August/September

The American Legion — Disney-Bell Post 66 — Bowie, Maryland

Disney-Bell Family News August - September 2013

Volume 2013, Issue 4 Of Special Interest:

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Some of our Friday meals begin in September. Check the website for the most up-to-date information. Membership renewal season is here again.

"Serving as your Commander" Greetings from the new Commander of Disney Bell Post 66! I could not be more honored than serving as your Commander for this Legion year.

Inside This Issue Commander

1

List of Post Officers and Committees

2

Calendar

3

S.A.L.

4

Auxiliary

5

American Legion Riders

7

News

Commander’s Corner

8 - 12

Renew your membership online! www.mdlegion.org

The American Legion year traditionally comes to an end and another begins when we attend the annual Department of Maryland convention in Ocean City, Maryland. This year was no exception and what a great year it was. Our very own J. D. Larson surrendered his gavel to the new Department of Maryland Commander Gary Vogt. J. D. had a great year as Department Commander and we are all proud of him. Now he has to “work” again though, as I have appointed him to be my Adjutant. (Oh yeah, he is also Finance Officer!) I am sure I will help him when needed. I would also like to congratulate all of the newly elected Officers. We have a lot to do this year and am looking forward to working with you to keep our Post strong! Officers of the American Legion, Auxiliary Unit 66, and Sons of the American Legion Squadron 66, for the 2013-2014 Legion year were installed at the Joint Installation Dinner held on Wednesday, July 24. I want to personally thank everyone who attended and made this event a great success and particularly Joe Clark and the other members of the S.A.L. for their hard work in preparing the meal! The Legion organizations will soon be getting ready for Tuesday and Friday night dinners, membership goals are being planned, soon the kids will be

back in school, Turkey Shoot schedules will be made, and things will be somewhat normal (as they can be anyway). But I have no doubt we will work as a Legion Family to succeed. Membership. I know everyone has heard me hark on this before. But, it is still a fact that membership is the key to the organization. But, why be a member? I was thinking the other day, if a Post 66 member cannot sell us to someone who is eligible to be a new member, what are we doing wrong? Then it dawned on me. Before every meeting we recite the Preamble to the Constitution of the American Legion. The words are there! I know many of you do not attend our General Membership meetings every fourth Wednesday of the month (held at 7:30 p.m.) when we do that, but have you looked at the back of your membership card? The answers are there on what you can say to prospective members. (Continued on page 6)

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D I S NE Y - B E LL FA MI LY N E WS

Post Officers 2013 - 2014

Commander

Brian Frye

1st Vice Commander

2nd Vice Commander

Nick Muller

Adjutant

J. D. Larson

Finance Officer

J. D. Larson

Chaplain

Judge Advocate

Brian Goldman

Historian

Larry Bartman

Service Officer

Toni King

Sergeant-at-Arms

Alberto Ocho

Executive Committee

Ray Hart John Delinsky Barney Hoyt Jim Edwards Paul McCoy

The American Legion Disney-Bell Post 66 9605 Old Laurel-Bowie Road Bowie, Maryland 20720 Phone: Fax: E-mail: Website:

301-464-9814 301-805-6832 [email protected] www.alpost66.org

Disney-Bell Family News is published every other month (6 issues per year) and is published on the Post 66 website. If you need your copy mailed to you, please send a note to [email protected] or contact the Post at 301-464-9814. We welcome your news, ideas, suggestions, comments, or questions for future issues of the Disney-Bell Family News. E-mail us at: [email protected], or drop it off at the Post to the attention of the Newsletter Editor.

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COMMITTEES AND EVENTS

LEADER

Finance Committee Audit Committee House Committee Membership Committee

J. D. Larson Brain Goldman Nick Muller J. D. Larson

Patriotism and Youth Committees Baseball Commissioner Flag Education Oratorical Contest Scholarships Scouts ROTC/JROTC Boys State

Brian Frye (We need a volunteer!) Brian Frye (We need a volunteer!) Brian Frye Brian Goldman Brian Frye Brian Frye

