Steven Kadlec is Adjutant for this year and the minutes of meetings are a brief report of each meeting. Historian Tom Lanagan was unable to find detailed information for Legion year 1965. In my search for 1965 information I did find several photographs for the year and will add them later.
In October the Legion provided an Honor Guard for the dedication of the new Downers Grove Sanitary District facility. A Halloween Dance was held at a cost of $1.00 per person. A Little League banquet was held at the Post at no charge to the League, bar sales were kept by the Post. A report was given on the 4th of July activities which showed a lose of $145.93.
At every meeting suggestions were made as to new ways to raise funds for the Post. 6.4 acres of land north of 41st Street and west of Saratoga were sold to Joseph Saviola. The sale price is not mentioned. When he tried to have the land rezoned from residential to commercial, the Post went on record oppossing this action.
In November 1964 the Investment Committee reported that $8600.00 was withdrawn from the Continental Bank of Chicago and used to purchase common stock. This showed the cost of common stock to be over $59,000.00 with a value of over $65,000. The common stock purchased was in utilities.
The Post discontinued the program of giving free flags to Scout groups as the program was being abused. In the future only Scout troops in Downers Grove will be given free flags. Any group outside Downers Grove will be referred to their local Post.
In February 1965 the Post set up funds to begin taking pictures of all commanders to be framed and mounted on a wall in the Post Home. Pictures of Auxiliary Presidents will be mounted on the opposite wall in the main hall.
This was the last entry by Tom Lanagan for the Legion Year 1965.
(A Special note: On August 18, 2017 while taking inventory of items in a store room at Post 80, a minute log marked 1965 and 1966 was found by Past Commander and new historian David Wisbrock.)
The Past Commander pictures were purchased and mounted on the south wall of the new Legion Hall. Plans to do the same for the Ladies Auxiliary were begun and these pictures will be on the north wall. Plans for Memorial Day were set. There is to be a parade which will end at the Post home and after the traditional ceremony there will be a dedication of Memorial Park.
Along with the new Post building came the problems of managing it. Along with the building were almost 11 acres of open land to maintain. Building managers were appointed and the ways & means committee was in search of ways to raise funds as the annual carnivals, alone were not enough. Las Vegas Nights in the fall were discussed.
In June the Post purchased and donated supplies to Boy Scout Troop 80. Lenard Voss was elected Commander for the coming year and business was as usual at Post 80. As 1965 came too a close a complete finance report was given for the year and the future looked bright for Post 80. In August a new member, Herb Morrison, joined the Post. I mention his name as he is destined to become a key figure at Post 80.
