American Legion Post #245 Poulsbo, Washington

June - July 2010

Poulsbo Post 245 Newsletter

Fellow Post 245 members, it has been another two months since our last newsletter and it is already the beginning of another Summer time (we hope) which has found us very busy.

As many of you know, the Poulsbo Post 245 has been known for its’ involvement in several areas, our Americanism programs, our Veterans Service Office, and our service to our North Kitsap community. Over the past year, Post 245 has been involved in sponsoring local students to four of the American Legion’s national 'Americanism' programs (Oratorical Speech Program, Boy Scouts, Boys State, and American Legion Baseball). Kingston High School student Mitch Murdock represented Post 245 and Washington State well at the National High School Constitutional Speech Contest in Indianapolis in both 2009 and 2010. His total scholarship earnings were over $7500 which he will utilize when he attends Yale University in the fall. In April, Venturing Crew 1042 Past President Jeff Zantek was announced as the 2010 Department of Washington Eagle Scout Scholarship winner which is worth $2000. This month 15 local students from North Kitsap and Kingston High Schools will attend the Evergreen Girls State and Evergreen Boys State programs in Ellensburg. Last summer, the North Kitsap American Legion Junior AA Baseball team had an excellent District league season and participated in the State Tournament in Spokane.

Since last September, our Veterans Service Office has been in the basement offices of the Poulsbo City Hall faithfully assisting veterans and their family members every Thursday. With the closing of the current City Hall, we will be moving to a new location in the Poulsbo area sometime this summer. We have met with the Port of Poulsbo Commissioners and await their offer regarding the Armory offices that we used to occupy.

On Monday, June 14th (Flag Day) Naval Base Kitsap and Post 245 will co-host a flag retirement ceremony and a BBQ 'Salute to the Troops' at the Bangor base. The flag retirement ceremony will start at 1000 at the Trident Training Facility with the BBQ immediately adjacent to the Enlisted Dining Facility (the galley). BBQ Pat Momany will be preparing his ‘World Renowned’ BBQ ribs and chicken for the troops. Anyone wishing to volunteer is most welcome to come out to 'Meet and Greet' our local troops. The 'Generation X' and 'Millennium Generation' of our current active duty are our new members and we must encourage them to join the Legion and our Post.

As many as you know we have been owners of our Briedablik Post home for over five years now. While we know the value of the property as listed on the Kitsap County tax rolls, we do not know how much the future maintenance could cost us. A committee was formed in April to evaluate the hall situation and it was decided that we need to look into selling the property to find another facility. More information will be available later this summer on this matter.

At our April meeting, we started the annual election process for new post officers. After two months of nominations, I decided to remain as Commander on a temporary basis. At the upcoming June meeting, we will hold the elections. The leading candidate for Post Commander is Past Commander Bill Bogardus. Candidates for the two Vice Commanders are Phil Wilson (Senior Vice Cdr.) and Don Spinar (Junior Vice Cdr.). I thank all three of these Post members for volunteering their time in guiding our Post forward over the next year’s time. Come out on June 17th to cast your votes and support your new officers.

During the May 14-16 Viking Fest weekend, we raised over $1500 in donations from our three table locations in Poulsbo (Central Market and the Poulsbo Post Office) and the Kingston Albertsons store. A Special 'Thanks' to Adjacent Fred Reitmeyer, Post Historian Dave Allfrey, Frenchy Dupuy and Webmaster Don Spinar for their invaluable time that weekend for our annual fundraising event.

In the January Departmental 'Legionnaire' newspaper, I had an article included regarding the listing of all World War II veterans, alive or passed. I have already received a number of responses from across the state to date and expect more in the future. If you know of a family member, high school classmate, neighbor, etc., who was on active duty from December 7, 1941 through December 31, 1946 in any of the services (including the Merchant Marines) served, let me know. I need their full name, hometown when inducted, service branch, rate (job) and rate, command(s) served at, and any ribbons/medals awarded. Upon approved by the memorial staff, I will provide specific directions where the colorful certificate can be found on the Internet by the individual or by the surviving family members.

