Frank A. Johnson American Legion Post 758 Blog

jcnylegionpost758 — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:54:42 +0000

Post 758 Family Newsletter for 1^st Quarter 2008

http://jcnylegionpost758.wordpress.com

Dave McDonald, Post Commander-I want to start out 2008 by telling you about our Worker Appreciation Dinner, which is scheduled for Sunday, February 10, 2008. Social hour begins around 3; dinner begins around 4. I’m so impressed with the dedication of our Legionnaires, Auxiliary Members and Sons. The Worker Appreciation Dinner will give the workers a chance to socialize and visit the Post Home without being called upon to work. This is our way to thank all of you who give of your time and talent to make Post 758 what it is.

Jim Muska, SAL Squadron Commander-

POST MEETINGS: Second Tuesday of the month from September-June at 7:30 pm. Special meetings can be called from time to time. We can use your good ideas, so please consider attending this month.

BINGO:-Every Friday Night, 7 PM.

LEGION FACILITIES RENTALS: For weddings and gatherings for private and non-profit organizations, call Jim Muska at 607-797-3513 for more details and available dates. Members of our Legion Family in good standing get a discount on the hall rental. On the Facilities & Food Service page of the blog, you’ll see pictures of the main hall, where you could have your next party, reception or gathering.

ONGOING EVENTS:

Pancake Breakfast Buffets (8am-noon, 3^rd Sundays of the month):

February 16

March 16

April 21

May 18

June 15–last of 2007-2008 season

What would YOU like to see our Post do?

POST ELECTIONS: This is your chance to choose the Post Leadership. The election process begins with a nominating petition, which must be turned in and filled out correctly before the election, which is slated for the May meeting. We’ll have more details on our Post 758 Blog.

In the printed version, you’d see a picture from “Power for the Troops 3″ that has been already posted to our Post 758 Blog. The latest information is posted, sometimes within minutes to the blog, so our reminder about going to the blog is very important, since this is how Post 758 will be communicating with its family in the future–and we need to get used to this change right now.

SPECIAL EVENTS: Our Power For The Troops III Battery Collection Drive in December yielded 9,800 donations of “AA” and “AAA” alkaline batteries for troops in Southwest Asia. Since 2005, Post 758 has sent 17, 245 of them to bring a little off-duty enjoyment to the men and women who stand between us and those who want to destroy our way of life. Thanks to the Fairy Godmother Brigade, Hatfield Quality Meats, Crowley Foods/HP Hood, Behlog & Son Produce, the 204^th Engineer Battalion Association for sending the batteries overseas, and all who donated and helped Jim Muska in the kitchen and clean up. This is the kind of activity that builds good will for our post. An active post family plans and executes successful activities, which attracts new and retains renewing members.

BOYS STATE: The leadership experience that Boys State provides looks good on a college application, and it’s useful in the real world, too. If you know of a young man who wants to gain that experience (this is where our leaders of tomorrow get their start), please let one of our Post Officers know soon so they can talk to the principal of the young man’s school. Our deadline for nomination of candidates is also in April–it’s not too early to be thinking about Boys State, and the good it does for not just the young men, but society as well.

BLUE STAR MOMS, DADS AND GRANDPARENTS: Please let your sons, daughters and grandchildren who are serving our country know we would be honored to have them join our Post.

MEMBERSHIP: From a small start, the American Legion grew into the world’s largest veterans organization simply by other Legionnaires asking others to join our ranks. We can do so much more with more members. If you have renewed your membership, or asked an eligible veteran to join, thanks. As of January, 2008, our percentage of quota was: 79% (167/212). It is never too early to renew, nor is it too early to consider a Paid Up for Life Membership.

SICK CALL: Our first vice commander, Stan Smith, is currently at the Syracuse, NY Veterans Administration Medical Center undergoing tests and treatment. You can call the center at 315-425-4400, press “0″ and ask for Stan, or shoot Stan a card at the VA Center, 800 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210.

POST EVERLASTING: We honor those members who passed on to their final reward:

Robert Yeager

Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

Well done, good and faithful servants!

HAIL & FAREWELL: Lorraine Bailey, our former Auxiliary Unit President, has transferred from Unit 758 for personal reasons. All of us thank Lorraine for her contributions to our Post Family, and wish her well in her new endeavors.

