January 1959 to December 1959

January, 1959
Comrade William Burkhart completed the research and writing of an historical paper on the records of two Shippensburg generals in the Civil War. One was General Samuel Sturgis, Jr., who was born in Shippensburg 11 June 1822, graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the class of 1846 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The other was General David Middlecoff who rose thru the ranks of the Pennsylvania State Militia to the rank of major General and who lived a large part of his life in Shippensburg and who is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery. The paper on these two men was made in two copies. One becoming the property of the Shippensburg Historical Society and the other(a carbon) being retained in the records of the American Legion Post 223.
February, 1959
The State Commander Paul Watter of Pine grove was the speaker at the annual Past Commanders' Night observance. A gold life membership card was presented to Comrade Lee Myers, immediate past commander of the post. High point of the evening was the presentation of two American Legion Service Citations to Kenneth Coleman, a past commander and adjutant of the post for six years and Howard Crownover had served in various positions in the post, mainly finance officer, for a period of 35 years continuous years. Comrade Hemminger also presented Comrade Crownover a $100 bond as a token of the post's gratitude for his service.
March, 1959
Comrade Donald Rolar, chairman of the Essay Contest for Shippensburg area High School seniors,, announced completion of the judging of the essays submitted for the year in the post's annual contes with winners as follows:
1st place--Marcia Kirssin $25.00 bond
2nd place--Nancy Poe $15.00 cash
3rd place--Ronald Angle $5.00 cash
The post made the following contributions:
$5.00 to the American Cancer Crusade
$25.00 to the American Red Cross
$5.00 to the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind
The post paid $45.00 entrance fee to admit its nominee to the annual session of keystone Boy's State. The boy that was later selected was Clyde Reese, an honor student in the junior class of the Shippensburg Area High School. The Key Stone Boy's state session was held at Lock Haven, Pa.
Commander Kenneth Miller appointed mark Snoke and William Burkhart to represent the post in the newly formed Community Improvement Work Group whose purpose is to enter Shippensburg in the statewide Community Improvement Contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce. The contest will end 1 January, 1960, with Shippensburg's documentation of its improvement ( a scrapbook of various forms of evidence ) due to be completed by 1 Feb, 1960.
It was decided to purchase flags for the Girl Scout Troops at the Catholic Church and the Methodist Church.
The post gave Martha Mooney $10.00 as a graduation gift. She was graduated from the Scotland School for Veterans' Children and was a Cumberland County Entrant whose home was near Mainsville.
Commander Kenneth Miller, Comrade Charles Koontz and Comrade Lee Myers made up a team to present one gross (1440 Legion emblem ashtrays purchased by the post to the Chambersburg Hospital.
April, 1959
The post provided the American Legion Scholarship Medal for award to the outstanding 8th grade boy while the Auxiliary provided the American Legion Scholarship medal to the outstanding 8th grade girl award. The winners are selected by the faculty and students in the Shippensburg Area Junior High School.
May, 1959
Comrade William Burkhart, chairmen, and Jack Naugle and Harper Coleman, members of the Legion Grave registration Committee, completed the 250 foot long wire fence along the north side of the old Queen Street Colored Cemetery to prevent vandalism and trespassing on the cemetery by neighbors and car drivers. The total cost of the project was $54.56. John Heberlig donated the wire fence for the project. The money for the project was raised as follows:
$25.00 by the Shippensburg Junior Chamber of Commerce
$10.00 by Arthur Burkhart, restaurant owner
$5.00 by Lowry Main, dairy farmer
$14.56 by rhe Oscar M. Hykes Post
Other members of the Graves Registration Committee who helped place the flags on veterans graves in May were: Comrades John Burkholder, Herbert Beckenbaugh and Harold Peters.
Comrade Harper Coleman served as chairman of the general Memorial Committee , made up of members of all local veteran's posts, which helped stage the annual observances in these communities: Middle Spring, Newburg, Orrstown, Cleversburg, Roxbury, Shippensburg and Shippensburg colored people (Locust Grove).
The following comrades served on the Memorial Day Committee with Comrade Coleman from the post: B.W. Brechbiel, Herbert Beckenbaugh, John Burkholder, John Heberlig, Berkley Fogelsonger, william Burkhart and Melvin Rosenberry.
Comrade William Burkhart completed a study of the post's Funeral Donation Plan. His findings was that the post's trust funds would not yield enough interest to finance the present donation plan of $100.00 per member in the period 1959. He recommended the post subscribe to an insurance plan and pay the premium with above interest. His recommendation was turned down by the post which preferred to continue on with the present plan and pay the benefits as much as possible from the club earnings. The study, made over the past two years, was typed and filed for future reference.
July, 1959
The State Convention was held in Pittsburgh.
The following officers were elected to serve the post for the year, 1959-1960: Commander-William H. Burkhart, First Vice Commander-Ronald Burgard, Second Vice Commander-Fletcher Spero, Finance Officer-Berk Winters, Judge Advocate-Robert Yocum, Chaplain-Mark Snoke, Service Officer-Charles Koontz, Sgt at Arms-Robert Bufkin, Adjutant (appointed)-Charles Alpaugh and Post Bugler-Robert Jacoby.
