Good Day Post #57 Member!

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDER:

Staying with health care issues, are you aware that as a Legionnaire one of the benefits you have is access to the American Legion health care plans, which are available to Legion members and Son of American Legion members and their dependents. I called the 1-877-886-0110 number to ensure that what is referred to as a variety of major medical plans, called “Market Basket” was available here in Arizona before typing this up and was informed that this is. So if you don’t have any medical insurance and you are looking for some or would like to get a quote on some call the above number. They are also going to send some brochures to the post, so watch for them. Next month a little on “The American Legion Discount Prescription Program”.

On another note. As Legionnaires, we must not be partisan while acting as Legion members. As private citizens, we may be partisan and voice our opinions but we must not present these opinions as representative of the American Legion.

Douglas Gorniak

Commander

POST NEWS

Our post meeting was on 17 August and our next meeting is 21 September at 6 pm. Remember, dinner is served after the meeting and the bar is open. Hope to see you there!!

August was a busy month. We had a Pancake Breakfast and a Spaghetti Dinner. Thanks to all who helped making both a success.

Don’t forget, we have the Labor Day BBQ on 6 September from Noon to 4pm. Barbecue chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, homemade potato salad and beans will be the menu. The bar will be open. Hope to see you there!

We are still looking for more competitors for the shuffleboard tournaments on Friday and Saturday nights so if you are interested, stop by on a Friday or Saturday night and size up your competition! Also, we now have chessboard brought in by Jim Kreutzer for those of you interested in playing chess. If you have another game you would like to play, let us know.

LADIES AUXILIARY

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:

Would you like a chance to win $100? Any member of the American Legion family who recruits just one Senior American Legion Auxiliary member is eligible to be entered in a drawing for $100. Ten winners will be drawn at the American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters in February 2005 and be announced at the Awareness Assembly in Washington D.C. See me for more details.

We are also having a raffle with the winning tickets to be drawn on 31 December 2004. The prizes are a stain glass wall hanging by Kelly Walsh, an Indian oil painting by Bernadine Sydow, and a $50 cash prize donated by Dolly Sharp. Tickets are $1 each or 6 tickets for $5. See any Auxiliary member for tickets.

Peggy Gasdorf

Auxiliary President

AUXILIARY NEWS

MONTHLY TRIVIA: August Newsletter: How many verses does The Star Spangled Banner have? The correct answer is four. See Letter From the Editor for the verses.

This month’s trivia question: Do you know what the elements are of the American Legion emblem and what they mean? Answer next newsletter.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR:

Our National Anthem has four verses but I doubt any of us has ever heard them all sung. I think the verses say it all and maybe we ought to sing all of them every time to remind us of what our country and our flag stand for.

The Star Spangled Banner
by Francis Scott Key

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

ITEMS OF INTEREST (if interested in an item listed, contact the Post for further information)

Home Weatherization Assistance Program. Program is to provide energy saving weatherization to low income families. Eligibility is based on household size and income. More info at Post.

CANDIDATES RESPOND TO DAV QUESTIONS: The Disabled American Veterans sent President George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry the following questions: Answers are posted on the Post’s Bulletin Board or you can go to www.dav.org/voters/documents/president_views_on_dav_priority_issues.pdf (Note: In the printed version of the answers, Questions 2 and 3 were combined and Questions 4-7 were combined. This was done by the DAV.) (Should have the American Legions questions and answers available next month’s newsletter)

1. Mandatory Funding for VA Health Care: Do you support a fundamental change in the manner VA health care is funded? If so, how would your administration ensure its implementation? If not, why?
2. Disabled Veterans Tax: Do you support provision of concurrent receipt to veterans rated 40 percent or less and will your administration actively work to bring it about? Why or why not?
3. Do you support elimination of the phase-in period for concurrent receipt? Why or why not?
4. Making Veterans a National Priority: What specifically will your administration do to make veterans a national priority?
5. Will your administration propose or support legislation to authorize VA to revise its premium schedule for SDVI to reflect current mortality tables?
6. Will your administration propose or support legislation to increase the face value of SDVI?
7. Will your administration propose or support legislation to authorize concurrent receipt of SBP and DIC?

The following website is a forum posting of requests from both active duty military serving oversea and veterans in VA hospitals. http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/forum/index.php

Retirees Action Office (RAO) Bulletins, dated 30 July 2004 and 15 August 2004, available at Post.

UPCOMING EVENTS TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR:

6 September 2004, Labor Day BBQ, Noon – 4 pm

12 September 2004, Bingo, doors open 1:30 pm, play starts 2 pm

19 September 2004, District Meeting at Post 57, 11 am.

21 September 2004, Post and Auxiliary Meeting, 6 pm

26 September 2004, Bingo, doors open 1:30 pm, play start 2 pm

If you have an article or piece of information that you think would be of interest to the whole Post, let me know and I will include it in the first newsletter after receiving the information. You can get me the information by emailing me, dropping it off at the Post or mailing it to the Post at P.O. Box 45 or calling me at 637-2240.

Do you have an email address? Have you sent it to me? If not, please do so. My email address is rockin_g@netzero.com Make sure you let me know who you are when you send me the email so I know whom the email address belongs to.

Yvonne Gorniak

Yvonne Gorniak

Editor

Post 57