ADVERTISING: We have space available in this newsletter for advertisers who wish to reach our Post 758 Family (Legionnaires, Auxiliary Members and Sons) with their advertising message or show of support. Please call the Post Home or e-mail the editor (2^nd Vice Paul Kaminski) for rates, deadlines and requirements. His e-mail address is motorsportsradio@msrpk.com .

OUR NEXT FAMILY NEWSLETTER WILL BE PUBLISHED IN MAY, 2008. The Publication Deadline for e-mailed articles will be May 10 (earlier is always better); print articles on paper will be due on April 25.

Published by Frank A. Johnson American Legion Post 758, 429 Main Street, Johnson City, NY 13790

Telephone 607-770-1979

IN BETWEEN NEWSLETTERS, YOU CAN GO TO THE POST 758 BLOG TO GET THE LATEST INFORMATION:

http://jcnylegionpost758.wordpress.com

ALSO, WE CAN SEND THIS NEWSLETTER TO YOU BY E-MAIL AS A PDF FILE, WHICH CAN BE READ IN Adobe Acrobat, AND IS VIRUS FREE. IT WOULD ALSO SAVE YOUR POST THE COST OF MAILING, SO WE CAN USE THE FUNDS TO HELP OUR MEMBERS, OUR VETERANS, OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN. LET US KNOW YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS SO WE CAN SIGN YOU UP!

Sick Call

jcnylegionpost758 — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:42:31 +0000

Our First Vice Commander, Stan Smith, is a patient at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Syracuse, undergoing tests and treatments. We spoke with him on 1/14, and think he’d appreciate a call or card. You can call the VA Center at 315-425-4400, and ask for the operator, who’ll put you through to him. If you’d like to send a card, you can send it to Stan, in care of the VA Medical Center, 800 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210.

Hail & Farewell

jcnylegionpost758 — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:39:08 +0000

Lorraine Bailey, our immediate former Auxiliary Unit President, has transferred from Unit 758 for personal reasons. All of us in the Legion family thank Lorraine for her contributions to the Post 758 Family, and wish her well in her new endeavors. We will, of course, continue to keep her and Jim in our thoughts and prayers.

Worker Appreciation Party February 10

jcnylegionpost758 — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:36:20 +0000

We’re bringing back our Worker Appreciation Gathering/Party/Dinner at the Post Home on February 10. Commander Dave says it’s important for the workers to have a chance to socialize, and visit the Post Home without having to work on some project or function–it’s a way of saying thanks. The plans are to have a social hour from 3-4, and then dinner (Jim Muska’s cooking–you KNOW the food will be good) afterward. To make sure we don’t miss any of our valuable volunteers, Commander Dave says those volunteers who haven’t yet received a letter should call Jane & Don Sturdevant at 607-797-3072 to make arrangements if they will be able to attend. By the way, the Super Bowl will be the week before.

Post Everlasting

jcnylegionpost758 — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:29:31 +0000

We honor our comrade ROBERT FAYE, who has been called to Post Everlasting:

Here are the details from pressconnects.com:

http://www.legacy.com/pressconnects/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=100182527

Well done, good and faithful servant!

9800+ Batteries=Big Time “Power For The Troops”

jcnylegionpost758 — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:22:02 +0000

The Crew at 758: From Left to Right: Carol Mc Murray, Auxiliary Activities Chair, Don Sturdevant, Chaplain, Stan Smith, First Vice Commander, Jim Muska, SAL Commander and Chef for our Legendary Pancake Breakfast Buffet, Donna Pandich, leader and pixie in charge of the Fairy Godmother Brigade (who helped us box and seal all of those boxes, and spearheaded the collection of 6529 on Thursday, December 20), Past Commander Dick O’ Donnell (who helps keep the place pointed in the right direction), Past Commander Hal Chrisler, (whose dedication to Post 758 I hope to match someday) Commander Dave McDonald, and Jeff Spring, Treasurer of the 204th Engineer Battalion Association, who’s helping Post 758 to send those batteries.

We ended up with 9800 batteries when all of the donations were finally totalled. We fed 170 people, and were mentioned a lot, by our kumotre Bill Flynn on Cool 100.

You might want to check out our three local television stations for coverage on the air and on line:

http://www.wbng.com

http://www.newschannel34.com

http://www.wicz.com

As we find out about other video, we’ll link to it.

