Auxiliary President – Sharon Pierson  

• NMSVH Resident’s Dinner night: December 4^th we were pleased to welcome 8 residents and 2 helpers from the veteran’s home for Wednesday night dinner. We extend a big “thank you” to Tuff Whitfield for performing “God Bless the USA” as a sing-a-long. Everyone got in on the fun, including a veteran or two in their wheel chairs!
• Junior Auxiliary Members: This year we have a wonderful group of Juniors who are meeting monthly on the 2^nd Sunday of the month at 6:30pm at the Post. Not only did they sign enough Christmas cards to put one in each Care Package – they also signed cards for the Veteran’s Home Christmas Party. Junior member Alexis Conklin prepared enough homemade hard candy to include in each of the 59 care packages sent out in December. The Juniors are working on their own “Chain of Accomplishments” and are brainstorming on ways they can raise enough money to attend Convention in June – Go Girls!!! We are so very proud of each of you!

Christie Conklin (pictured here at the far right) has graciously agreed to take on the Junior Activities Chairmanship and is doing an excellent job. Believe me, this is not an easy job when you consider these gals all have different schedules. So please, give Christie a “thank you” and “well done” next time you see her.

• Care Packages: As you all know, Care Packages to overseas troops has been an ongoing project for our Unit since 2003, a project initiated by Marty Novak, past Unit 44 Chaplain and Liz Nellis, past Unit 44 President. This project has become well known throughout our community and many different persons (not all Unit/Post members) show up on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month to aid in the preparation and shipping of these packages. Post 44’s Legionnaire Charity Committee donates the postage and more each month, and other persons/businesses in our community contribute goods and/or funds to keep this project going. We have mailed more than 7,200 packages since inception and have received countless letters, thank you cards, notes and emails in return, expressing gratitude. Not only for giving “a little touch of home” to those so far away from home, but for showing our patriotism and support.

This past month we have received two US flags (both flown over Afghanistan in our honor on November 11^th – Veteran’s Day) with Certificates of Appreciation, from 2 different care package recipients and their units. Additionally, we have received a Certificate of Appreciation to “American Legion Auxiliary Unit 44” from Air Force Central – signed by Lt. General J.W. Hesterman III, Brigadier General D. Fountain and Colonel B.C. Morrow, for our outstanding support of the Combined Air and Space Operation Center; Al Udeid Air Base. Ladies, this certificate arrived in an envelope addressed to “Angels on the Homefront”. I could not be more proud of our unit than I am, and I hope you feel the same.

One more thing to be very proud of is the email we received from 1^st Lt. USAF Sean Christy, stationed at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, on December 19^th thanking us for our Care Packages and “making things a little easier”. Lt. Christy included a video attachment of his entire unit (47 members) wishing us a “Merry Christmas”. We’ve posted the video on both the Auxiliary and Post facebook pages, please take the time to view it.

• Booth at Martha’s Gift Shop: On December 13^th, from 6pm-9pm, we hosted a booth during the “Old Fashioned Christmas” in TorC, at Martha’s Gift Shop. We informed people about our Care Package project and the American Legion Auxiliary. We accepted donations to the care package program and handed out membership applications to qualifying individuals.
• Luminaria:  December 14^th was the annual Luminaria Beach Walk for Elephant Butte and the American Legion Post 44 family hosted a campsite. The Auxiliary baked hundreds (and hundreds) of mini pecan pie muffins, the Riders provided countless cups of hot chocolate and the Legionnaires handed out Sloppy Joe sliders by the hundreds! Thank you Al & Kathy Norton for all the work setting up the Legionnaires’ section and staying to pass out Sloppy Joes throughout the evening. A big thank you to Chuck Druce for setting up the Rider’s section and to Carolyn Mayfield/Druce (Legionnaire & Rider) for providing karaoke and giving the passing children a chance to “show off” by singing their favorite Christmas Carols. It was a big favorite and the American Legion campsite was a huge success!
• Appreciation Goodie Trays – Each year Unit 44 has baked (and baked and baked and baked) to put together Goodie trays for our school teachers, the newspapers, post office, fire departments, sheriff’s department and others, who have done so much for us and the community throughout the year. This year was no exception. On December 18^th several Auxiliary members got together at the Post to put together these trays. Big thanks to each and every member who baked and/or helped put the trays together and then deliver them.
• NMSVH Christmas Party – It certainly was a busy month, so the day after we prepared appreciation trays we were back at the Post preparing Christmas packages for each of the residents at the NMSVH. This year, in addition to the usual home baked goodies, we placed Christmas cards – signed by Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary members, as well as socks and personal care products, in each sack. The next day several senior and junior members were at the Veteran’s Home at 2pm to help with their Christmas Party.

