OUR MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to serve veterans, their families and their communities.
The meeting of the Auxiliary Unit 136 was called to order by President,Tracy Kinnick at 7:00 p.m. with 20 members present, prayer by Joanna Ehrlich-Brown followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the Preamble.
Welcome Guest/New Member: One guest: Tayland French is a friend of Tristin Maxwell-Kitchens, who is a junior auxiliary member.
Minutes: December Minutes were approved as published.
Treasurer’s report: No report this month, due to Nancy Johnson being ill.
Sheryl Carpenter clarified the following: Coffee Tour monies spent comes out of the VA&R fund and
Villa Maria & Maria Court monies spent comes out of the general fund.
Chaplain’s report: Joanna Ehrlich-Brown . Get Well Card will be sent to Nan Wise. Prayer Book due to District by April 1, 2018, please send Prayers, Poems, Bible Verse, etc. for book.
Children and Youth/JR Activities: No Report.
Historian: Carolyn Kitchens presented Operation S.A.V.E.
Quote from The American Legion Magazine, January 2018 written by the National President Denise H. Rohan.
“An estimated 20 veterans a day die by suicide. They are husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. They are our fellow Legionnaires. They are family. According to the VA, veterans comprise 8.5% of all deaths of the U.S. adult population in 2014 but represented 18 percent of all deaths by suicide. Approximately 65 percent of those deaths were veterans 50 or older. The study also found that the risk for suicide among female veterans was 2.5 times higher than among non-veteran adult women.”
On December 9th, Tom and I attended and Operation S.A.V.E. program presented by the VA. We feel very strongly that we need t share the information we learned with our membership as we were unaware of how high the incidence of suicide is among veterans.
We learned that:
Male veterans are twice as likely as civilians of either gender to commit suicide.
1,000 suicides occur per year among veterans receiving VA care.
5,000 suicides occur per year amount all living veterans.
Operation S.A.V.E. will help you act with care and compassion if you encounter a person who is suicidal.
The acronym “SAVE” summarizes the steps needed to take an active and valuable role in suicide prevention.
Signs of Suicidal thinking
Ask questions
Validate the person’s experience
Encourage treatment and Expedite getting help
The Veterans Crisis line is 1-800-273-8255 and press 1
We have put together a poster which will be in the bar area entryway for the next month.
To view presentation-in-full: healthVA.gov
Villa Maria & Maria Court: Sheryl Carpenter reportedthe Veterans really liked their Christmas gifts. Renee, Carolyn and Sheryl wrapped them and Carolyn and Sheryl delivered to Villa Maria, so Santa and Mrs. Claus could hand them out at the party.
Valentine Project for our Veterans at Villa Maria & Maria Court will be popsicle stick flags. Meet at the Post on Monday, January 29th at 7:00 pm, to make the flags. Chair:Jean Horstman (316) 777-0351.
VA&R Report: Sheryl Carpenter reported that ithas been request that no donations until after January 16th as they received a lot before Christmas. Randy quit the clothes closet, so the new guy is learning and sorting items.
The TLC is requesting no visits with the patients until at least the 10th due to the flu.
Flag necklaces and earrings are for sale ($5.00 each) and money goes to help the clothes closet at the VA.
Fundraisers: New Year’s Soup Day raised $218.00.
Membership report: Sheryl Carpenter reported as follows: Paid Up For Life (PUFLs) 15; Seniors 77;
Juniors 4; with a total of 96members. The goal is 160 members.
Volunteer Hours Report:Carol Benson reported for November 2017, total volunteer hours 5,402.5; donations were $1,466.00; flag display hours were 5,000; total service hours were 402.5 with mileage at 1,781 and 4 members turned in coupons for a total of $1,086.00. The total number of members reporting this month was 15.
Communications: Thank you card from Scott Circle, one of our honored veteransandThank you letters from Dole VAMedical Center.
Poppies: Sheryl Carpenter was in Topeka and picked up our 1,000 Poppies.
New Business: Due Increase for 2019: Jean Horstman moved to raise dues to $30.00 yearly; 2nd by Debbie Morris; Discussion regarding that National will keep $12.00; Department will keep $8.50 and the remaining amount of $9.50 will stay with our Unit; vote taken; motion passed and will become effective in July 2018.
Sheryl Carpenter next month will be requesting $600.00 be set aside for coupon books at the VA. Please give this consideration.
Old Business: Deb Herndon reported that the 2 care packages sent overseas were both received.
Announcements and Save the Dates:
Breakfast every Sunday at 9:30am at Post 136;
January 11, 2018 - bar snacks available from 5:15 until 7 pm. Jalepeno Poppers, Mozzarella Sticks,Taquitos and Deep Fried Cheese Curds;
January 12, 19, and 26, 2018 - January Bar special: Fridays at the post from 7-9pm there will be free Nachos. Chips and salsa or chips and cheese for FREE NACHO FRIDAYS;
February3, 2018 – Marauder’s Breakfast from 8:30 am to 9:30 am;
February 3-4, 2018 – Kansas ALA Midwinter Forum in Manhattan, KS;
February 5, 2018 – Auxiliary Meeting at 7:00 pm;
February 10, 2018 - Mark your calendars for dinner and a movie. Dinner from 5:30-6:30 includes: 1/3lb burger basket for $7 or 1/4lb all beef hot dog basket for $6 with homemade French fries. Movie will start on the big screen at 6:45 showing American Graffiti. Come for dinner or come for the movie or come for both. Come out and have a good time.
March 9-10, 2018 – Kansas Junior Lock Out in Mulvane, KS;
May 18-20, 2018 – Department Convention at Hutchinson, KS
Closing Prayer: Joanna Ehrlich-Brown, Chaplain.
