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Spring 2006 Issue
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Commander's Message
Feature Article
Post 281 Committee Reports
Post 281 News and Announcements
Post Calendar
Coming Events
Auxiliary Unit 281 News
SAL Squadron 281 News
Commander's Message:
My first year in office as your Commander is about to come to an end. As I look back over the past year, and I think that you will agree, this has been a good year. We had several fun trips and quite a few events that were both formal and informal. As always, our socials were a blast and it was fun to watch people let their hair down. The key to my successful year was the dedication and support of my officers, fellow Legionnaires, SALs and members of our Auxiliary Unit 281. Thanks to all for your support.
At the May 3rd Post meeting you will be electing your officers for the next year. Please mark your calendar and attend this meeting. As in all elections, your vote counts, so vote and send a message that you support your elected officers and their programs.
We are approaching one of our busiest seasons of the year. On April 28, we scheduled our annual Awards Night. Next to supporting veterans needs and programs, our Americanism programs show our support and dedication to our community. These programs include coloring contests for elementary students, scholarships, and honoring the service and dedication of our local Police, Firefighters and EMT’s. This is a special event, where the community sees first-hand the dedication of American Legion veterans like yourself, who are always working hard to make our community a better place to live.
Before you know it, it will be Memorial Day. I know that a lot of people view this holiday as a trip to the beach or a family barbecue, but some lose sight of the real spirit of the holiday. This is a time we set aside to remember and honor our departed veterans from all wars and conflicts, remembering their service and selfless dedication to our country and our freedom. Please set aside some time that weekend to stop by the Post and participate in one or all of our ceremonies. We have a moving ceremony at Triton High School on Friday morning (Memorial Day weekend) that honors students from that school who lost their lives in Vietnam, and a parade in the afternoon with children from Glendora Elementary School who want to salute our veterans and senior citizens at Franklin Square. On Sunday, we flag all the cemeteries in the township to ensure that every veteran’s grave is marked and honored. The last event is Monday, Memorial Day, when all veterans groups come together and honor veterans at the various memorials throughout the township, followed by a parade and Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Park on Chews Landing Road. Check the calendar in this newsletter for starting times.
Right on the heels of Memorial Day is the American Legion’s annual convention in Wildwood, NJ, between June 7-10. Stop by the convention and see and hear what’s going on at the state and national level. Needless, to say, you can even enjoy a day at the beach and still have a lot of fun with your fellow Legionnaires at the Panoramic Motel. If you can’t attend the entire convention, try to stop down on Saturday, watch the parade, and have some fun at the motel.
The last event before Summer begins is our annual Flag Disposal ceremony the evening of June 14 at the Post. All Legion Family members and township residents are welcome to attend this somber event as US flags are properly disposed of with honor and dignity.
Please take a minute to look at your membership card. If it isn’t a 2006 card, renew your membership. It is membership that makes the American Legion a strong and effective voice for all veterans. Make your voice count by continuing to be an active member, especially when today’s soldiers and sailors depend on our work.
Please contact me at commander@njlegionpost281.org if you have any concerns.For God and Country,
Fran McGovern
Commander Post 281
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Feature Article:
This newsletter is dedicated to the father of our country, George Washingon, whose incredible military exploints and sound judgment resulted in the birth of a new nation, the United States of America!
George Washington
1732 - 1799George Washington married the widow Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802) on January 6, 1759. She had 4 children by her first husband, but none by Washington. In many of Washington’s letters to Martha, he lamented not having any children and made it obvious that they had tried, leaving historians to speculate that George was sterile, probably due to smallpox he had contracted in 1751. We know he was sexually active in his younger years, at least. He was once known as the “Potomac Stallion.”
Washington also suffered from malaria, tuberculosis, dysentery, diphtheria and really bad teeth. Smile, George!
Washington was exactly 6’ 3½” with reddish hair and gray-blue eyes.
George Washington:
“First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.”Washington Senators:
“First in War, First in Peace, Last in the American League.”
George Washington: Our Founding Father
“George Washington slept here.” Now how many times have we all heard that in our lifetimes. It’s a phrase that would have made Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (1725-98), a contemporary of Washington, very proud. But it has nothing to do with the sexual exploits of Mr. Washington. Rather, it has everything to do with the energy, fearlessness, motivation, perseverance, and doggedness, under the most daunting circumstances a soldier had ever faced. Washington slept in so many places not as a testament to his own desires, as Casanova had done, but as a testament to his determination to forge a new nation against the greatest odds. He never spent very much time at home…
To just give a short biography of Washington would be an insult to his legacy, so given the limited space I have here, I’ll simply make some observations on his own place in history and his impact on the country he founded.
