|
*** Post History ***
POST 60 Background
Shortly after the end of World War One a large body of American Veterans, enlisted, noncommissioned officers and officers held a convention in Paris to form a Veterans’ association dedicated to serving the needs of Veterans. Thus was born “The American Legion”. Their principle goals were to dedicate themselves to helping fellow Veterans in need, their families and children, their widows and orphans, and sworn to uphold the Constitution and the American Republic. They decided this Veterans’ organization was to be nonpolitical and non secular, and that all members were equal regardless of any military rank they may have held. They created the Legion’s Constitution and our National Bylaws; our national headquarters is in Indianapolis IN. Each State has a State Department with elected Officers, ours, The Department of Idaho, is headquarted in Boise. Each State is divided into Districts with elected Officers, Post 60 lies within the 9th District. Each incorporated and duly recognized Post has its’ own elected Officers.
Our Post was officially incorporated in October, 1919. The members at that time chose to have our Post named in honor and memory of Frank Spickelmire. Frank was mortally wounded by artillery shrapnel in France. Frank grew up in a small town that now lies beneath the waters of Cascade Reservoir. He still has living relatives, on occasion one will visit the Post and we are always happy to show them the historical items we have for him.
Our current building was built in 1992 and was officially dedicated on 10 October, 1992. Before our current location, the Post was located in the building that is now occupied by Tackle Tom’s. The Post owned all the ground where today exists the Ashley Inn, the LDS Church Ward and the Forrest Service Building. That area was dedicated to Paul Kerby, and it came to be known as “Kerby Field”. Paul was another Cascade resident who was killed shortly after the start of World War Two in the Pacific.
In the Post Commander’s Office, there are copies of our National Constitution, National Bylaws, our state Constitution and Bylaws and Post 60’s Bylaws and all other legal documents. Our bookshelf contains a copy of the American Legion Officers’ Guidebook (which is published annually and we receive a new copy) and other publications regarding the Legion.
Reading The American Legion’s Constitution and Bylaws you will note that there are several distinct concepts that are at the core of The American Legion. The Constitution, National and State are pretty clear cut; we adhere to their precepts. The Bylaws on the other hand, are guidelines for each level of the chain of command to consider and incorporate into their specific operations at their local level. That is the reason why Post 60 dedicates itself to the support of Veterans and their families, Americanism and Patriotism, children and our community.
What is outlined above is just a very general overview of the American Legion. Members and Post Officers are encouraged to read and become familiar with the Constitution, the Bylaws, the Officers Guidebook, Post 60’s Articles of Incorporation and our historical records. Take a minute on a Friday night and examine all the plaques, pictures and documents displayed on our walls and see the rich history of this Post.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ELECTED OFFICERS
Just like any large corporation, the American Legion has a definitive organizational chain of command and well defined rules for governance.
POST COMMANDER: He is our spokesman, he leads our meetings, he decides and solicits agenda items for our meetings. Ultimately, just like in the military he is the one person who is responsible for everything that takes place in our Post. The Chief Executive. He will understand and enforce Robert’s Rules of Order to ensure the orderly conduct of meetings. It’s his job to pick up and distribute the Post’s mail every day; in this way he can observe issues that need to be resolved. He may delegate authority or responsibility for tasks, but the burden of command rests on his shoulders. He should be someone who has served before as an elected officer and who understands the inner workings of the Post. Stands for election each year, should serve two years in a row, or more if the membership agrees.
ADJUTANT: To the Adjutant is entrusted the official activities of the Post. He will capture the minutes for the Executive Committee and Membership Meetings, and any other special or Post Commander directed meetings. These minutes will be provided to the Officers and members of the Post for review and approval, and kept on record for archival purposes. The Adjutant can assist the Post Commander in the formulation of agenda items for upcoming meetings, prepare welcome aboard letters for new members and other correspondence directed by the Commander. And he may be charged with sending out email reminders to members about meetings and other important events coming up. He is charged with maintaining our membership rosters complete with addresses, phone numbers and other information. He should provide all officers with copies of our current membership rosters so they can contact volunteers to help on various tasks. He collects annual dues, issues new membership cards and forwards dues to the Finance Officer for payment to the State Department. He also assists in picking up and distributing the Post’s mail. He is also the person who orders uniform accessories for our members, and items that the Post needs from the Legion Catalog. He stands for election each year, and can serve for consecutive years.
