Auxiliary- President- Linda Nenno-575-642-6161

Our April dinner for Veterans was extra special this month. In addition to our usual group of Veterans from NMSVH, we hosted 7 active Marines who were training in our area. I hope they enjoyed their meal and our hospitality.

Four Auxiliary members attended the District 7 meeting in Silver City. New officers for the 2016-2017 year were elected and Unit president’s reports were shared. Naida Neeley, winner of the Oratorical contest, gave a speech on our constitutional rights if we are arrested.

Most of us have been busy writing reports this month. Marty reported we have submitted 10,674 volunteer hours since last May. Wow! As we finish up the fiscal year, we have chosen Poppy poster winners and Scholarship recipients. Ginny Lucero presented Leadership awards to Cyndi Wipf, Martha Thibeau, Mary Miller, and Johanna Roberts for completing the Basics class, which is all about the history of the ALA. The slate of officers for next year was presented at our general meeting.

They are:
President—Linda Nenno
Historian—Maurene Propst
Vice President—Martha Thibeau
Chaplain—Linda Ross
Secretary—Ginny Lucero
Sergeant At Arms—Johanna Roberts
Treasurer—Kathy Madsen

We will have a float in the Fiesta Parade on May 7. The theme is “Honoring Mothers and Law Enforcement.” If you’d like to help decorate or ride on the float, contact Linda Nenno or Ginny Lucero.

Program of the Month—Poppies, Sharon Pierson, chairman

At the end of World War I, The American Legion adopted the poppy as a symbol of freedom and the blood sacrificed by troops in wartimes. The use of the poppy symbolically comes from the poem In Flanders Fields, which movingly begins, “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row”, referring to the poppies that sprang up in the churned-up earth of newly dug soldiers’ graves over parts of Belgium and France. The poem was written by Lt. Col. John McCrae in 1915 after witnessing the death of his friend, a fellow soldier.

In 1921 the American Legion Auxiliary adopted the poppy as its memorial flower and in 1924, in conjunction with the American Legion, instituted the national Poppy Program to protect the memorial poppy from becoming commercialized by outside interests.

Today the ALA continues the practice of distributing Poppies on Memorial Day and other Patriotic holidays. Donations received from these distributions are used to assist active-duty military, veterans, and their families.

A Poppy Poster contest is held each year to educate our children about the meaning of the Memorial Poppy and how it represents our veterans and the many sacrifices they have made for us.

The ladies restroom at Post 44 is decorated in Poppies and a Poppy donation can resides on the countertop. If you have any spare change please help us to help our veterans.

Look for a new addition to this newsletter. We will have a special “Auxiliary” calendar printed on the back of the Post activities calendar. Check it out and see if there is something you’d like to do.

Upcoming events:

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May 7—Fiesta Parade 10:00 (Starts at Veteran’s Home)
May 10—Activities meeting 11:00
May 12—Bunco 1:00
May 17—Ladies Lunch El Faro 12:30
May 21—General meeting 10:30
May 24—Bunco 12:00
Nay 30—Memorial Day Ceremonies

Membership—Linda Nenno

Membership keeps growing slowly. We now have 350 paid members, still a long way from our June 1 goal of 442. We have had a few new members join in the last few months, and that is wonderful. If you have not renewed, please do it soon. If you need assistance, contact me at 575-642-6164 or xsklmrm@msn.com. Invite your eligible friends to join. You, as a member know what good works we do in the community, and how much fun we have at the Post.

The Chaplain’s Corner Linda Ross
PRAYER FOR THE MILITARY: Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.

GET WELL WISHES: Bill Edwards, Claudia Thrash, Joy Corpolongo, Linda Ross, Sherry Pearce, Jack Hodges, Doug Leasburg, Pam Guillot, Karen Mogen, Pam Sallee, Bill Curlott, Papa Vince, Daughter of Ted and Moe Graham, Sharon Pierson’s sister Brenda Palmer as well as her uncle and her dad, Arlea Hadley, Cathy Hill, Pat Knull’s sister, Kandy Layne.

OUR CONDOLENCES: Our condolences to Bill and Joyce Hudgens on the loss of his sister and Tillman Smith in the loss of his wife Terri Smith.
The tongue has no bones
But it is strong enough to break a heart.
So…be careful with your words.

MEMORIAL DAY PRAYER: Almighty God our Heavenly Father, in your hands are the living and the dead; we give you thanks for all those , our comrades, who have laid down their lives in the service of our Country. May they rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon them. May the good work of seeking justice for the oppressed and peace for all mankind be rewarded with success, that their sacrifices shall not have been in vain. And may we neverfail to remember the awsome cost of the freedom that we enjoy. All this we ask in Your Hold Name. Amen

Care packages- -Marty Novak

In April we sent 45 Care Packages. Thanks to our American Legion Family for the help and support they give us, to the members, non-members, groups, organizations, and business of our community for their monetary donations, memorials and donations of supplies and to all those who come to pack the boxes. It takes us all to keep this project going.

We always do Care Packages on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Our next packing day is May 11. Some of us arrive at 10 to start setting things up and making boxes. We start filling the boxes about 10:30 and we are usually finished by 11. Anyone is welcome.

Cell Phones for Soldiers

We are still collecting used cell phones. These phones are sent for recycling and provide calling cards for our Troops. There is a collection container in the entry way of the Post.

What is a Veteran: A Veteran…whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve…is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount of “up to, and including his/her life.” That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today, who no longer understand that act.