September, 1959
Ronald Burgard and Gerald Hummel were co-chairman of the membership campaign. Dues-are-due notices were sent out in August and every other month thereafter until February 60. The committee purchased 400 ball point pens with the post's name and emblem on the barrel for hand out to members who came into the post to pay their dues and for hand out at meetings. (These pens did not increase dues paying and attendance as expected or intended). During the year a master membership list of delinquent names (still living in the area) and active members was compiled alphabetically giving each man's street address, R.D. etc. This list was a definite help in sending out dues reminders, making telephone reminders, etc. By the end of the year, the membership was 941 paid-ups.
The annual post picnic for the club and post members was held at the Minnequa Cabin in the South Mountain 13 Sept, 1959.
The Korean bonus Campaign of the previous year had resulted in the provision of a Pennsylvania bonus for veterans of the Korean War that would be payable to applicants sometime in October 1960 on the basis of: $10.00/month for other than Korean campaign time and $15.00/month for Korean campaign time overseas.
Kenneth Coleman and Commander William Burkhart attended an orientation meeting held in the Educational Building at the Harrisburg State Capital to learn how the applications (direct and beneficiary) were to be completed.
October, 1959
The post donated $50.00 to the annual Community Chest Campaign. The post and the Jay Cees cosponsored a Halloween parade putting up approximately $100.00 between the two groups as prize money. The post committee consisted of mark Hemminger, Mark Snoke and John Snoke.
Three sessions were conducted in the post home to instruct Korean War Veterans in the completing of their bonus applications. The first was held in the main club room with Commander Burkhart and Kenneth Coleman taking turns in orienting two groups with the help of a blackboard 1 October 1959. Another two group session was held the next evening upstairs in the post room 2 October 1959 and a final instruction session the next evening 3 October 1959, In this way comrades Burkhart and Coleman helped 273 veterans complete applications. In the months that followed Commander Burkhart helped the beneficiaries of the following deceased Korean veterans to obtain the necessary support documents and complete applications for the Korean bonus: Richard E. shank, Robert Joseph Robinson, Philip Galen Reed, Merle William Miller, Scott McCoy and Donald Brandt.
November, 1959
A resolution was prepared by Commander Burkhart and approved after the third reading which terminated the post policy of granting life membership to any World war 1 veteran who had reached a total of 15 years paid-up membership in the post( not necessarily 15 consecutive years).
The problem of financing the post's death benefit plan had been given a thorough study in the two previous administrations. at this time the problem was being compounded by increasing instances of benefits to war veterans who just recently joined the post, many of whom were until this year members of other posts that had discontinued their benefit plans because of increasing premium cost, etc. The following committee was appointed to study the matter: H. Crownover, John Heberlig, Earl Brindle, Charles Koontz and William Burkhart. The committee reported these findings in neighboring posts:
St. Thomas dues $4.00 death benefit-none, Chambersburg Legion Post dues $5.00 death benefit-none, Chambersburg VFW dues $5.50 death benefit-$150.00 ($100.00 from insurance plans and $50.00 from the post), Newville Legion Post dues $4.00 death benefit-$100.00 ( all benefit money is derived from $1.00 set aside from each member's annual dues.), Carlisle Legion Post dues $4.50 death benefit-$200.00 ($100 from legion Life Protection Plan Insurance $100.00 from the club earnings.) and Harrisburg Legion Post dues $4.50 (not verified) death benefit-dropped this year because of increased premium under the Legion Life Protection Plan Insurance.
Work was begun on a resolution that would prescribe a more equitable death benefit policy for all post members, also to include financing plan.
The annual veterans day program was held in the Shippensburg Senior High School under the direction of the Veterans Council with Col. Jerry M. Sage of the Carlisle War College as the speaker. Frank LeRew, a WW11 veteran and member of the high school faculty was MC. Three Spanish American war veterans were on the stage for this service and received a tremendous ovation. They were as follows: Ellis Hefflefinger of Newburg, Melchoir Sheaffer of West King St. and Edward Shannabrook of N. Penn St. One other surviving Spanish War veteran in the community was absent: Dan Collins, colored, who served in the Spanish as well as World War 1.
December, 1959
the post was the host to a Christmas party for 30 Cumberland County students at the Scotland for Veterans children, Saturday afternoon 19 Dec, 1959. plans for a movie, shopping tour and dinner with Santa Claus were coordinated by B.W. Brechbiel, post, county and district chairman for Scotland School Affairs. he was actively assisted by his co-chairman, John Snoke. The cost of the afternoon which included $3.00 per student for shopping three ways; one third by each of the following: Oscar M. Hykes Post, Cumberland County Voiture of 40 & 8 and Cumberland County Council of the Legion.
A committee to take charge of the post's junior Legion Baseball team for the coming season was organized as follows:
General Manager-Dannie Knox
Supplies and Admin.-William Burkhart assisted by Kenneth rhone
finance and transportation-Frank Koontz
Head Coach- Wesley McMillan
Field coaches- Hiawatha Frey, Herbert Weibly and Ernest Tarner.
Americanism Chairman Lee Myers Jr., presented flags to the following: Boy scout Troop 117 Leesburg EUB Church, Boy scout Post 117 Leesburg EUB Church and Girl Scout Troop Leesburg EUB Church.
The club and post jointly provided the annual Christmas party For Members children up to 10 years of age. Total cost: $1,000.00 for a capacity crowd which was entertained by Santa Claus.