FINANCE OFFICER: He holds the purse strings, and has a tremendous amount of work and serious responsibility. All funds that are donated or generated by our efforts must be accounted for by the Finance Officer. As such, each time he makes his report to the Executive Committee or the full Membership Meeting, a motion must be made and seconded to approve his report of our financial standing. It is his duty to explain to members any questions they may have with regard to finances. It is also his duty to advise the Executive Committee when there is to be a vote on spending money. He receives and pays all of the Post’s bills, balances all of our various accounts, pays State Sales Tax, and transfers money into the Kitchen/Catering Account and Bar Commanders Account to meet their needs. He stands for election each year, and can serve for consecutive years.
FIRST VICE COMMANDER: For all intents and purposes he is our Executive Officer and will stand in for the Post Commander in his absence and chair meetings as necessary. While all members are encouraged to recruit new members, the First Vice leads this effort. He assists the Post Commander in making new members welcome, reviews our efforts to recruit and serves as our Public Affairs coordinator. He plays a key role in overseeing and coordinating major events such as our Cinco de Mayo fundraiser. He stands for election each year and may serve consecutive years.
SECOND VICE COMMANDER: He is our “House Mouse” and is responsible for the building and grounds of our Post. Simply put, everything that affects the Post’s facilities falls under his purview. He coordinates with the kitchen crew to determine what to set up for Friday Night Socials, the same for events where the Legion Hall has been leased for specific events. He secures volunteers to assist him when setting up or tearing down tables, chairs or the stage. He is the Post’s liaison with our contracted cleaners to ensure the Hall is cleaned each Wednesday or arrange for special cleaning needs. He also coordinates with whomever the Post contracts for snow removal. He is in charge of fixing, repairing or arranging with competent service providers anything that breaks or needs replacement and orders cleaning supplies from our contracted supplier. All maintenance issues must be brought to his attention. He also serves as one of the Post’s Leasing Agents. He must be told about any events that are to take place in the Hall. He is responsible for keeping the electronic reader board current on upcoming events. He stands for election each year and may serve consecutive years.
MEMBERS AT LARGE: We elect two Post Members for these billets. Usually these two Officers have served in previous elected offices and have a lengthy record of service within the Post. They stand for election each year and may serve consecutive years.
NOTE: For the above elected officers it is important to stress that they attend all of the Executive Committee and Membership meetings. Since we have seven elected officers, we must have a quorum of at least four officers present to conduct a meeting and vote on matters. If you know in advance you can’t be at a particular meeting give your proxy to another elected officer to cast your vote.
OFFICERS APPOINTED BY THE POST COMMANDER:
CHAPLAIN: He offers the prayer at all membership meetings, and at all other appropriate ceremonies or funeral/memorial events. It is appropriate that the Post Commander also asks him to make well-being and condolence visits assisted by the Post Service Officer if he is available, and to send cards when appropriate.
SERGEANT AT ARMS: His duty is to keep order and decorum at all Post meetings.
POST SERVICE OFFICER: He serves to help Veterans and their families when they are in distress or need help obtaining services from the VA; he will coordinate with the Valley County Veterans Service Officer whenever needed. He is the Post’s liaison with the local school to facilitate Boys and Girls State applications, Good Citizen Awards and our annual College Scholarships.
BAR COMMANDER: He supervises the orderly operations of our bar. He is responsible to submit our annual liquor license renewals to the State, County and City well in advance of their expiration dates. He must ensure we are in compliance with applicable State liquor laws. He is responsible to maintain the bar’s checking account with sufficient funds so that he can resupply our bar stock. He is also responsible to assign members to bartending duties for each Friday night and for leased events.
NOTE: Appointed Officers do not have a vote during Executive Committee meetings but they are encouraged to attend.
OTHER BILLETS USUALLY HELD BY MEMBERS:
LEASING AGENTS: We usually have three leasing agents assigned, currently Joe Posluszny, Bob Lindsey and Mike Keithly hold these billets. Leasing Agents should be members of some long-standing so they know what the Post can offer and realistically support. One of them should be the Post’s caterer so that he can advise clients about the range of meals and prices that we can provide.
STAFF JUDGE ADVOCATE: We have one, Michael Pierce, a local attorney who advises the Executive Committee on all things of a legal matter.
HEAD OF THE KITCHEN AND CATERER: Currently it is Joe Posluszny. He assists as a Leasing Agent, especially for catered meals.
POST 60’s WEB PAGE: Paul Meyers and John Ernsberger designed our web site and John, with assistance from Betsy Lindsey who enters events into the calendar, keeps the web site current.
AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY:
This Post is very fortunate to have a strong and vibrant group of ladies in our Auxiliary. They are without a doubt our strong right arm standing beside the Legion to help make our efforts successful. The Post Commander and the President of the Auxiliary take turns attending one of their respective Executive Committee meetings on at least a quarterly basis. This facilitates mutual understanding of everyone’s efforts and thwarts rumors or misinformation.