Veterans Committees Honor Guard Commander Veterans Support National Defense

Darby McNeill Toni King Brian Goldman

Post Publications Newsletter Website

Ray Hart Ray Hart

Annual Events (In Order by Legion Year) Joint Installation of Officers July Turkey Shoots October - March Children’s Halloween Party October Veteran’s Day Services November Early Bird Dinner November Toys for Tots Campaign November - December Children’s Christmas Party December Christmas Eve Party ` December New Year’s Eve Party December Super Bowl Party February Daytona 500 Party February St. Patrick’s Day Dinner March Children’s Easter Egg Hunt March/April Post Everlasting April Memorial Day Services May Flag Day Event June Fourth of July Picnic July Committee/Event Volunteer Opportunities. We are looking for members to head up two of our committees at the Post. We are also looking for folks to help with the ongoing work of the committees and at the yearly events. If you don’t have the time to volunteer with the yearly committees, please come out to help at any of the one-time events that appeal to you. PLEASE VOLUNTEER! Volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization, and you can have fun by becoming more involved in the activities at the Post. You can volunteer by contacting us by e-mail at: [email protected] or by calling the Post at 301-464-9814.

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Monday

August 12

S.A.L. Meeting

Wednesday

August 14

Executive Committee Meeting

Wednesday

August 21

Auxiliary Meeting

Wednesday

August 28

General Membership Meeting

Monday

September 9

S.A.L. Meeting

Wednesday

September 11

Executive Committee Meeting

Wednesday

September 18

Auxiliary Meeting

Wednesday

September 25

General Membership Meeting Special Events

Saturday

September 21

Annual S.A.L. Car Show - 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Flyer on page 8) Post Meals

Tuesday “sandwich nights” and Friday dinners will resume in September. Except for the following dinner, start dates are not official at press time, but be sure to watch your e-mail and check the website calendar for specifics. 2nd Friday of each month

September 13

Auxiliary sponsored Dinner - 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Sign up by Wednesday of that week.

Interested in Golf ? The Post is CONSIDERING hosting a golf tournament. We are looking for some interest from our members with ideas, offers of help, and of course, golfers. If you have some interest and think this is a good idea for the Post to do, please step forward and tell us. We won’t pursue the idea without member interest and support.

You don’t need strength to let go of something. What you really need is understanding. ~ Chinese fortune cookie

Nothing is a waste of time if you learn something from it. ~ Chinese fortune cookie

POST 66 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Organizational Meetings - 7:30 p.m. Sharp!

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S.A.L. Squadron 66 What a summer we have had! Heat, storms, and we still have to get through August! Another Legion year has been completed and we look forward to and are planning for the current year. We are looking for new and better ways for our Squadron to grow and prosper. We were fortunate to have the leading candidate for National Commander of the S.A.L. Joe Gladden install our Squadron Officers this year. It is not often that a Squadron has this honor. Thank you, Joe! Congratulations to our Post Officers, especially Legion Commander Brian Frye and Auxiliary President Fran Sauers, and ALR Director Mark Ryan. Working together at a unified team, we can help our Post continue to be the excellent organization it is. Special congratulations and thanks to our S.A.L. officers this year. Of course as you can tell by this article, thanks to your vote of confidence, I am repeating as Squadron Commander. Our other Officers are: Vice Commander – James Clark, III; Adjutant Joe Weik; Finance Officer – Darby McNeill; Sergeant-at -Arms – Roger Adams; Chaplain – Joe Clark; and Historian – Pat Lamb. As you can tell, most of our Officers are also repeating. However, our previous Vice Commander for the past few years – Mark Schofield – has resigned due to his recent move to southern Maryland. On behalf of the Squadron, I want to especially thank Mark for all that he has done to support our Squadron and our Post. Mark, you will be missed as an Officer; however, I know you will remain as active as possible in our events. Thank you Mark! I believe we have an excellent slate of Officers that will look forward to the future and help encourage our all of our Post organizations to grow and prosper. For those members that did not attend the Installation Ceremony, our Squadron received a number of recognitions again this year at both the S.A.L. and Legion Conventions. We achieved 4-Star recognition this past year, meaning we exceeded our membership goals for the year. We were recognized as the Southern Maryland District State Squadron of the Year at the Legion Convention. We received top recognition awards for our Annual Toys for Tots campaign, along with a number of other awards. These awards and thank you’s certainly help make our efforts and hard work more meaningful in that these efforts are also recognized by others. On behalf of our Squadron, I

