The American Legion Auxiliary Department of New York, Inc.
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The American Legion Auxiliary
Department of New York, Inc.
1580 Columbia Turnpike, Bldg. 1, Suite 3
Castleton-on-Hudson, NY 12033
518-463-1162 / fax 518-449-5406
www.deptny.org
February March 2020
Department President’s Message……………………………………………………Linda S. Tome
“Preserve the Past ~ Focus on the Future”
Dear Members –
We recently returned home from the Mid-Winter Leadership Conference held in Albany at the Marriott where
we celebrated 100 Years of Service to our veterans, military and their families with our National President,
Nicole Clapp! We had over 425 members from this great state of New York attend and from the comments
that I heard – it was a lot of fun, great learnings and just all around a huge success! All our Department
Chairmen presenting delivered great messages and the guest speakers were all exceptional! Thank you to
everyone who presented!
My HUGE THANKS to all our members who participated in our 100 Year Fashion Extravaganza! So many of
our members embraced the request to dress in a certain decade and what a blast we all had!! Very creative
ladies!! Even our National President dressed in the “Roaring 20’s!!”
We had many members that had never attended Mid-Winter before – I hope that you enjoyed your first
Leadership Conference. Thank you!! We also had over 30 Juniors attend Mid-Winter and I would like to
congratulate our newly elected Honorary Junior officers who were installed by National President Nicole:
Honorary Junior President - MacKenzie McDaniels, Steuben County, 7th District
Vice President - McKenna Donlon, Steuben County, 7th District
Secretary - Kaylynn Hancock, Steuben County, 7th District
Treasurer - Jewel Wollaber, Niagara County, 8th District
Chaplain - Faithanne Nashton, Oneida County, 5th District
Historian - Emily Sensabaugh, Suffolk County, 10th District
Sgt. At Arms - Kalynn Stern, Niagara County, 8th District
So proud of all of you and wishing you a GREAT year ahead!! You ARE our future - please feel free to reach
out to any one of us for any type of assistance!!
A HUMONGOUS THANK YOU to Department Leadership Chairman Amy McEathron and our 100 Year
Celebration Chairman, Colleen McDaniels, for delivering on what I requested . . . and then some!!! Our vision
for this conference came to fruition and I couldn’t have been more pleased!! This conference takes months of
planning and preparation and they worked diligently contacting, confirming, following up, etc. to make this all
come together! THANK YOU for making this year a special 100 Year Celebration for our members in this great
Department of New York!
And a big THANK YOU to Department Secretary Barbara and Caitlin for all of your hard work getting ready for
the weekend!! Thank you also to Ann Gibbens, our Luncheon Chairman for all the planning and arranging/re-
arranging that she did to make the luncheon a success. Big shout-out to Carrie Davenport for all her running
around in taking care of the presentations and technology for the entire weekend.
I hope everyone enjoyed your weekend and brought home a lot of good information to share with your
Units!! Thank you again to all of you who were there . . . If you weren’t, I’m sorry that you missed it and
please consider attending next year!!
Page 1
On another note -- our traveling team just completed Visitations for the 3rd and 7th District and as I’m writing,
starting out for 8th District Visitations!! We’ve had a wonderful year traveling – met many new people and had
a good time catching up with old friends along our way! Can’t thank you enough for all your hospitality as we
traveled through our 62 counties of New York State!! BTW –National President Nicole told me that NYS is the
only state in the U.S. that visits all their counties!! How sad as this was such a memorable experience and
one that will never be forgotten – thanks to all of you!!
Keep recruiting new members!! Let’s really celebrate our 100th Anniversary by hitting 100% of our membership
goals for New York for this, our Centennial Year!!! WOOHOO!!! LET’S GO TEAM!!
In service ~ not self,
Linda
Membership…………………………………………………………Mary E. Farley, Chairperson
I hope everyone enjoyed our Mid-Winter Conference. It was wonderful seeing you all! I recently received
questions regarding eligibility of members who can join our organization in particular great- grandchildren so I
thought I give it to you one more time. Please take note…
The American Legion National Judge Advocate recently defined those eligible for membership in the
American Legion Auxiliary. Stepchildren and step-grandchildren are not eligible to join as new
members. Current members may continue as long as they do not let their membership lapse. Direct
descendants are defined as “two degrees of consanguinity from the veteran”. This is the government
definition and therefore means that we may not sign up “greats” as new members (great-
grandmothers, great-grandchildren). If they are already members, they will be “grandfathered in,” as
long as their membership does not lapse. From the "ALA in the Know Membership e-bulletin”
Membership is still coming in nicely; we are currently over 900 members ahead of last year but I would like to
see even more. We stand at 84.69% and only 5,965 members to go. Let’s try and reach 100% on our 100th
Anniversary and make Madam President Linda proud.
We have had some award winners. The following awards have been achieved:
Milestone #2 100% by November 1, 2019:
Unit 1607 George Smith
Unit 1443 Arthur Finnegan
Unit 0151 Middletown
Unit 0275 George A. Casey
Unit 1146 Joseph Kovarik
Milestone #3 County at a 100%
Hamilton County at 102.38%.
