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Second Vice Commander's
Column 
I hope you have enjoyed the "Holiday Season."
Even though we are past the New Year, I would like
to wish every member of the Legion family a happy
and prosperous 2008. As with any new year,
resolutions are made; some kept, some not. I hope
you have set your goals for this year; I certainly
have.
My renewed goal is to assist all of the
commissions established by the American Legion in
order to run our activities. By that, I mean I will
help our Department Events Director, Brenda
McGowen, with making sure that all department
activities on the calendar are successful. However,
without you, we cannot make this happen. It is that
simple, "If you do not show, we do not go!"
As you read this article, the 2008 Department
Bowling Tournament will be over where we had
approximately 450 teams participate in the
competition in 2007. Next on the schedule is the
Department Corn Hole Tournament, sponsored by
Middletown Post 218 in Middletown on Saturday,
March 29. This will be our newest effort to offer
different activities for your participation. If you
are interested in this Department sponsored event,
call the post at 513-422-5424 for further
information.
After we show our tossing arm at the Corn Hole
Tournament, you can then show us your shooting
skills at the Department Pool Tournament sponsored
by Milford Post 450 in Milford, Ohio on April 19th
and 20th. Once again, Bocca Billiards has agreed to
hold this event at their facility located at 749
State Route 28 in Milford just off I-275.
If you have any new activities you would like to
have considered for placement on the Department
calendar, please feel free to call me at
859-363-8032 or e-mail me at lmd61944@aol.com. You
can also give your idea to the 2nd Vice Commander
of your district, who can then present it to the
Department Executive Board for further
consideration.
Remember, keep your activities alive to help
your post thrive.
Even though I know this is a sensitive subject,
I would like to mention the fact that many posts
are having financial difficulties and I believe I
would be remiss if I did not mention this growing
problem. I do not have all the answers to address
this issue however; I would like to mention some
tried and true suggestions.
First, I believe the easiest way to solve most
of our problems is to sign up new members. I know
you have heard this before but let's take a look at
the new members and what they can bring to us as
legionnaires. These new members can be your
greatest resource for new ideas, for help creating
family involvement that would also help the
Auxiliary and the Sons; they can work your post's
functions and even support them financially as
well. New members are new customers in your
clubrooms.
Another way to help your post is to call long
time members who have not attended meetings for a
while and invite them to a meeting. When they see
first hand how your post continues to support our
veterans and communities, perhaps they will want to
become an active participant with our American
Legion Family. I truly believe that anyone joining
a fraternal organization does not join just to pay
dues.
In closing, please support your post in any way
that you can. Without you, your post cannot
survive. Without your post, the Department cannot
survive as a legion family. Without the American
Legion Family, our veterans can only hope to
survive
.including you.
Lou Dimmerman, 2nd Vice
Commander
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