of the future to the audience. North West Division Vice President for the Auxiliary Lynn Wilde from Nebraska brought greetings from the National President of the Auxiliary and offered her view of the state of the organization and our rosy future. Candidate for National Commander of the SAL Jim Roberts brought greetings from the SAL National Commander. We heard from Bob Ayers from the Legionnaire Insurance Trust and he informed us that the free AD&D insurance policy available to Legion member will expire at the end of August this year unless it is renewed. He brought along a lap top and renewed many members on the spot. To renew you can go online to www.thelit.com or call their 800 number at 1-800-235-6943. Be sure to do this ASAP. It is free.

Dave Kemper of Dignity Memorial told us of the burial benefits available to veterans and encouraged our members to do pre-planning for that eventual event. Heather Ehle of Project Sanctuary explained their excellent program for disabled veterans and their families and how they help integrate those families back into society after their honorable service. You can learn more about this program at http://www.projectsanctuary.us/.

The highlight of the morning session was the presentation of the annual Media Awards. Our PR Committee headed by Darrell Myers presented the TV award to Dave Delozier of Denver Channel 9 News for his story about Reina Salky of Steamboat Springs and her efforts to secure headstones for 11 forgotten veterans in the cemetery in that town. The story was inspirational and well told by Mr. Delozier. He is a one man show when it comes to his TV reporting. He does all of his own writing, production and camera work in preparing his stories. He has produced several other excellent stories about veterans over the last year. Thanks Dave for your commitment in telling the stories of America’s veterans. If you have not seen this award winning video presentation you can go to http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=140038 and view it.

The second award went to the Steamboat Springs and Today newspaper for a series of article they ran on Veterans Day, Memorial Day and the Reina Salky story. Their editor was unable to make it in for the presentation so the PR committee will travel to Steamboat Springs later this year and make the presentation in person. Thanks to Jim Stanko of Steamboat Post 44 for bringing this newspaper to our attention.

Another highlight during the day on Saturday was the employment fair conducted by our Employment Committee headed by Ken Romero and Darrell Myers. Over 12 local employers showed up looking to hire veterans. What an outstanding event this was. All of the employers were satisfied with the turn out and they expect to hire some of the veterans that showed up for the fair. Thanks to Tim Amthor, Regional Veterans Employment Representative, of the Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Workforce Center form making the arrangements with the employers.

We had several other vendor tables and one of particular interest was the table conducted by Nick Del Calzio. Nick is the professional photographer who has showcased all of the Medal of Honor recipients in his book: “Medal of Honor” – Portraits of Valor – Beyond the Call of Duty.

Nick is officering a very special set of very patriotic and moving veteran related photographs to all of the members of the Legion suitable for framing and hanging in Legion Halls and homes everywhere. We will be featuring these photographs on our web site and will be working with Nick to introduce “America’s Creed” into all of our schools with one of his photographs as the vehicle to feature the creed. Watching for more information that this exciting project.

The rest of the morning session was consumed by reports from our various committees and the progress and successes so far this year. The PR committee conducted a PR training session for the rest of the morning. Duane Mercier of our National Public Relations Division conducted the session and provided outstanding information on how to improve and enhance local public relations efforts. Everyone who attended this session was later heard raving about the positive impact it will have on their PR efforts in the future. Thanks to Darrell for having the insight to conduct this session and thanks to Duane for taking his weekend to come to Colorado and offering his expertise.

During the afternoon a number of breakout sessions were conducted. One of the most popular was Service Officer Training put on by our Service Office Staff, Jeff Hewitt, Chuck Terry and Angie Jones. It was refreshing to see the interest level in this training since in the past it was almost impossible to get anyone to attend. Taking care of veterans is our number one priority and this training will help in advancing that purpose throughout the state. The service office promises more of this in the field as we go through the year. Thanks Jeff, Chuck and Angie. Good job.

The Americanism Programs were highlighted in a breakout session conducted by Americanism Chairman Ken Romero. Boys State, Oratorical, Jr. Shooting and Baseball all had something positive to offer and much information was dispensed. Our youth programs are on track this year and will improve thanks to all of the dedicated volunteers working those programs. Keep up the good work.

