Legionnaires,
Below is the Post 501 E-newsletter for the month of January 2022.
Commanders Corner: We had a tremendous year as a Post. We got back to all of our post-COVID activities like Boys State, Stafford Golf Tournament, Joint Picnic, Legion baseball, Woodbury Days and the Wall of Thanks. We even got involved in a number of new activities in 2021: MACV Golf Tournament, Motorcycle Veteran Memorial, and a WW2 birthday celebration. Check out the video on our Post Facebook page that shows all of the events that we were involved in: (5) Woodbury American Legion Post 501 | Facebook. Here’s to a great 2022.
Membership Update: Membership is the life blood of any organization. This is true of your American Legion Post 501. I invite each of our members to help our Post to bring in new members. With the Legion Act a person only needs one day of active duty to qualify to be an American Legion member and make Post 501 their home. All current active-duty military are also eligible for membership.
As an incentive Post 501 is starting a program that will reimburse 50% of your membership fee and will also pay for 50% of the fee for the new members first year. Additionally current members who bring in 3 or more new members, within a membership season, will be eligible to receive a Legion Membership pin.
If you have a qualified individual that wants to join our Post contact our Post Membership Officer Eric Hollan at ericwhollan@gmail.com.
Wall of Thanks: After a few years of absence, the Wall of Thanks has concluded a successful campaign thanks to our Post organizer Dale Johnson and his many helper elves. We made our monetary goal for contributions for our charities and had over 400 names put up on the wall. Great job to all involved.
New Legion Branding Logo: Since 1919, The American Legion has been represented by its emblem. As we look to the next era of The American Legion, the time has come for a new brand mark to be used in marketing, communications and promotional materials. The American Legion brand mark was created to address the need to modernize The American Legion brand to appeal to the next generation of veterans. Moreover, the new brand mark takes into consideration a host of applications that the original emblem could never have anticipated. Those include digital and social media, special event and sports marketing, lifestyle apparel and more. Going forward, the brand mark is to be used in all marketing communications applications, while the emblem should be reserved for official documents and communications. More information and a look at the new logo go to: The American Legion Brand Mark | The American Legion
METRO Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): The METRO Gold Line will connect people across the region to job centers, housing options, transit stations and key destinations in the I-94 corridor. The planned 10-mile dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line will connect Saint Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale, and Woodbury generally along Interstate 94. Construction begins in 2022 and service is expected to start in 2025.
Initially researched in the I-94 Corridor Study and formerly known as the Gateway Corridor when planning was being led by Washington County, the Gold Line will be Minnesota's first BRT line that operates primarily within bus-only lanes. These lanes are dedicated only to transit buses and will be built north of Interstate 94. The Gold Line will be built with several premium features to ensure a comfortable ride and fast service:
· Frequent, all-day service in both directions
· Pre-boarding fare payment for faster stops
· Access to Park & Ride lots in St. Paul, Oakdale, and Woodbury
· Real-time arrival and departure information
· Heated shelters, lighting and security features
For updates, check out the Gold Line website: https://www.metrotransit.org/gold-line-project
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 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.
Upcoming Events
- 13 Jan – Woodbury Post 501 Monthly Meeting: The Post’s January meeting will be held at the Woodbury City Hall in the Ash North (main floor) conference room at 7pm.
· 24 Feb - Joint Awards Banquet: The annual Joint Awards Banquet will be held on 24 Feb at the Green Mill restaurant. More information will be passed as we get closer to this event
This Month in History – Jan 08, 1815 –War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans
A rag–tag army under Andrew Jackson defeats the British on the fields of Chalmette in the Battle of New Orleans. The United States achieved its greatest land victory of the War of 1812 at New Orleans. The battle thwarted a British effort to gain control of a critical American port. The British gambled and lost on a forward attack against American forces, dug into a fortified mud and cotton bale earthworks on the east bank of the Mississippi at Chalmette Plantation. British casualties far outnumbered those of the Americans. Jackson's triumph set him on a road that ended in the White House thirteen years later.
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.”
