Sons of the American Legion – Bill Nenno

Membership: We are currently asking that all members pay their 2013 membership dues .Renewals continue to come in but time is running short. Don’t be caught left out in the cold come January 1, when your current 2012 membership card will expire. Just FYI, last year on November 17 we had 43 members renew. We currently have 49 members that have renewed so this is in line with historical precedence. Actually, for those of you who are sticklers for accounting, we are 7% better than last year. That said, 49/86 or 57% still leaves us with 43% of the current members needing to pay their 2013 dues.

I know the times are hard and most of us have too much month at the end of the money, but hard times are never sufficient justification for turning our backs on moral obligations; we still need to remember to support veterans and veterans’ organizations. Paying your dues, and keeping our numbers strong, is the best way to keep the needs of veterans on the forefront of political policy. Besides that, the Post is a neat place to socialize; good people, good food, good entertainment. You kill two birds with one stone!

Finances: Because of vacations, work schedules, and I would be remiss if I did not add, apathy, the S.A.L. has missed a couple meetings in the last few months. One of the good things about this (there is a silver lining behind every dark cloud) is that we have not met to give away money and so our finances are in very good shape. This is fortunate because this is the time of year that the S.A.L. donates to a number of worthwhile charities and organizations. I know you’re waiting with bated breath and so I will list those organizations and charities posthaste!

New Mexico State Veteran’s Home – First up on our list, and first in our hearts and minds, are the veterans. The S.A.L. donated $200 to the residence fund. This means that the monies go directly to the residents to be used in the canteen as they see fit.

Sierra County Cancer Assistance – Another group high on our list is the Sierra County Cancer Assistance program. The S.A.L. donated $200 to this worthwhile organization. All of this money stays in Sierra County. This hits close to home because as small as Sierra County is you know almost everyone. Unfortunately, there are often Legion members in need of this organization’s services. There are a couple of Legion members who are currently eligible for this assistance and while I will not mention names, our best wishes go out to you. Hang in there and stay strong.

American Legion Child Welfare Foundation – is high on the list for S.A.L. members. the Child Welfare Foundation is the special charity supported by the national S.A.L. organization. There are often articles on the CWF in the National Update, which is the official publication of the Sons of the American Legion. The national average for donations is $1.15 per member. Unfortunately, in the last issue of National Update there was a table showing CWF donations by Detachment of New Mexico did not look so good having pledged only $0.36 per member. Squadron 44 has always done more than its share and we are more than happy to be able to give $200. Now, if the rest of the S.A.L. Squadrons would follow suit we could join in with the 18 states that gave over $2.00 per member. I’m not sure we will ever catch Arizona with $13.06 per member!!Way to go Arizona

Children and Youth – Another big push for the Sons of the American Legion is Children and Youth. This organization provides services for children of veterans. We are happy to give $200 to support this organization. We often forget the affect an absent parent can have on a child. This organization attempts to alleviate the hardships.

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Christmas Walk–Whether you call it the Christmas walk or the Luminaria Tour, this is always a fun night. You can go a-wassailing right here on the sandy beaches of Elephant Butte. The lights on the parade of boats, the welcoming campfires, the myriad of organizations giving out free food and drink, the tractor pulled hay rides. This year the S.A.L. voted to give $200 to this endeavor. The donation is to be split with $100 going to help defray costs for the food and drink offered at the American Legion Post 44 site and $100 for the Make a Wish Foundation which is what all of this is about to begin with.

Enchilada Dinner November 18th–Donnie Polstin and Deone Harty put on a great enchilada dinner on Sunday, November 18. They served 48 meals which were more than they expected. They ran out of green enchiladas but the red enchiladas were almost as good… I happen to be a green fan… just saying. In all seriousness, the guys, and their helpers, did a great job and I don’t think anyone went away This was a fundraiser for the S.A.L. and it brought in almost $250. It is events like these, and guys like those, that allow us to make the donations listed above. A pat on the back and a hearty well done.

They must be gluttons for punishment because even in the middle of their meal madness they were talking about trying this again sometime after the first of the year. think this time they were talking about sweet and sour.

Happy Holidays–Last, but not least, SAL Squadron #44 wishes all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Next Meeting–There will be no meeting for December. Our next meeting will be held Tuesday, January 16 at 6:30 PM at the Post. The S.A.L. meetings are always held on the third Tuesday of the month and all are invited to attend.

As always, remember that organizations are not really organizations, they are just people. Help out when you can and when you see them, thank those that do help out and let’s all work together for the common good.

Thanks for supporting our club, our community and most of all —the veteran