George Washington was born Feb. 22, 1732 on Pope’s Creek Plantation on the Potomac River in what is now Westmoreland, Co., Virginia. He died December 14, 1799 at his home in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Sandwiched between those dates was the extraordinary life of a truly remarkable man.
One can easily read a more detailed biography of Washington in an encyclopedia, or if you’re truly adventuresome, you can read the 4-volume biography on Washington written by James Thomas Flexner, regarded as the classic biography on the man. I have read this collection and regard it as the best biography I have ever read– and I’ve read my share, believe me.
Ask the average youth today what he knows about our founding father– the Founding Father– and you’ll probably not get much. Perhaps they’ll know that Washington is pictured on a dollar bill, a quarter, Mt. Rushmore and a few stamps. Maybe they’ll know our nation’s capital and a state are named after him. And that’s probably all you’ll get. That’s sad. But that’s reality. Most young people today, and an awful lot of older people too, for that matter, are truly ignorant of the immense impact George Washington had on the founding on this country. Of course he wasn’t the only founding father. But he sure as hell was the most influential.
As an historian, knowing Washington in detail is my job. But it just so happens that he’s my favorite president and favorite historical figure. But that’s not why he’s being profiled here, just to satisfy my own needs. He truly was a giant in not just American History but also in World History.
Again, if you want to learn more about Washington’s role in the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the Constitutional Convention and the Presidency, read more elsewhere. But it must be mentioned here that when Washington’s Army faced annihilation at the end of 1776, he, along with 2,000 sick and hungry troops, surprised and captured a Hessian garrison at Trenton, NJ on Dec. 26 after a Christmas night crossing of the Delaware. Then on January 3, 1777, his army defeated a British army detachment from New York City before settling into winter quarters at Morristown, NJ. When the chips were down, when his own conscience told him “the game was up,” Washington insisted on an attack at Trenton and saved his Army– and the Revolution.
Washington realized early in the war that the only way to defeat the greatest army on earth was not to fight him on his own terms on the battlefield, but to fight a war of attrition. He fought a defensive war and retreated often, not as a sign of cowardice, but as a practical way to ensure he and his men could fight another day. They wore the British out in the process and frustrated the British to no end. The strategy worked.
But when Washington had to take the offensive, he did. Though he failed to stop the British on their march to Philadelphia in 1777 at Brandywine and Germantown, his troops still fought on against overwhelming odds. Again, he was able to preserve a dying and deserting army at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. Then when the spring campaign began, he bloodied the British at Monmouth Courthouse, NJ on June 28, 1778 in 100° heat.
Washington was courageous in so many ways. Against his own staff’s advice, Washington was usually in the thick of the action during these battles. A British soldier later admitted he had Washington in his gun sights at Brandywine but for some reason never pulled the trigger. That decision by that private British soldier changed history. As it was, Washington was never even once wounded during the Revolution. But he sure could have been, many, many times. He had many horses shot from under him.
In the end, Washington succeeded in defeating the greatest military power on earth. Though the French helped at Yorktown and the naval Battle of the Capes in 1781, it was Washington who kept an army together for 6 years and who bulldogged his way through victory. His patience paid off. Finally.
After the 1783 Treaty of Paris and the end of the war, Washington retired to his plantation at Mt. Vernon, Virginia. He always said he just wanted to live the life of a country gentleman and simply fade away from the stages of history. But that was not to be. Friends, neighbors, acquaintances and strangers of every ilk visited him at Mt. Vernon, a reminder to this tired soldier that history was not kind to modest but great men. Like it or not, Washington’s new country needed him once again.
In May, 1787, Washington traveled to Philadelphia, the nation’s capital, to take part in an experiment of sorts– to help write a new constitution. The present government simply didn’t work and it needed replacing.
Washington was elected President of the Constitutional Convention. When Article II of the Constitution, (which deals with the executive branch) was being written, debated and finalized by others, it was Washington whom everyone had in mind to be the first President. Who else could it be?
At the Constitutional Convention, some delegates toyed with the idea of making Washington a king. He would not hear of it. He fought for liberty and democracy, not for instituting the same kind of system he fought against in the Revolution. He was honorable and principled. He was the first person in modern times to turn down a kingdom.
When Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789 for his first of two terms, many Americans held their breath. Would this new Constitution work? Could a former soldier be a good statesman?
Washington had no one to emulate while President. He didn’t have the luxury of looking into the past to see what other presidents had done in similar circumstances. He had to set the pace. There was no one else. He was the great experiment.
With domestic problems that included a bankrupt treasury and political infighting, along with a scheming Secretary of State who couldn’t be trusted (Jefferson), Washington had his hands full. In foreign affairs, Washington had to deal with yet another Anglo-French war that threatened to engulf the young United States in a war it could not afford to fight and to lose. He declared neutrality and saved his country yet again.
In the end, Washington did all the right things. In the Revolution, he rescued the infant republic at Trenton when all looked hopeless. He eventually defeated the most powerful nation on earth. He was the man who would not be king. He served his country for 8 years as President and did an awesome job.
To say that Washington was just “great” would put him in a category with other historical “greats.” Washington, the Virginian, was beyond great. He was a gift from the gods who was sent here for a purpose– to found a country, to lead a country, to stand apart from other mere mortals.
Tom Lowe
Newsletter Editor
“I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent.”
GEORGE WASHINGTON
Quick! What was the color of George Washington’s white horse?
Washington’s Home: Mt. Vernon
It’s always fun taking a little day trip and if you’re the type who doesn’t mind a little bit of driving, a trip to George Washington’s home at Mt. Vernon, Virginia is well worth the time and effort.Mt. Vernon is Washington’s plantation home on the banks of the Potomac River, just 16 miles south of Washington, D.C. I have been there twice in the last 10 years and I absolutely love it there. To get there, take 295-S to the Delaware Memorial Bridge, pick up I-95 S in Delaware, go through first Baltimore then Washington, then once you cross into Virginia, follow the signs to Mt. Vernon. It might be a good idea to go to mapquest.com before your journey. The address of the place is 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mt. Vernon, VA 22121, which is what you’ll need for mapquest to get directions.
Washington lived at Mt. Vernon from the time he married Martha is 1759 until he died there in 1799. The upstairs bedroom where he died is on display and you can even see the bed he died on.
Take your camera. The view of the mansion is stunning from any direction. I like to walk down to the Potomac, then walking back, the view of the mansion is fabulous.
Of course Washington didn’t spend as much time there as he wished– he lived in the saddle from 1775-83 during the Revolution, but he still spent many years there and just to know Washington walked the grounds (and rode them on his horse too), is good enough for this history teacher. It always gave me a better perspective on what I teach and I no longer had to rely on mind’s eye to imagine what it looked like as I tried to explain Mt. Vernon to my students. More often than not, how I imagined it was wrong. Likewise, how you may imagine it may be wrong too.
Going to Mt. Vernon is like going back in time to the 18th Century. Besides the mansion, many of the outbuildings are still existent, such as the detached kitchen (detached from the house as they usually were at that time as an open-flame hearth was much too dangerous in the main building), the stables, the carriage house, the slave quarters, etc.
There is a gift shop adjacent to the mansion and it’s a pretty decent one as gift shops go. There’s actually some worthwhile stuff inside. But most important to me were the graves of George & Martha Washington. Their tombs are visible from the gate of the mausoleum. Glancing upon the tomb of Washington was a spiritual experience for me. He is my hero and though he is long dead, it made him seem so real to me.
Just a few miles away from Mt. Vernon is Gunston Hall, the home of Washington’s friend George Mason, in Mason Neck, VA. Though Washington and Mason had a falling out in later years, Mason’s plantation home and grounds are also a work of art.
The trip to Mt. Vernon and Gunston Hall is well worth the effort. See for yourselves.
Tom Lowe
Committees and Reports:
Welcome New Post 281 Members
Joseph Ballentine Robert Bell Joseph Cain Robert Dilks Todd Dudley James Forte Steven Goldberg William Haldeman James McKernan Matthew Messina John Mink Bradley Molek Stephen Morgan Robert Negovetich Michael Saucier Robert Trevino Joseph Tully
Taps
William E. Morgan Richard L. Player
Membership Report — 2006 Dues Deadline Approaching
By the time you read this newsletter, the deadline for paying your 2006 dues will have come and gone. Reminder letters of “delinquency” have been sent to those members who have neglected to pay for this year. Those letters reminded members that dues are essential, not only for continuing Legion programs assisting needy veterans and educating the youth of our community, but also for helping influence the creation of legislation that will help veterans on the national and state levels. The letters also stated that our Post has various socials and military ceremonies throughout the year and that membership includes a subscription to the American Legion’s monthly magazine.If you have received one of those letters I refer to, and are experiencing some kind of problem of which we are unaware, please contact us, as there may be something we can do to help.
