Dec. 8, 2011 SMILE. Why is the place you drive on a parkway, and the place you park on the driveway?

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1 The American Legion Department of Maine P.O. Box 900, Waterville, ME Tel: (207) Website: Weekly Update Dec. 8, 2011 SMILE Why is the place you drive on a parkway, and the place you park on the driveway? Congratulations to the following Posts for reaching 100% Monson Post 116 Holiday Reminder The Department Headquarters office will close at 12 noon on Friday, December 23 and will remain closed until Tuesday, December 27 at 8 a.m. for the Christmas holiday. Also, the office will close at 12 noon on December 30 and will remain closed until Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 8 a.m. for New Years. Dues Payment Legion membership is based on a calendar year from January 1 to December 31. If dues are not paid by Jan. 1 of each calendar year, the member becomes delinquent. If dues have not been paid by Feb. 1, the member is suspended and is not in good standing and is not eligible for transfer. If you do not have a membership card that reads 2012, after January 1, 2012 you will be a delinquent member. Your post tries so hard to get your dues collected prior to January 1 so you do not lose any benefits of your membership, including insurance coverage. If you are in this category, please contact your local post to pay your dues so your membership in The American Legion remains continuous. District Meetings District 2 Cumberland: Dec. 11, South Portland Post 35, 6 p.m., men bring male gift and women bring female gift. District 12 Hancock: Dec. 13, Northeast Harbor Post 103, mtg. at Seal Harbor Community Ctr./Fire House, Seal Harbor, Christmas party, 6:30 p.m. dinner, 7:30 mtg.

2 District 9 Kennebec: Dec.14, Augusta Post 205, 7 p.m. District 5 Oxford: Dec. 20, Locke Mills Post 68, Christmas Party with light supper, 6 p.m., Appoint Nominating Committee. Directory Changes Pg. 8, District 12 Commander Pearl L. Gobel, 39 Reach Rd., Apt. 24, Sedgwick ( ) Pg. 48, Augusta Post 205 Adjutant Lu Lamoreau, post205adj@gmail.com What s Happening? Christmas Party: Dec. 10, Winthrop Post 40, 6 p.m., Members and Guests, Yankee Swap - bring a $10 gift marked for male or female, Pot luck dinner - bring your specialty, free juke box; Santa will be in attendance! Annual Patient Holiday Party: Dec. 11, Togus, 1:30 p.m., Volunteers/Organizations will sign in Bldg. 232, Gym/Multi-purpose Room; 2 p.m., Festivities will begin on the Units. CLC Patriot Place (73), American Legion & American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of American Legion; CLC Veterans Village (72), Veterans of Foreign Wars & VFW Auxiliary; Building 206, Unit 63, Elks, DAV; Medical/Surgical 3S, 3N, Masons & AMVETS. If there is an organization willing to help with Building 200 and Unit 63, please contact the Voluntary Service Office as soon as possible at We need extra help with those units. FMI, contact the Voluntary Service Office at or the Recreation Office at , Ext Christmas Party/Potluck Dinner: Dec. 15, Etna-Carmel Post 107, at the Carmel Municipal Bldg., 6 p.m. Bring your appetites, a tasty meal, and a gift-not to exceed ten dollars- (one for each guest that you may bring also). As mentioned, dinner is at 6 p.m. followed by a Yankee swap. We always have fun so please come and help us enjoy the evening. This is the last meeting of the year. Next meeting will be the 3 rd Thurs. of March Women Veterans Seek Answers: Dec. 16, Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford Counties will go to their nearest Tri County Mental Health offices, noon to 1 p.m. Bean Supper: Dec. 17, Winthrop Unit 40, 4:30-6:30 p.m., $7 adults, $3.50 under 10; beans, casseroles, hot dogs, rolls, butter and desserts. Texas Holdem Tournament: Dec. 18, Winthrop Post 40, 2 p.m. til done (one week early this month due to Christmas holiday), $50 buy in plus $5 registration, non smoking, refreshments. New members must preregister New Years' Eve Party: Dec. 31, Winthrop Post 40, 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., $10 per couple, members and guests. Music provided by Full Drive Band. Champagne & hors d'oeuvres. Come ring in the New Year with us! Donations THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 2

