Woodbury Post 501 Newsletter - Nov 2020
Commanders Corner: We had our 22 Oct monthly meeting at Birdi Golf in the Valley Creek Mall. It was great to have an in-person meeting and be able to see our members and in a wonderful venue. The plan is to continue with our monthly meetings at Birdi Golf with our next meeting on 19 Nov. It would be nice to see more of our members at our meetings and have a voice in our decisions. As an added benefit you can have a beer with us after the meeting.
Membership Update: As of today we have 112 renewals, which mean’s that we are 76% to goal. We are definitely way ahead of last year’s membership drive. Let’s keep this rolling along and renew now so that we can get to our goal by the end of the year. As always the best way to renew is at www.legion.org.
Wall of Thanks: In talking with the manager of the Valley Creek Mall we will be having this year’s Wall of Thanks. The event starts on the weekend after Thanksgiving and lasts until the weekend prior to Christmas. The Wall of Thanks is our annual event to raise money for local charities and to honor veterans or members currently serving in the military. The booth will be located inside the Valley Creek Mall across from Keys Cafe. Visitors will be able to donate money that will benefit the local charities. Additionally, you will be able to post the name of a veteran or a family member currently serving in the military, on a placard and affix it to the Wall of Thanks. Last year’s Wall of Thanks was a great success. If you would like to volunteer some of your time for the Wall of Thanks give Dale Johnson a call at 651-214-4633.
Veterans Day Event: As you know, there will not be any Veterans Day programs at the Woodbury High Schools or at City Hall this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. At this time of year Post 501 member Dale Johnson & former Post Commander Tom Grezek replace the many flags at the Memorial; and on Veterans Day we have always individually hoisted the new US, Army, Marine, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Army National Guard flags. It was decided to have a small a “gathering” this year at 11:00 am on Nov. 11 at the Woodbury Veterans Memorial, not an event. Our Joint Color Guard will march in at 11:00 am, and the Woodbury Mayor Burt and the Commanders of American Legion Post 501 and VFW Post 9024 will say a few brief words. If you can attend it will be a great way to start this day of remembrance.
Come one come all: The Hy-Vee in Oakdale will be having a drive thru breakfast for veterans from 6-10am on Veterans Day. This will be one of many stores in our area that will be having free meals on this special day.
Buddy Checks: As Legionnaires, our most sacred responsibility is to look out for each other and our fellow veterans. We are living in unprecedented times with COVID-19. As Legion members we are encouraged to reach out to veterans who may need assistance but don’t know where to go or who to ask. We need to let the veterans in our community know we care and provide whatever assistance they may need. It’s what we do for our battle buddies. This past year we reached out to the majority of our Post members. I want to continue this process as we go into 2021. This is a Post activity that you can do in the comfort of your home and at your own pace. If you want to be part of these Buddy Checks give Commander Bob Dolan a call at 703-851-5416 or email at dolanrp@verizon.net and he can give you a group of people to call.
Help Wanted: The life blood of any Post is its members, but it takes a group of dedicated members, as Post officers, to make things run smoothly and keep the lights on. Post 501 is at a crucial point in its history that we are in need of members who can participate in the Post operations as Officers. A few of our members are currently performing in multiple Post officer positions and this cannot be maintained long term for the Post to remain as a viable activity. I am asking if you can find the time I am looking for people for Membership, Activities, and Adjutant. We can start you as an assistant in one of these positions and work up into the full position duties over time. If you interested in becoming more involved in the Post give me a call at (703) 851-5416 and we can discuss.
This Month in History: Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who have served. For one day, we stand united in respect for you, our veterans. This holiday started as a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our country's service and was originally called Armistice Day. It fell on Nov. 11 because that is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. However, in 1954, the holiday was changed to "Veterans Day" in order to account for all veterans in all wars. We celebrate and honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
When first celebrated as Armistice Day, the day marked the end of World War I, formally recognized on the “11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month” in 1918.
Today we continue to celebrate the day as Veterans Day, still recognizing the original tie with November 11. That means Veterans Day is on the same day every year – November 11 – regardless of on which day of the week it falls. When the date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, government officials or businesses may recognize it on both the official day and the following Monday.
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
