American Legion Auxiliary
Unit 288 Cedarburg
March 7, 2023
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: 6:32 pm
Opening Prayer/Pledge of Allegiance/Preamble – Complete
Attendance Report – 4 here, 4 absent
Treasurers Report
Total reviewed
- Motion made, Seconded…. Report approved.
Membership - 153
- 135 seniors
- 18 juniors
Those who are delinquent with dues may be reinstated once payment is made
Since the first of the year we have lost 3 members all due to passing away.
Five new members as of this year – three in attendance this evening and welcomed with applause!
Old business
Legion Birthday Party – March 18
Invitations went out. Only 31 signed up as of Monday, 3/6/23. People can pay at the door.
Currently no one needs to bring dessert – all catering is covered by the Legion.
Tickets are $15/person.
Executive Committee meeting – free soda, no free beer this year. Live band.
Current catering does not include dessert – Shirley will donate a cake from Costco. Also get table cloths at Dollar Store and minor decorations.
Need to cover creating a door welcome committee to get the ticket fee collected, etc. – Shirley is also going to cover this and arrange.
Deadline – March 11 to RSVP to Mary Jaeger
Poppy Princesses
A junior and a senior.
Happy to have two of them.
Congratulations letters have been sent. Honor flights scheduled for April and May -- they will be busy!
Kentucky Derby Party – May 6
Schedule and volunteer list being passed around – includes setting up and cleaning up, food, décor, menu, etc.
Sue is working with Mel’s Charities (approached during the Happy Dance to partner) and they would be open to participate. Mixed reviews on whether to partner if we can carry an event on our own and get all the profit as opposed to sharing profit. Currently, will not pursue a partnership.
Looking to get $900 in funding from the Auxiliary budget (same as in 2022) – motion and seconded – motion passes!
Need to state what we are raising dollars for – includes as “veteran’s programs” until initiative is determined. Decision presented to the unit and vote is taken. Unit keeps 25 percent and the rest is donated.
Car Show – June 10
Band will waive set up fee as a gift to the Veterans
Post is reserved
Same theme – car show, raffle baskets, vendor tents, and ADDED band
Initial budget was reviewed ($800-ish) and they feel we can keep the same budget.
Have a website. Let vendors pay ahead of time.
Already 9 vendors registered
Competing car show that weekend at Pioneer Village – but not the big one that we competed with last year
Car fee - $10 each for registration
Vendors - $35 each for registration (an increase from $25 in 2022)
Jerry has offered to do the food again this year
Looking for approval for same budget $800 from the Auxiliary funding - Motion made and seconded – motion passes!
Do we have a rider group? Do not think so.
Need to state what we are raising dollars for – includes as “veteran’s programs” until initiative is determined.
Memorial Day – Luncheon – March 26
Need to start planning this.
Auxiliary buys, cooks, serves – does it all
Meal includes (traditional) sloppy joes with buns, potato chips (in individual bags) – Carol has offered to lead this again. Barb T. has offered to lead the food cooking aspect of the event.
Chips ordered through Cisco
Sloppy Joes made at the Legion the day before – consider 40 – 50 lbs of beef
Possible partnership with Hmong group who contributes spring roles
National Poppy Day – Friday before Memorial Day
Distributing poppies at the end of the month – not early in the month to compete with Mother’s Day
Ozaukee Co Meeting – Saturday, April 15 – meeting in Fredonia
8:30a registration
8:30 - 9:30a – breakfast
9:30 – 12 noon – Meeting
Cost is $2/ticket
Each unit is asked to donate a basket for the raffle
Each unit is asked to report: members in attendance, overall attendance
April 15 due date – Unit end of year impact report – FILL OUT FORM TODAY!!!
Member impact report – can go online to fill this out. For “how many veterans served” – use common sense to do this. If you purchased 48 granola bars and donated them… you served 48 veterans.
ALA department of WI – when you bring up the website…. Go to MORE…. Go to REPORTS.
If you have “direct to veteran” support hours, you put that on a separate piece of paper and provide that to Madam President. You cannot report “double dip” direct to veteran and service hours by claiming them twice. Service hours on the web. Service hours to Madam President written out.
Once submitted, the full report is sent to Congress.
TIMEFRAME TO COVER – FEB 28 2022 to MARCH 7 2023
TIME TARGET --- Madam President would like you to have your hours submitted by the March Meeting on March 7. AGAIN – DO THIS IMMEDIATELY.
