R. V. Van Schoick
American Legion Post 94
MARCH Newsletter
Up-Coming Meetings and Events
Monthly Membership Meetings (Second Friday)
6:00 pm – Social
6:30 pm – Dinner
7:30 pm – Program
13 April 2018
Lacey Veterans Services Hub presentation
11 May 2018
Election of Post Officers
8 June 2018
Installation of New Post Officers for 2018-2019
No meeting in July 2018
Post and American Legion News
A membership revitalization drive was conducted at our Post on March 23-25. Our Post recruited 14 new members and our veteran service officers assisted 20+ veterans with their VA claims.
Currently, our Post has four (4) girls and one (1) boy registered for Boys and Girls State this summer. We will be conducting interviews of these five (5) individuals on 11 April 2018. This is a great program and delighted to sponsor these individuals.
Our Post Auxiliary will be conducting its Poppy drive on 18-20 May at the Lacey Safeway. If you can volunteer, please let Gary Walker (walkersolympia@comcast.net) know.
The Post now has a website in addition to its Facebook page. Please check it out at:
http://centennial.legion.org/washington/post94
You can also follow Post activities on Facebook. Check it out and like us to follow events.
Our Facebook page is American Legion Post 94 Lacey Washington.
General Veteran and VA News
The Washington State Attorney General’s Office Veterans and Military Resources
The Attorney General's Office is proud to support Washington's military service members, veterans, and their families. These noble Americans have done their part to honor and serve our country—and it's only right to honor and serve them in return.
The Attorney General's Office works in collaboration with partners across the state to connect Washington's military service members and veterans to legal services and resources. The Attorney General's Office is also working to increase the availability of civil legal assistance programs specifically focused on helping the men and women who have served our country in uniform.
We owe it to our military veterans and service members to make sure they receive the benefits and protections they have earned. Federal and state laws extend certain rights and benefits to veterans and service members, including laws to help avoid credit and foreclosure problems, and laws to protect against discrimination in employment and housing. Veterans and service members may also be entitled to healthcare, education, and other benefits.
As part of the efforts of the Attorney General's Office to make sure Washington's military service members and veterans have access to legal resources, the office provides information through the links below and in the Attorney General's "Military & Veteran Legal Resource Guide." These resources can help educate veterans, military personnel, and their families about certain legal rights, protections, and benefits that may be available to them:
· Legal Assistance for Veterans & Military Personnel
· Consumer Protections for Veterans & Military Personnel
· Employment Protections for Veterans & Military Personnel
· Other Benefits & Legal Protections for Veterans & Military Personnel
Washington State Attorney General’s Office Consumer Alert
Telephone numbers placed on the National Do Not Call Registry will remain on it permanently due to the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, which became law in February 2008. Under the Act, the Federal Trade Commission will continue to remove telephone numbers that have been disconnected and reassigned to other customers.
A reminder for everyone who signed up for the national Do Not Call Registry back in 2003 when it was created: It’s time to renew your spot on the list if you want to continue to stay off of telemarketers’ phone lists. Numbers are flushed after five years. About half of the 148 million numbers on the nationwide registry are due to fall off the list starting in June.
While you’re renewing your phone listing, you might also want to remove your address from junk mail lists. Here’s how to reduce both unwanted phone calls and mail:
- Sign Up For the Do Not Call Registry: The national Do Not Call Registry is managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency. It is enforced by the FTC, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and state law enforcement officials. Register online at www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222. You must call from the same phone number that you want to register. You can register a home phone or cell, but not business or fax numbers.
Already registered? You can call or use the Internet to verify that you are registered and when your registration will expire. If you choose to do this online, select the "Verify A Registration" button or go to https://www.donotcall.gov/confirm/Conf.aspx. You will need to provide your phone and e-mail address, and will receive a confirmation by e-mail.
Most telemarketers will be required to stop calling you 31 days from your registration date.Some organizations are exempt from the Do Not Call requirements and can still call you. These include charities and companies calling on their behalf, nonprofit and political organizations, surveyors and companies with which you have previously established a business relationship.
- Remove Your Address from Marketers’ Address Lists: You can take your address off junk mail lists by contacting the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) online at www.dmachoice.org or writing to Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 282, Carmel, NY 10512. You'll pay $1 and DMA will notify marketers to delete your name and address from their marketing lists for five years.
- Opt Out of Pre-approved Credit Offers: If you’d like to receive fewer credit card offers, you can remove your name from mailing lists through the credit bureaus' free opt-out program. Call 1-888-5OptOut (1-888-567-8688) or make the request online at www.optoutprescreen.com. If you sign up online or by phone, you’re name will be removed for five years. You can also opt out permanently if you download a form from the Web site and mail it.
You will be asked for your Social Security number and birth date; the credit bureaus already have this information and the Web site is encrypted. However, if you choose not to provide your Social Security number and birth date, the bureaus will attempt to process your request without this information. When making a request by phone you can say "No" when asked for your Social Security number or birth date. You will need to say "No" twice before the automated system accepts your request.
Want more consumer advice? Read the Attorney General’s Ask the AG columns, which answer common consumer questions, and the office’s All Consuming blog. Find both at www.atg.wa.gov/safeguarding-consumers. You can also receive news by RSS at http://www.atg.wa.gov/washington-ago-rss-feeds.
Murphy’s Military Laws of the month
· The army with the smartest dress uniform will lose.
· No one ever carries too much ammo.
· A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.
· The weight of all your equipment is proportional to the cube of the time have been carrying it.
Adjutant’s Report
American Legion National and Department Headquarters voted to raise their dues by $5.00 each for a total of $10.00 starting January 2016 for a grand total of $50.00 per year. The Post voted to not raise its dues at this time.
Building Rental
If you were not aware, the Post offers both the post building and the pavilion for rent.
Building
Post Members
Non-Members
Post Building
$175.00
$325.00
Pavilion (available only on week nights)
$175.00
$325.00
Pavilion is no longer available for weekend rentals. The post has a Church renting it for both Saturday and Sundays.
There is a $200.00 refundable security deposit requirement as well. Please contact Larry Granish at 360.701.5921 or email at lgrani@comcast.net to reserve either facility.
Chaplain’s Corner
Contact the Post Chaplain, Otis Chapman, at lukie1964@gmail.com if you need assistance.
Service Officer
Do you feel that you have a residual health problem that is linked to your time in the service? Have you applied for benefits with the Veterans Administration and been turned down? If so, do not try to deal with the VA on your own. My name is Rose Hodgeboom and I am the Post 94 service officer. It is my job to help you navigate the benefits system. Call me at 360-491-3621 if you need assistance with a claim. The Legion also has a Temporary Financial Assistance program that could help you one time with paying your utilities, rent/mortgage, or other emergency needs. This is an American Legion Children and Youth program and to qualify you must have minor children in your home. If you feel you need help from this program let me know and I will be glad to help.
The Lacey Veterans Service Hub also provides a wide variety of assistance to veterans and now has over 35 providers working out of there. The Hub is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (except holidays) and is located at 4232 6th Avenue SE, Suite 202, Lacey, WA 98503. The phone number is 360.456.3850.
Post Officers for 2017-2018
Commander – Gary Walker
1st Vice-Commander - Bob Nakamura
2nd Vice Commander - Larry Douglas
Adjutant - Larry Granish
Finance Officer – Dave Hodgeboom
Sergeant at Arms – Kevin Lindsey
Chaplain – Otis Chapman
Veteran Service Officer - Rose Hodgeboom
Judge Advocate - David Hodgeboom
Post Historian – Eric Strom