Remember, if you have not paid your dues for 2 consecutive years, your name will be removed from the Dept. of New Jersey registry and you will lose credit for continuous years membership and must start the whole membership procedure anew if you wish to rejoin. That’s more work than is necessary and should be incentive enough to keep your membership perpetually current.Ken Bausinger
Sr. Vice Commander
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New Jersey Boys State
Boys State is one of the American Legion’s proudest programs, and understandably so. A new web page has just been established and it is utterly awesome. It explains the whole program and it will be an irreplaceable tool which any prospective participant may utilize in an effort to understand the procedures and requirements involved. Please take a few minutes and visit the site. You will be amazed at what you can learn. See it at: www.aljbs.orgJerry McAllister
Service Officer
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Post 281 Initiation Ceremony
An initiation ceremony was held on 16 February for new members and those members of long standing who had not yet been initiated into the American Legion. The new members were informed of the origins, symbolism and purposes of the Legion. In addition, they were given welcome packages of information and Certificates of Initiation.Those who attended the ceremony were Henry Szwak, Charles McFadden, Leonard Wolff, Walt Carey, Warren Menewish and Anthony Sciarillo.
Refreshments followed the ceremony.
Ken Bausinger
Sr. Vice Commander
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Adopt-a-Road
Spring is here. It’s just about that time when the Post and its environs must be spruced up for our busy Memorial Day weekend. This means we will once again be asking for your help in our Adopt-A-Road project (unless I can talk someone else into serving as Chairman). I believe that this will be our 6th year in our Post’s participation in this great Camden County program and yes, we can and do make a difference in our Township by removing roadside litter. The best part is, we are rewarded with a $500 grant, when funds are available, and I believe they have been in all but one year.The clean-up area we are responsible for is a one-mile stretch of road along Somerdale Rd., from Roberts Dr. to Chews Landing Rd., and then, turning right, the stretch of Chews Landing Rd. that goes past our Post to the Black Horse Pike, an L-shaped route. There are 2 signs at either end stating this is “our section ,” one at Roberts Dr. and the other in front of our Post. Have you ever noticed them? Actually, there is presently one sign visible, as someone clipped the sign at Roberts Dr.
The more volunteers we have, the faster the clean-up goes. It usually takes about 2 hours. I have a list of volunteers from last year so I will be calling on them again.
If you would like to be a part of this very elite group, just contact me or just leave a note at the Post. Some of the guys with bad dogs just clean the Post perimeter (and the Owl cleans the creek behind the Post). Every little bit helps, and as they say, “every litter bit hurts.”
I will be contacting everyone a few weeks before Memorial Day, with a date and time so you can mark your calendars. If you can’t help us out on one of our clean-ups, then please do your part by not littering!
“Keep America Beautiful!”Jerry McAllister, Chairman
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Military Support Group of South Jersey
After missing the last few meetings, I attended the MSG’s last monthly meeting on March 10, 2006. Cdr. Fran made the previous one and he informed me that the group had the Director of the Philadelphia USO speak, informing everyone of the turmoil within the USO before she served and how things were now being straightened out. They are always looking for volunteers, so if you would like to help out, please inform me and I will put you in touch with her office.The Chews United Methodist Church, where the meetings are held, was holding a prayer vigil in another section of the church during our meeting and its goal was to pray for the deployed troops. The members dropped in on our meeting to tell us of the vigil and asked if anyone among us had any names they would like to add to their list, of which there were a few.
After the meeting was reconvened, Bruno Rescigna, who is a counseling psychotherapist with the Readjustment Counseling Services under the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, spoke on the need for a South Jersey facility. He said there are about 40,000 veterans in South Jersey who have no full-time facility. At the moment, they work out of the Camden County Veterans Affairs Office in Magnolia 2 days a week, but that is very inconvenient. He asked all who attended to contact their local politicians to ask them for their help in the goal of obtaining their own facility. The group is going to start a grass-roots effort to do just that and will be asking all of the local Veterans groups to join in this effort.