Tent purchase
Five tents have been purchased and are now located in the garage.
Badger Girls State
Nominees from Cedarburg high school – 2 primary and 1 alternate
Mother of alternate asked if there was any way to get a sponsorship to cover the daughter.
Shirley proposes holding that name and seeing if there could be a fill in from another school.
Auxillary always sponsors 2 girls – at $400 each
Week in Oshkosh, Sunday through Friday. Work on elections, learn government – in the mythical State of “Badger”
Already in our constitution – no need to vote on contribution
Spring Conference, District #2 – April 29, 2023
This meeting will include election of officers.
Due to Mary Montag – any registrations in by April 22
Service to Veterans – “What you need to know”
Tuesday March 21 – 6-7p
Learn what qualifies as service to Veterans
How to compile service hours and record them
Maggie Geiger will be the guest speaker
Newest member of 100 percent club – Belgium, WI
Other counties are close to goal.
Unit dues will increase in 2024 -- $34 + the amount that is to stay with the Unit
Do we want to keep our portion to be $1 or increase?
Vote on this at the April meeting.
Consider becoming a PUFL
Scholarship
We have one $500 scholarship – 3 people will review 15 applicants
Winner will be selected within the next month
Award provided at Cedarburg Awards Dinner
Closing Prayer - Completed
MEETING ADJOURNED: 7:44 pm
General Meeting Minutes - 1st 2023 Meeting
Feb 7, 2023
Previous year on Page 2
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: 6:40 pm
Attendance Report – 2 excused, all others present
Treasurers ReportMembership
- 149 paid
- 131 seniors
- 18 juniors
Those who are delinquent with dues may be reinstated once payment is made
Since the first of the year we have lost 3 members all due to passing away.
Five new members as of this year – three in attendance this evening and welcomed with applause!
Old business
None.
New business
Super Bowl Party – only need helpers, logistics are taken care of. Tickets are $15/ea. Includes meal, beer and soda. Tickets also available at the Piggly Wiggly at the service desk. It is a LEGION EVENT (not Auxiliary). We provided a temporary advance of $300 that will be paid back. Brats and sloppy joes. Trying to do a raffle basket. Decorations offered—mostly Packers but football themed. Info shared with Mary to plan. A cake has been ordered – no homemade desserts needed.
Ozaukee Co Member of the Year and Ozaukee Co Teacher of the Year – One award provided for each at the June 30 awards dinner. Nominations may be shared with the President.
April 15 due date – Unit end of year impact report
Member impact report – can go online to fill this out. For “how many veterans served” – use common sense to do this. If you purchased 48 granola bars and donated them… you served 48 veterans.
ALA department of WI – when you bring up the website…. Go to MORE…. Go to REPORTS.
If you have “direct to veteran” support hours, you put that on a separate piece of paper and provide that to Madam President. You cannot report “double dip” direct to veteran and service hours by claiming them twice. Service hours on the web. Service hours to Madam President written out.
Once submitted, the full report is sent to Congress.
PLEASE SUBMIT – as only a small percentage of Aux units report hours. Once the info is given to Congress, they share financial investment as well as volunteer investment to show importance in the Nation. And with that level of existing support, it helps to get decisions made to support Veterans programs and funding.
TIMEFRAME TO COVER – FEB 28, 2022, to MARCH 7 2023
TIME TARGET --- Madam President would like you to have your hours submitted by the March Meeting on March 7.
County – Bylaws Text Awareness
Printed bylaws distributed and review requested. Send any comment to Sandy. No discussion needed on this topic.
Proposal – Tent purchase
Buy two 10x10 tents to use for shade during outdoor events. Cost is approx. $160 each and if purchased at Harbor Freight, we can get a 20 percent discount on the purchase due to member employee. Smaller version available for approx. $70 each. Desire to have four purchased. But two needed minimum. Approximately $200 (with discount) for four tents.
SOLID GOLD MOMENT: Due to the glorious donations of four wonderful people of $50/each… we now have this covered without dipping into Treasury Funds. The highest of fives for these women! And thank you Kris for coordinating the purchase with the discount and non-profit (no tax payment) status!
Provide the checks or cash to Barb. Barb will provide the full amount for tent payment.
Spring Conference, District #2 – April 2023
The membership was encouraged to purchase raffle tickets. This is the only fundraiser the district has.
