FIRST VICE | GEORGE CHRISTENSEN

The primary responsibility of the 1st Vice Commander is membership. Not only bringing in new members but also being available for current members. We are on step closer to kicking off our buddy check phone campaign. At our last business meeting I had two comrades volunteer to help with the phone campaign. My plan is to have ten callers with ten names of members to contact. If you would like participate in this effort please contact the Adjutant.

The Adjutant reported recently the he has been on some social media sites corresponding with younger veterans. He reported that they didn’t really see a need to join the Legion. We need to remind these fellow veterans that many of the veteran benefits they use and have available are because of lobbying efforts by the American Legion. Where else can they get an advocate to lobby for them for the low price of an annual membership. Here are some bullet points to use:

The legislative division of the American Legion promotes the organization’s positions and recommendations ot congress.

The American Legion strongly advocates for additional legislation to improve the lives of veterans, servicemembers, and their families.

The American Legion gives Legislative testimony delivering the voice of the veteran t o lawmakers. Here is an example:

Currently, combat-injured veterans face a reduction in their retirement pay for every dollar of disability compensation they receive. The Major Richard Star Act aims to rectify this by allowing combat-injured veterans to receive both their earned retirement pay and disability compensation without offset.

The American Legion is running a grass roots campaign to ensure this measure has support in both the House and Senate.

Let’s help our younger veterans understand this vital role the legion plays and how their membership supports these efforts.