Commanders' Message

Well by now most of you have received your renewal notices from National for 2019 dues. ATTENTION! No one likes a Dues increase right. Let us do our part to reduce cost to our organization by paying our dues on the first notice and not having the cost to mail over 1 million dues notifications the second and third times around. Couple of things to consider: 1) Get your dues paid now. 2) Consider becoming a Paid Up For Lift (PUFL) and forget about your membership dues forever, Currently National is giving $100.00 OFF a PUFL membership if paid in full. 3) Renew online, its quick and easy and you can update you contact information while you are there. Let us go 100% before Veterans Day, Nov 11^th. Thanks for your attention to this matter.

Every paid-up member of The American Legion Department of North Carolina is entitled to a FREE $5000.00 accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy. The policy is issued by Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT). Your policy can be activated in three ways: 1) Activate the policy by mailing in an activator form; 2) By calling 1-800-235-6943, 3) Going on-line through the company's website is www.theLIT.com. Excellent time to review and update your policy contact info and beneficiaries.

Well June has started busy with our State Convention and the election of new Department Officers and just around the corner is Legion College, July 27 – 28, where leadership training and a host of other topics are covered.

A big WHOA to Mike Donnelly our new Division 1 Commander. We at Post 52 are very proud and support Mike in his new position.

I would like to encour age any Legionnaire to consider taking the American Legion Extension Course on line. The American Legion’s official training program for Officers and Members who simply want to expand their knowledge of the nation’s largest veteran’s service organization is now available online. The American Legion Extension Institute has been rewritten, updated, streamlined and enhanced with videos, digital photos, clickable links, a historical timeline and additional features. To register and take the course, visit www.legion.org/alei. The program should take less than two hours to complete. Upon completion, a participant must pass a final online exam to receive a digital certificate of recognition; a lapel/cap pin will also be delivered to those who successfully complete the course. The names of those who have passed will be recorded and indexed at The American Legion National Headquarters. Graduates will have the option to click a box upon completion to recognize their accomplishment on The American Legion national website: www.legion.org. The online course is $4.95 for members of The American Legion and Sons of The American Legion.

The summer means, graduations, travel, vacations, cookouts, and more, so take the time with your friends and family and remember safety during your travels and events. I look forward to working with each of you.

For God and Country - Harvey Satterwhite

Auxiliary Notes

Happy New Year! Yes, it is the beginning of a new calendar year for our Unit, and it also marks the end of our first year. We have accomplished a great deal in twelve short months thanks to all of you who are unselfishly giving of your time and talents. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Coming up soon are the deliveries of our lap quilts. First will be to our local shut-ins on Monday, July 9, at 10:00, which directly follows our Executive Meeting at 9:00. This trip will take the place of our regular sewing day. Any members that wish to join us please meet at Post 52 to be ready to leave by 10:00. You DO NOT have to participate in the Sew Days to come along! Also, the membership cards are in and will be available at the Executive and Regular meeting. You can get them along with payment of your $30 annual dues.

Next will be a trip to the Fayetteville VA Dialysis Unit on Monday, July 16. We will be carpooling from Post 52 at 9:00 and then go out for lunch afterwards. All members are encouraged to come along. If you will be attending, please send Adrienne or Carolyn an email or text so we know to expect you!

Ending the month will be the installation of the 2018/19 officers in lieu of our regular meeting on Tuesday, July 31, beginning at 5:30 at the Franklinton Senior Center. We will be having a Meet and Greet followed by the ceremony.

Please join us whenever you can - we miss those of you who have not been able to attend for various reasons. Blessings to you all

Adrienne O’Neill, Secretary

Vice-Commander's Report

My fellow legionnaires, we just completed our 100^th Department of North Carolina convention! The big news is that Your Vice Commander was chosen to become the Department Vice-Commander for Division I. This would not have been possible without the incredible support that I received from the entire membership of Post 52. I am honored and humbled to have been elected to this office. Now the real work begins.

As of this writing the department is 600 members short of the 100% mark. We must all work hard to raise the renewal rate at our post. To help in this endeavor the department is waiving their portion of the dues requirement until the start of the National Convention for all remaining 2017 members that have not renewed for 2018. Let’s get it done!

The new Department Commander is Evan Thompson from Shelby, NC and his motto for this coming year is, “Be one and get one!” If every member of our Post recruits one new member then our size would double as a result.

This is very important due to the current annual decline in membership everywhere. Let’s kick off the new year by doing all that you can to make your Post and Department as strong as it can be!

For God & Country, Mike Donnelly

Editor’s Note: