The mid-year 8th District meeting of the American Legion was held at the Visitors Center in Dover on Saturday afternoon, January 11. There were 36 members present. Posts represented at the meeting were Lexington, Dover, Scotts Hill, Huntingdon, Camden, Big Sandy, Waverly and Erin. Dover Commander Don Bailey Jr. presided over the opening session. The National Anthem was played and the Pledge of Allegiance and Preamble were recited. Bailey read the POW-MIA ceremony, and District Chaplain LaVaughn Moody gave the opening prayer. Bailey welcomed everyone present and announced that Ray Richardson had been selected by the post as their Firefighter of the Year and presented him a plaque from the post. He then recessed the meeting for lunch. Following the meal, District 8 Commander Lanny Culver of Lexington reconvened the meeting. He also welcomed all present and introduced Department Commander George Harper of Memphis, West Tennessee Vice Commander Rex C. McBee of Lexington, Past West Tennessee Vice Commander Nancy Harper of Memphis, and Julia McBee, who is a past 8th District President, West Tennessee Vice President and Department Vice President of the Auxiliary. All post commanders were also recognized by Commander Culver as well. West Tennessee Vice Commander McBee spoke on membership on behalf of the Department Membership Chairman Bob Hensley. He highly praised the Dover Post for being the first post in West Tennessee to reach 100% in membership. He urged each member to recruit one new member for the year. He also spoke on the four pillars of the Legion. McBee called on Legionnaire LaVaughn Moody to relate some of his experiences serving in the same military unit as the late Elvis Presley. Department Commander Harper related to the membership that Tennessee was presently in eighth place nationwide in membership percentage. He stated that Tennessee could repeat as number one nationally as they did in 2012-13 and urged everyone to keep working on membership and having fun while they did it. Commander Culver presented his challenge coins to all members of the Dover Post for doing such a good job in revitalizing the Post. He also presented a national membership pin to Sonny Mosier of Lexington for recruiting five new members. He discussed ways and means for posts to grow, and he emphasized the formation of an Honor Guard and a Color Guard to perform military funerals in the community and to be available for other community functions. Culver announced that the 8th District Convention would be held at Post 77 in Lexington on Saturday afternoon, April 26, at 1 p.m. The meeting was closed in prayer by LaVaughn Moody.

 

 

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