They also received "The Past National President Doris Corwith Award"
Selfie Award: To the District with the highest percentage of goal into the Department office 10 days PRIOR to
Mid-Winter Conference. ($150 Award)
10th District Congratulations to all our winners!
Department President’s Project- “Stop Soldier Suicide”…………………....Nancy J. Babis
If you didn’t get a chance to attend our Mid-Winter Conference, you missed a great opportunity to hear Stop
Soldiers Suicide CEO Chris Ford. His message was inspiring and clearly helped the group to understand what
/ how our donations will benefit and save the lives of veterans at risk. Hold those fund raisers and send your
donations to the Department office. Our Veterans need our help. Together we DO make a difference!
Page 2
VA&R / Service to Veterans……………………………………Nancy J. Babis, Chairperson
Spring is just around the corner (I hope!). A gentle reminder that when you are sending in your reports this
time, please remember to answer the questions on the report form. These are:
1). How did units participate in the caregiver support program,
2). Describe any exceptional efforts members made in earning their Service hours.
3). What assistance did your unit give at a Stand Down and
4). What did the unit learn about hosting a Stand Down, what went well?
If these questions don’t have answers, please indicate on the form “no participation” These are items that our
National leaders have asked and I would like to be able to tell them what GREAT things New York is doing for
our Veterans.
WALK-A-THON!!! The SAL and American Legion Auxiliary annually Co-host the walk-a-thon and this year
The American Legion Riders have joined forces with us. The hope is that together we can raise more money
for the cause. While Veterans again remain as the focus of our Walk-A-Thon, this year we will add “Stop
Soldier Suicide” and “Operation Comfort Warriors” as recipients of 100% of our proceeds, along with the
Veterans Administration Medical Centers and Veterans Homes in New York State. Please consider
organizing a Walk-a-thon at your Unit to support this event. The official date is April 18, 2020. You can hold
yours anytime make sure to report your efforts!
You can find all information and sponsorship forms on the ALA Department website!
Children and Youth………………………………………………Karen St. Hilaire, Chairperson
I am confident that members, who attended Mid-Winter conference will share the information presented with
their respective units. For those members that could not attend here are some highlights for Children and
Youth Committee.
We can do many activities for children in our community. This can include working with schools or hospitals in
your community to donate items, such as school supplies, stuffed animals, clothes or even food for
underprivileged or sick children. Please review Department of New York Plan of Action or website for additional
information. Keep your eyes open for Youth Hero or Good Deed children ,18 years and under, in your
community. Reminder April is Children and Youth month. This would be a great time to provide any activity at
your post. Suggestions would be movie night, ice cream social or game day. Put your creative skills to work.
April 3rd is designated as Purple Up! for Military kids. It is a day for communities to wear purple to show
support and thank military children for their strength and sacrifices.
I would like to thank all the units and counties who brought donations for American Legion Child Welfare
Donation, to Mid-Winter Conference. For units that still wish to donate, you can mail checks to ALA
Department office.
Make sure to include description of Children and Youth activities and the number of children served in your
report.
100th Anniversary ALA………………………………………Colleen McDaniels, Chairperson
As we celebrate our 100th year and our history, we should be highlighting our programs in our Units, Counties,
Districts, and Dept. As we do this, we need to educate ourselves and be as knowledgeable as possible about
those programs.
At Mid-Winter our 100th Anniversary Fashion Show was amazing. I have been asked how people can get a
copy of what I read, if you go to the Dept. website at deptny.org and click on 100th Anniversary you will find my
presentations that I gave at our Mid-Winter Conference.
We still have some Large and extra-Large Anniversary T-Shirts available, if you would like to grab one at the
Page 3hot price of $5 please contact me on how I can get it to you to avoid shipping charges. I will be in Rochester,
Albany, and Syracuse in the month of April.
As we look back over our history, we might find tools or advice that may help in different areas today. Here are
some Junior facts and history that can be applied to every day membership. At Mid-Winter in the Dept. of NY
our Juniors hold their annual meeting. Did you know that the Junior Activities program was formed in 1934? At
the 1937 National Convention delegates were warned by the first Jr. Activities Chairman that “the Junior
program was in its infancy, and that the speed with which our Juniors move forward is not so important as the
understanding and realization of what it means to be a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Our desire is
to create such interest and to educate the Juniors in the ideals and purposes of the American Legion and the
Auxiliary, that they feel the obligation and importance of the service we give, as we feel it. Also, in the years to
come they will cherish the heritage which gives them their eligibility for membership in the American Legion
Auxiliary as their most prized possession.”
I point out this information not only for knowledge of our juniors, but consider it as we guide our new members,
that we may strengthen our membership and head toward our next 100 years of Service Not Self and value our
membership as our most prized possession. So, let's get 100% membership for our 100th Year!!!
Americanism…………………………………………….………….Terri D. Wallace, Chairperson
The ALA Americanism Program is one of ten Mission Outreach Programs with the goal to promote patriotic
education among youth, adults and communities. In our last two newsletters, we highlighted how to support the
ALA Americanism Program in your community and unit through the Americanism Essay Contest, Flag
Etiquette and Star-Spangled Kids.
Did you know members and units can participate and support The American Legion Americanism Programs?