The Sons of The American Legion and the Legion Riders both held very productive sessions. Candidate for National SAL Commander Jim Roberts of Florida was on hand to encourage the SAL to learn and grow. They approved their 2011 operating budget and set the course for the rest of the year.

Last year Commander Frank McCurdy appointed a Women’s Issues Committee in response to a recommendation by our national organization to get involved with those unique issues affecting women veterans in the system. This committee held a well attended breakout session and elected Kathy Ford to serve as the interim chairman while they organize their structure and define their aims and purposes. Look for great things from this committee on behalf of women veterans.

Thanks to Carol Kennedy, Boys State Chairman for organizing and conducting a very successful silent auction. The auction was conducted during the day on Saturday with items donated from all over the state. The auction raised over $3,600 for the Boys State program. Thanks Carol. What a Super Effort.

Saturday night was fun night at Post 209. The post served dinner followed by the Auxiliary fund raising fair. Thanks to Chris Harvey for organizing this fun event. Music, games and great comradeship were prevalent. Post 209 rolled out the red carpet in hosting this event. Thanks to Post 209 Commander Jay Bowen and to PDC Neal Thomas for their efforts in this successful event.

The conference concluded on Sunday morning with a very moving and personal memorial service conducted by our Chaplain Richard Humphrey. Richard always puts a lot of thought into his messages and this one was no exception. He sent everyone away from the conference in an upbeat mood and ready to attack the challenges before us. Thanks Richard, God has a special place for you.

Special thanks to the behind the scenes personnel that made this conference a success. Elaine Bock, while attending the birth of her second granddaughter in Alabama, put all of the little details together before she left and thanks to her and her diligent, detailed work the conference went off without a hitch. Thanks to Amy Grubb who filled in for Elaine and to Julie Wooddell for running the registration booth. Thanks also to Tom Bock for managing the vendor booths.

In conclusion, you should have been there. If you missed it put June 23-25, 2011 on you calendar for our Department Convention. Get involved. America needs you and the American Legion needs you.

By: C. Pat Smith, Department Adjutant

Happy New Year! The American Legion begins another year of service. Service to this nation’s veterans, to their families and to our great country and as our slogan says, We Are Still Serving America.

What do we have to look forward to? Our economy is still struggling. Unemployment rate is at about 10% for the nation, and by some estimates over 20% for veterans. Veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are faced with medical problems that seem insurmountable to them. The PTSD rate for these newest veterans is high. In addition they are faced with a new monster called TBI. Combine TBI and PTSD into one veteran and you have an explosion waiting to happen.  Relationships with spouses deteriorate real fast. Children are caught in the middle with no ability to understand what is happening around them. All of this leads to the need for increased service by our medical professions for health care, counseling and family support.

The American Legion cannot provide the essential medical services required by these veterans and their families. But what we can do is see to it that they have the best medical care possible through the Veterans Administration complex of medical facilities. As for the last 92 years the American Legion has been the voice for veterans. That function will not change in the coming year. We need to keep on top of congress and the President to assure our voice is heard. Right here in our own back yard is the proposal by the VA to replace the aging VA Medical Center on Clermont St with a brand new state of the art facility on the Fitzsimons campus. Our battle is not done here. Although Congress has approved the facility they have not approved all of the funds to build it. We must redouble our efforts in the coming year to make sure the facility is built.

Another challenge for the New Year is increasing our membership and our volunteer base. The largest group of veterans in our organization now is the Vietnam era vet. Many are approaching retirement age and will have time on their hands. This is the year for those veterans to step forward one more time and volunteer to become the mentors and supporters of this next generation of veterans. As a Vietnam era veteran you now have the knowledge and skills to help guide these new veterans through life.  You have made mistakes in life; you can relate those life experiences that have not gone well for you to these “youngsters” so they don’t make the same mistakes. An arm around their shoulder telling them you care can go a long way to their recovery. So if you are a Vietnam era veteran and you know another veteran who is not a member make this the year of the Bull. Get bullish on the American Legion, get bullish on service to our veterans and get bullish with our politicians. Don’t let anyone stand in your way when it comes to keeping American strong. To my Vietnam area veterans and friends, you are now in charge, so take charge.

