SPRING 2016 NEWSLETTER
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News from the Ladies Auxiliary at the Post:
The ladies of the Sweetwater American Legion Auxiliary Unit 106 have been and continue to be very active volunteers. Here is a “Readers Digest” version:
1. #96 VET (Veterans Everlasting Thanks) gift kits have been assembled, attractively packaged, and delivered to the Veterans residing in the Woods and the Sweetwater Nursing and Rehab locations. On a monthly basis, we visit the two locations with “gifts of everlasting thanks” for each Veteran. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated.
2. Our ladies are involved with the children and youth in Sweetwater and Madisonville. Ladies are volunteers in mentoring, assisting staff, making donations of supplies and craft items, and working in the classrooms at Sweetwater Primary School and Madisonville Headstart Program.
3. Couponing is ongoing with our ladies…the coupons are sent to aid military families in foreign lands. We have a designated family (Japan/Army) that receives our coupons for distribution to other military families. To date the total is $6,123.50 in coupons.
4. Girls’ State Program is in process with Sweetwater High School and the selection of a “citizen/s” to attend the week- long event in June 2016. Any contributions to help defray the costs ($350. per attendee) would be wonderful!
5. One of our ladies, volunteers at S.A.M.S. (Sweetwater Area Ministries) on a weekly basis. She says that the number of Veterans seeking assistance, asking questions, and/or needing food is on the increase.
6. Through our craft sales, we were able to make charitable contributions to the State for the following: Wounded Warriors; Vet Dogs of America; CWF (Child Welfare Foundation); Church of the Four Chaplains.
7. On Memorial Day, one of our volunteers places flags on each Veterans’ resting place at a local cemetery.
8. Auxiliary Dues renewal notifications are sent out in July of each year so that the budget can be prepared. Please send your 2016-2017 dues payment prior to October for the coming year to ALA Unit 106, P.O. Box 801, Sweetwater, TN 37874.
If you, or someone you know, have questions or want to ask about membership, please contact President Joyce Nelson @ 423-337-7105. We are your Sweetwater American Legion Auxiliary Unit #0106.
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POST NEWS
Just a reminder, the Post would appreciate being notified in the event a member becomes deceased. Please ask your family members to keep the Post in the loop if this should occur by telephoning the Commander or Adjutant. Current telephone number is 423-337-2398. We do not wish to add to your grief by sending out dues notices or other communications to a deceased member.
Also please update mailing addresses and telephone numbers when they change. If you have an email address, please send to Post Adjutant: ttcwalk5@aol.com (will save on postage costs—newsletters, events and post communications can be sent on regular basis, should also be updated as changed). If you are ill, having surgery, being hospitalized, need help to build handicap ramps, etc., please notify Post so that we are aware of life changes.
The IRS requires that the Post keep copies of your DD-214 and/or discharge papers showing each member’s duty tours. Would each of you who have not furnished a copy during 2014, please send the Post a copy as soon as practical. If the post is audited and these documents are not on file, the Post will be subject to a fine of $1,000 dollars per day until the documents are furnished. If for some reason you cannot locate a copy, please contact the Monroe County Veterans Service Officer (VSO) and he can order one for you. Currently, Chuck Mullins is the VSO for Monroe County; his telephone number is 423-442-5812. Just a reminder, if you have lost your medals, new ones can be obtained free of charge on a one-time basis by applying to Monroe County Service Officer, Chuck Mullins, (Monday through Wednesday, 8:00 am to 4:30). A copy of your DD-214 or other discharge paperwork listing the earned medals is required for him to order them.
Sweetwater Area Ministries (SAMS) is distributing food donated by Walmart on Friday of each week from 1:00-2:00 p.m. to all Monroe County residents at the SAMS building on Sweetwater/Vonore Road. In addition SAMS also provides a Food Pantry to Monroe County residents by appointment only on Tuesday.
Dues renewal notifications are sent out in July of each year so that the budget can be prepared. Please send your 2016-2017 dues payment in prior to October for the coming year to PO Box 817, Sweetwater TN 37874 or you may also pay them online. We have reached our 100% membership dues payment goal for the third year in a row. This goal was reached after the first renewal notice in October 2015 for dues year 2016; unfortunately we will not be getting a monetary award at the State Conference in Murfreesboro this year since the deadline was missed. With your help we can do this for the coming dues year (2017) when the notice is received in July 2016.
LegionCare limited accidental death insurance is available to you at no cost and covers you regardless of where the accident happens. The application information was sent to you in 2013 but for some reason, most of the members have not taken advantage of this free benefit. If you have misplaced your card, please contact the Post by telephoning 423-337-2398 and another card will be sent out. Or if you have any questions regarding the insurance, please call. Please note, LegionCare coverage has been extended to our Auxiliary and SAL members starting now for enrollments and enrollment is a onetime process. You may recall the requirement used to be that members had to renew every five years.