Yes! These Programs include The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Contest, which
instills a greater understanding and appreciation of the Constitution of the United States among high school
students; American Legion Junior Shooting Sports, teaching students less than 18 years old gun safety and
marksmanship while fostering healthy competition. and American Legion Baseball, a program that has taught
thousands of youth the importance of sportsmanship, good health and active citizenship. Be sure to include
your support and participation in your March Americanism Reports! Thank you for supporting Americanism
within our American Legion Family!
Other community events that could be supported: Honoring Their Service/Support Our Troops Events,
Welcome Home Events, Yellow Ribbon Events, Deployment/ Redeployment Ceremonies, and Naturalization
Ceremonies. Remember to Report!
Don’t forget to forward your Unit Americanism Essay Contest winners to me by March 15th!
(nyalaamericanism@gmail.com) it is not too early to begin working on your submissions for Department and
National Awards for Americanism. See pages 43-44 of the 2019-2020 Plan of Action Supplement!
American Legion Family College………………………………….Debby Herrmann, Liaison
The American Legion Family College of New York is a 3 day leadership weekend immersion into the American
Legion Family programs and structure. More details can be found in the Plan of Action Supplement for 2019-
2020 please review and contact me with any questions.
The 2020 session is scheduled for June 5-7, 2020 at SUNY Morrisville. We heard back from Jim Casey and
unfortunately the cost this year will be $250.00 per student. The increase was due to price increases at SUNY
Morrisville. Applications are available on the Legion Department Website just use the link on our own website
@ deptny.org
This will be the fourth year for the Department of NY American Legion Family College and things are a
changing. I am happy to announce that this year we will have 6 Auxiliary Instructors, the first year there were
only 2. The Auxiliary instructors this year will be Terri Wallace, Kathy Cubit, Diane Craig, Nancy Babis, myself
Page 4and new to the team this year we welcome Debbie (Kryczkowski) Morris. There are also at least 2 new SAL
instructors added to the team.
At Mid-Winter there was a staff meeting letting the current instructors know of the plans to have the lesson
plans made current. Each lesson plan is being reviewed by members of the Auxiliary on staff and where
necessary changes will be made for more inclusiveness. This is still a work in progress and we ask to have
more Auxiliary members attend the 2020 session. The only way we can truly make this a Legion Family college
is to have more participation by our auxiliary members. Please consider joining us in June. The Auxiliary
College Alumnae Association is pleased to offer a full scholarship in memory of Shelby Sobolowski. Look in the
Plan of Action Supplement for details to apply. I am sure there are other scholarships at either a District or
County level. The 7th District and Livingston County has their own. The deadline for submitting your application
is scheduled for April 1, 2020 and there is a limit of 100 students, secure your spot by getting your application
submitted soon.
Again I look forward to a great year. I am 100% invested in making the Family College concept exciting for
everyone and something everyone would want to attend.
Auxiliary Emergency Fund………………………………………Carol Flaherty, Chairperson
Chaplain…………………………………………………………………..Susan Britton, Chairperson
Can you believe we are half way through this administrative year? It's time to start thinking about year-end
reports and award entries.
Remember that if your unit suffers the loss of a beloved member, it is VERY important to fill out the Death
Notice in your Plan of Action book. This is found under the Chaplain Committee segment. We want to be sure
that we send a note of condolence to the family of every member we lose. This is so important to them.
Please send the Death Notice to the Department Chaplain at the address found in your CURRENT Plan of
Action or the e-mail address shown on the form. In addition, please send a copy to the Department Office.
We will send a sympathy card as well as record the member as "deceased" in the membership roster at
Department office. We also want to be sure that each deceased member is listed in the Memorial Service
program for the Memorial Service held at Department Convention in July.
There is one year-end award under the Chaplain Committee.
ALL COUNTY CHAPLAINS:
Be sure to submit your entries for the Karyn Porempski Award. Please see page 61 in your Plan of Action
Supplement for 2019-2020. Deadline is May 1, 2020. Please adhere to all rules shown there.
Attention ALL Members: Just a reminder to share a prayer or devotional thought with me for Department
President Linda's Prayer Book. What a special opportunity to share on the occasion of our 100th Anniversary
and be a part of the celebration. To date, I have only one prayer submitted. PLEASE HELP ME FILL HER
PRAYER BOOK!
Community Service…………………………………Desiree Smith-McPherson, Chairperson
What a successful Mid-Winter Conference we had also the present of our National President Nicole Clapp.
Let's continue making this 100 years celebration with the amazing Community Service Reports showing all you
do! We had an outstanding first report of 67% looking forward to 100%. We will have it on this second report in
March. Just Remember, ALL Unit Reports are to be sent to your Counties. Please put your district on your
reports. The County is to compile your unit reports BEFORE sending it in to this Chairman. Let's get out there
to plan an event, SPRING is almost here. Show kindness, respect, and helpfulness to our Veterans and their
families as well as our communities.
Page 5Constitution and Bylaws/Resolutions……..…………………Sally Johnston, Chairperson
It’s hard to believe that we are on the downhill side of yet another administrative year. Our “100th Anniversary”;
a year of celebration, while preserving the past and focusing on the future. My hope is that while all Units
report “working on their Constitution & Bylaws”, you have taken the time to really study them. Know that for
100 years our National Organization has been working very hard to make sure that we are up-to-date and in
compliance with the current rules and laws applicable to our non-profit organization.
