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POST AND MEETING
NEWS
Commander Fred
Sidebottom called
the monthly meeting
to order on Tuesday,
April 18, 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.
First nominations
were opened for Post
officers for the
2007-2008 Legion
year. Nominees are:
Commander – Rene
Cortez, 1st Vice –
Joe Watt, 2nd Vice –
none, 3rd Vice –
none, Finance
Officer – Ernie
Pyle, Sgt-at-Arms –
Wayne Louth,
Executive Board –
Luke Hardesty and
Cyndie August.
Second nominations
and elections will
be held at the May
meeting.
Commander – Fred
Sidebottom
This is the time of
the year that we
need a lot of help
from our members.
This is the time we
nominate and vote on
our new officers for
the next year. I
hope we can get a
good group to come
forward to fill all
the spots for the
next year.
Our membership is
doing great, so
maybe we will have
enough people step
forward to fill all
the seats. Remember,
this is your Post,
so please help keep
it moving.
Installation of new
officers will be
June 2nd at 1:00 PM
at the Post.
1st Vice
Commander – Rene
Cortez
Let me start by
giving you the
membership numbers I
have received from
our Adjutant. The
total membership to
date is 995 and our
goal was 989. That
gives us a total of
100.61%. Please give
our Adjutant and his
assistant applause
for helping meet
these goals. Until
next time, God bless
all of you.
Chaplain – Louis
Miller
We had two members
go to Post
Everlasting last
month: Gordon
Pleeger, and Michael
Kepnach, Please
continue to let me
know of other
members who have
passed away, or are
ill.
Sgt-at-Arms –
Wayne Louth
We will hold a Post
Everlasting Ceremony
on Tuesday, May 15,
2007 (meeting night)
beginning at 7:00
PM. The last time
this Post held this
ceremony was in 2001
and we have lost
many comrades and
friends since then.
All members,
relatives, and
friends are invited
to attend.
Scholarship
Chairman – Denny
Murphy
It has been
rewarding for the
last four years to
help these young
people obtain their
goals and every
recipient is truly
thankful to Post
149. This year we
had twelve
applications from
Escondido High
School, all hopeful
of receiving this
award. The process
is very competitive
and requires each
applicant to submit
a package which
includes, an A GPA
(9-12), written
point paper on their
goals for the
future,
recommendations from
faculty,
extracurricular
activities, and
financial needs. Art
Ramirez and I had
our preliminary
meeting and
determined five
candidates that we
wanted to interview.
Esther Barcoma,
Counselor at
Escondido High
School, is a great
supporter of our
program and the Post
thanks her for
providing conference
room and scheduling
of students for our
interview.
Art and I both
agreed that Jessica
Pearson was our
winner. She is
bright and
outstanding in all
factors judged.
Jessica wishes to
pursue a career in
the biogenetic field
and to become a
genetic researcher.
Jessica made it very
clear on how a
college education is
crucial to her.
Jessica stated,
“It is what I have
worked so hard for
in high school and
in middle school.
Every decision I
have ever made in
the last four years
from challenging
myself with advanced
classes, to
participating in
after school and
clubs, was to get me
closer to the
university of my
choice.” Jessica
had a recommendation
from one of her
teachers that just
about says it all,
“She has
consistently
maintained an active
role in California
Youth and Government
(2006-2007
Delegation
Chaplain), National
Honor Society and
the Fraternity of
Academic and Civic
Excellence, all
while earning one of
the highest GPA
among her peers.”
Art and I will be at
the senior awards
night on May 10th to
present her award. I
would like to share
with all of the Post
a thank you note
from Jessica
received on March
19th.
Dear Mr. Murphy,
I would like to
sincerely thank you
and the American
Legion Post 149 for
selecting me as the
recipient of this
year’s
Caralun-Nuelle
Memorial
Scholarship. With
the up coming fees
and tuition costs
for my first year in
college, your award
will be valued
tremendously.
Furthermore, I am
happy to inform you
that I have been
admitted into UCSB.
Thus, I can assure
you that the
scholarship will be
spent. I look
forward to accepting
the scholarship on
the awards night.
Please extend my
thanks to the rest
of the Post; your
generosity is truly
appreciated.
Sincerely, Jessica
Pearson
Boys’ State – Carl
Asher
No Report
Law and Order – Carl
Asher
No Report
Clubroom
No Report
======================================
American Legion
Auxiliary
President – Linda k.
Lopez
After the opening
ceremony,
distinguished guests
Cathy Wathan-Watt,
and Barbara Smith
and her students of
the ROTC were
presented.
Cathy went over the
plans and details of
the July 4th
celebration in
regards to the food
booths. The ladies
were most receptive
to what she had
planned. A signup
sheet was passed
around. Cathy is
coordinating these
booths and will
assign each
volunteer a duty. If
you did not sign up
and want to, please
contact Cathy or
myself.
Barbara Smith
introduced two ROTC
students from Orange
Glen that have been
selected to attend
the Naval Academy in
Annapolis, Maryland
this summer. This is
a high honor to be
selected out of
thousands of
applicants
nationwide. The
lucky recipients are
Jackie Wilson and
Anthony Garraro. The
Auxiliary Unit
donated $300 to each
student, which will
pay his and her
tuition.
The Charter was
draped for Ella
Perry, one of our
Auxiliary members
who passed away
recently. Our
prayers and blessing
go out to her
family.
