NALPA NEWSLETTER
The Official Newsletter of the National American Legion Press Association | Spring 2019 Issue
What’s Coming Share your SAL stories Across the nation, Sons of The American Legion members are supporting veterans at the posts and throughout their communities. Share the great community service your squadron is performing by submitting a story on Legiontown.org. An editor will review it for possible publication in national media.
Celebrate Children & Youth Month Rena Nessler, past department commander of New York, speaks with media about The American Leigon’s “100 Years for God and Country” chronology exhibit at the state fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y., on Nov. 10, 2018. Photo by Schelly Stone
Take advantage of the opportunities ahead By Mark Sutton, past NALPA president
M
arch 15 was an important milestone for The American Legion. When you read my article in the winter issue of NALPA about the “endgame,” one of two thoughts may have crossed your mind. “I did everything possible, and it worked out great. I was prepared.” Or, “I wasn’t able to do all I had planned to do, and I missed it.” If you pulled off an American Legion 100-year birthday celebration, great job. Your planning and preparing paid off. If it didn’t go as planned, let me be the first to tell you that it’s OK. It is not the end of the world, and it is not the end of the opportunity to use the 100th anniversary to promote your post, district or department. We are now in the 100th year of the beginning of your organization. There are stories to be told to the community. There are opportunities to promote The American Legion in your newspapers, on radio stations, and to new members. There are your post and department’s first organizational commander, adjutant and executive board, and the decisions they made. You can share stories about the founders of
your post and talk about other firsts that happened that first year in existence. Remember that the initial meeting was in Paris March 15-17, 1919, and the second meeting happened in St. Louis, known as the St. Louis Caucus. Committees were established to write the founding principles of The American Legion. Do you know how many delegates from your department were present in St. Louis? Do you know who attended the caucus? Did you know the minutes are available online in the Digital Archives at www.legion.org? There are stories to be told about what your department did to shape The American Legion at the St. Louis Caucus. Are there records of the first meeting of your post or department? There is time to plan and submit a story to local media about that time and place. In Michigan, our minutes show they met on June 28, 1919, in the Moffat Building in Detroit. One of the first motions made was to call all veterans in the state to assemble in Detroit in July to welcome home the soldiers who were sent to fight the Bolsheviks in Russia, See Take advantage of the opportunities ahead on Page 2
April is Children and Youth Month, which is a great time to share with local media how you are mentoring youth through Boys State, Junior Shooting Sports, Legion Baseball and other youth programs. On social media, use hashtag #ChildrenAndYouthMonth.
Spring Meetings National Commander Brett Reistad will address the National Executive Committee during Spring Meetings. See the live video at www. facebook.com/americanlegionhq. On social media, use hashtag #SpringMtgs2019.
Memorial Day How is your post, unit or squadron participating in Memorial Day events in your community? Share on your social media platforms and post a story on Legiontown. org. On social media, use hashtag #MemorialDay.