American Legion Post 24 Monthly Meeting
17 March 2020 – Minutes
The meeting was held remotely by electronic means due to restrictions imposed by the Department of New Hampshire which canceled all Post gatherings until 15 April because of COVID 19.
Roll Call:
| POST COMMANDER | Trent Boehmler | PRESENT |
| SENIOR VICE COMMANDER | Michael Ball | ABSENT |
| JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER | Jerry Branch | ABSENT |
| ADJUTANT | Dana Whitehouse | PRESENT |
| HISTORIAN | Dana Whitehouse | PRESENT |
| CHAPLAIN | Leo Plante | PRESENT |
| FINANCE OFFICER | Trent Boehmler | EXCUSED |
| SERGEANT AT ARMS | Brian Durocher | ABSENT |
| SERVICE OFFICER | Charlie Seaver | PRESENT |
| JUDGE ADVOCATE | Barry Furnival | PRESENT |
Other members present:
S.A.L. members present: None
Auxiliary members present: None
Special Guests:
Reading of past minutes: Suspended
Committee Reports:
Finance:
- Our Vanguard funds produced $190.00 in interest income in February.
- The funds balance at 29 February 2020 was $94,507.00.
- Scholarship Account: $3000.00
- Operating Fund: $2,591.94
Scholarship Committee: No Report
Legion School Award: Complete
Membership Committee: No Report
Race Committee:
Coordinated with MAGP and Tri-State Racing and set Saturday 22 August for 9th Annual Marlborough Mad Dash. Post is required to send Tri-State Racing a $100.00 deposit for services. Other costs to consider:
- Timing Services
- Post Cards
- T-Shirts
- Port-a-Johns
- Prizes
Web Master:
Will start working on the Mad Dash website and update the Post website with new information
Boys/Girls State Committee:
- 2020 tuition will be $335
- 21 – 26 June 2020 at St Anselm College
- Girls State – same dates/same venue
- Sent applications to Dublin Christian Academy (DCA) and Dublin School to solicit applicants
Texas Hold-Em:
Commander sent charity coordinator an email asking when the Post could start this year’s paperwork. Last year the date was 1 April – still waiting for reply
Senior Vice: No Report
Junior Vice: No Report
Post Service Officer:
- Suspended all hospital and nursing home visits because of Corona Virus
Chaplain:
- Dublin voters approved increase in property tax credit for veterans. Special thanks to Jerry for help in getting signatures.
- Support Four Pillars of the American Legion but with a greater weight on serving veterans and their families.
- We are a veterans organization, not the Lions or Rotary Club. Our primary mission is to serve veterans and their families. Good examples of veterans serving veterans were the successful petitions in Swanzey and Dublin to increase veteran property tax credits. Believe that we should work more closely with small posts in the area that are also seeing declining membership. For example, conduct a joint ceremony and picnic with other area posts on Flag Day.
- With regards to finances, the Post policy is to maintain a minimum fund balance of $91,000.00 (the net proceeds from the sale of the post home). Our current balance is $94,507.00 and there is more than $5,000.00 in the operating fund. We should devote more of these funds to veteran organizations like the Cathedral, Liberty House, the state Veterans Home in Tilton and individual veterans in our area. Limit ourselves to one purely community activity per year. Be sensitive to the fact that many active members of the Post do not live in Marlborough.
- Will not continue as Post Finance Officer due to the demands of running a political campaign in the coming months. (Will be running for the NH House of Representatives from Cheshire 9 –Jaffrey, Dublin, Harrisville, and Roxbury.)
- Would like to continue to serve as Post Chaplain and will continue to enthusiastically support the Post’s missions and events.
Former Commander: No Report
Post Historian: No Report
Post Judge Advocate: No Report
Graves Registration: No Report
Sick Call: No Report
American Legion Riders: No Report
Community Breakfast: Cancelled
Unfinished Business:
- Memorial Day Requirements
- Memorial Day is 25 May. Will Post have Memorial Service and Parade on the 23rd or 24th?
- Has the marching band and bag piper been reserved?
- Street flags are all serviceable and can be used for another year
- May need to purchase a small amount of cemetery flags
- Flag Pole Holders
- Town approved $1000.00 to replace flag pole holders along Main Street.
- An approximate cost for new holders is $2200.00. Post is responsible for additional cost.
- Contact Jim Valez to assist with replacing the lanyard on the flag pole at the Frost Free Library.
New Business:
- Chaplain made a motion the the Post donate $500.00 to the Cathedral of the Pines to help with their restoration and expansion efforts. Junior Vice Commander Branch seconded the motion. Charlie Seaver proposed that the amount donated be $200.00. Membership voted by email and approved the $200.00 donation to the Cathedral with an option to donate more in the future.
- Commander requested that the Post host the April Free Community Meal. Menu will consist of pizza, salad and ice cream cups. Cost to host the meal will be about $150.00. Membership agreed in principle to host another meal, but expressed doubts about doing it in April due to the ongoing virus.
- Commander Boehmler introduced Scout Jack Lyons Eagle Scout Project which is to refurbish the Marlborough Softball Field Bleachers (See attachment). Commander made motion that the Post donate $500.00 to the project. The motion was seconded by Service Officer Seaver but for the amount of $200.00. The motion was put to a vote and a donation of $200.00 was approved.
- Membership showed support for the list of 2020 Post activities, but due to the current Corona Virus threat it was recommended that activities be scaled back since it is unknown when the Post would be back to normal operations.
Correspondence: None
Good of the Legion:
- The following members were nominated in February to the billets listed below for 2020:
.
| POST COMMANDER | Trent Boehmler |
| SENIOR VICE COMMANDER | Michael Ball |
| JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER | Jerry Branch |
| ADJUTANT | Dana Whitehouse |
| HISTORIAN | Dana Whitehouse |
| CHAPLAIN | Leo Plante |
| VANGUARD/FINANCE OFFICER | Vacant |
| SERGEANT AT ARMS | Brian Durocher |
| SERVICE OFFICER | Charlie Seaver |
| JUDGE ADVOCATE | Barry Furnival |
- During the March meeting which was held electronically, all members listed above (with the exception of Leo Plante who declined to continue serving as the Finance Officer), agreed to continuing serving in their current billets. The motion being made and seconded that these officers would continue to serve throughout 2020, a vote was taken and passed by membership.
Commander Comments:
- Per guidance passed by the Department of New Hampshire, the Post will suspend all future meetings and gatherings until authorized to do so by the Department.
- Will recommend to the District Commander that the Post decline a formal Installation of Officers this year and move forward with normal business when authorized.
Reports Due:
|
REPORT TITLE |
DUE DATE |
SUBMITTED |
| Consolidated Post Report |
June 2019 |
|
| Post Officers Report |
April 2019 |
|
| Post Officers Certification of Service Record |
April 2019 |
|
| Annual Post Data Report |
April 2019 |
|
| District Constitution and By-Laws Review |
As Required |
|
| Nonprofit Report |
31 Dec 2018 |
|
| Community House Contract Renewal |
1 Jan 2020 |
Jan 2019 |
| Ceremonial Rifle Inventory |
Aug 2021 |
Upcoming Events: TBD
Adjournment: N/A
Respectfully submitted:
D. A. Whitehouse
Adjutant
Croteau-Coutts Post 24