thank everyone who helped with the activities and projects we conducted over the past year and all years before. It is through your support and dedication that we continue to excel and help make our Post the ideal Post and help and support all of our Veterans. Our first major kick-off event continues to be our 18th Annual Car Show on September 21, 2013. Registration is from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. All cars will be on display, during which judging will be held, until 3:00 p.m.. The cost is $12.00 for pre-registration or $15.00 on the day of the show. If you know of someone who has a car for the show, have them enter and come to the Post with them and have a great time. Spit shined chrome is always welcome. Our Tuesday night dinners will again be a show-case for the year. Instead of cooking at home, come out and let our team cook for you! Thanks for all the team that works so hard every week. These and our S.A.L. “HalfBaked” chicken dinners will begin again in the fall. Please refer to the Post calendar on the website to keep up with all of our activities. Believe it or not, our 2013 membership cards are available. Our dues are still just $10.00 a year. Please drop off your dues and pick-up your cards at the Post. Pay your dues as an Early Bird and be ready to enjoy the “Early Bird Dinner” later this Fall. Paying and picking-up your cards at the Post benefit us all. You get to come to the Post and find out what is going on, enjoying great company and we get to see you and save money by not having to mail notices and cards. Hopefully, with the support of all of our current members renewing their membership and recruiting new members, we can again achieve the 4-Star Award again this year. Remember to check our Post website and calendar often, keep up with all of the Post’s activities. Participate and help us all succeed! We continue to remain committed to serving you, our Post and our Veterans. See you at our meetings and at the Post. Del Billings Commander, Squadron 66


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Auxiliary Unit 66 Well, summertime is upon us. Congrats go to the Auxiliary Unit since they made goal for 2012-2013. Good work, ladies! I hope everyone is having a great summer. It is time to become an Early Bird and to pay your 2013-2014 dues and renew your membership. April. The Auxiliary had an Americanism Essay Night and it was very successful. The students had to write an essay titled “What Freedom Do I Enjoy the Most?” The Auxiliary awarded the winners with cash prizes. First place was $75.00, second place was $50.00, third place was $25.00, and there were honorable mentions. The winners were as follows. Division 1

Division 2

Division 3

First Place

C. Chinkuyu

Ian McMahon

Mary Vita

Second Place

Samantha Fritter

Leo Bangura

Matthew A. Morell

Third Place

Stephanie Roseman

Denae Farrar

Tim Shade

Honorable Mentions

Maya Terner Peyton Singletary

Sara Braddock Philip Seisay Albert Mercer Rodney Faulk Mason Cox

Victoria Daly Rachel Bristany Hannah Andrews

Congratulations to all of the winners. Good luck next year! May. The Auxiliary had a craft fair. We had five vendors and some individuals. It did not turn out to be what we expected. We will try again in November and hope for more participation. June. We held elections at our regular meeting and the results are as follows. President – Fran Sauers Vice President – Anselma Obremski Treasurer – Toni King Secretary – Patti King Chaplain – Agnes Bowersox Historian – Darlene Clark Sgt. at Arms – Lois Van Sickle August and September. There are a number of planned activies during the next 2 months.

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August 1. There is an Auxiliary officers meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Post.

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August 10. This was the planned Back to School Night. It has been postponed and moved to January 2014. There will be more information later.

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August 19. This is the first day of school for students for 2013-2014.

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August 21. There is an Auxiliary members meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Post. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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September 2. There is no school due to the Labor Day Holiday. (Continued on page 6)


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(Commander’s Corner continued from page 1)

Many will ask a Veteran if they want to join, but don’t have the words or reasons to back it up. Just remember The Preamble to the Constitution of the American Legion. “For God and Country, we associate ourselves together for the following purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our association in the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy, to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness”. I am looking forward to serving as Post Commander and I am expecting an exciting year. I understand the trust and responsibility that comes with this position and will satisfy all expectations to the best of my ability. For God and Country, Brian Frye Commander, Post 66

(Auxiliary continued from page 5)

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September 13. This will be the first Friday Night Dinner of the season. It is from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Post. Please sign up at the bar by Wednesday September 11.

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September 18. There is an Auxiliary members meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Post. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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September 21. This is the Charlotte Hall Carnival, the Auxiliary Bake Sale, and don’t forget the Sons of the American Legion’s 18th Annual Classic Car Show!

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September 22. This is the Southern Maryland meeting at 1:00 p.m. at the Post.