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE FOR OFFICERS:
Most of the officers noted above have a box in the organizer located above the Post Commander’s desk. Make yourself familiar with this set-up, and everytime you go to the Post check to see if you have anything new in your box that you may need to take action on. While you are in the office check to see if there’s a message on the telephone, please answer it and forward the message to whomever needs to respond to the message. And please, for everyone’s sake don’t leave stuff willy-nilly laying on the desk, put it back where you got it from.
KEY EVENTS THAT OCCUR AT THE POST DURING THE YEAR:
The second Wednesday of each month Post 60 and the Auxiliary conduct our Membership Meetings. We gather at 6:30 pm and start our respective meetings at 7 pm.
The “last” Tuesday of each month the Executive Committee meets, they set the time for the meeting, currently it is 1 pm.
Our cleaning crew cleans the Hall each Wednesday, unless the day is changed for a valid reason. Nothing is scheduled to occur in the Hall on the days it is being cleaned.
During our March membership meeting, the nominating committee will present those members wishing to run for elected office. And then during our April membership meeting the membership will select and vote for those proposed to fill elected office.
During our June membership meeting those members elected in April to serve as officers are “installed” by one of the Post’s former commanders.
At least twice a year our Post sends out the “Post 60 Newsletter” that contains news and information about what the Post has been up to. Currently Jack Knoblock coordinates this bulletin.
POST EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:
Friday night socials and dinners: Regularly scheduled for 6:30 every Friday evening however sometimes dinner is cancelled due to preparing for a large event the following Saturday, to not intrude on another worthwhile community event such as the County Fair or to give the kitchen crew a break.
Catered private events that range from just leasing the Hall to including a catered meal
Memorial Day Ceremonies at area cemeteries and at the Post.
Veterans Day Ceremony at the Post.
9/11 Ceremony at the Post.
The Post’s annual fundraiser “Cinco de Mayo”.
The annual free Thanksgiving dinner for our community.
The Community Childrens Santa party.
Funerals and services for Veterans
There are other activities that, from time to time, Post 60 will participate in or otherwise support.
SUPPORT TO VETERANS:
Many years ago the Valley County Commissioners chose Post 60’s Hall as The Valley County Veterans War Memorial. The many plaques listing Valley County veterans who served in wars, pictures and other documents memorialize and honor our local veterans.
Whenever the family of a deceased Veteran asks to conduct the funeral or memorial service at the Legion Hall, we always support them so long as the deceased Veteran has been honorably discharged or retired. The Veteran doesn’t have to have been a member of our Post. If the deceased Veteran is a member of the Post, or is a member of the Auxiliary then we’ll do whatever they want, including food, at no charge. A non-members family will be charged a catering fee for food. This Post will also provide the ceremonial rifle detail, bugler and chaplain to render honors at the Post or at graveside. The Post will contact the National Guard in Boise to arrange for the folding of the flag and presentation to the designated next-of-kin. This is one of our most solemn duties we provide to a fallen fellow Veteran and their family.
All tips that are collected at the bar go into our Valley County Veterans Assistance Fund. The Executive Committee, when notified of a Veteran who needs help, will consider and decide the amount of financial help that the Post will provide. The need must be real and we need to be wary of deceivers. Currently the Post receives $100 a month that is earmarked for the Veterans Assistance Fund. The distribution of these funds from the County Commissioners began in 2007. The Valley County Veterans Service Officer asked the Commissioners for a reduction in his $300 monthly salary of $100 and they decided to donate those funds to Post 60. This donation may come to an end if the next Veterans Assistance Officer is not a member of Post 60.
The Post Service Officer, and the Valley County Veterans Service Officer, assist and advocate for Veterans who need help. Primarily it is in the form of answering questions about VA health care; and arranging appointments with our area’s regional representative from the Idaho Department of Veteran Affairs. Jim Philpott and Mike Keithly meet Veterans at the McCall Department of Labor Office the first Thursday of each month to assist Veterans with their VA health care benefits.
We assist Post 119, if asked, with financial help to conduct their annual Salmon River Float Trip for disabled Veterans.
In the past we have given financial aid to a local outdoorsman who takes disabled Veterans on guided hunts in Valley County.
In the spirit of comradeship we encourage and recruit new members to our Post. This is a great way to make a Veteran feel welcome and gives them the opportunity to be part of our community and our Post.
The Auxiliary supports Veterans at the McCall Nursing Home, and sometimes adopt a Veteran down at the Boise VA’s Veterans Home. They provide this support through the proceeds of the pie raffle at the Friday Dinner and other fundraising activities.