A reminder that
Poppy week is May
14th - 20th, 2007.
The donation
envelope will be
enclosed in your May
bulletin along with
2 poppies. Please
give generously.
Memorial Day is May
28th. The ceremony
takes place at the
cemetery at 10:00AM.
See you there.
Nominations and
election of officers
will be made at the
May 3rd meeting.
Please step up and
volunteer to run for
one of the offices
and/or
chairmanships.
It’s been a long and
bumpy road this year
as President. I will
not be seeking the
2007-2008 nomination
as President due to
personal reasons. I
want to thank those
of you who helped me
throughout the year
it’s been an
experience I won’t
forget. GOD BLESS
THE U.S.A.
Auxiliary
Membership – Irene
Gustafson
End of the year
reports were due on
April 27th and I'm
happy to tell you
that we finished our
year with 232
members. 100.8% and
2 over goal! We
gained 9 new Senior
members and lost 3
to death. I hope our
new members will
attend a meeting and
see all the good we
do for our Veterans,
Children & Youth,
and the Community.
At the April 6th
dinner, the 50/50
pot was won by
Maryann Bukala who
graciously donated
it all back to the
Auxiliary. Thank you
Maryann. I am also
looking for a couple
of Auxiliary
volunteers to do the
50/50 on a Friday
evening so that the
same person doesn't
do it every week.
Thanks For The
Memories!
"We make a living by
what we do, but we
make life by what we
give." - Winston
Churchill
SPECIAL ATTENTION! -
As many of you are
aware, a group of
Legion Members and
Auxiliary Members
are called each
month to come down
to the Legion Hall
and help fold and
label the 149er
bulletin and get
them ready for
mailing. Ralph (Gus)
and I have been
doing it since July
2005. They are then
taken to the bulk
mail section of the
main Post Office on
Mission Avenue. We
would now like to
have a replacement.
Is anyone
interested?
Chaplain – Elda
Jones
Well the time has
come for Department
reports. We are all
busy at this task.
By the time you read
this, they should
all be in. I would
like to thank Helen
Meyers for her
donation of “Beanie
Babies.” We will
sell them and put
the money to good
use in one of our
programs. Thanks to
all the ladies who
helped with our
Wednesday night cook
out. Good food, we
all like tacos, etc.
We had a good turn
out for our meeting
this month. All our
ladies are feeling
better, thank to
prayers. May God be
with you until next
month.
“Don’t make a
cemetery of your
life by burying your
talents.”
Children and
Youth – Stella Diaz
The Easter party
went very well.
About 55 children
were given baskets
with bunnies and
eggs. We thank the
SAL members for the
huge balloon that
the kids enjoyed
jumping in. Our
appreciation and
thanks to Ann Brown,
Phyllis Bradford,
and Irene Gustafson
for putting together
the Easter baskets
and handing out to
the kids. Thanks
also to Margaret
Hovis from Unit 365
who supervised the
kids in the park and
to Wayne Louth who
had games for the
kids. Thanks to
these folks who
donated bags of
toys: Ada Jones,
Marlene Scott, Magda
Phillips, Ann Brown
and others. Thanks
also to the cooks,
Greg Hardesty and
Don Hansen. We have
one child that has
come to the parties,
but could not come
this time. This
little boy is sick
with Cystic
Fibrosis. A basket
was taken to him.
Five girls in their
junior year of high
school are going to
Girls State in
Fresno July 1-7,
2007.
Congratulations to
Aubrey Wilson-Orange
Glen H.S., Angela
Pagliaroli-Charter
H.S., Brittany
Park-Escondido H.S.,
Amber Throop-Valley
Center H.S. and
Heidi Effenberger-San
Pasqual H.S. We wish
these girls all the
luck and hope they
meet the Governor
and his first lady.
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Sons of the American
Legion
Membership in our
squadron is 106+ %
this year.
======================================
American Legion
Riders
President – Woody
“Gunny” Harris
Post 149, American
Legion Riders made
history on March
31st! The ALR
Department
Convention ratified
the Constitution and
Bylaws to make
California the first
Department to do so.
The delegates at the
June Department
Convention in Palm
Springs will vote to
make the Riders an
official program of
the Department. We
took the lead or as
Rangers say, “We
Lead the Way!”
The Convention was
held at Fresno
Federal Post 509,
and we were welcomed
and housed, watered
and fed by a great
group of
Legionnaires. Jake
Jacobsen was voted
to be the Area 5
Vice-President. We
are very proud of
Jake, and his
alternate John
Chizmar of the
Midway City Post
555. Thanks to Jake,
Marty, Craig, Art,
and Joe for making
the ride to Fresno a
safe, and fun
experience.
April has been busy.
We hosted the Cook
your own Steak night
Saturday the 14th,
and it was a
success. As usual,
Cathy, Carrie, Joe
and numerous riders
and fellow
Legionnaires helped
make this a success
with the band
rocking out, and
everyone in
attendance having a
great time.
On Sunday the 15th,
we had a scenic ride
from the Post to
Borrego Springs Post
through backcountry
routes with
breakfast at Harrahs
Casino all 15 riders
and passengers had a
fun time. Thanks Joe
for planning a good
time.
Until next month,
Semper Fi Gunny
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Editor – Art
Lubben
Another reminder,
the deadline for
articles and news is
the 15th of the
month. Please don’t
wait till the last
minute. To the new
officers, please see
me if you have any
questions or need
help preparing your
submissions. |