PS, don’t tell the Chinese I made this the Year of the Bull. Rabbits just did not seem to fit into this message.

Have a great year!

By: C. Pat Smith

About 20 years ago our former Department Adjutant was negotiating with a cell phone salesman for a new cell phone. The phone he was looking at was the flip phone that opened up to reveal the mouthpiece and extended to the ear for proper communication. He was a little reluctant to purchase this phone for fear that he would be locked into a contract for one or two years and something new would be coming out that was much better and more efficient and not as big. I remember the salesman’s retort to that objection. He said that phones still had to go from the ear to the mouth to be effective and he didn’t see that element changing any time soon. Well how wrong he was. He was no Einstein for sure. He may have been a visionary but his vision was clouded at the moment since his only focus was to sell the phone and receive his commission and move on to the next customer. The salesman’s logic did not sway our adjutant.

The founders of our organization were visionaries. They knew the need for a group of war veterans to organize and respond to the needs of the moment for the returning WWI veterans. They could not see the future and they had no idea of the far-reaching impact this organization would eventually have. At the time they founded the organization they were like the cell phone salesman. Sign up a veteran in the organization to do the anticipated work of the organization and then move on to the next sale. And what an outstanding job they did in 1919 in selling this organization. In a short 18 months after they began they had enlisted over 800,000 veterans to join with them and begin the vision they had of service to veterans, their families and the widows and orphans left behind from that terrible war. Their phones did reach from the mouth to the ear and they knew how to use them. They had a single-minded focus and that was to build a group of young men and women into an instrument of service. The rest is history.

The lesson we need to take from these veterans is that although technology has changed the message is the same; join with us in a single-minded purpose to take care of our young men and women who our government has put in harms way to protect our freedoms. The technology today to accomplish that task is mind-boggling. We can communicate with the old phone, or with a new smart phone, we have something called e-mail, we can Twitter or text, we can blog, we can join social networks on the web, we can overnight mail them an offer to join, we can search the web for qualified veterans to join and we can talk face to face with veterans and tell them our story. No matter what the method we use we still need the cell phone salesman’s focus to make the sale and move on to the next qualified veteran.

Last year alone our national organization signed up over 100,000 new members by one of the oldest forms of communication, the U S Mail. These are veterans that believe in what we do as an organization. They are willing to join with us as we accomplish our tasks. They need to become active at their local level. Their first year’s dues are paid. It is now up to us to focus on getting them active and selling them on remaining for the second year and beyond. We must complete the application process with these new members.

How do we do that? Simple. We can give you the names and contact information of all those who live in Colorado. It is up to you, our local post leadership teams to contact them by whatever method you see fit, including that credit card size cell phone that doesn’t reach to your mouth. Our experience with these new members is they are happy to talk to a fellow veteran. They want to belong. They will transfer to your post if asked. Your task then is to complete the application process, transfer them and tap into their knowledge and experience and make them a productive member.

For the name of the members contact Tom Bock at Department Headquarters at 303 366-5201 or pncbock@coloradolegion.org. Focus is important, Focus now!

Your Department Executive Committee has approved $6,500 scholarship money for the annual Oratorical contest. The format of the contest has changed this year to permit more post participation. The purpose of the contest is to develop a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution of the United States on the part of high school students. Other objectives of the contest include the development of leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly and intelligently, and the preparation for acceptance of the duties and responsibilities, the rights and privileges of American citizenship. December 16, 2010 is the deadline for contestants to apply for the contest. For more information check out the web site link on our web page at www.coloradolegion.org or call Co-chairman Tom Bock at 303 366-5201.

Veterans Day is upon us again, and with it comes many observances at American Legion Posts all over Colorado. The American Legion Public Relations Division has created a special ad slick for Veterans Day, which it is sending via e-mail to more than 8,000 daily and weekly newspapers across the United States. If your post has an observance be sure to call your local newspaper and ask that your event be published. You can email our national Public Relations division at pr@legion.org for a copy of this advertisement for your own publication.

