Report given at District 4 Spring Convention.
AMERICAN LEGION
DEAN MENDENHALL CHAPTER
PROVO POST 13
AMERICAN LEGION District EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT
April 13, 2012
The Dean Mendenhall, Provo Post 13 respectfully submits it’s Annual Report for the Calendar year of 2011- 2012 Present.
Our Post had regular monthly meetings.
Our most successful events included: Boy and Girl State Program submitting 9 Girls and 9 Boys representing Timpview, Provo, and Independence High Schools. American Legion Essay Contest with 8 submissions, Flag Program presenting 14 Flags through out the community and our schools classrooms. We participated in all Provo’s Mayor’s Veteran’s Council Programs which include the Provo Veteran’s Council Memorial Program, Veteran’s Day Program, Provo Festival Freedom Park by presenting the Colors and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. We were the major contributors to the Freedom Festival Flag Retirement Program by narrating, training and teaching the proper etiquette of Flag Retirement Ceremonies. We participated at all Quarterly Provo Veterans Councils meetings. We sponsored 2 Soccer Teams from the Provo South Franklin Soccer League
We submitted 3 American Legion School Scholastic Awards. And we Presented 12 ROTC and JROTC awards to 4 Schools. They included the Military Excellence Awards and the Scholastic Excellence Awards Brigham Young University Army ROTC, Brigham Young Air Force ROTC, Independence High School Army JROTC and Provo Air Force JROTC.
Our Weak areas are; “Membership”, Oratorical Scholarship, “Membership”, Sponsorship and “Membership” Coordinating Joint membership meeting with Orem Post 72 to celebrate the Dean Mendenhall Name.
Our Constructive areas of emphasis for 2012-2013 are (1) Membership, (2)Oratorical, (3) Sponsorship, (4) American Legion Auxiliary American Legion Essay Contest.
Execution for Performance:
(1) Quit acting like we are old and using old methodologies. For District:
· Friday nights for meetings is taboo. This is Date Nights for our younger generational Soldiers. This one night of the week is too much of a Sacrifice when family is effected. Especially me and my spouse. This is our night and nothing will ever interfer with this again or you will be talking to my wife. This is her night and my friends and members feel the same way.
· Take time into consideration for those that work. 6 Pm is too early and does not take into consideration for younger couple to attend the American Legion Activities. If we want the next generation to take over we need to take their livelihood into consideration.
· Quit using Meetings for Events. Rename our meetings to Events on our training and Events Calendars.
· Department and District have to give us an Event Calendar that is timely. Changes make our Organization look unorganized. Post have to change events times and dates after the fact like Oratorical Scholarship Programs when District and State Department dates have not been published at the time of their event. Anyone in Operations knows that higher Headquarters have to publish their goals, give guidance on events that are going to happen so that we can back plan our post events to meet your expectations.
· Plan Ahead: Provo has scheduled with Independence High School to host the Oratorical Scholarship Program the 3rd Wednesday of October. Allen Setterberg will have Oratorical Program and Amendments for 2013 by June for us.
· Oratorical Scholarship Program will be during the school day. We have Spoken to Helen Patterson and Collen Davis of Provo and Timpview High Schools to schdule during the school day to have competition. October is the best time of the year to have this event prior to November, December and January. We will not be competing with Basketball, Football, and Holiday Activities which have been our obstacles the past two years.
· Provo wants to Co-Chair with the Freedom Festival Speech Contest: We have approached Provo Freedom Festival Board to volunteer to work with them on the Freedom Festival Speech Contest. We have Scholarships at Post, District, Department and National Level to offer. In return we have access to all the cities in Utah that submits competitors so that if they are High School level students we can notify the local Posts to contact those competitors to compete at Post Level. State wide in our American Legion Scholarship Program. This will help Department to find more competition through out the state.
· We will seek Sponsors: Not having membership hinders funding American Legion Programs and having the hands to chair these Committees creates a workload on those that are active.
· Funding: We need District and Department to help us get Auxillary Poppies to distribute. This is the 2nd year in a row that we have ben left out even asking for help.
1. American Legion Baseball Committee: Did not Participate due to membership and funding, Sponsors, and lack of interest with in the Community.
2. American Legion Boy’s and Girls State Committee: 9 Boys 9 Girls
3. American Legion Boy Scouts Scholarship: Working with Boy Scout Office
4. American Legion Flag Presentations: Gave 1 Large Flag and 2 Class Room Flags to Independence High School
5. American Legion Oratorical Contest: 7 notified to participate 1 Contestant. Next Event will be 3rd Wed of October at Independence High School at 1 PM, Working to co Chair event with Provo Freedom Festival.
6. Provo Freedom Festival Flag Retirement Ceremony: Flag Day 14 June 2011
7. Provo Veteran’s Council: Quarterly
8. American Legion Soccer: 2 Teams Spring and Fall Sessions, Provo South Franklin Soccer League
9. American Legion ROTC and JROTC Military Excellence Awards 6 Awards
10. American Legion ROTC and JROTC Scholastic Awards 6 Awards
11. American Legion Americanism Essay Contest: 9 Awards
12. American Legion Scholastic School Awards: 3 Schools
Compiled and Presented by CSM ( R ) Randy D. Edwards, Commander, Dean Mendenhall, Provo Post 13