If you know of any Post member(s) who are sick at home or hospitalized in a local community or veterans hospital (VAMC Seattle or American Lake), contact Chaplain Ed Skinner via e-mail (edskinnerwa@yahoo.com). Once informed, Ed will mail out a 'Get Well' card to that individual for their safe and full recovery. If you know of a Legionnaire who has passed away, notify us so we take care of the paperwork and send our regards to their family members.

Once again, I ask everyone to prepare your homes and vehicles for a natural disaster. Flash lights, appropriate batteries in good condition, a manual can opener, plastic Ziploc bags, sturdy shoes, socks, a towel, spare clothes, several bottles of fresh water, sealed up food, a small first aid kit, a blanket, a small sack of sand, work gloves, booster cables, a battery powered two-way radio, and a small amount of your prescription medications? Remember that most cell phone towers might be off line and not accessible so prepare alternate plans to contact your family members should you be stuck away from home. These are all important matters to consider and prepare for. A disaster can be only a blink away in our region. Think of your safety and those accompanying you.

Upcoming Post, Third District and Department events:
June 14: BBQ and Flag Ceremony at Bangor
July 8-11: Department Convention, Great Wolfe Lodge and Water Park, Grand Mound
July 17: Post Picnic
August 13-18: American Legion Baseball World Series, Spokane

As always, this is your Post! Take care of yourselves and your families. It has been a pleasure serving you, the Post 245 membership.

The service office continues to operate in the basement of city hall in Poulsbo on Thursdays from 10 to 3. We are servicing about 6 veterans a day. In general we are having good success with the VA on behalf of our clients.

NEW INFORMATION: There has been a lot of publicity concerning 3 new diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure in Viet Nam. Please know that Senator Webb has persuaded congress to review this decision by the VA, and thus the implementation of these new rules has been delayed at least 60 days.

Membership of Post 245 is now at 251 paid with a goal of 283 which must be reached before the end of this month.

At our regular monthly meeting this month new officers for the year 2010/2011 were elected. The next Commander will be Bill Bogardus, First Vice Commander is Phil Wilson, Second Vice Commander is Don Spinar, Adjutant is Fred Reitmeyer, Finance Officer is Stuart Garner, Chaplain is Ed Skinner, Historian is Jane Novak, Service Officers are Birger Sather, Earl Jones and Terry Inman.

After much discussion on the costs of operation at Breidablik Hall a committee was formed to make Post 245 HOMELESS. Since the property at Breidablik Lane was GIVEN to the Post by The Breidablik Association in late 2006 the only major expense borne by the Post has been the new interior ceiling. When the building was given to us there was only the metal roof for a ceiling and heating the building was very expensive. All other expenses for the building including utilities, insurance, and taxes have been borne by the account set up as a building account. Income this last year has been down with the economy and the last Property Insurance was paid by the Post. Property requires periodic upgrading and maintenance. One might think that with almost 300 members someone would come forward to help out once in a while. (The Government is NOT going to do it!)

Resolutions were passed to cease rentals of the hall until we could come up with legal contracts. Another resolution was passed to have the Post pay for upcoming utility bills for without income from rentals there are no funds to pay for lights and trash removal. We still have three unfulfilled obligations to use the hall at this time which will be honored as I gave my word that the building would be available and I will see that those obligations are met. From here on it is up to the committee to make Post 245 HOMELESS to come up with better ideas. I have received calls to rent the hall but with no Post 245 support I can no longer offer the hall for rent.

Our Post 245 PICNIC is scheduled at Breidablik Hall on July 17th. We have asked the Home Town Band to play for the event again this year. Come on out and see what a wonderful facility our Post has and add your support to keep our home.