3 Pittsfield Post 32 Winterport Post 138 $200 Maine Blind Camp $200 - VAVS Kudos Guilford Post 119 for their donation of $500 to the SAD 4 Children s Christmas Program and $500 to the Guilford Food Bank. On Dec. 2, Locke Mills Post 68 donated $1,500 to Christmas for Families. Unit 68 donated $115 with more to come. Christmas for Families helps out about 200 families each year and we are proud to be a part of Nina Wheelers team. Berwick Post 79 presented a Blue Star Banner to Susan and Walter Goettlich, whose son Nathan, is a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy currently stationed in San Diego. Berwick Post 79 for their donations of $250 to sponsor a Little League team, $200 to the Berwick Employees Benevolent Fund, $200 to the Berwick Fuel Assistance Fund, $150 to the North Berwick Christmas Project, $100 to the South Berwick Community Food Pantry, $100 to the Somersworth, NH Community Food Pantry and $50 as a Christmas gift to many residents from Berwick currently on active duty in the armed forces. Condolences PDJA and Skowhegan Post 16 Past Commander Royce Knowles has passed away. Funeral services will be Sun., Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. at the Federated Church in Skowhegan directly across from the fire station. If planning to attend, recommend early arrival. Cards of sympathy may be sent to his wife Roberta at 106 Porter Rd., Skowhegan Sons of The American Legion Detachment News Went for blood work, chest x-ray, echo cardio with I.V. and I ll be darned if I might live another day as results show a heartbeat. We continue to have low membership renewals, those numbers need to start climbing as we near the end of the year. I am told from Dick Huntley for all those asking, that the raffle will be done soon. This will answer or at least I hope answer the mystery of the Christmas raffle drawing. I mentioned about a Christmas benefit being sponsored by the Town of Palmyra and the Detachment of Maine. And to recap on the events, 1st Annual Mr. Music & Friends Country Christmas Show to benefit Maine s Homeless Vets at the Palmyra Community Center at 4 Madawaska Road, Palmyra from 2-6 p.m. The cost is just $5 and after the show for another $5 baked bean and spaghetti supper with the fixings. Santa is due to arrive at 4 p.m. and music is provided by but not limited to Mr. Music a.k.a. Gary Knowles, Bob Elston, The Higgins Family, Mainely Country and many more Maine greats. Come relax to a Christmas country show. I will be emcee of the day s events and hope to see you there. 3

4 This weekend is the Togus Christmas Party. I am sure if you research this SMILE, somewhere the details are tucked in. I wish everyone a safe weekend. Brian Danforth, Commander Detachment of Maine Auxiliary Corner Ladies, this is a great time of the year to connect with your community and others to enjoy your local Post and activities, get in on the act of accomplishments on behalf of our veterans, service members and their families. Membership- Congratulations ladies, we are now in 3rd place in the Eastern Division. Keep up the good work. This is also a good time of the year to capture the attention of people who are eligible for membership, share all the good work we do and take it for a run. This past week I had the pleasure of paying a visit to Togus, then went on to the Augusta Veterans Home for a visit, then on to Bangor Veterans Home. The girls were busy setting up for the gift shops and I had a chance to visit with some of the staff at each facility. Thank you, ladies of Topsham Unit 202, for a great visit, a wonderful meal and a great Christmas party. This is the season for giving. Keep in mind our American Legion Family Homeless Veterans Project. Make your contributions to the ALA Dept. of Me, 886B Kennedy Memorial Dr., Oakland For Special Olympics on New Year s Day Lobster Dip, come and take the dip, it is for a good cause. Guaranteed no black flies or mosquitoes. Let us not forget Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor Day, 70 years ago. Please say a special prayer for those men and women. In the spirit of God and Country, we serve veterans and their families. Margaret Johnson, Department President, mrose01@peoplepc.com Best Wishes, Lloyd Woods, Department Adjutant THE MAINE LEGIONNAIRE TAPS COLUMN 4

5 To: The Maine Legionnaire P.O. Box 900 Waterville, Maine Note: Members submitted for the Taps Column are not automatically removed from a Post Roster. You must still submit a Member Data Form reporting the member as deceased. The following member(s) have joined the Post Everlasting. Please publish their names in the next issue of The Maine Legionnaire Taps Column. Date: I.D. # Name: Conflict: Signed: Post Adjutant Post No. Location: This form should be sent to The Maine Legionnaire on a monthly basis. Do not send in names of members who have been deceased over two months. THIS FORM MAY BE REPRODUCED 5