At the meeting, we were also brought up-to-date on the homecoming of local National Guard units by Colonel Al and Carmen Staino from the Marine Corps League. I also presented Karen, our very energetic, capable (and attractive) leader, with about 2 dozen Mag-Lites, including be sent to our troops. These were donated by none other than our own Ken Bausinger. Karen said that her son and his fellow Marines really appreciated the last ones they received, also through the efforts of KB, and asked if she had any more, as everyone out there seemed to want one. So Chris (Karen’s son, on his 2nd Iraqi tour) and company, they are on the way!
Eventually, parents and spouses of the deployed got together to discuss their problems and fears in a group setting. As the meeting was then winding down, I excused myself and left.
Any and all persons are invited to the Military Support Group’s meeting, regardless of whether or not you have a loved one serving in the military. The meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at 7 PM at the church on the Black Horse Pike in Chew’s Landing, within walking distance of Post 281. Donations are always welcome as Karen is constantly mailing packages to our troops. If you can help in any way, please consider attending a meeting.
Monetary donations are always welcome as the postage ranges from $7-$15 per package. It looks like we’ll have our troops over in southwest Asia for quite a long spell, and as long as there are troops serving, the Military Support Group plans to volunteer its time and effort in any way possible. God bless them and also our troops and support staff serving throughout the world in whatever capacityJerry McAllister
Service Officer
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Post 281 News and Announcements:Post 281's New Smoking Policy
The Senate and General Assembly of New Jersey have enacted the “New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act,” which prohibits smoking in all indoor public and private buildings. This went into effect on Saturday, April 15, 2006.Contrary to what some people may believe, there is NO exception for private clubs and fraternal organizations. When the law was originally proposed, there was a section which would have excluded our canteen. However, when the law was finally passed, that section had been deleted. Copies of the law, as it was approved, are available by contacting the Post Adjutant.
In order to maintain a safe, clean environment, we ask that you follow the following procedures if you are a smoker:
1) Do not smoke anywhere inside the building. This includes the vestibule in front.
2) When you are stepping outside to smoke, please use the front door, and move at least 15 feet away from the door. (This distance is not a part of the law, but it will ensure that the doorway is not blocked for people entering and exiting the Post. It’s a matter of courtesy).
3) Please use the supplied receptacles for your cigarette butts.There are fines of up to $1,000 for failing to comply with this law. If you choose to disobey the law, your canteen privileges will be suspended for the day. Repeat offenders will be referred to the Post Executive Committee for further action.
Regardless of the many various opinions around the Post concerning this controversial law, Post 281 has no choice but to comply with the law. Please remember that this is your Post, and do the right thing.
Fran McGovern, Commander
Chip Roach, Judge Advocate
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Do Nothing Party
It is time once again for the Past Commander’s annual Do Nothing Party. By now, everyone should have received a flyer and a letter explaining all about the party, along with a return envelope. If you haven’t yet purchased your ticket, please do so at your earliest convenience. We send out almost 1,000 flyers informing our Legion Family about the event, but less than 20% responded last year. I guess a lot of us are just too busy or just plain forgot. Remember, each and every donation is very important, and if everyone responded with just the minimum donation, that would take care of two of our 3 scholarships right then and there.It’s just 3 bucks a person and you could also show the flyer to other family members and friends to ask for their help too. Let them know that all the proceeds goes to scholarships sponsored by the American Legion.
There is strength in numbers and a few dollars per person adds up fast. I am sure that it would give you a good feeling, as it does us, just knowing that you helped some graduating seniors in the area in their quest to further their education. These scholarships don’t go out to the top students, the ones who end up with many scholarships, but to the students with average grades and a smaller budget who really want to advance their education. An investment in our township youth is a wise investment indeed!
Please consider our plea. The American Legion feels proud of its scholarship programs and every little bit helps. This is certainly a just cause — the education of our future leaders.
The Past Commanders
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500 Club
The Post 500 Club is one of our main fundraisers and its goal is to fund Post improvement. There always seems to be something in need of repair or needs replacing. But recently, support for the 500 Club seems to be on the downswing. We have been stuck holding many unsold tickets, which is greatly hurting our program. Our Legion Family has over 900 members and we need as many people as possible to buy or sell a ticket or two. Quite a few tickets are sold by members to family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. You need not be a Post member to win. Please help your Post in this endeavor.Some of our newer members might not be familiar with how the club works, so let me explain. We need to sell 500 tickets at $20 each. Each week for 10 weeks there will be a drawing, two each of $75, $25, $15 and $10 prizes.
