AMERICAN LEGION
Department of Utah
18 June 2012
To: Area, Districts, and Post Commanders
Subject: Membership
Reference: Vice Commander’s Membership Goals
Thank you for the wonderful weekend in Fillmore, Utah. Thank you for the vote of confidence in me in electing me to serve as your Vice Commander for The Department of Utah.
Commander Bill Dunlap, Adjutant Greg Rowley and I will communicate guidance of our goals for the Department to accomplish this year under Commander Bill’s leadership.
I look forward to working for and with you this coming year. My major role and responsibility is Membership. I look forward to December to report to the Executive Committee and membership on our membership statistics. As you are each aware, membership is the Life Blood of The American Legion.
My first responsibility is to you and to our members at large. I need your support to accomplish the Department’s goals through membership to provide for the financial needs to run our business. Membership is a portion of the reason we have the programs for our Americanism programs. Or to run everyday activities and provide the opportunity for the Department Commander, the Executive Officers, and National to give them power to talk with our local, State and National leaders.
I want you to know how much the American Legion appreciates your membership, each and every one of you. I also know time is a valuable commodity. If you cannot serve in a leadership capacity in your local community, thank you for your membership. When time calls, and you can serve, I’m sure you will give it all you have. Through your vote this past week end my time is now yours.
After 40 years carrying mail and 37of years military service, this year is my time to serve you after the many years you carried me by keeping the American Legion strong. My time will be used gathering Membership through you. Together we can provide Utah with the membership numbers our Commander and National leaders need in order to succeed. We can be a national example by getting those membership statistics early.
To start my membership mission: (1) Thank every Legion member for being a member; (2) Let each member know we are there for them as a Family of Veteran; (3) Let our members know we know they have a life to live and that family and work issues have to be resolved before they commit to any office in our Legion family; (4) Let them know how important it is that they stay active in their Post and how important they are to us so that we can keep them informed of their benefits that they have earned; (5) Let them know that their membership is worth a lifetime of honor they have earned through service before God & Country, that they are honored, and their rights will be preserved though their membership.
We will also strive to let them know that they are protected with an accidental life insurance of $5,000 if in the event of accidental death in service of that membership.
I am honored to serve as your Vice Commander and be part of The American Legion Family. Thank you for your Service. Please… each Post work toward reaching your membership goal by Aug 31st so we can concentrate on real American Legion Business and recruit the rest of the year to exceed our goals as never before and send to National a message that Utah is leading the membership goals for America.
THANK YOU
Randy D. Edwards
Department Vice-Commander
The American Legion Department of Utah