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September 29. There is a Unit Leader meting at Laurel Post 60.

Reminders. Back to school supplies are being collected at the Post for our local schools. Please donate! We maintain a donation box at the Post for the Bowie Interfaith Food Pantry. We need all kinds of nonperishable food products. Please donate! I am looking for some addresses for three Unit members. If anyone knows these people, please call me with their addresses. They are Aurora Schaefer, Carse Koch, and Lisa Price. You can contact me at 301-466-3103. For God and Country, Fran Sauers, President Unit 66

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American Legion Riders American Legion Riders “Hit the Road” The American Legion Riders (ALR) of Disney Bell Post 66 had another great riding month. On July 27, the group participated in the 2013 Casey Cares Bike Ride sponsored by Department of Maryland S.A.L. Over $1,500.00 was raised through this event for a worthy charity. Having to depart Bowie before the Post opens (facilities are needed before long rides) we met at McDonald’s for a quick breakfast and a safety brief before beginning a beautiful ride to Aberdeen Post 128. The weather was great, not too hot and not raining. Linda Ryan rode through her first big tunnel and came out of it okay in spite of the words she had about the experience. We arrived at the Aberdeen Post 128 and linked up with over 40 other ALR riders from across Maryland. Departure from Aberdeen was facilitated by an escort through town, provided by local police officers; this kept the group together and was a great experience. The ride took us across some winding roads of Maryland stopping at Overlea/Perry Hall Post 130 and Hampstead Post 200 culminating with awards and a BBQ in Mt Airy at Gold Star Post 191. We saw Susan and Richard Beckwell, former Disney-Bell Post 66 members at their new Post home 128. They are still unpacking, loving their new home, and are making new friends. Richard is recovering from a mishap that happened on his motorcycle last week. Richard is healing up and now looking for a new bike or trike as his beautiful Honda VTX 1800 is no more. We told Richard there are easier ways to get a new ride. A group enjoyed another social ride on July 14 to Captain Billy's in Southern Maryland for a great lunch. It was a leisurely 160-mile round trip ride that included beautiful scenery and great weather. Interested in joining some folks for a ride or meeting some new folks to ride with? All are welcome to tag along on any ride just to see how it feels. We are always looking for motorcycle enthusiasts to visit or join the Disney-Bell Post 66 American Legion Riders Chapter. Members must be Legion, Auxiliary, or S.A.L. members in good standing; properly licensed; with a 600cc or larger motorcycle, two or three wheels, all brands and styles welcome. The August ride schedule is open and we are always looking for new destinations or ideas. We will also make our annual donation / contribution to The American Legion Legacy Scholarship fund. For information or to be added to our e-mail list send a note to [email protected]. Mark Ryan, Director American Legion Riders

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From the Service Officer The Post Service Officer is available to help with a variety of different Veterans programs. Some of the items she can help with includes: providing the proper claims forms for VA benefit claims; assisting with VA claim applications; assisting with State and Federal Burial benefits registration; and assisting with VA medical benefits registration.

For God and Country, Toni King, Post 66 Service Officer 301.262.0257 home 301.318.1108 cell 301.464.9814 Post

Chaplain’s Position If any Legion member is interest in serving as the 2013 - 2014 Legion Chaplain, please contact Commander Frye by e-mail at: [email protected] or by calling the Post at 301-464-9814.

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Talk About Town Comrade Dan Healy passed away on June 27, 2013. Legion services were held for him on July 1, 2013, at Robert E. Evans Funeral Home and his funeral was held there the next day. Dan served in the Navy and was an active member of our Post for many years. Dan leaves behind his wife Linda and their several children. We extend our sincerest sympathy to his family at this time. Dan will be remembered. Former Legion and American Legion Riders member Richard Beckwell was recently involved in a motorcycle accident near his new home. He is healing well. Legion member Ron Manning had arthroscopic knee surgery. Since that “didn’t take”, he is now “looking forward” to knee replacement surgery. On the positive side, Ron and his wife Helen just celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary! Post members Ray and Jan Hart are only 10 years behind, and just celebrated their 34th. We had a visit from Legion member John McKay during the summer. He is doing well out west (in the other Washington), but misses all of his friends from the Post. Finally, we have a very special note. New Legion member Gareth Ainsworth just became an American Citizen on July 4, 2013! Congratulations to Gareth! If you have a special event or other news to share, let us know and we will include it in a future newsletter. Contact us at: [email protected]