It is not too early to be thinking about Colorado American Legion Boys State. The Colorado Boys State Committee has been meeting monthly to lay out the plans for the 2011 event at the Pueblo campus of Colorado State University. The final decision about pricing for the event will be made during our mid-winter conference at the end of January. Boys State is self-sufficient and raises money for the students to attend from donations from posts, individual donations and from grant money. The Boys State web site will soon be featuring a “DONATE NOW” button where individuals can make their donations on line. Thanks to Bellco Credit Union and their online provider NEWTEK for making this feature available. Check out their web site at http://www.colegionboysstate.org/.

Check out our new calendar on our website at www.coloradolegion.org and click on the “Events Calendar” button on the left side. This is a new feature and thanks to Legionnaire Anna Orgeron in Westcliffe for taking on the duties of keeping it up to date. If you have an event you want posted contact Anna at chickenlady2@centurytel.net

And talking about communications we want to remind you that your Colorado American Legion has a social network site where you can communicate directly with others in your American Legion. The site is http://colegion.ning.com/. Sign up and find out what is happening in the State. Who needs Facebook?

With Christmas coming you may want to buy your special Legionnaire a branch of service baseball cap, leather vest or leather jacket as a gift. All of these items are available on our website at http://www.coloradolegion.org/store/. You will also find T-shirts and videos there. We will soon be offering a series of portraits produced by the author of the Medal of Honor book, Nick Del Calzo. These beautiful portraits are suitable for framing and tell the story for the bravery and sacrifices of our nations veterans. Look for this offer soon on our web site.

We are part of the Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) network. LIT offers insurance products at a great rate for Legionnaires in Colorado. They have a free AD&D policy that will pay your beneficiary $1,000 in benefits should you be killed or dismembered in an accident. You can sign up for this free policy and check out their other products by visiting their web site at http://www.thelit.com/.

And, finally, a word about membership; we are currently about 64.74% of our national goal of 21,381 members for the 2011 membership year. While that may sound good it could be better. We could be at 66% of a goal of 25,000 members, which is where we should be. Don’t let goals get in your way. Our national organization is signing up members right and left. That list is available to our local posts. Contact these members and ask them to transfer to you post. Let’s blow the lid off of membership this year. Call us at headquarters and we will send you the list. The mission of our great organization is too important to get hung up on territories and artificial goals. And by the way, our national organization will be sending out another dues notice right after the first of the year. December 2, 2010 is the cutoff date for transmitting your members into department so that your members do not receive the January notice. Nothing makes a member madder than receiving a dues notice after they have paid. Eliminate that mad member by observing the December 2, 2010 deadline.

Depending on whom you believe, Colorado has over 460,000 veterans, give or take 20,000 to 25,000. Perhaps the new census will more clearly define our veteran population.

For purpose of this article we will define a veteran as anyone who has worn a military uniform or is presently wearing the uniform. Since we have a strong military presence in

Colorado with the complex of bases in Colorado Springs our veteran number probably exceeds that 460,000 mark.

Every one of these veterans acquired that status in one of three ways. First you raised you hand and volunteered to serve, as is the case with just about everyone in uniform today. Second you received that very personal letter from Uncle Sam beginning with “Greetings” inviting you to report to an induction center for a physical and possible induction into the Army, Marines, Navy or Air Force. During Vietnam the needs of the service dictated which branch of service to which you were assigned. Third there were a few veterans who acquired that status thanks to the court system… go into service or go to jail.

No matter which method put you into uniform you served and you did it with pride. For many of us service changed our lives. Unfortunately some lost their lives in service to their country and many came back with seen and unseen injuries. Our WWI veterans recognized these facts and knew there would be a need to take care of the medical and emotional needs of these veterans so they formed The American Legion, and within 10 years convinced Congress to stand up a new government agency called the Veterans Administration.

So for the last 91 years The American Legion has been an advocate for veterans before the VA. We know service changed our lives. We know the pride we have as veterans. We know veterans don’t consider themselves heroes; we were just doing our job. And we know we cannot rest when it comes to serving the needs of our veterans and their families.

For us to continue to serve the needs of our veterans The American Legion needs a strong membership base. Over 460,000 veterans reside in Colorado but currently only about 25,000 belong to the American Legion in Colorado and 2.5 million in the country. While those numbers are impressive we could do a much better job with 40,000 members or 3 million members. It takes time, energy and money to effectively advocate for veterans issues.

That’s where you come in. If you are reading this you are probable a member. You belong because of the comradeship we provide. You belong because of the pride you have in your country. You belong because you know the American Legion can make a difference in the lives or veterans. So look around you. Look at you neighbors, look at your church members, look at your professional organizations, look at the other community-based organizations and you will find veterans everywhere you look. Your job is to convince these veterans they need to join the American Legion. When you ask them to join appeal to their sense of pride as a veteran. Tell them they may not have the time to devote to the internal workings of the American Legion but their number counts when we go to Congress to advocate for veterans, 40,000 voices, or 3 million voices make a bigger impact than 25,000 voices or 2.5 million voices.

So how do you sign up members? Easy, have your prospect go to our website www.coloradolegion.org, click on the join button and fill out the application, pay $36.00 by credit card and your prospect is a member. Or call your Post Adjutant and tell him or her that you need to sign up a friend. The Adjutant will take it from there.

As the old Mission Impossible show used to say, “this is your mission, should you agree to accept it.” We hope you accept the mission and make 40,000 members in Colorado a mission possible. Thanks for your service and your continued support of The American Legion.

Charles Pat Smith

Department Adjutant

As we wind down our fall conferences and enter into the fall and winter months we need to be reminded that the work of the American Legion does not stop with the change of seasons. At the fall conferences our VA&R chairman Gar Williams introduced the “Operation Soldier” program. This program has the potential of not only recruiting new members for the Legion but to provide a much needed base of support for new Army recruits and their families while the new soldier is serving on active duty.  We have put together a booklet that sets out the guidelines for this program and we just mailed a letter to all post commanders with some of the information needed to implement this program. We distributed the booklets widely at the fall conferences and we will gladly mail it to you or your post.  Please call us at Department at 303-366-5201 or 1-800-477-1655.

Commander Frank has requested that we do an Adjutant’s training class of about 3 hours for all new Adjutants and as a refresher for the “old timers” in the bunch. We have set November 14^th as the date for the training. Our initial training will be in Colorado Springs to accommodate those adjutants in districts 1, 2, 7 and 8. If successful and enough interest we will schedule another date for districts 3, 4, 5 and 6 up north of Denver. At the same time we will conduct a simultaneous session for service officers. We will mail a RSVP request to all adjutants and service officers in those districts to gauge the interest for these schools. Watch for more details on these events.

We are asking all posts this year to make a special effort to submit their annual Consolidated Post Report (CPR). This form will be mailed to each post in April of next year but you need to start collecting the data now. One of the best ways to do this is for the post adjutant to record in your monthly minutes all of the activities that took place during the month. If you run your post in the proper manner reports from your officers and committee people should be a standard agenda item. Be sure to record dollar amounts for donations, any number of volunteer hours given to any cause or event sponsored by The American Legion, number of funerals attended or where an honor guard was provided and anything you think is important. For information on the data asked for on this form just visit our website at http://www.coloradolegion.org/cpr-march2009-released.pdf and you will find the 2008-2009 form. When we receive the 2009-2010 form we will post it, but for now the information seldom changes on the form so this will be a good guide for you. We would also request the District Commanders assign to a district officer the task of following up on this project. So you may ask why this is so important. On September 16, 1919 Congress granted The American Legion a charter to do business and granted us the right to be a non-profit organization. Part of the requirement was that we submit an annual report on our activities to keep our non-profit status. The CPR is where the national organization derives the information that they report to Congress. So that is why it is so important.

Another item that needs your attention is the Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) free AD&D insurance. The LIT provides this insurance at no cost to our members and if you sign up and designate a beneficiary you will be covered until August 1, 2016. Copies of the brochure explaining the program and the beneficiary form were distributed to each post during our fall conferences. If you did not get the form please contact your post commander or call us at department and we will gladly see that you get one.

We just completed the Youth programs sweepstakes and thanks to all of you that donated. As a result of your generous donations over $12,000 will go to help fund Legion Boys State and Oratorical programs. The finance committee and the Department Executive Committee will look at authorizing this program again next year.