If we have a local Veteran who needs help with something like firewood or a wheelchair ramp built, we’ll do whatever we can to help them out.
SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN:
Each year we recognize three students with “Good Citizenship Awards”. Certificates and a cash award of $50 - $100 are presented just before the end of the school year at the school. The Post’s Service Officer coordinates this effort.
We coordinate with the staff at Cascade High School to solicit applications for our annual college scholarships. Post Officers will review the applications and select one or perhaps two Seniors to receive a $500 college scholarship. The Principal of the High School will present them on graduation day. The Post’s Service Officer coordinates this effort.
The Post makes a donation to Cascade’s Youth Baseball Program each year.
Each year the Post reviews and selects 2 or 3 Juniors to receive funds to represent our Post and Cascade at Boys State. The Auxiliary does the same for Girls State. The Post’s Service Officer coordinates this effort.
A large portion of the funds raised by the Auxiliary goes to purchasing winter clothing, coats and boots for identified needy children in Cascade.
Our Post sponsors the local Boy Scout Troop by allowing them to use our facility free of charge for their meetings. We will do same for a Girl Scout Troop if one is formed in Cascade.
Each year our Post hosts Santa’s visit to the children of Cascade. We begin by collecting new unwrapped toys around town in early November. Then a week or so before Christmas we open our doors to all children under the age of fifteen to come visit Santa, get a free wrapped gift, cookies, candy and receive a free photo of themselves in Santa’s lap.
Throughout the year the Executive Committee will review requests to support programs or events that benefit children. Since these requests usually require a cash donation the merits of each will need to be considered before approval.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT:
The Post assigns one member of the Legion to act as our representative at all Cascade Chamber of Commerce meetings. The Post pays his annual membership dues. Currently Jack Knoblock serves in this capacity.
The Executive Committee will discuss and decide to what extent the Post will provide support to any worthwhile community event. These can include donations, use of the Post’s facility or provide members to participate as volunteers. Some of the community organizations and events Post 60 supports and/or participates in are:
Cascade Public Library.
Annual Cascade Medical Center Foundation golf tournament fundraiser.
Chalk-on-the-Walk Fundraiser.
Four Summit Bike Challenge and the new Gravel Grinder Bike Challenge.
Fourth of July Parade and the McCall Winter Carnival Parade.
Flag classes for youth.
Vets in the classroom, if we can get it going again.
The Post is provided free of charge to the Valley County Clerk’s office to serve as the polling place for all local, state and federal elections.
We do the same for the Red Cross when they come to Cascade three times a year to collect blood donations.
We have a Memorandum of Agreement with the US Postal Service granting them use of our facilities if the Cascade Post Office is damaged and unusable.
FINANCIAL AFFAIRS:
We are an IRS 501(c)14 non-profit Veterans Volunteer Organization so donations to the Post are deductible by the donor.
The annual cost to keep our doors open runs around $ 26,000 to $28,000.
The Post receives around $8,000 annually (2 semi annual payments) from the Valley County Commissioners to help support the Post in its maintenance of the Valley County Veterans War Memorial.
We derive our funds through events such as our Friday Night Social/Dinner, bar receipts, donations to the Post from members or other private citizens, our Cinco de Mayo fundraiser and from leased and catered events at the Halls. We receive only a small portion of each member’s annual renewal of their membership dues. Bottom Line----if we don’t raise it, we don’t get it!!!!
The majority of our expenses are for:
Maintenance and cleaning of the Hall.
Insurance Premiums
Annual renewal of our State, County and City liquor licenses.
Annual fee for inspecting our fire suppression system in the kitchen and fire extinguishers.
Annual maintenance fee for servicing our heating and air-conditioning systems.
Snow removal
State Sales Tax payments.
Utilities: Idaho Power, Frontier Communications, City water and sewer, propane
The Post keeps about $25,000 in our savings account for unforeseen emergencies and repairs.
The Executive Committee is very cautious and prudent, along with the Finance Officer’s guidance, when it is deciding who and how much the Post donates funds to any given event. We keep sufficient funds in the general obligations account to cover known monthly or annual payments or bills; and have enough funds to keep the kitchen and bar accounts afloat for their needs.
This is a general overview of what and how this Post conducts its’ affairs, it is not all-encompassing.
The Legion and the Auxiliary members are all volunteers and there is no rank. Your participation whether as a volunteer or in a leadership role is valuable and appreciated.
As leaders, expressing a “thank you” to the volunteers and taking the time to know and help members feel at home goes a long ways setting an example for others to follow and to further the Post in its charter of Service to Veterans, The Community and Children.
|