I would hope that each Unit / County /District not “just read” the words, but take the time to understand the
words and know that it is our “guideline” for operating our meetings and all we do. This year when making
contact with Units that need to make corrections to their Constitution and Bylaws, I’ve been told with some
reluctance, “this is what we have always done, why do we need to change now?” Well, we all know the
answer. Let’s all be good leaders and do the right thing. Once we have “learned” that a practice is not in
compliance and we have been informed of what is correct as stated in our C&B, then there is no acceptable
excuse for not making the necessary corrections and moving forward for the good of the organization.
At this time, please be advised that all of the Constitution and Bylaws department approved forms have been
updated and are available on our Department website.
I have received many Constitution & Bylaws (C&B) for approval that by themselves I could have approved, but
when adding the Standing Rules many are in conflict with the National and Department C &B. As a result,
many Unit C&B’s have had to be rejected. You all know who you are and that I have advised you of the
possible corrections / suggestions. I would ask for those of you that have already been notified and any future
Unit / County / District that you do not wait to make the corrections and return them to me for approval ASAP.
You may or may not be aware, like most department committees, the chairman has to have their “final year-
end report” into National by May 15. That seems like a long time from now, but when you are preparing an
“annual report”, it does take some time. Please take that into consideration and get them back to me for this
administration year.
Just as a “reminder”, I am still receiving many C&B’s that are not on the updated, department approved C&B
form. This form is dated 10/24/19. When this form is not used that means I have to add on the average 3
pages. That all takes time that I could be reviewing more C&B for approval. Please, make sure you have the
“current form” and that your Standing Rules are not redundant. Remember the numbering of additional Unit /
County / District Rules, begins with the NEXT number from where the department form ends. Example,
Department Standing Rules are 1 and 2, BEGIN with #3.
RESOLUTIONS -- In the last edition of the Empire News, I covered what a Resolution was and the procedure
to follow to submit a resolution. Nothing has changed. However, if you wish to submit resolutions remember
the clock is ticking and time has a way of slipping away without our realizing it. Get them in as soon as you
can. Remember, they have to be reviewed and approved prior to being included in the Department Convention
Call.
Education…………………………………………………………………Cynthia Babb, Chairperson
This is a reminder that all scholarship entries are to be to the unit president or education chairman no later than
March 1, 2020. Once determined by units and counties, all scholarship entries are due to this Department
Chairman by March 15, 2020. I’m excited at the prospect of receiving lots of mail.
While we are discussing deadlines, have you reviewed the Education -Supplemental.pdf which can be found
on the Department of NY website? In this section you will find the rules for the Department and National Unit
Awards. Both have a deadline of May 1, 2020. Now is the time to start putting those entries together or
complete the entries and mail them in. No one says you have to wait until April 30 th, which coincidentally is a
Thursday.
Page 6The work of this education committee is so much more than just scholarships and contest entries. It’s about
Trying to help combat the literacy crisis facing the United States of America. Did you know that more than 30
million adults in the US cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level? We must promote
literacy programs for the youth and adults in our communities. Allowing adults to be unable to read write or do
basic math means the children they oversee will have a lower literacy success rate and this cannot have a
good result. If you have the time, please volunteer to help literacy programs in your communities. If you are
blessed to have little ones, read to them or more importantly patiently allow them to read to you. Maybe you
can read them parts of your National American Legion Auxiliary magazine? Whatever you can do to improve
someone’s ability to read, do it today.
ALA Empire Girls State…………………………………………Jennifer Farley, Chairperson
…………………………………………….…………….Members Wendy Privitera, Kris Dziduch
We are quickly approaching our 79th Anniversary session of Empire Girls State and we couldn’t be more
excited! We have been working hard to support each of the counties and units as they work through their
selection process.
Special Notes about the 2020 Empire Girls State Program!
● Dates: June 28, 2020-July 4, 2020 (Sunday- Saturday)
● The following should be sent to the ALA EGS Registrar, Kris:
○ Medical Certification
○ Consent for Treatment
○ Release for Medical Information
○ Immunization Records
○ A copy of the front and back of the insurance card
○ High School information sheet signed by the principal
○ A copy of the Parent Waiver, Media Consent, and Citizens Pledge from DocuSign
○ Transmittal form and tuition payment
● Samsung Scholarship: Encourage your citizens to apply! This is a great opportunity and we do not
want anyone to miss out! At Mid-Winter, we spoke about the National competition for increase
participation. Let’s try to accomplish this!
● Please consider supporting the ALA EGS program by purchasing an Ad and/or Booster!
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact any of us!
Thank you for your continued support and for all that you do at a Unit, County, and District Level! EACH OF
YOU is why this program can be a success each and every year!
Finance Committee/Audit………………………………….Cathleen MacInnes, Chairperson
……………………………………………………...Linda Moseman and Violet Brosart Members
We have received this question from a number of Units: Can we pay our kitchen and/or bingo workers?
