POST 44
PO Box 1073 – 1005 Hwy. 195 – Elephant Butte, NM 87935
575-744-4144
WEBSITE – americanlegionelephantbutte.com

COMMANDER – Al Norton
April has been a rather slow month. Participation in Post activities is a must to keep the entertainment. The Wednesday night bands are being asked to start at 6:00pm per your requests. Except for the one night we have the people from the Vets home; it will start at 5:30 pm. We did have a new band audition; after we got the volume turned down they were very good.

Karaoke is in jeopardy again. We need to have singers here to keep it fun. Destiny Mitchell has started running some karaoke, boy, can that girl sing. Welcome Destiny.

Many people believe that Post 44 will go totally non-smoking as soon as the patio is complete. Our main goal is to be prepared when state law requires us to do so. No one knows when that will happen. We will encourage people to use the patio. It will give us more room for more seating capacity especially for larger events. We all know it can get very crowded in here.

Please continue to enjoy our activities. Come on down visit friends & members, have fun and drink responsibly. Use a dedicated driver when you need to.
God Bless all of you. God bless America.

Charity & Education:

A total of $3,977.24 was distributed by the Charity & Education funds generated by our gaming proceeds for the month of April.

Recipients include: American Legion New Mexico Department, T or C Memorial Trust, Post 44 Auxiliary for care packages and Department Assessments, Down Under Sports to help sponsor a student to participate in Track & Field events, T or C Elementary School Kindergarten and the first grade students for field trips, Friends of Elephant Butte Lake State Park for fireworks and Sierra County Sheriff’s Posse for free youth programs.

Finance Officer- Bill Conklin

No report

Activities Committee – Kathy Norton and Linda Amdal

Thank you, Bob Nellis and Bob Acre for fixing the juke box!!

Sunday, May 8th, Post 44 Mom’s will be honored with a complimentary pork loin meal, from 1 to 4 p.m. For other guests, the meal is $8.00.

Congratulations to Bill Laswell and Lucy Newton for being selected as our volunteers of the month! Besides working in the kitchen, Bill has volunteered to help fix things that need fixin’ at the Post. Lucy is always willing to lend a hand where ever and whenever we need her! Thanks, you two, for all you do!

The Lucero Challenge, Saturday May 28th has been cancelled because of the holiday. It will resume next month. Also that day at 9 am, we will be setting flags at the New Cemetery, then on to the Old Cemetery. Many hands make fast work, so plan to come out to help. The ceremonies will be on Memorial Day, Monday the 30th, 9 am, starting at the New Cemetery, then on to the Old Cemetery, T or C Memorial Wall and Ralph Edwards Park. Tuesday at 9 am, we will be retrieving the flags from the cemeteries.

Thanks to all of you for supporting the Post and we look forward to seeing you!

POST 44

American Legion NEWSLETTER – April 2016
PO Box 1073 – 1005 Hwy. 195 – Elephant Butte, NM 87935

575-744-4144

WEBSITE – americanlegionelephantbutte.com

COMMANDER – Al Norton

I have been hearing grumbling about having to show your membership card. It is the law that all members of a private club have a current membership card on their person when in the club. Another law says anyone that enters an establishment that serves alcohol must have a state issued picture identification on their person, driver’s license or state issued ID card. We have been very lax enforcing these laws. We must change our ways and enforce these laws. The

S.I.D. which is the alcohol police visited us 2 weeks ago. They came in on a busy Friday, they were buzzed in, walked around the club. They stopped to order a drink. Fortunately I was able to observe them. I asked them if they were members, they said no, I asked if they were guests of a member to be signed in, they were not. I asked if they knew a member, they did not. They said they were here fishing from Las Cruces and saw a full parking lot and thought this was a nice place to party. I said this is a private club and because they didn’t know a member to sign them in they would have to leave. They left here and went to another private club. They were able to get in and issued 2 citations which is very costly.

Three of these offenses can cause us to lose our license. The bottom line is be proud to be a member of the American Legion and show your card.

Thank you snowbirds from Cedar Cove for your generous donation of cue sticks to Post 44. We love you guys and wait for your return.

Please be aware of how you park in the center of our parking lot. Try to park in middle. We are trying to find a way to mark the parking lot. Please bear with us until we figure it out.

In closing the cocktail person is not authorized to handle gaming money. Please walk your winning pull tabs up to the bartender.

Hope to see you at the post soon.

Charity & Education:

The Charity and Education funds for the month of February distributed was $3,189.23. Recipients include American Legion Post 18, NMSVH, Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce, Friends of Elephant Butte Lake, Hot Springs High School JROTC, Helping Hands for Freedom, Post 44 Auxiliary for Care Packages, and the T or C Veterans Memorial.

Finance Officer- Bill Conklin

Well it was a short month even with the extra day. We held our own on paper with a $4000 loss but a little less than the slab for the smoking area cost. That is a project that will continue as the funds become available. Gaming is steady and we do appreciate it. Don’t forget the election next month. See you around the post.

Activities Committee – Kathy Norton and Linda Amdal

Thank’s to all who participated in Queen Johanna’s “Queen for a Day” celebration!!  She is so deserving for all she does for us!!  Thank you, Johanna!!  And, what a great turn out for the Easter Bonnet Parade!  Congrats to the winners & special thanks to Kathy Norton and Patty Gilbert for providing the Royal Feast!

The Cedar Cove Group truly ROCKS!!   They have been supporting the Post for Thursday Pool in droves and have made lots of new friends in the process!  We are most grateful for your donation of pool cues to the Post!  We are sorry so see many of you heading back to points other than here – but we look forward to your return.  Happy Trails…  We are also pleased that a few have chosen to take up roots here!!  Yahoo!!

Saturday, April 2nd, we plan to clean up the American Legion Section of the old cemetery in T or C.  (Next to the bowling alley.)  Break out your gloves and rakes & meet at the Post at 9a.m. for a parade to the cemetery.  It is the least we can do for our departed Veterans.

We are also asking that you cash in your pull tabs @ the bar rather than with the table server.  It will create less confusion & eliminates errors in counting out.  It is in your best interest.  Please do not use pull tabs to pay for drinks. They are on separate registers and create confusion behind the bar.

The E-Board has voted to amend the Wednesday Dinner & Friday Grill hours to summer hours – 5:30 to 7:30.

(Exception:  First Wednesday of the month, dinners will be served to the NMSVH Veteran guests @ 5 p.m.)  We still look forward to volunteers to help serve in the kitchen.  Sign up sheet is on the kitchen door.

Congrats to Gene Barton, our somewhat silent but ever present volunteer!  Gene has been chosen as our member of the month! Complete with your very own parking spot (or you can share with Sheila!)  You are always available for guidance, help, opinions, expertise & some pretty good jokes!  You are the best!  Thank you, Gene, for all you do!!

We are glad to have Margaret Simone back as our “911” bartender/gaming cashier!  She has graciously agreed to help us out when we need her!  Thanks, Margaret!!  We may soon have some new faces behind the bar.  Nichole resigned & Liz broke a bone, but we look forward to having her back soon!  At any rate,  we ask for your patience during training of the new personnel & realize all our bartenders have a great financial responsibility with gaming and pull tab funds.  When they are really busy, we do appreciate your patience!

Don’t forget the new summer hours for Wednesday Dinners & Friday Grill.  Thank you for supporting the Post & we look forward to seeing you there!

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