In the first week drawing, there will be a bonus drawing of ten $10 prizes for all ticket holders. In the 5th week drawing, there will also be a special drawing of one $500 and ten $50 prizes. In the 10th and final week, along with the regular drawing, one ticket is picked for a $1,000 grand prize, plus ten $100 winners.
In addition to all this, at the last drawing, there will be a “Grand Prize Drawing Party.” All ticket holders are invited. You can have a good old time as you sample our buffet and meet old and new friends.
You need not be present to win any of the prizes. So all those chances for just 20 bucks!
If you would like a ticket for the next drawing, just call the Post and a ticket will be mailed to you.
Dick Mayland
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Barbecue Grill Raffle
A barbecue grille will be raffled off on May, 29, 2006. Raffle tickets are $1 each, or 6 tickets for $5. All proceeds will benefit the Dave Bowers Memorial Scholarship Fund. The barbecue grill comes with 2 large Delmonico steaks, 5 lbs. ground sirloin, 5 lbs. sausage and 5 lbs. boneless chicken breast.
Purchase tickets at the Post canteen. Support a good cause. Get your tickets soon and impress your neighbors with a really cool grille.
Look at this grill! Isn’t she beautiful? Imagine the wild parties and barbecues you can have with this baby on your patio! Oooohh, look at the sleek lines, the contours, the…
Rock 'n Roll Heaver Welcomes New Member
On April 5, 2006, I received a phone call from a dear old friend telling me of the passing of Gene Pitney, that guy with the distinctive and incredible voice that one hears in only a handful of singers. His voice was a gift, so rare and so unique that only singers such as Roy Orbison, Karen Carpenter and Mama Cass shared a lofty cloud with him. Well now they really are on a cloud together, or however you regard your own version of rock ’n’ roll heaven.
Pitney sang “Town Without Pity,” “Backstage,” “Looking Through the Eyes of Love” and “24 Hours From Tulsa,” just to name a few. Most of his hits came out in the 1960s.
Pitney became popular in the UK after his popularity began to wane in the US. He was on tour there and died in Wales, after singing in concert the night before. He will be sorely missed. Now here’s a guy who should be in the Post jukebox. Pitney’s high tenor voice was absolutely beautiful. Now we just have his recordings. Better than nothing…
Tom Lowe, Editor
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Rebuild a Bowling Alley and They Will Come
Down in Vineland, NJ, at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home is a 4-lane bowling alley just sitting there in disrepair. You would figure that those responsible for the building and upkeep of the home, the good old State of New Jersey, would foot the bill and just repair the facilities, no questions asked. But no, it’s not quite that easy. In a state where we have so many casinos that taxes in this state should be among the lowest in the nation, they are the highest. All the while each succeeding governor who comes to Trenton bitches and complains about budget shortfalls and how the good old overtaxed middle class must once again foot the bill with higher taxes. In the meantime, those fat state budgets rarely if ever include increases for the veterans and their needs– even to fix a 4-lane bowling alley. The veterans get shortchanged yet again.But thanks to a guy named Steve Kearns, the veterans at the Vineland Home may get their bowling alley working once again. Kearns, 50, a diesel mechanic from Lindenwold has been on a mission to raise money to repair the facilities. After pleading with local officials, congressmen and county officials, who didn’t help at all, and after consulting the Brunswick Bowling Alley Co. in Illinois, who gave Kearns a free estimate on repairs, Kearns decided to solicit the repair money himself. He needs $83,000. He is asking veterans organizations, the Boy Scouts, local businesses and private people to help.
If you can help, a fund has been set up at the Vineland Vets Home where checks can be sent directly. Make checks payable to:
NJVMH Welfare Fund
524 Northwest Blvd.
Vineland, NJ 08360.
…or call Lois Ballurio at 856-405-4213.
Tom Lowe, Editor
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Newsletter Deadline
All articles and reports for the Summer edition of the newsletter are due on June 21. We issue the newsletter on a seasonal basis, and the best way to remember the deadlines is to keep in the mind the first day of the season. but you don’t have to wait until then, get them in early!