I wish to thank each of the auxiliary ladies for their support this past year (2009-2010) and all the years past. We successfully accomplished all our projects and obligations expected of us once again. Our poppy fund event netted us $1,894.14. We have 50 poppies left out of 1000. We plan to have another fund raiser on Flag Day. Thanks to our poppy volunters:

Stan and Lois Barber
Bob and Alma Ashbrook
Johanna Sellars
Yvonne Wilder
Pat Neudorfer
Clare Smith
Marcia Stanyan
Clolve White

Last but not least, our one and only boy scout Kyler Sellars who scooped up $120.00 in 30 minutes on Memorial Day. Thank you Marcia Stanyan for representing our Auxiliary 245 on Memorial Day. The American Legion Auxiliary officers for the coming year are as follows:
President: Marilyn Theal
Vice President: Marcia Stanyan
Cor-Sec. Margaret Seed
Mem- Sec: Joan Watte
Treasurer: Pat Neudorfer
Chaplain: Clare Smith
Sgt. at Arms: Cleolve White
Historian: 0PEN
Girls State Assistant Chairman: OPEN

Thank you John Zantak for taking over The Evergreen Boys and Girls Stats Program for Post 245. A great job well done.

I will see you there with a side dish: salads, fruits, desserts even a perspective new member!!!.

On May 13th through May 15th, seven crewmembers from 1042 along with two Venturers from other crews staffed Days 4 and 5 of Wood Badge training for adults around the area. As far as I could see, all staffing Venturers did a great job as we presented the seven Principles of Leave No Trace and attended many of the same classes that the adults did, setting up games for the adults, and even acting in skits that the adults in their group put together.

The beginning of the three day staffing event started with us all meeting in the infamous Wal-Mart parking lot, some of us nervous, seeing as this was some of the crewmembers’ first staffing event. We all packed into our vehicles and drove to Camp Parsons, where the training was being held. Once we got to camp, we met up with the rest of the staffers and set up our sleeping area. We then set off to eat the day’s delicious dinner in the Camp Parsons mess hall and meeting the rest of the staff. Once we finished, we moved to the other side of the camp and set up our model campsite and practiced our previously written (hopefully) Leave no Trace presentations and with that (mostly) well and ready we ran off to play a game of what most would call soccer and go to bed.

Day 2 of us being there started with a rousing breakfast in the mess hall and then walking down to our model campsite and pulling off a spectacular Leave no Trace presentation that left the crowd well informed on the Principles of LNT and our Advisors shocked. We grouped up with our individually assigned Wood Badge Patrols that we would be sharing much of our time and meals with and we each helped our patrol unload their gear and set up their camping areas. After we became associated with our patrols, we ate our first lunches and found that there was a certain rivalry between the adult patrols that was both good natured and funny at the same time. We also attended a seminar about Generations in Scouting. Later that afternoon, we set up the Round Robin, a series of decision-making games that everyone had fun either participating in or watching. We all went to practice skits with our patrols. At the Campfire Bowl that night, all patrols had either a skit, song, or both that our Venturers participated in and at 9:12 that night everyone gathered to watch the International Space Station pass overhead.

The third day of staffing started with the Venturers traveling to their patrol campsites to eat a breakfast that was cooked (or not so much cooked) by their patrol and then heading to the daily flag ceremony where awards were passed out. After the Colors were posted, we attended another presentation and then headed off to the conservation project where we helped regrow the Camp Parsons Arboretum. We then returned to our patrols, ate lunch, and reviewed the Patrol Projects that we presented later that day about things they learned, some talking about lint (LNT) and even one were someone cut off their 'finger' (really just a hotdog) when discussing the Guide to Safe Scouting. After the presentations, our Venturers said goodbye to the patrols by participating in a march throughout the wooded campsites that involved all of the staff and then leaving them to spend the night alone.

Our Venturers were thanked by the staff many times and were told that we did a fantastic job all weekend and I believe them wholeheartedly and I have no doubt in my mind that we will be invited to staff again.

Please save your past issues of the Legion magazine and drop them off at the Post Hall or at our Poulsbo Service Office. Thank you!

As always, if you have an article or a link to an article you think our members would be interested in reading, let me know and I will consider putting it in the news letter.

MATHEMATICS IN LIFE

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Continental Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War.

We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time, and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying this memorial day holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember freedom is never free! It's time we get the word out that patriotism is not a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games."

To maintain a united country, we must place common American nationality ahead of individual heritage.

June - July 2010

Poulsbo Post 245 Newsletter

Crew at Wood Badge 2010

NEWS ARRIVES ELECTRONICALLY!!

MATHEMATICS IN LIFE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: