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POST AND MEETING
NEWS
Commander Fred
Sidebottom called
the monthly meeting
to order on Tuesday,
March 20, 2007 at
7:00 PM. Following
the opening
ceremonies, officer
and committee
reports were
received. The
minutes of the
previous general
meeting and Board of
Directors meeting
were read and
approved. The Post
was presented a flag
certified to have
flown over the camp
of a Marine unit in
the An War Provence
of Iraq. A motion
was made and passed
to remove all Post
bank accounts from
Bank of America.
District 22 1st
Vice-Commander Diane
Devries visited us
at this meeting and
complimented the
Post for the
progress being made
on membership and
keeping up to date
on the necessary
reports to the
District and
Department.
Commander –
Fred Sidebottom
I would like to
thank all the people
who came to the
dedication of the
Ronald J. Hanson
Room on March 10th
at the VAMC in La
Jolla. It was a very
nice program. We got
to go up and see the
room itself. It was
really something to
see.
It is coming to that
time of the year to
elect new officers.
It is a good time to
step up and take an
office. Your help is
really needed.
Nominations will be
at the April meeting
and elections in
May.
1st Vice
Commander – Rene
Cortez
Our paid membership
now stands at 945
members. That puts
us at 96% of our
goal of 989.
Chaplain – Louis
Miller
We had one member go
to Post Everlasting,
this month, Edward
Fox. Please let me
know of other
members who have
past away, or are
sick.
Law and Order –
Carl Asher
No Report
Boys’ State –
Carl Asher
We will be
interviewing Boys
State Candidates at
10:00 AM Saturday,
April 14 at the
Post. I encourage
all interested
Legionnaires to come
down and assist with
the interviews.
Please be at Post
149 by 9:30 AM so I
can hand out the
forms you will need
for the interviews.
We will be selecting
5 boys, one from
each of the local
high schools, to
attend this year’s
California Golden
Boys State in June.
We will be
interviewing
approximately 25
boys.
Judge Advocate –
Carl Asher
April is that month
in the regular
Legion year at Post
149 when we nominate
those who will lead
us for the ensuing
year. Right now, we
do not have a full
corps of officers to
promote up the line.
What that means is
that we must count
on our good members
to step forward and
take the initial
steps in leading
this Post in its
affairs.
Clubroom
No Report
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American Legion
Auxiliary
President –
Linda k. Lopez
The American
Legion’s 88th
Birthday celebration
was held on Friday,
March 16th, at Post
149 in the hall.
Cathy Wathan Watt
was our chef for the
evening and as
usual, she cooked an
excellent dinner of
corned beef,
cabbage, potatoes,
and carrots. She had
lots of help in the
kitchen from
Auxiliary Unit 149,
Post 149
Legionnaires, and
the ROTC headed up
by Barbara Smith,
Unit 149
Sgt-at-Arms. What a
great job they all
did. Cathy is a God
Send. She is always
there to help. The
entertainment for
the evening was a
magician, Alakazam’s
Jeff Marcus. He put
on an excellent
show. Thanks Jeff,
your show was great.
A reminder that
Poppy week is coming
soon, May 14th -
20th. The donation
envelope will be
enclosed in your May
bulletin along with
2 poppies. Please
give generously.
Memorial Day is just
around the corner.
Mark your calendars
for May 28th at
10:00AM.
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.
Auxiliary
Membership – Irene
Gustafson
No report
Chaplain – Elda
Jones
The month of March
was quite a month
for the Auxiliary.
We had a lot of our
women sick or in the
hospital. We just
had enough for our
meeting. Our
President had
surgery on her knee.
She is coming along
great. Remember her
in you prayers. Keep
looking up.
“You are rich when
you are satisfied
with what you have.”
VAVS Hospital
Deputy – Ann Marie
Brown
The formal
dedication of the
“End of Life” room
took place at the
VAMC on March 10th
honoring Ron Hanson.
Nancy and her family
attended as well as
Past Department
Commanders Willie
Wilkins and his wife
Geri, Dan
Hetherington and his
wife Jeanne, Past
Department Adjutant,
Bill Mayer, and
Vice-Commander for
Area 5 Ed Alvarez
and his wife Pat.
The 22nd District
was well represented
with District
Commander Ed
Grimsley and his
corps of officers,
District President
June Coatney, and
husband Jim. Phyllis
Holmberg, VAVS
Representative
introduced Auxiliary
members. Past
Alternate National
Executive
Committeeman Ed
Landis introduced
the Legion
Dignitaries. Jackie
Lay, Leslie
Peterson, Elda
Jones, Ruth Hunold,
and Marie Haworth
represented the
Unit. Post 149 was
represented by
Commander Fred
Sidebottom, 1st
Vice-Commander Rene
Cortez, Lanny
Peterson, Howard
Haworth, Ralph
Gustafson, Louis
Miller, Harvey Latz,
and Don Jones. The
program was preceded
by a buffet lunch
hosted by San Diego
Post 6 and
Auxiliary. Members
of Posts and Units
throughout the
District attended.
The program in the
multipurpose room
was a tribute to Ron
and his devoted
family. The more
than 200 attendees
were moved by the
keynote speech by
Willie Wilkins, a
long time friend of
Ron, who cited the
many accomplishments
and attributes of
this dedicated
leader. Lorelei
Wynn, VAVS Director,
spoke on the history
of the room and
cited the donations
from the District,
Posts, and Legion
and Auxiliary
members who made
this project a
reality. Nancy spoke
on behalf of the
family expressing
gratitude for the
tribute. VAVS
Representative,
Frank Manthei,
chaired the program
and arranged tours
to the room led by a
staff member. The
day was a fitting
honor for a
legionnaire
dedicated to the
betterment of his
Post, District, and
Department, and
exemplified the
American Legion
motto, “For God and
Country.”
Community Service
– Ann Marie Brown
The unit is honoring
14 high school
Junior girls for
outstanding
community service.
This will be a joint
project of Children
and Youth, and
Community Service.
The recipients from
Escondido, San
Pasqual, and
Escondido Charter
High Schools will be
awarded a plaque and
gift certificate
from Barnes and
Noble. Phyllis
Bradford, C&Y
Chairman, and Stella
Diaz, Girls State
Chairman, will
assist in these
awards. Recipients
are Girls State
candidates who have
demonstrated
outstanding service
to youth, senior
citizens, and church
activities. A 5th
grade student at
Miller school will
receive an award in
April for her
community service
accomplishments, as
recommended by her
teacher.
The members continue
to work with the
“Stitcher’s Group”
at Madrid Manor and
a donation was made
to enable them to
buy materials so
that they can
continue with their
work at the VAMC.
They have donated
approximately 42
quilted robes for
wheelchair bound
veterans. They will
continue to assist
us with donations
for our veterans and
newborn quilts for
Camp Pendleton.
Our ladies have been
generous with their
time, talents, and
donations.
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Sons of the American
Legion
The “Sons,” 2nd
annual chili cook
off, will be held on
April 7, 2007.
Fliers will out
soon.
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American Legion
Riders
President –
Woody “Gunny” Harris
March as in previous
months has been busy
for the Riders.
Saturday, March 10th
was the Riders "Rock
and Roll Dinner,
Dance" at the Post.
We had a good turn
out and the food was
excellent as usual
thanks to Cathy,
Carrie, Joe, and all
of the helpers.
On Sunday, the
Riders had our
monthly ride, this
time to the Palm
Springs Air Museum.
For those of you who
have not been, you
owe it to yourselves
to go. The planes in
the museum include a
Flying Fortress,
Stearmans, Corsairs,
Hellcats, and A-6
intruders to name a
few. What is unique
is all are flyable
except one that was
found on the bed of
Lake Michigan and
took 20,000 hours to
restore. There is a
Pacific Hangar and a
European Hangar plus
numerous exhibits.
The ride took us
through the back of
Escondido, Valley
Center, and Anza to
Palm Springs and
then back home.
Seventeen riders and
passengers made the
trip, so we really
had a great turn
out.
We have a new member
Sam Pacheco a
Vietnam Marine Vet
who rides a Yamaha
1100. Welcome.
Several Riders will
be in Fresno for the
1st Annual American
Legion Riders,
Department of
California
Convention hosted by
the Fresno American
Legion Post 509. We
have many upcoming
events. Rolling
Thunder/Run for the
Wall to Washington
D.C. is in May and
the National
Convention and Rally
in Reno, Nevada in
August.
As I have told you,
the Riders have
adopted a stretch of
Old Hwy 395 by
Fallbrook for
cleanup. We have a
sign now posted and
Bama is putting
together the final
permits, video
school for the
pickers, and all of
the gear necessary
to keep the Hwy
clean of litter. I
will keep you
posted. Semper Fi,
Gunny
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Editor – Art
Lubben
I want to thank
George Long for
stepping up and
volunteering to take
over as editor. I
will be working with
him for the next
couple of months as
he learns the ins
and outs of the job
and he will have it
to himself as soon
as he feels
comfortable with it.
Please give him your
cooperation.
Another reminder,
the deadline for
articles and news is
the 15th of the
month. Please don’t
wait till the last
minute.
I am also looking
for someone to
maintain the Web
site. We need
someone who is
computer literate
and preferably has
some experience.
Please contact me if
you have the ability
and the wish to help
the Post. |