You may have heard rumors that the new VA hospital in Denver will not have a PTSD component. That is absolutely false. The new hospital will continue to diagnose the existence of PTSD in a veteran and will provide the necessary medical remedies but the long term treatment will be away from the sterile environment of a hospital and will be offered in a treatment center operated by the VA. Currently we have the Vet Centers, one of which operates out of your headquarters building, which offer long term counseling services. The Vet Centers are a valuable part of the treatment for a veteran and The American Legion will continue to strongly support this concept of treatment for PTSD. We also strongly support treatment, beyond the counseling aspect offered in a Vet Center, in an environment that will permit the veteran and his family to recover and return to society as a productive member. We will continue to monitor the progress of the new medical center to be sure no class of veteran is forgotten in their care.

In closing put January 29-31 on your calendar for the Mid-Year at the Radisson Hotel, 3333 Quebec St in Denver. See you there.

Pat Smith

Department Adjutant

September 28, 2009

A number of Legionnaires, Auxiliary and SAL members just got back for attending the 91^st annual national convention in Louisville, KY. The Legion delegation was led by immediate past department commander Gar Williams as delegation chairman. Current Commander Frank McCurdy, Sr Vice Commander Rick Friend, Jr Vice Commanders Larry Decker, Jon Golley and Jim Gillis, NEC Ralph Bozella, Alternate NEC Neal Thomas, Chaplain Rich Humphrey, Finance Officer Paul Erickson, Past National Commander Tom Bock, Past Department Commanders Doug Wooddell and Joe Ross all attended as delegates. In addition 15 other Legionnaires attended as deletages

The convention elected Clarence Hill of Florida and our new National commander. Morris Bentley of Idaho was elected as our Western Region National Vice Commander. More information about these Legionnaires will be found in other publications of the Legion as we go through the year. The results of the resolutions sent by Colorado are re-printed in this issue of the Observer.

Now that the convention is over we must concentrate on the day to day business of the Legion here in Colorado. Beginning September 9, 2009 Commander McCurdy will begin the annual fall conference schedule. That schedule is published elsewhere in this publication. The purpose of the conferences is to educate our Legion family members about our Legion programs, our plans for a positive membership growth in our organization, our goals and objectives to spread the word about The American Legion in our communities and our strategy to achieve those goals.

You will be hearing more about the Community Covenant program of the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense. This program seeks to get the mayors and community officials to officially sign a proclamation recognizing the service of our veterans and encouraging the community to “support our troops” while deployed and when they return to the community. This is a major project and we will have more information about it at the fall conferences.

Once again this year we will hold our 2^nd annual troop induction ceremony at our Mid-Year conference. This looks like it will be a big deal again this year. If you missed it last year you need to plan on attending. The Army inducted 187 young men and women in the ceremony sponsored by The American Legion. It was impressive.

The work begins now. Get involved. Show up at our conferences. Make plans to attend our Mid-year. Sign up for our email distribution list and check out the Observer every month at www.coloradolegion.org.

By: C. Pat Smith, Department Adjutant

Washington Conference

Twelve Colorado Legion, Auxiliary and SAL members descended upon Washington, D. C. for our annual Washington Legislative Conference.

    We were there to talk about the future of veteran’s health care and veterans benefits with our elected leaders in Congress. Our time there was well spent and productive. We were able to meet personally both of our Senators, and all of our representatives except Congressman Doug Lamborn.

    Of course our first priority for Colorado was to talk about the proposed new VA hospital on the Fitzsimons campus. Our NEC Ralph Bozella was able to meet fact to face with the new VA Secretary Shenseki and present to him the white paper developed by the United Veterans Committee in support of the new hospital. While that meeting was taking place several of us, including Commander Gar Williams, were meeting our new Senator Michael Bennet. Senator Bennet had not yet signed the letter to the VA Secretary supporting the new hospital. At this meeting he agreed to sign on and by the end of the day he sent a letter to Secretary Shenseki supporting the new hospital. The previous day Representative Jared Polis had signed on to the agreement. So now the entire congressional delegation now supports this new stand alone VA hospital. The Secretary promised Ralph he would have an answer within 10 days. So we wait again. Stay tuned.