Post 66 Membership Incentive Program Membership is not just the responsibility of your Membership Chairman but of every Post member. Without new members joining our happy home, future leaders and caretakers of our heritage become smaller and smaller. It is estimated that our Post will need approximately 150 new members for 2014 just to maintain current levels. If this goal is to be reached, we need your help. Your Executive Committee will soon approve some incentives to encourage everyone to be an active recruiter at Disney-Bell Post 66. The following incentives will apply. 1. For every new member recruited, you will receive one free drink chip. Chips will be presented each month at our monthly meeting and you must attend to receive it. 2. Any member recruiting three new members will receive the Department of Maryland Commander’s Challenge Coin. 3. Every time a member recruits a new member, their name will be entered into a drawing to take place every time the Post reaches 50 new members. The drawing will be for a gift card worth $150.00. The more you recruit, the better your chances at winning. Once awarded, the pot begins anew. 4. Any member recruiting more than 10 new members will receive a Disney-Bell t-shirt. 5. Any member recruiting more than 25 members will receive an American Legion jacket. 6. Any member of Post 66 that becomes a Gold Brigade member (by recruiting 50+ members), will receive a gift card worth $250.00. It is vital that everyone who knows of an eligible Veteran invite them to become a member of the best Post in the State of Maryland. Pulling together, we can have a very successful year at our Post.

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Notes from the Adjutant “My comrade, you have been chosen to assist your Commander in the wise and effective administration of that office and to serve not only your fellow Legionnaires, but also those whose relationship to the organization has led them to look for us for guidance and relief. You will find the duties many, varied, and at times taxing of your crowded hours and resources. The successful accomplishment of our programs depends, to a great extent, upon you and your performance of the duties of your office.” – Charge from the Installation Ceremony As your new Adjutant, I thought it appropriate to briefly outline the duties of this position. The Adjutant has the same position in the Post as the secretary of any other organized body, and a bit more. The Adjutant is like the first sergeant of the company, around whom all Post activities revolve. While the Commander’s duties are largely inspirational and executive, an Adjutant’s duties are administrative. The Commander navigates the ship, but the Adjutant is the engineer who runs the ship’s machinery and keeps the vessel on an even keel. He or she is the personnel officer and personal point of contact for individual members of the Post. The Adjutant keeps membership records and minutes of meetings, checks up on and assists the work of other Officers and committees, and publishes official orders, announcements, and instructions. The Adjutant’s office should be a clearing-house for all Post activities. The Adjutant assists new Officers and committees in getting started with their work and provides direction to their endeavors. Help is not the same as interference. These words were taken directly from the Adjutant’s Manual and describe only in part what the Adjutant’s responsibilities are. As you can see, it is often a difficult job. I ask for your patience as re-training occurs and your assistance to help all of us at Post 66. Thank you. J. D. Larson Adjutant, Post 66

Adopt-A-Vet Program Huge Success At the National Commander’s Banquet in March, Commander Jim Koutz spoke of Posts starting an “Adopt-AVet” program where individual Posts and/or members could step forward and pay for the dues of individuals who were either deployed, in nursing homes, or otherwise were unable to pay their annual American Legion dues. With the clock for membership winding down, and Post 66 behind in our membership goal, several members of Disney-Bell Post 66 answered the call and volunteered to Adopt-A-Vet. The Department of Maryland met our State goal and it is a direct result of the teamwork and generosity displayed by Post 66 members. The following members donated to this campaign and put us over the top: Barney Hoyt; Gus Hayes; Linda Ryan; Toni King; Nick Mueller; Mark Ryan; Brian Goldman; Brian Frye; and John Delinsky. A sincere “thank you” for helping the Department Commander look good. J. D. Larson Adjutant, Post 66 (and 2012-2013 Department of Maryland Commander)

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Fun at our Annual 4th of July Old-Fashioned Picnic.


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The American Legion Disney-Bell Post 66 9605 Old Laurel-Bowie Road Bowie, Maryland 20720

The future of our Post, our sons and daughters, Post members in training!

We’re on the web at www.alpost66.org

Pat Lamb being presented with the Legionnaire of the Year Award. Since Pat is a member of the S.A.L, he was made an “honorary Legionnaire” for the occasion.