La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux Grande Voiture du Texas TEXAS VOYAGEUR NEWS Americanism

2023 is officially here and the big holidays are behind us. I hope everyone is doing well and had an enjoyable and safe holiday season with family and friends. To date I have had only (2) Voitures that have submitted anything concerning Americanism to be included in the TVN. Voiture 1031 has done 10 schools at 1284 students and Voiture 605 has done 10 Schools with more than 1000 students so far under the Flags for First Graders program. Voiture 605 fulfilled Christmas gift wishes for 154 residents at the Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home with the help of the following veteran’s organizations. American Legion Posts 58 and 36 and the DAV. Congratulations to both locales and a huge thank you to all the Voyageurs that helped in making both programs a success; keep up the good work. Almost everything we as Voyageurs Militaire do falls under Americanism. As promised earlier this year here is a quick run though of the Americanism Report with some different activities that you can count.

Americanism Speeches & Flag Activities: Did anyone this year attend a Flag Retirement? I don’t mean where you retire hundreds of flags, I mean Flag Day where just ONE flag needs to be retired. Did you fly the American Flag?

Youth Activities: Did anyone work with Boy/Girl Scouts, ROTC, assist Law Officers with programs such as D.A.R.E, work with your nearest American Legion with Oratorical & Boys/Girls State?

Community Activities: Did you get out and vote? Work at the voting polls? Work at a food bank? Clean up a city park or a memorial? Attend a Promenade or meetings in other Fraternal Organizations. There should be lots of hands up right now

Holidays & Memorials: Did any of you attend a funeral for those that have served their country? Did you participate in an installation? I truly hope that the majority of you said YES to that. Did you participate in a parade? Did anyone donate or assist in laying wreaths with Wreaths Across America? Participate in Post Everlasting at your local American Legion/VFW? Did you help put out flags at our National Cemeteries on Memorial Day?

Veterans: Did any of you visit a Veterans Home and spend time with our Veterans there? Take another Veteran to the Dr’s?

Have you heard of the “Snowball Express”? It is part of the Gary Sinise Foundation, where Gold Star families are sent to Disney for a few days. You meet those families at the airport and escort them to the gates, cheering them on. When they come back, meet them at the gate and assist them with picking up their luggage.

Have you heard of “Honor Flight”? Those Veterans that were never given a proper welcome home deserve it. Look when the next one in your area is happening and go, meet those men and women who served and welcome them home.

Both Snowball Express & Honor Flight take maybe 2 hours out of your day once a year. However, those two hours you spend mean so much to those that you are greeting when they come home. It shows that somebody somewhere cares.

Did you know that on the 1st Saturday of every month Home Depot does a kid’s workshop? It has been around for over 25 years. Kids can go and make the project for the month that is provided by Home Depot. Go help them with it. Just an hour or two a month working with kids and assisting them in learning how to use tools and read/follow instructions. Lowes has a similar program. Look into other business that have workshops for kids and help them with it.

Get with your local YMCA or Boy/Girl Scout Council and assist them. There are so many things that we as Veterans can help teach them. Each and every one of us has our own unique skill that they can learn from.

NONE of the things I’ve mentioned above take a lot of time, they just take you getting up and doing it.

If you have not already started now is the time to start compiling your numbers for the year for all locale reports so you can send them to the Grande Directeur’s NOT NATIONAL. While I cannot speak for all the other Directeur’s; I need your Americanism Report by the end of the Grande Promenade.

As always if you are in need of assistance with a program, how to report your hours or anything else; I will be at the Cheminot in March or you can send me an email at hallmd1973@outlook.com or the Sous Directeur Alison Thompson-Hall at alisonthompsonhall@outlook.com.

Michael Hall Director of Americanism, Grande du Texas