$10/3 tickets
$5/1 ticket
Want to purchase at the March 7 meeting? See Carol S.
Question from the floor regarding purchasing the tickets as a Unit. If we win, the funds will go into the Treasury to benefit the entire Unit.
Motion and Seconded – have the Unit purchase $50 worth of tickets. Motion passes! Barb cut the check immediately – everyone think lucky thoughts!
Legion Birthday Party – March 18, 2023
Do we cater or do a potluck? Discussion… Majority membership felt we should cater.
Motion and seconded – cater this event (no potluck). Motion passes!
Shirley will move forward and call David with this catering decision.
Motion and seconded – increase the ticket fee from $5 to $10/each. Motion passes!
Mary Garner is going to develop the invitation. March 15 is the official American Legion birthday. We will have music.
Women Vets
5 - $20 gift certificates
Shirley has these gift certificates
Kentucky Derby – May 6
We need to start working on this event.
Scholarship
If you have any Junior Members – have them apply for a Scholarship. Must have a 3.0 GPA minimum.
Junior Member – Loyalty
Spirit of Youth
Poppy Princess Applications
Junior Poppy Princess – ages 6-12
Senior Poppy Princess – ages 13-18
We have one application so far. We will have one Junior and one Senior Poppy selected. Deadline for applications is: March 1. Crown in April. Memorial Day – Princesses will be in a car with sashes waving to their public.
Discussion – do we have to crown them in April? Can we crown in May? Current Poppy Princess would like to attend the Honor Flight event in April as a Poppy Princess. She can go – and distribute poppies --- whether she is an existing Princess or not. We would have to change our bylaws to crown in April. New Poppy Princess might be there. The sash is theirs to keep and the former princess could go if she wanted.
Shirley is ordering poppies. Feb 16 is now the deadline for ordering since we missed the Dec deadline we will order approx. 2K.
Valentines for Veterans
We were able to collect approx. 400 valentines! Encouragement to membership to take a look before they are packed up for distribution.
Extra updates from Maggie
Possibility (based on voting) of having 3 representatives at the ALA WI level. Goooooooo 288!!!
13,500 already raised for Sweat for Vets – May 20, 2023 – based on two sponsor donations
30 yard signs being ordered
Band getting selected
Meal to be served at Post 288 (Walk landing site, not launch)
Badger Girls – getting hotel rooms, other logistics
MEETING ADJOURNED: 7:50 pm
December 6, 2022 Unit Meeting
Meeting called to order by President Carol Grotkiewicz. - Opening prayer by Mary Jaeger. - Pledge of Allegiance.
Chris Skidmore brought up the Christmas donation to the Legion. It was decided to give $500, the same as last year .A motion was made, seconded and passed to give the Legion $500.
Birthday Party donation is tabled until February meeting for a vote. Will be discussed at the January Executive Board meeting.
18 Quilts were donated by Loraine Gresch. Shirley Krier will take for homeless vets. A motion was made, seconded and passed.
Postage for Troop Boxes. The Legion Post will give us $105 towards the postage for the boxes. The unit will pay the other $105. There will be 10 boxes and will be packed in Hartland. Mary and Sue will shop on Thursday and pack on Sunday. A motion was made to spend the money on the postage. The motion was seconded and passed.Wisconsin Women 4 the Troops.
November Donations for Department will be $2000 same as last year. $1000 will come from general fund and $1000 from the poppy fund. Mary Garner made a motion, Chris Sandoval seconded and motion was passed.Barb Tenpenny will write checks to: VA&R, Children in Youth National Emergency Fund, Presidents Special Project, Camp American Legion, Fischer House.
Past President Parley will be $5 each with a total of 12 past presidents for $60.Shirley made a motion to approve the amount. Mary Garner seconded and the motion was passed.
Shirley brought up Badger Girls State. It was approved to spend $400 each for 2 girls to attend this year.
Maggie Geiger asked to be endorsed to be the next President of Department. A motion was made, seconded and passed to endorse Maggie. Maggie also brought up that members should step up for leadership roles.
Gail Kjell gave Carol G $350 from Adaptor Inc. to be used for female vets. She also gave Carol five $20 gift cards from Chris Quintero to be used for women's vets personal items.
Chris Skidmore introduced our two new members Linda Wiegand and Sandy Groholski.
Pot of Gold winner was Denise Roethle.
Closing prayer by Mary Jaeger.