Department of Tennessee is requesting that each Post support the Emergency Relief and Children and Youth Funds. Please consider making a donation to each fund and send it to PO Box 817, Sweetwater, TN 37874. Any donations made for the Emergency Relief Fund or Children and Youth Fund is tax deductible.
Our Post building is in need of repairs: gutters, electrical, painting, replacement of the flag pole (current pole has been shredding the flags), etc. and a fund has been started. Please consider sending a donation marked “Building Repair Fund, so that these needed repairs can be completed. We have an estimate of $750 for putting up gutters to help push the rainwater away from the building. Currently, we have $490 in the building fund. We also have been building handicap ramps for needy veterans. We need volunteers willing to give their time to these and all projects the post is involved in.
The post is still trying to form a “Sons of the American Legion” (SAL) unit and also a “Legion Riders” (motorcycle) unit. In order to do so, we need an indication of interest from the members and their eligible members. For the riders group there must be at least 5 members, at least two must be Legion members in good standing (current dues paid, the others can be auxiliary and/or SAL or a combination of the two) and the SAL must have 10 members (Legionnaires may also be eligible for the SAL if family members (mother, father, etc.) are members in the Legion), in order for each unit to become chartered. During the fall months of 2015, Post 106 lost four members, Tony Snyder, Harlan Homes, Mack A. Williams and W.D. “Pete” Peterman, the Post Everlasting Ceremony was held in November for those members.
In January 2016, the post has lost Kermit E. “Bud” Claunch, William Edward “Bill” Norton and Ben W. Jernigan, a Post Everlasting Ceremony will be held in November of 2016 for these members and any others who may expire before then.
At the June 2015 Summer Conference, Post Commander Billy Walker was seated as our 3rd District Commander. David Lewallen was given a plaque as our Department of Tennessee Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. The Department is asking all Posts to plan celebrations for the upcoming American Legion Centennial Celebration in 2019. Post 106 will be celebrating our Centennial Celebration in 2021. All members are asked to come up with ideas for celebrating both these milestones. Also in June 2015, former 3rd District Commander, Lester Norton, passed away.
In July 2015, the post participated in the Sweetwater 4th of July celebrations. A booth was set up selling hotdogs and soft drinks .
August 2015, the Commander’s Tour was held at Dayton Post 100, 15 of 17 posts in 3rd District met our incoming State Commander, James Patterson. September 2015, the Post and Auxiliary held the POW/MIA ceremony at the post home; plans are being made for this ceremony next year to be held at the gazebo in Sweetwater in order to stimulate more participation as there was a low turnout of participants. We also were informed of a dues increase being planned by National and State and members voted to increase the dues to $40, which would be implemented in January 2016, and dues notices received in January would reflect the increase. Members were strongly encouraged to submit dues prior to December 15 to avoid the increase or to consider becoming “paid up for life” (PUFLs) to avoid future increases. There are two ways to pay to become PUFLs; payments can be spread over a year timeframe or pay all upfront. By paying the total amount, members would realize a savings of $100.
October 2015, the post held a roadblock which generated monies for our children and youth programs. Also a new benefit may be available to members/veterans with medical approval by the Veteran Administration is a “free” Guardian Alert 911 system. Brochures were sent by LogicMark and are available at the post. Spouses can participate either by veteran status or by applying to LogicMark and paying the VA rate.
In November 2015, our annual Post Everlasting ceremony was held for members Snyder, Williams and Peterman. Our December 2015 meeting was held at the DinnerBell Restaurant. Plans for 2016 are being made for a possible meal to be held at the post instead.
January 2016, our mid-Winter conference was held at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro, which many posts did not attend due to inclement weather, the anticipated dues increase was implemented. Anyone who has not paid their 2016 dues and beyond are now required to pay the $40.
No meeting was held in February 2016 due to the inclement weather Tennessee experienced. At the March meeting two of our five Boys State candidates (from Tellico Plains High School) gave a brief talk about their future goals and expectations after their attendance at Boys State. Our Sweetwater High School candidates will update the post with their goals and expectations at the June meeting.
The post would also like to publish your war stories and military experiences. Those “war stories” are slow in coming, so far we only have two members who have furnished their stories. Please consider giving us a write up of your stories so that they can be compiled and possibly used as a fund raiser for the future. The publication may be something your family, children and grandchildren might like to keep or read about your funny/sad or general experiences you had during your service career.
Am looking forward to receiving those “war stories” and military experiences. Send them to the Post Adjutant, PO Box 817, Sweetwater, TN 37874.
If you have something you’d like to see addressed in the newsletter that isn’t, please let us know. My telephone number is 423-337-2398. That’s it for now….until the next time. Have a great year,