There is no prohibition against doing so BUT:
● If you employ your volunteers, the Unit becomes an employer. This means that you must follow all
Federal and New York State regulations regarding employers/employees, including applicable
minimum wage statutes. You must complete I-9 (employment eligibility verification) and W-9 (taxpayer
identification and certification) forms when you hire a volunteer. You must withhold income taxes, FICA,
and Medicare taxes and report these as required. You must provide workers’ compensation and
disability insurance in accordance with State and Federal rules. You must complete W-2 (wage and tax
statement) forms at the end of the calendar year.
● If you provide a gratuity to your volunteers, you will be responsible for tracking these amounts
throughout the calendar year. If any volunteer received $600 or more during the calendar year, you
must report this using an IRS 1099 form.
Page 7Deciding whether to pay your volunteers is not a decision to be taken lightly! In order to protect the assets of
your Unit, you should always engage the services of an accountant/CPA or accounting/CPA firm to assist you
in making the right decision for your Unit and to ensure that you are following all laws, rules, and regulations
appropriately!
Historian……………………………………………………LouCinda LaFountain, Chairperson
We are at another mid-year and we have so much that has been accomplished. We are already getting reports
on our 100th year Celebrations, and they are great! Many Auxiliary members are still in the planning stages.
They display pictures, minutes, ala artifacts and the way people dressed back then. Many Auxiliary members
are participating in parades, memorial services, and Honoring Blue Star Mothers, our
Veterans and putting up special flags on poles are just a few examples.
I know we have more to be done but I see you working hard at it and I can’t wait to hear about it. I saw a lot of
you at Mid-Winter Conference and that was great. The more information you get on what is expected for the
rest of the year the better.
Remember hours, travel and expenses are very important. I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you all in
March, our next reporting period.
Junior Activities………………………………………………………Diane Butler, Chairperson
Juniors had a wonderful time at the 100th Birthday Mid-winter Conference / Annual Junior Meeting/Elections!
It was an honor to have the 2020 Honorary Junior Officers installed by National President Nicole Clapp, who
also served as Honorary National Junior President as a teen (1987-1988). Congratulations Junior
Officers, I know you will represent the Auxiliary well.
We would like to thank the 2019-Junior Officers – Honorary Junior President Julie Posey, Honorary Junior Vice
President MacKenzie McDaniels, Secretary Emily Albert, Treasurer Kaitlin Pritchard, Sgt-at-Arms Isabelle
Shanno, Historian Emily Sensabaugh and Chaplain Jewel Wallaber for their service and a job well done!
During the conference/Junior Meeting the Juniors made patriotic “selfie” frames in keeping with Department
President Linda’s motto, “Preserve the Past, Focus on the Future.” They stuffed more than 200 bags for our
homeless Veterans, thank you to all Units and Districts who donated goods or money for personal care items.
Juniors also learned how to fold pocket flags. Juniors attended the senior conference for the Active Shooter
presentation and to hear from our Past Junior President and current Marine MacKayla McDaniels on facetime.
Juniors also learned proper parliamentary procedures for meetings, in fact some Juniors were so excited they
returned to their hotel rooms and held meetings. Juniors painted their pinky blue for anti-bullying and raised
$60.00 for President Linda’s project Stop Soldier Suicide. Juniors sold hand-made Poppy and 100th
Anniversary ornaments which raised $300.00 for National President Nicole’s project, Health and Wellness of
Veterans and their Families which focuses on adaptive sports for Veterans. We had an amazing 32 Junior
members attend the conference / Junior meeting where we had a weekend packed of information and fun
activities.
It is the time of year that we start thinking about end of year awards. There are several awards that Auxiliary
members may submit for. Such awards are: Poppy poster contest, winners are chosen by grade level. Rules
for poppy submissions are in the annual plan of action. Department President’s Junior Award, The Mary Lou
Platt Award; Junior member of the year, Unit award for most outstanding Junior Activities Program,
Department Award for Best Department Junior Activities Program, and National Award for Best Media
Coverage of Activity or Project, submission for these awards is due May 1, 2020. Please see the Annual Plan
of Action for details.
Please submit pictures of the work your Juniors are doing for our Veterans, Community, as well as Children
and Youth. I would also like newspaper article clippings highlighting the wonderful work our Juniors do!
Juniors are our future and they are doing great work that I would love to showcase.
Page 8Leadership…………………………………………………………Amy McEathron, Chairperson
I am so happy to announce we had an amazing Mid-Winter Conference. The surveys were wonderful feed
back and make me feel so happy and proud to make the 438 members in attendance have a memorable 100th
anniversary celebration in the great state of New York. National President Nicole and Department President
Linda were smiling and celebrating all weekend along with all of our members.
Posted on our Department of New York Auxiliary Facebook page and our website are the wonderful pictures
Lois Huntley Seybert took all weekend long at Mid-Winter. Please share print and enjoy them all. If you were
not able to be with us, these pictures will make you feel like you were there.
We had great speakers at Mid-Winter including, Kelly Merbler (motivational speaker) and Officer Shane Ryan
(Watertown Police Department). We had the honor to have CEO Chris Ford speak to us on “Stop Soldier
Suicide”.
I want to thank EVERYONE that was a presenter at Mid-Winter and all the committees that had information on
their tables to pass out to our members. This was very well liked by all the comments I received. My luncheon
chair Ann Gibbens did a fabulous job to honor our National President.
