Post 41 started holding bingo games as a fund-raiser. The grand prize for the first game was $50 and the net loss for the night was $53. At that time, bingo was considered a gambling activity and was not legal. At that time, bingo was considered a gambling activity and was not legal. The bingo games continued until December of 1949 when the Legion received a letter from the Commonwealth Attorney. The letter stated that he had received seven complaints from citizens about the bingo games and that he had no choice except to suggest that the Legion stop playing bingo or he would be forced to shut the games down.
After some discussion, the Post reached the conclusion that nothing would be gained by forcing the Commonwealth Attorney to shut down the games. It was decided to temporarily stop holding the bingo games and let the situation cool down. It was stated that as soon as the question cooled off a bit they could start bingo again and the law would not bother them unless other complaints were made. It is important to note that most of the elected officials and judges in the county were members of Post 41 so they did have some political and legal pull.
In June of 1951, Post 41 began holding the bingo games again and continued the games for another 30 years without further legal action. The profits from the bingo games provided much of the revenue needed to pay off the debt on the Community Building and cover the operating costs for the building.
