American Legion
Post 305

Citizens Flag Alliance

The Post 305 Bugle

May 2006

Volume 2, Issue 5

COMMANDER'S CORNER

We had a busy month in April. Our fundraisers went well. The Rummage Sale Chair, Chuck Suhr reported that we netted over $2,575. Thanks to all the workers, including the Auxiliary who made the sale such a success. Apparently the amount raised ranks right up there with the most ever raised by a rummage sale. Thanks also to those of you who provided the treasure that we were able to sell. Our Birdies for Charity fundraiser was also successful. There were about 1600 birdies and Chair Dave Lips estimated that we should make about $2,380 once all the pledges are collected. Thanks to those who bought or sold pledges. If you sold a pledge it is up to you to collect the money and turn it in to Dave.

We also selected five boys to attend Boy's State this year at the University of Texas. That is one boy from each of the High Schools in our area. We are in the process of selecting the recipient from the Woodlands High School of our $500 scholarship for Citizenship. That money will be added to $500 given from the Presidents fund to make a $1000 scholarship to the winner. The Scholarship will be presented at an awards night at the High School on May 18th. George Bannon presented ROTC medals to deserving students from Conroe High School. These are some of the projects for which the funds previously raised are used.

April is also a big month for Spring Conventions. The 17th District Convention was held in Livingston at Post 312. Five members for the Post and several from the Auxiliary attended the Convention. The Second Division Convention was held in Beaumont, hosted by Post 33. Our Judge Advocate, George Bannon was elected to be the next 2d Division Commander for the year 2006-2007. Congratulations George.

Our Chaplain, Pat Turner, was hospitalized for triple by-pass surgery. He is home now following surgery and I am sure would welcome a card or a phone call. May 29 is Memorial Day and there will be a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in which the Color Guard will participate and the Auxiliary will lay a wreath.

Next meeting in May is elections for the year 2006-2007. Be sure to make it if you can.

For God and Country, Jim Bolin

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MEETING EVENTS

In a special election, we elected Brad Wall as Adjutant replacing Everett Ison.

The Adjutant, Brad Wall, reported that he had just sent in five more memberships to bring the Post total to 317 which exceeds our goal and makes the sixth time in a row the Post has achieved and All Time High in membership. Congratulations to Emery Heuermann, Everett Ison and Brad Wall for their efforts in membership.

The Nominating Committee submitted a proposed list of members to be elected in May. They are: Jim Bolin-Commander, Everett Ison-1st Vice, Chuck Suhr-2d Vice, Brad Wall-Adjutant, Dave Lips-Finance Officer, George Bannon-Judge Advocate, Emery Heuermann-Historian, Pat Turner-Chaplain, TBA- Sgt-at-Arms, Dayton Denton-Service Officer, Ex. Comm. Members-at-Large-Pickens Jones and Bill Wells.

We are checking on a State Program to furnish commemorative plaques to the families of fallen comrades. They are asking $100 support for Posts in Texas and we wanted to know more about the program before we pledged $100.

We are also working with State on a Program to support House Committee Bill HR2679 by writing letter and sending emails to our representatives in Washington. In essence, the Bill would prohibit the ACLU from being awarded a fee as a result of a suit, which is judged to have violated a prohibition in the Constitution against the establishment of religion. These fees have been paid in the past out of taxpayer's money and used to support more suits against religion and other principles, which the American Legion supports. Find out more from Dave Lips and support the effort.

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MEMBERSHIP

ACTIVITIES

We still have a few coupon books that have not been spoken for. If you want one, contact Emery Heuermann. If you have one, and haven't turned in the money for the book, please do as soon as possible.

George Bannon presented JROTC Awards to the Conroe HS Army JROTC. From left to right they are, George Bannon, Kimberly Perez - American Legion Scholastic Excellence Award, Brittany Brown - American Legion Military Excellence Award, and Sean Haughey - Reserve Officers Association Award. The Awards Banquet was held on April 15,2006, at the lone Star Convention Center.

Chuck Brooks' Daughter, Amanda, was recently promoted to LCDR, Seebees, USN. Her duty station is the U. S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D. C. The Vice President's residence is on the grounds of the USNO, which is why Vice President Chaney is in on the promotion ceremony. Her title is VP Residence Facilities Officer, which might make her the VP's landlord.

Chuck, the proud papa, was a USMC fighter pilot with 2 tours in Vietnam and is past Post 305 Service Officer. Chuck's other daughter Lieutenant Cameron Brooks is a Naval Aviator and serves as a Weapons Systems Operator.

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VETERANS ADVOCATE

Representative Chet Edwards (D-TX) ranking member of the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee (and a friend of the veteran), overseeing the VA's budget states that the rapidly growing budget for veterans medical services, funded for the current year at $24.5 billion, would increase to $27.7 billion in 2007 under the president's proposed 2007 budget. But the VA medical services budget faces a 3% cut in 2008 and would hover below $27 billion for the next 4 years after that, even as increasing numbers of Iraq war veterans claim benefits and the cost of medical care increases daily. Those cuts would prove traumatic to an already troubled VA Health care system. MY OPINION: It seems like the administration is already planning on dead veterans to help fund future VA health care, along with removing certain veterans from the system. They have already locked more than a quarter million veterans out of the system and don't forget the program for veterans to pay enrollment fees and higher co-pays. Fellow veterans stand by for more problems with our VA health care system. There are other plans coming out to cut our benefits, such as charging Military Retirees co-pays, $250 enrolment fees and all veterans increased pharmacy costs. One of the hazards created by funding problems will be the competition between the older veterans and those just coming into the system who already have a higher priority for VA health care. Dr Chu, DOD Under Secretary for Health Care, has stated that we older veterans are no longer of any benefit to the present war and are taking needed funds away from the war in Iraq, and he's hoping that more veterans will take out civilian health care. I guess he's not aware that many civilian companies are cutting back on employee health care. I'm going to live a little longer just to spite the administration. Even with service-connected disabilities, I'm still waiting for my first VA appointment at 16 months and counting.

The purpose of the Children and Youth program is to: strengthen the family unit, maintain well-rounded youth programs, and support other organizations, which serve children and youth. This is done by the following activities.

• National Family Week A nationwide program to encourage family activities each day during the week of Thanksgiving in November.
• Child Health. Our new alliance with the Children's Miracle Network underscores The American Legion's mission and reputation as a caretaker of America's future, - its children.
• Teenage Suicide Prevention. The American Legion actively supports programs of prevention and awareness and has published the brochure "Warning Signs: Suicide Prevention."
• American Legion Child Welfare Foundation. The Foundation is unique, in that all contributions are awarded in grants to non-profit organizations for projects designed to assist children.

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POST ACTIVITIES

P.S. There will be no June Newsletter as the Editor will be gone the month of May, and won't know what happened in May. Look on your newsstand in July for the next addition. Anything exciting in May will be reported then.

• April 2006 (as a web page) - April 2006 Newsletter in Adobe Acrobat PDF format

• March 2006 Newsletter (as a web page) -- Click here to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format

• February 2006 Newsletter (as a web page) -- Click here to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format

• January 2006 Newsletter (as a web page) -- Click here to download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format

• December 2005 Newsletter (as a web page)

• November 2005 Newsletter (as a web page)

• August 2005 Newsletter (in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format)

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