Legislative…………………………………………………………Maureen Morgan, Chairperson
National Executive Committeeperson……………………….…….…Deborah Kryczkowski
National Security………………………………………………...Peggy M. Martin, Chairperson
I was asked to set up a table at the Mid-Winter Conference, along with the other Department Chairpersons. I
thought long and hard as to what to put out on this table. I knew that when I was asked about taking this
Committee I wasn’t really sure what National Security was all about. So I started with the ALA website and the
American Legion website to see what information I could get that pertained to the Auxiliary and what we do to
support the Legion. The POW/MIA Ceremony that is performed at our events is reported under this
committee. The Blue and Gold Banners we display are reported here. Any homecoming events that we plan
and/or participate in are reported under this committee. Blood donation with the Red Cross is reported here as
well.
The American Red Cross has a division for service to the Armed Forces. The Auxiliary are encouraged to refer
service members and their families to them for assistance with emergency services, family strengthening in
coping with deployment and reconnecting, and hospital programs for rehab and adaptive equipment.
There are many resources available to help the Legion Family decide what is available for our heroes who
keep us safe every day and who kept us safe in the past. If you can’t find what you are looking for ask
someone!
Parliamentarian………………………………………………...Patricia Hennessy, Chairperson
In large meetings, it is imperative that the Presiding Officer adhere to strict Parliamentary Procedures.
Over the last few years, Units, Counties have been noticing a drastic decline in the attendance to meetings. If
meetings have 10/12 members attending, Roberts Rules of Order recommends a less formal approach.
● Members may speak from their seats;
● Motions need not be seconded;
● There be no limit to the number of times a member can speak to a question, and motions to close or
limit debate generally should not be entertained (unless the group has adopted a rule to the contrary);
● The chair need not rise while putting question to vote;
● The chair can speak in discussion without rising or leaving the chair; and
● Subject to rule or custom, the Chair usually can make motions and usually votes on all questions.
Page 9Notice I stressed generally! There could be times that these relaxed procedures are not warranted. If a
particular issue is hotly contested or likely to subject the Unit/County to bad publicity or lawsuit, more formal
procedural safeguards must be observed.
Past Presidents’ Parley…………………...................................Kimberly Quick, Chairperson
I hope you all enjoyed Mid-Winter. It’s the first one in 16 years I have missed, but I was “under the weather”.
The pictures on social media showed a great time! I’m sorry I had to miss it.
What’s next you asked? REPORTS AND AWARD ENTRIES.
First step is to remind all Unit and County Chairpersons to get ready to report for March report
submissions.
Second step, review award information under their committees and get ready to submit for awards. As
Past Presidents and/or mentors, you can help with these.
Third step, as PPP Chairperson you should consider Unit Member of The Year Award on POA pages
207 and 208; and Salute To Servicewomen Award on POA pages 209 and 210. Please make sure you
get your award entries in to me by May 1st. I am looking forward to all your reports and award entries.
Thank you.
Poppy…………………………………………………………………Sophie Liberatore, Chairperson
With Poppy orders and checks going to Department, filling the thousands of orders has helped expedite getting
the orders out by our supervisors. Orders should all be in by now. Many Units and Counties have stepped up
by hosting “Poppy making Days”. Thank-you all, to the many Legionnaire and Auxiliary volunteers that have
made this so successful. The number of veterans, over the years, has dropped tremendously. So, all hands-on
deck is what we need!
One of the many exciting contests this year is for our Centennial Poppy Project attached at the end of this
newsletter with the criteria). Be a part of the 100th Anniversary Celebration. Create and submit a poppy
representing our Department of NY. Let’s fill the US map with poppies for National President Nichole!
POPPY FUNDS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS!
At our December DEC meeting, there were questions that were asked about the money raised.
Poppy Funds CAN be used for:
1. For the rehabilitation of Veterans honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces after April 6,
1917;
2. For the welfare of the families of Veterans of the above-name period;
3. For the rehabilitation of hospitalized military service personnel returning home and awaiting discharge who
require treatment in service hospitals;
4. For the welfare of veterans, active military personnel, and the families of Veterans and active military
personnel of the above-name period where financial and medical need is evident;
5. For the purchase of poppy kits and supplies used to make symbolic poppies and poppy items that will be
distributed for donations to the Poppy fund.
Below are some questions asked and answers received from the Poppy Program Coordinator at
National Headquarters.
Can poppy funds be used for -?
Question: ALA Gift Shop programs (held at VAMCs, VAOPCs, and/or State Veterans Homes)?
Answer: Poppy funds can’t be used for Gift Shop programs at VA facilities since the items provided at
these events are not necessities for the welfare or rehabilitation of veterans or their families.
Question: General donations to Honor Flights?
Answer: Monetary donations to any organization are not an allowable use of poppy funds. However,
poppy funds may be used to provide items for veterans will need when traveling such as coolers
for medications, wheelchairs, walkers, etc.
Page 10Question: Donations to Honor Flights to send a specific veteran and/or escort on a light?
Answer: Unfortunately, poppy funds may not be used to send a veteran or escort on Honor Flights
because it is not technically for the welfare or rehabilitation of the veteran.