Next Meeting – February 5, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Meeting adjourned: By President Tracy Kinnick at 8:00 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Debbie Morris
HOW TO CONDUCT A UNIT MEETING
Committee: Leadership
Contact Information for Questions:
The manner in which a unit meeting is conducted has a great bearing on its success or failure.
Unless a meeting is well planned, intelligently conducted, and subjects are presented and
discussed interestingly, members cannot be expected to be faithful in attendance. Routine
business should be transacted in an efficient manner, yet the opportunity should be presented for
active participation of members in the program. It is most important that unit elections and all
unit business be conducted in accordance with unit bylaws, the current edition of “Roberts Rules
of Order, Newly Revised,” and department and national constitution and bylaws. All unit
presidents must remember to be impartial while presiding and not participate in discussion. The
majority vote rules, but the minority has the right to be heard. Committee members and officers
may transact detailed business and should only bring important matters before the unit for
decision. Special monthly activities should be stressed, and district and department officers, as
well as local speakers, should be asked to add interest to the programs. Variety should be
introduced in music and entertainment.
The President as Presiding Officer
• Calls the meeting to order at the designated time and, if a quorum is present, proceeds
with necessary business.
• Preserves order throughout the meeting.
• Follows the accepted order of business.
• Refers to herself as “the Chair.”
• Decides parliamentary questions. The president states the motion clearly after it has been
seconded and before allowing discussion.
• Takes no part in any discussion while presiding; refrains from expressing a personal
opinion on questions before the house; avoids all personal bias when giving information
to the organization.
• Calls upon the vice president to preside if she wishes to speak on a motion or leave the
chair. Remains out of chair until the vote on the pending motion is taken.
• May vote according to local bylaws.
• Recognizes a member who has not spoken previously on the question in preference to
one who has spoken.
Suggested Order of Business
While this suggested order of business for unit meetings includes items that will not be used at
every meeting throughout the year, this may be of some assistance to presidents of new units and
to others who are not entirely familiar with the business to be transacted. The order should be
modified to fit the circumstances of the particular occasion.
1. Call to Order
2. Advancement of Colors (optional); Salute to the colors if colors are not advanced 3. Prayer
4. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
5. National Anthem or other patriotic song
6. Preamble to the Constitution of the American Legion Auxiliary
7. Roll call of officers
8. Reading and approval of minutes of previous meeting (Unit 136 minutes are emailed out to each
member of the unit; therefore physical reading of the minutes is not required.)
9. Treasurer’s Financial Report
10. Initiation of candidates (quarterly, biannually, or annually, as is the unit custom)
11. Reports of: president, secretary, unit officers, executive committee, Membership
committee, standing committees, special committees
12. Reading of communications, including those from national, department and district
Officers (Unit Secretary reads all communications at each meeting)
13. Unfinished business
14. New business
15. Election and installation of officers
(Elections for Unit 136 occurs in April with installation occurring in May)
16. Announcements (Announcements are located at the bottom of each agenda as well as sent out with the minutes,
no physical reading of announcements at meeting is required)
17. Program - educational and entertaining (optional)
18. Adjournment of business meeting
19. Closing prayer
20. Retirement of Colors (optional). The American flag and the banner of the American
Legion Auxiliary in miniature and in a small stand should not be used for the
advancement or retirement of colors, as the stand of colors was not intended to be used
for this purpose.
Unit Meeting Terminology:
Call to Order: The presiding officer first calls the meeting to order.
Reading of the Minutes: The president asks the secretary to read the minutes of the previous
regular meeting. If special meetings have been held, these minutes should be acted upon after the
regular ones. The presiding officer asks for any corrections or additions to the minutes, she then
declares the minutes “approved as read” or “approved as corrected” if any corrections have been
made. The minutes can also be distributed ahead of time and adopted without a full reading.
Statement of the Treasurer: After the reading of the report by the treasurer, the report is entered
into the minutes and filed for audit. At the annual meeting the annual report is read, and the
auditor’s report is read. The report of the auditor including the treasurer’s report is accepted.
Any Unit 136 receipts are to be turned into the Treasurer for payment at this time.
Per Unit Standing Rules – No bills will be paid over $20.00 unless prior authorization has been
received from the membership at a unit meeting.
Reading of Communications: The secretary reads all communications from the department and
national headquarters, local organization notices and matters of general interest. Any action,
which may arise from the reading, is deferred until unfinished business or new business is
considered.
Unfinished Business: Any business postponed from the previous meeting or any matter
introduced at the meeting on which action of the unit was deferred is unfinished business. The
secretary from the minutes of the last meeting prepares a list of such unfinished business for the
presiding officer. Only when the unfinished business has been disposed of may new business be
brought forward, unless the regular order of business has been modified by vote of the members
present.
New Business: Any business brought forward for the first time.
Announcements: The date of the next meeting or special event is announced.
If a social hour is tofollow, this should be announced at this time.
Program: The president asks the program chairman to take charge.
Closing Prayer: The president asks the chaplain to offer the closing prayer.
Charge: The president states, “Till we meet again let us remember that our obligation to our
country can be fulfilled only by the faithful performance of all duties of citizenship. Let service
to the community, state and nation be ever a main objective of the American Legion Auxiliary
and its members. Let us ever be watchful of our organization and ourselves, that nothing shall
swerve us from the path of Justice, Freedom, Loyalty and Democracy.”
Adjournment: The president states, “If there is no further business to come before this meeting,
the meeting is adjourned.”
Retirement of the Colors: The color bearers will retire the Colors (Optional). If colors are not
retired the president should say, “Colors in place, hand salute.”
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