Your American Legion Auxiliary e-News July 2009

 

 

American Legion Auxiliary e-News July 2009 63rd Annual Girls Nation Starts July 18 "The Girls Nation experience is one of both privilege and responsibility," said Mary Davis, American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation national chairman. "While it offers each girl amazing opportunities for personal growth, there is certainly the expectation that she will be energized to share all she learns with others in her local community." Davis, along with other Auxiliary volunteer leaders, will attend the conference and encourage the young senators to continue their community service by becoming members of the Auxiliary. Girls Nation program is a premier leadership conference designed to provide practical insight into the workings of government, to instill a sense of pride and loyalty in America and to create friendships and memories that last a lifetime. Follow Girls Nation on Facebook and Twitter!   Operation Comfort Warriors The U.S. government does a good job providing for the essential needs of the men and women recovering from war injuries in hospitals, but what about the so-called nonessentials--loose-fitting sweatsuits that can cover a soldier's healing body without adding pressure to the burns he suffered during an RPG attack in Ramadi? Or an iPod to help drown out the tinnitus that has plagued the medic ever since she drove too close to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan? The American Legion Family's Operation Comfort Warriors will provide some of these items. Contributing is effortless. No trips to the post office or packaging of comfort items are needed. The Legion Family will handle everything. You can use your credit card to make an online donation, or you can mail a check to Operation Comfort Warriors, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Many centers are not equipped to store large quantities of care packages, so monetary donations are best in order to purchase items that are truly needed. Administrative and promotional costs for Operation Comfort Warriors will be paid by The American Legion, so you can be sure that your entire donation will go directly to the troops. Auxiliary Announces Availability of AmeriCorps VISTA Positions The American Legion Auxiliary currently is recruiting 20 full-time AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers to join the American Legion Auxiliary Call to Service Corps. The project will enhance the capacity of the Auxiliary to generate volunteer service targeted toward poverty alleviation by and for military and veteran families. Position duties vary and include responsibilities in the areas of volunteer development, program development, communications, fundraising, partnership development, management information system development, and field mobilization. Positions are available at the Auxiliary's National Headquarters in Indianapolis and in Auxiliary state offices in Denver, CO; Rocky Hill, CT; Orlando, FL; Lansing, MI; Albuquerque, NM; Albany, NY; Zanesville, OH; Wilsonville, OR; Lacey, WA; and Portage, WI. Veterans, relatives of veterans and military service members, and American Legion Auxiliary members are highly encouraged to apply. Position descriptions and information about the AmeriCorps VISTA program may be found here. Film Spotlights Maine Troop Greeters The Way We Get By is a deeply moving film about life and how to live it. Beginning as a seemingly idiosyncratic story about troop greeters--a group of senior citizens who gather daily at a small airport to thank American soldiers departing and returning from Iraq--the film quickly turns into a moving, unsettling and compassionate story about aging, loneliness, war and mortality. Read more about the film and watch the trailer here. National Headquarters Welcomes Your Visit Driving through Indianapolis on your summer vacation? Plan a visit to National Headquarters! Tours may be arranged by emailing us. Pictured is Melodee Hanes, daughter of Past National President Opal Glynn Hanes (1965-66). Melodee was passing through Indianapolis on her way to Washington, D.C., and stopped by National Headquarters to pose for a picture next to her mother's official national president portrait.   War and Musculoskeletal Injury Prompt Artistic Expression Wartime experiences not only affect military personnel and their loved ones but the physicians and medical teams who treat them. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has opened a call for entries to a unique, juried art exhibition titled Wounded in Action: An Art Exhibition of Orthopaedic Advancements as a tribute to injured troops and families, civilians and the orthopaedic surgeons who are caring and have cared for them. Wounded in Action celebrates those heroes (injured troops and civilians) who have had orthopaedic injuries as a result of serving our country in war. The exhibition also recognizes those orthopaedic surgeons who, throughout history, have risked their own safety to care for our troops, to save lives and limbs, to advance medical treatments, and to conduct research and learn from war in order to better serve those who sustain orthopaedic trauma. To learn more about the exhibition and its call for entries, click here. Send Us Your Stories Auxiliary units and members should be proud of the wonderful things they do, yet many of their good deeds go unrecognized. Please consider letting National Headquarters be in-the-know by sharing your stories. In many cases, submissions are published in HomeFront magazine for all members to see. Does your unit have a newsletter? Please add National Headquarters to your mailing list! Email us or send information to Editor, 8945 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46260. Please stay in touch with us about what's going on in Auxiliary units, and keep up the great work! We Appreciate Your Copy-and-Paste In its latest Auxiliary newsletter, the Department of Wisconsin published a promo directing members to the Auxiliary's National Headquarters on the Web, Facebook and Twitter. We encourage you to follow the Wisconsin Auxiliary's lead in your department and unit newsletter and Web site. Links on connecting to us may be found at the bottom of this edition of e-News. Patriotism Should Continue Beyond July 4 The Independence Day holiday may have passed, but our patriotism should still show. Please continue flying your American flag in appreciation of those who gave us the freedom we have today. To see FAQs on flag code, click here. Stock up! Flags are available for purchase through The American Legion's Emblem Sales. Your purchase directly supports American Legion programs that help America's children, veterans and military families. Auxiliary Generations to be Highlighted If you're a member of a multi-generational Auxiliary family, now is your chance to be in the spotlight in HomeFront. Send us a high-resolution JPEG photo, names of those pictured, unit(s) that members belong to, and number of years of combined membership along with your email address and daytime phone number. Then check out the photos in HomeFront Volume III that will focus on families. Send information here. The American Legion Auxiliary 2009-2010 Plan of Action (formerly named the Plan of Work) is now available online! The national leadership team has thoughtfully and diligently prepared the Plan of Action for each established Auxiliary program, recognizing the importance of focusing on objectives that will measure accomplishments for success. Let's reconnect with our heritage to strengthen our future! Questions? Email us.   ENERGIZE at the Auxiliary's 89th National Convention! August 21-27, 2009 * Louisville, Kentucky National Convention, held jointly with The American Legion and Sons of the American Legion, is a celebration of the great accomplishments members have achieved as well as a kickoff into the upcoming Auxiliary year. As one American Legion National Commander said in his welcome message, "Caring and commitment are two words that come to mind as hallmarks of service by the American Legion Auxiliary." We look forward to celebrating you in Louisville! Connect with the American Legion Auxiliary... ...on the Web ...by following the ALA on Twitter ...by becoming a friend on Facebook Pass it on: Encourage your friends to sign up for e-News for the latest updates on how the American Legion Auxiliary serves veterans, their families and their communities! The Auxiliary will never sell or share your email address with anyone. Period. So please help us grow our e-News. 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