• UPCOMING EVENTS
• NMSVH Residents for dinner –. Since the first Wednesday of the month in January is on New Year’s Day we have moved the date to the second Wednesday, January 8^th. Please stop by and welcome these special visitors and thank them for their service.
• BUNCO – For the month of January we are dropping the BUNCO entry price to $5.00!!!!!!! So come on out and join us for 4 hours of fun, food and $2 Margaritas. We’ll be playing, as always, on the second Thursday of the month, January 9^th, from 1-5pm.

 Auxiliary Membership Report-Linda Nenno

Membership is going well, but we still need 65 renewals or new members to meet our 100% goal.  Remember, your card expired December 31, 2013, so get those renewals in so that you can enjoy the post in the coming year.  Your pink key card is no longer good for the door.  You will have to obtain a new one from the bartender and you will need a current membership card to do so.  I hope you all had a great Holiday Season and look forward to a wonderful New Year

The Chaplain’s Corner – Linda Ross

PRAYER FOR THE MILITARY:  O God Almighty, we ask that you will strengthen and protect the members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.  May their devotion and loyalty to you and to their home-land inspire them in moments of challenge, and comfort them in tribulation and long separation from loved ones.  And finally, we ask that they may return safely to serve you and our Country in the days and years to come.
Amen

PRAYER FOR THE ILL:  O God of the strength of the weak and the sufferers, mercifully accept our prayers on behalf of our comrades.  Grant them, if it be your will, the blessing of a swift recovery. Amen

GET WELL WISHES:  Roy Lucero, Cathy Mitchell , Sofio Trujillo, Butch Walters, Jerry Light, Maida’s grandson, Ruth Handlin, Wyatt Slanina, grandson of TD and Pat Knull, Brenda, (Sharon Pierson’s sister), Davonna Stoner, and Rick Harrison.

CONDOLENCES:  To Margaret Simone on the loss of her son, William.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Marge Roady. She was a great lady who lived life to the fullest. She will be missed by her American Legion family. RIP Marge.

 Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the chaos that man creates; look mercifully upon us as we go about our daily lives, teach us to apply Thy wisdom to things, guide us in our dealings with our fellow men, and give us renewed strength when we seem to falter along the way; in Thy holy name we pray.  Amen

There is no such thing as human wisdom; all is the providence of God.—

  President John Adams

 

Care Packages and Cell Phones: Marty Novak

We sent 59 Care Packages in December.  Thanks to all  the people who came to help pack the boxes and all those who made cookies and candies to help fill those boxes with love from home.  We had cards made by the school children and cards signed by the Juniors for the boxes.  What a day it was!  And what a great group of helpers!  When Liz Nellis and I started this project 10 years ago with 14 boxes, we had no idea it was going to still be going 10 years later and that we would have sent just under 7200 Care Packages.  I think it would have scared us…it definitely would have scared me…to think it would get so big.  But these Care Packages mean so much to the Troops who receive them and we have so much help through donations that somehow we are able to do it and we need to continue to do it.  I am so proud of our American Legion Family for the help and support it gives to us.  Thank you all.  And thank you to all those in the community who donate to our Care Packages to the Troops project.  It takes us all to do this.

Anyone is welcome to join us for Care Packages.  It’s a lot of fun.  Our next Care Package packing day is January 8.  We arrive about 10:30 to start arranging the supplies and start packing shortly after that.  It takes about an hour to finish.

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS

We are still collecting used cell phones.  These are sent for recycling and provide calling cards for our Troops.  There is a collection container in the entry way of the Post.  Last month we received 200 calling cards to be sent in the Care Packages.

Merry Christmas to all….and to all a healthy, happy, prosperous New Year

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