Power For The Troops III–Midweek Collection Report

jcnylegionpost758 — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:42:53 +0000

NewsChannel 34 (http://www.newschannel34.com) and Action News (http://www.wbng.com) visited the Post home on Thursday, December 20, to see a wonderful and visible manifestation of generosity. Donna Pandich and the Fairy Godmother Brigade worked some big time magic, and brought in a donation of 6,529 batteries. Here’s NewsChannel 34′s Peter Quinn behind the camera taking video of the close to 7400 batteries we have now in the house:

As of right now, we have almost as many batteries in the Post Home, as we sent overseas in the past two years (7,445). If Sunday is any indication, we will really have a great collection and beat our past record, thanks to your generosity. The men and women who will get these batteries will appreciate them in a way that most of you will never know. We hope you will be convinced to donate “AA” and “AAA” alkaline batteries for the troops on Sunday, December 23rd, and at the same time, enjoy one of Johnson City’s traditions–the Post 758 All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast Buffet, of which it is said, “If you go away hungry from Post 758 it is not our fault”. Bill Flynn sends his regrets that he cannot broadcast live from our Post Home because we had to reschedule to this weekend…which is one of his busiest on Cool 100. Bill is always welcome at Post 758, whenever his schedule permits.

You may ask “Why alkalines? Aren’t super heavy duty batteries good enough?” For what the troops need, the answer is a resounding NO! We’re donating batteries to power off duty electronic equipment, of which the makers specify at minimum, alkaline batteries, for recommended power.

We at Post 758 can also accept donations of batteries on BINGO night, December 21. We hope you’ll visit our Post Home on Sunday.

Power For The Troops III Rescheduled to December 23; Mid Week Collection on December 20 added

jcnylegionpost758 — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:29:09 +0000

Power For The Troops III has been rescheduled to Sunday, December 23, 2007 at the Post Home, 429 Main Street, Johnson City, from 8am to Noon. Our Post Leadership made the decision based on the weather forecast for Sunday, December, 16, and concern for the safety of those who would normally attend the pancake breakfast buffet.

This rescheduling will give people another chance to make a donation of “AA” and “AAA” alkaline batteries on that Sunday. Your vice commander and blogmeister will also be accepting donations of “AA” and “AAA” alkaline batteries on Thursday, December 20 at the Post Home from 5-8 pm. You may, as our friends from Post 1194 did (THANKS!), also donate while the Post Home is open for bingo on Fridays from 5 PM on.

Power For The Troops III Weather Update–12/13/2007

jcnylegionpost758 — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:30:48 +0000

We suspect you’ve seen/heard the weather forecast for our “Power For The Troops III” weekend (December 16, 2007). So have we. We’re monitoring the National Weather Service, AccuWeather, The Weather Channel and Weather Underground to keep up with the forecasts. There is a possibility of heavy snow in the forecast for Sunday the 16th.

As of now, we’ll continue to plan for the Sunday Pancake Breakfast and Power For The Troops III as scheduled on Sunday, December 16 (8-noon), with a backup date of 12/23/2007 in case the event must be postponed. We at the Post, will make any decision to postpone not later than 10 am on Saturday, December 15. We’ll get the information on our decision out to WNBF (1290 AM), since they have a 7 day a week news operation, Cool 100 (for Bill Flynn), WINR (680 AM) (Don Giovanni Program if it is not a “best of” edition), and the three television stations plus News 10 Now. And obviously, we’ll update you here. Your “AA” and “AAA” alkaline batteries are still needed and appreciated by our men and women who stand between us and our enemies–we’ll get ‘em to those men and women with your help!

Post 758 In the News–Dialed In on XM 144/If you can’t make it on 12/16

jcnylegionpost758 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:07:41 +0000

Our friend Claire B. Lang called the studio this morning; she and your blogmeister had a conversation about “Power For The Troops III” which will run during Claire’s program on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 144 sometime between 4 & 7 pm Eastern Time. Her audience, like some of you, may not be able to stop by the Post Home (429 Main Street, Johnson City NY 13790) on December 16th for “Power For The Troops III”. If you want to contribute, you can send batteries (“AA” & “AAA” alkalines only) to our address, or if you’d like, you can send a monetary contribution to Post 758 and mark it: “for batteries for the Troops”, and we’ll take it from there.

The address again:

Power For The Troops III

Frank A Johnson American Legion Post 758

429 Main Street

Johnson City, NY 13790

The telephone number for the Post is 607-770-1979

The soldiers who will get and enjoy these batteries, as they power off duty equipment, will thank you for thinking of them.