Question: Donations to the ALAF Veteran Projects Fund?
Answer: Since the funds are not limited to items that fall within the five criteria set forth by The American
Legion we are unable to use poppy funds as donations to the ALAF Veteran Projects Fund (or
the ALAF Mission Endowment Fund).
Question: Donations to the ALAF local or National VCAF Funds?
Answer: Yes, NVCAF/VCAF is an extension of art therapy (rehabilitation of veterans) at the VA.
Therefore poppy funds may be used for that.
Question: Donations to organizations other than the ALA which support veterans (e.g., Wounded Warriors,
Stop Soldier Suicide, et al.)?
Answer: Monetary donations to any organization are not an allowable use of poppy funds. However,
please collaborate with the organization to see what they may need that would fall within the
criteria for poppy fund use. Once a need is established AND it falls within the poppy fund criteria
then your unit (district, department, whichever) can PURCHASE these items for the
organization.
Please also check out a wonderful project for our Juniors which can be found on page 9 in the February 2020
edition of our American Legion Auxiliary magazine. This is a fun activity for our Juniors.
Finally, let’s not forget National Poppy Day, on May 22nd, 2020, please see article on page 37 in the February
ALA magazine.
Please let me know of any fun Poppy activities you have completed or have planned so that we can share
them with others.
Public Relations…………………………………………………..Carrie Davenport, Chairperson
At the Mid-Winter Conference I shared about the power of storytelling. Since then, you may have crafted the
perfect story for your nonprofit, but it won’t matter if no one hears it. The trick is to make sure your story
reaches the public. Tapping media resources and getting your story out to the public can give your
unit/county/district a big promotional boost.
Pitching a story is not always easy though, and many organizations are left with a stale PR strategy that’s less
than successful. Below are five tactics that can refresh your approach and help you win some media attention.
1. Target the Right Media Outlets
Pitching a story can be a lot like applying for a new job. Before sending in your job application, you would do
some solid research on the company and position, and then personalize your resume and cover letter to fit the
company’s ideals. Reaching out to media outlets shouldn’t be much different.
Do some digging on the journalists and reporters you want to contact. First, make sure you’re contacting the
right person for your story. Does your topic fall into that person’s editorial guidelines? Find out what else
they’ve written about the American Legion family or the Veterans. This will help you understand the reporter’s
viewpoint on the Veterans and the American Legion family, allowing you to better personalize your pitch for
their tastes.
2. Use Compelling Visuals to Stand Out
Nonprofit marketers know that visual content engages the public. So do media outlets. According to a
recent survey of North American journalists and media professionals, 80 percent of journalists believe photos,
infographics, and videos are key ingredients of effective content.
Instead of limiting your press release to just text, make it stand out by including quality visuals that transport
readers to the front lines. Also make sure to assemble and deliver these assets so that they’re easy to access.
According to the survey, 80 percent of reporters are frustrated with having to spend more than 30 minutes
gathering content. Increase your chances of PR success by making it easy for reporters to get all your content
in order.
Page 11For example, rather than attaching photos or video to your email, send them via an online file in your email. For
example, the pictures that were taken at the Dept. of NY Mid-Winter Conference this year were shared on
Facebook and the website via a folder. This allows people to view more of the images and select which ones
they want. This holds true for media and public relations as well!
3. Challenge Members to Create Content
In your search for awesome content to send media outlets, cast your eyes to the very people you’re trying to
reach in the first place. Your donors and potential ALA members might have some of the most compelling
stories that might make them a fit for your unit/county. Because they’ve already supported your mission and
engaged with your unit, they can speak to the value of your work and why they personally find it meaningful.
Use these moments as a recruitment tool.
Come up with a question that relates to the mission of the ALA, such as:
● “Why should active military members fight for our country but not have some of the comforts of home?
● “How can you help end veteran homelessness?”
● “Why is it important for people to support our military, their families, and veterans?”
Ask members to submit their answers in a video format. Since video is an especially compelling medium, have
your members or community members you have worked with film themselves. Using these clips can help you
create one amazing video for your PR efforts that can help serve as a recruitment tool or help you highlight the
work you have done.
4. Start Your Own “Pay It Forward” Campaign
Raise awareness by using social media to your advantage. Consider starting a “pay it forward” initiative, where
you ask members to perform an act of kindness for someone, and the recipient is then passed the torch to do
the same thing for someone else. Choose an act of kindness that relates to the American Legion Auxiliary’s
mission statement or one of our key programs!
Ask members to record and post about their participation on social media including your unit/county or our ALA
Department of NY Facebook page. Be sure to use #ALANY or #ALAKindness, and ask others to include it in
their posts. Generating buzz around our organization through campaigns like these can show media outlets
that people are engaged within not only the American Legion Auxiliary, but the community as well.
5. Ride a Trend
A popular marketing tactic is to capitalize on pop culture and current trends, so it’s a good idea for our units
and members to adopt this strategy too. In the same way brands create funny commercials or tweets
referencing trends or events, your members can also use the power of social media to make an impact.
Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? It raised more than $100 million dollars for A.L.S. Association. This
money is actually what funded some promising research. Why is this example important? The influx of funding
allowed more research to be completed and as a result a gene was discovered that is linked to A.L.S.
How can trends like this help the American Legion Auxiliary? Create a challenge and start challenging other
units to donate to the American Legion Auxiliary through the challenge. Maybe in honor of our 100th birthday
you do a birthday challenge! Challenge a unit to donate $100 to an ALA program and if they don’t then they get
a birthday cake smashed in their face! If $100 is too lofty, then challenge 10 individuals to donate $10 to an
ALA initiative for a total of $100. When completing a challenge like this, kick it off with a good old-fashioned
cake smash video and then publicly challenge others to do the same!
Note the connection to our 100th anniversary and this challenge idea? Keep in mind that whatever challenge
you come up with there should be a direct correlation to our American Legion Auxiliary organization or to a
need within the American Legion Auxiliary. If your story is too much of a stretch, your challenge will not only fall
flat.
Hopefully these 5 strategies will help you revitalize your Public Relations Campaign! By adding these
strategies to your arsenal of marketing and PR tactics, you can raise awareness about the American Legion
Auxiliary and make it easier for reporters and media outlets to highlight our organization.
Page 12Warrior Family Assistance…………………………………..........Ann Greaney, Chairperson
The WFA Program can give us the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our veterans, active duty
and their families. I was grateful for the opportunity to be included in the agenda at the Mid-Winter Conference
along with Vice-President Nancy to refresh your knowledge of the WFA Program. The WFA guidelines were
included in the Conference booklet so please share them with your members on the Unit and County levels.
Review panels will find them useful in preparation for interviewing the applicant. Applications can be obtained
by contacting me at nyalawfa@gmail.com, cell # 917-797-6231 or by contacting the Department Office.
As a reminder, these non-repayable grants are available for Maintenance, Medical or Employment reasons up
to $1200 per 12-month period. Each family’s needs are unique and their needs will vary. Documentation is
most important in completing the application. The WFA is a grass roots program that by working together we
can make a difference in the lives of our veterans, active duty military and their families. This can only be
achieved by the support of our Auxiliary members and Legion Family. Encourage Units and Counties to send
donations to the Department Office earmarked WFA. Your donation will ensure that the WFA Program will
continue to carry on supporting our veterans and their families. WFA falls under VA&R so Poppy funds can be
used. When Auxiliary members put their heart into a program, it will succeed. Thank you for all you do for our
veterans.
Message from the Department Office……………………………………Barbara and Caitlin
Newsletters – E-mail copies of the Newsletter are available to any member wanting a free copy.
Please e-mail anyone of us at the office with a valid email and we will get you on the list. The
Newsletter is emailed to all Unit/County Presidents, Unit/County Membership Chairmen and
Unit/County Treasurers if we have your email address. If you do not have email and someone in the
unit/county would like to receive it on your behalf, please let us know so we can add them to the list.
Also, County Committee Chairmen receive the newsletter via email. If you do not have anyone in the
unit and/or county with an email to receive the email newsletter for you please contact the Department
Secretary for a copy.
Mailed copies of the Newsletters are available at the cost of $15.00 per year.
Membership updates - As a reminder, membership totals are updated each week by the Department
Office on Wednesday. If you need up-to-date membership totals, you can call the Department office for
up to date numbers for your unit and/or county meeting.
Members – if you move, change any contact information, phone numbers, emails, etc., please send the
change to the Department office so your information is updated in a timely manner. This also pertains
to unit President, Membership Chair and Unit Treasurer
Please DO NOT hold membership, send it in promptly so it can be processed in a timely manner.
The Department office is here to help you and we are only a phone call or email away!
American Legion Auxiliary, Department of New York, Inc.
1580 Columbia Turnpike, Bldg. #1, Suite 3
Castleton-On-Hudson, NY 12033
Important dates to remember!!!
February 25th Hill Day, March 8th Daylight savings time begins
March 14, 2020 The American Legion Oratorical finals, Albany, NY
March 17th St. Patrick’s Day, March 19th 1st day of spring
April 3rd-5th Department Executive Meeting
Happy 100th Birthday Snowdrop Smith on March 29th
Happy 99th Birthday to Evelyn Perry on March 11th
American Legion Auxiliary
100 Years of Service Not Self
Page13CENTENNIAL POPPY SPECIAL PROJECT! 2019-2020 Calling on ALL Units/Counties to take part in this SPECIAL project. Please submit a Poppy representing our Department of New York, filling the Country's map with poppies for National President Nicole! Criteria: A RED poppy of any material, no more than 2” in diameter, with the addition of something related to our department. (one from each department). Let's hold a contest among our units! Example: A felt poppy with a Lady Bug which is the state insect for DE, was submitted. Let's go New York Auxiliary members! We've got this!! Units please submit entries to your County. Counties, please judge and make your selection to bring to our State Convention in Binghamton. Please make sure they have something related to New York State. Please submit your entries to me by June 15th and these will be judged at our Convention in July with the winning entry to be placed on a corkboard map which will be presented to NP Nicole at National Convention! Sophie Liberatore Department Poppy Chairman 16 Sharon Drive Norwich, N.Y. 13815 607-336-6969 607-226-4411
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