District Conventions

We are entering an extremely busy time of year for the Legion. Shortly all of our District conventions will be held and new officers will be elected to lead the organization at the district level for another year.  Our district conventions are an important event in the management of this organization. The districts are charged with encouraging their assigned posts to think seriously about the direction they want this organization to go in the future and they are responsible for reviewing all resolutions that come before them and making the decisions on whether those resolutions have enough merit to be passed on to the department convention. In addition the district conventions are an excellent chance to meet fellow Legionnaires from other posts and learn what is working successfully for them. The district convention schedule is published elsewhere in this paper so plan on attending your district convention. You’ll be glad you did.

Leadership Conference

We have set April 25, 2009 as the day for our Leadership and Training Conference. Commander Gar Williams moved up the date for this conference to provide an opportunity for the brand new leadership at the post level to get a running start on their year. Previously our leadership conferences have been held after the department convention, some as late as October, and Commander Gar did not feel that was an appropriate way to bring new leadership into the organization by waiting so long after they were elected.

    The conference will be focused on the newly elected officers at the post level. We sent a pre-registration application to all posts asking that they consider sending their new officers and asking them to consider paying some of the expenses.

    The Saturday event will feature a visit by our National Commander and a working lunch designed to put legionnaires together from different posts to discuss issues important to them and to then put those ideas and issues in writing. There will be a session on communication and managing volunteers to effectively improve the organization.

    The cost for the Saturday session all day is only $20.00 which includes all work books and the cost of lunch. We have made special arrangements with the Radisson hotel for a $79.00 room rate for those that will need to stay overnight. All in all this is a conference that you need to attend if you have any desire to learn more about your organization. 

Membership

We are winding down our 2009 membership year but are still short of our assigned goal by about 3,000 members. Now is the time to concentrate on renewing those who have not yet made the commitment to renew, contact them by way of a personal phone call; or by personal visit.

    They thought enough of the organization once to pay their dues, so now it is your job to get them to renew. The final dues notice has gone out from our national organization so you should be receiving membership from that notice now. Make that final effort to attain your goal if your post has not done so already.

Department Convention

The 2009 Department Convention will be held in Grand Junction this year. A number of changes to the convention have been made to improve the convention and to reduce the cost of attending the convention for our members. We are in the final stages of putting together all of the details but here is a brief summary of the agenda.

    Friday morning will be the American Legion opening session at 9 am followed by a DEC meeting. This is a change from the DEC meeting on Thursday afternoon and also a change for a joint opening session with the Auxiliary. The annual VA&R reception has been moved to Saturday night in place of the normal banquet. The elections of officers will still be held Saturday afternoon. The agenda essentially eliminates Thursday from the business sessions which means only two nights of expenses for hotel rooms and meals. We will publish the full agenda as soon as it is put together.

Honor Flight

Don’t forget to put April 28, 2009 at 9 am on your calendar. This is the day that Honor Flight of Northern Colorado will send some 130 WWII vets back to the WWII Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

    We would like to have a good contingent of American Legion members, wearing caps, to send these WWII heroes off to visit their memorial. We hope to have an Army Color Guard on hand also. The date is confirmed so plan on it.

Honor Flight Details

April 28, 2009

 7:00 am – WWII Vets muster at Budweiser Event Center (BEC) in Ft Collins

 8:30 am – Four buses depart BEC with Patriot Guard and Law Enforcement escort

 9:30 am – Arrive a Signature Flight Support at 7850 Harry Combs Parkway at DIA

10:30 am – Board U S Airways Air Bus 320 for Veterans and Guardians.

11:15 am – Depart for Baltimore/Washington.

April 29, 2009

 5:00 pm – Department Baltimore/Washington

 8:00 pm – Arrive at Signature Flight Support

If you attend be sure to be at the Signature Flight facility by 9:00 am on the morning of departure to see these veterans off on their trip of a lifetime. Directions to the Signature facility are as follows: Take Pena Blvd to Jackson Gap, turn right, at stop sign turn left onto 75th Ave which turns to the left and becomes Harry B. Combs Parkway, continue until you see the Signature Flight facility on the right side of the Parkway.

Email Blast

We maintain an email blast list to keep our members informed of the latest details and latest news of the organization. If you want to be added to this list please email us with your email address and ask to be put on the list. Please email news@coloradolegion.org and you will be added.