Tom Lowe
Editor
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Happy Birthday
If you know someone special turning 80 or older, the White House Greetings Office will send him/her a birthday card on behalf of the President. Just submit your request in writing 4-6 weeks before the special day. Include name, salutation (Mr., Mrs., etc), birth date, complete address of the recipient and phone number of the person requesting the card. Mail requests to:
White House Greetings Office
OEOB, Rm. 39
Washington, DC 20500
Or fax to (202) 395-1232
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Last Call for 2006 Dues is now!
Renew your dues for 2006! Send them is ASAP and remain a member of the best Post in South Jersey!
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Visit our Post Canteen...
...the food is great and the camaraderie is too. And the jukebox is awesome! It has a cool selection of “The Hollies,” “Eagles,” “Bob Dylan,” “The Beatles,” “The Rolling Stones,” “Fleetwood Mac” and others. Treat your ears to some great tunes and maybe drown out that obnoxious dude yakkin’ your ear off.
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U.S. Flags are For Sale at the Post
US Flags are for sale at the Post. Order some new flags for the front porch, after they have taken a beating all Winter. Fly a new flag, not an old one.
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Post 281 Calendar
All functions are at the Post unless otherwise noted. APRIL 2006 Date Time Event April 28 7:00 PM Annual Awards Night
MAY 2006Date Time Event May 2 7:30 PM Regular SAL Meeting May 3 7:30 PM Regular Post Meeting May 10 7:30 PM Regular Auxiliary Meeting and Initiation Ceremony May 13 5:00 PM Post 281 Installation of Officers May 17 7:30 PM Honor Guard Meeting May 20 Armed Forces Day May 26 8:30 AM Triton High School Memorial Service May 26 1:00 PM Glendora School Parade May 28 7:00 AM Township Grave Flagging for Memorial Day May 29 8:00 AM Memorial Day Services May 31 7:30 PM Executive Board
JUNE 2006Date Time Event June 4 1:00 PM Convention Work Party June 6 7:30 PM Regular SAL Meeting June 7-10 Department of New Jersey Convention in Wildwood June 14 7:30 PM Regular Post Meeting June 14 8:00 PM Flag Disposal Ceremony June 21 7:30 PM Honor Guard Meeting June 21 Summer Newsletter reports and articles due; 1st day of summer June 23 7:30 AM Post Golf Outing June 28 7:30 PM Executive Board
JULY 2006Date Time Event July 4 Indpendence Day July 4 7:30 PM Regular SAL Meeting July 5 7:30 PM Regular Post Meeting July 12 7:30 PM Regular Auxiliary Meeting July 19 7:30 PM Honor Guard Meeting July 25 7:30 PM Executive Board
Coming Events :
June Meeting Reminder
Due to the Deptartment Convention, Post 281's regular June meeting will be held on June 14 at the Post Hall, followed by a flag disposal ceremony.
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Annual Awards Night
Post 281 will hold its annual community awards night on Friday, April 28, 2006 at 7:00 PM.
Refreshments will follow.
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Annual Installation of Officers
Saturday, May 13 at 5:00 PM
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Memorial Day Services
May 28-29 at 7:00 AM
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Department Convention in Wildwood, NJ
June 7 - 10, 2006
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Post 281 Golf Outing
June 23 at 7:30 AM
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Auxiliary Unit 281 News:
The Auxiliary Unit 281 newsletter is available as a pdf download.
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S.A.L. Squadron Commander's Report:
I would like to thank all of the people who have assisted me during my 2 years as SAL Commander. I have found the experience both challenging and rewarding. I would also like to thank the SAL Executive Board for all their support in my tenure of office and all SAL members who had volunteered their time and energy.I would like to remind all of the SAL’s to make time to stop by our American Legion convention June 7-10 in Wildwood.
Thanks to all those who attended the St. Patty’s Day Party on March 18. The event was again a huge success. Everyone had fun, especially the winner of the 50-50, Frank McCoppolino, and of course Dick Mayland, who danced his “Irish Mist Jig” for all to see.
Our Post 281 Dart League starts soon, and don’t forget to attend the Post’s Annual Awards Night on April 28.
Over the course of the past 2 years, the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 281 has made great strides in becoming a very visible and viable part of Post 281. I urge all of my fellow SAL members to stay the course and remember our responsibility to help out those veterans who unselfishly gave of themselves so that we may enjoy our freedom.
Finally, I would like to wish upcoming SAL Commander Skip Lowe good luck. I know he’ll do another great job.Tim Stillman
SAL Commander
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