Department of Washington

Misc Items from Barbara

Administrative Compliance report has been updated as of 3:30pm today (April 12, 2024). It is imperative that Posts and Squadrons submit the Data Forms by Friday April 12th so we can meet the submission deadline per National. They are getting ready to start printing the membership cards for this next year.

Any Post or Squadron needing to submit paperwork for closing has to get it to me before April 18th to be presented to the NEC in May at the Spring meetings. The official paperwork forms are on the department website, so please make sure you are using the current forms or it will get sent back from National. (Forms are on Department website here: https://walegion.org/dept-resources/)

The National JA and his assistant Ken George will be meeting with the team of 8 members of Washington to work on coming up with the first draft of the Constitution and By-Laws. Once they have completed their task information will be coming to the 24 elected delegates from the Spring Conferences as to when they will begin to meet and work with the JA. Spring Conferences will be completed at the end of next weekend so I will then compile the list of delegates that were elected and send that information to the National JA and Advisory Team Chair.

Please make sure you are calling the members in your posts (and squadrons) to see about renewals for those who have not yet renewed. 

Post & Squadron Data Reports

Posts: The combined per capita dues for National and Department is $43 as of July 1st. If your Post dues is LESS THAN that amount you need to take action now! If you increased your dues for the 2024/2025 membership year, it is EXTREMELY important that you submit a Post Data Report by April 12th. If these reports are not submitted to National timely, the first renewal notices they mail out may have the incorrect dues amount.

Post and Squadron Data reports are now available for online completion. Please complete your report the via the links below or via the "Annual Reports" link on the Department webpage. Please DO NOT download and handwrite your information by using the old forms. You may contact us at TAL.WA.WEB@gmail.com if you have questions or need assistance.

Spotlight on Membership

Washington is currently in 47th place with 91.13% of our goal. Our next target is 100% by May 15th and we need 1,702 new/renewed members to reach our goal.

The SAL Detachment of Washington is in 31st place with 92.58% of goal. Our next goal is 100% by May 15th and we need 199 new/renewed members to reach that goal.

Membership Cards for 2025

This is a reminder that the 2025 American Legion Membership Card and Registers cut-off date is April 10, 2024, which is also the 95% “Children & Youth” Target Date. The IT Production team will then run the 2025 TAL Membership Cards extract on or around April 13, 2024. It is imperative that you transmit to us your TAL membership by that April 10, 2024, cut-off date to ensure that your members’ 2025 membership cards correctly reflect their continuous years. 

Interim Administrator Barbara Lombrano

Phone: 360-491-4373

Email: blombrano@legion.org

Service Division Contacts

American Lake Service Office

Telephone: 253-583-1300 

Chehalis Service Office

Telephone: 360-209-3836

JBLM Service Office

Telephone: 253-477-4810

Seattle Service Office (JFB)

Telephone: 206-341-8262 

Seattle Service Office (VAMC)

Telephone: 206-768-5359 

Spokane Service Office

Telephone: 509-434-7750

Yakima Service Office

Telephone: 509-895-7532

Upcoming Dates

Apr 14 - USAFR Birthday

Apr 23 - USAR Birthday

May 1 - Silver Star Service Banner Day

May 2 - National Day of Prayer

May 4 - EOD Day

May 8 - V-E Day

May 10 - Military Spouse Appreciation Day

May 18 - Armed Forces Day

May 24 - Poppy Day

May 27 - Memorial Day

Legislative Matters

Don't forget to visit the Legislative Action Center frequently and urge your congressional representative to support the pending bills.

Department Program Contacts

Our programs require volunteers to successfully carry them out. Please consider volunteering to help us! Please reach out to the chairperson below to take the first step in getting involved!

Band

(wardll@aol.com)

Baseball

(donhays@comcast.net)

Boy Scouts

(jadavidson46@gmail.com)

Boys State

(amorea@hotmail.com)

Junior Shooting Sports

(budsperry@msn.com)

Oratorical Contest

(cmreed98058@hotmail.com)

Special Olympics

(dhodgeboom@comcast.net)

District Spring Conferences

Spring Conference Schedule:

April 12th - District 1 TBD (via zoom/teams)

April 13th - District 2 @ Burlington 91

0930 social / 1030 Memorial / 1300 Meeting

April 14th - District 11 @ Bothell 127

1100 social / noon meal / 1300 meeting

Blue Star Recognition Event

Coy-Catlin Post 137 hosted a Blue Star Banner Banquet Saturday evening April 6th.

A Blue Star Salute was given to the local parents of active duty armed forces personnel. They received a Blue Star certificate and a banner with a blue star representing each of their children serving. With several parents with 1 star, there were parents with 2, 3 and 4 star banners!!

A Blue Star video tribute was presented showing their Heroes serving!! Yes, the video will be available, soon, on Post 137’s website.

The blue star represents one family member serving, and a banner can have up to five stars, according to The American Legion. The American Legion helped reintroduce the Blue Star Banner to Americans following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by providing banners to military families across the nation. If the individual is killed in action or dies, a smaller gold star is placed over it. Gold stars are placed above the blue stars or to the top right of the flag, in the event a flag represents multiple servicemembers.

The Blue Star Service Banner was designed and patented in 1917 by World War I Army Capt. Robert L. Queisser of the 5th Ohio Infantry. His two sons served on the front line. His banner quickly became the unofficial symbol for parents with a child in active military service.

Evergreen Boys State

Here in Washington we conduct Evergreen Boys State to help young men [just finishing their junior year of high school] learn about government and leadership. The program will be held the week of June 16-22, 2024 at Warm Beach Conference Center in Stanwood.

It's time to get busy recruiting students to attend Evergreen Boys State! The 2024 session is June 16-22 at Warm Beach Conference Center in Stanwood.

Evergreen Boys State is a week-long intensive hands-on civics lesson where high school students create and run their own mock government. It teaches them about the democratic process, leadership skills, and the importance of being active and engaged citizens. The goal is to prepare these young men to be responsible and informed members of their community, state and nation in the future. Evergreen Boys State is a great way for them to develop a deeper understanding of how government works and to inspire them to become future leaders.

Evergreen Boys State begins just 65 days from today! We need Posts and Districts to step it up and get eligible young men recruited and registered to attend. Does you local High School have JROTC program? Reach out to those instructors! Please visit our website for more information about the program and Local Recruiter Resources, 

IMPORTANT: Please take note of the new forms and registration procedures for this year. If you have questions please contact us at Office@EvergreenBoysState.org.

2024 Department Eagle Scout of the Year Named

Bodie Strom of Bainbridge Island is the Department's 2024 Eagle Scout of the Year. His was one of three nominations received this year. He will be the recipient of a $2,000.00 scholarship at the Department Convention in July.

He has an extensive Scouting and leadership history with Troop 1496 with 48 merit badges (five Eagle Palms), five National Outdoor Award segments, mile swim, 128 nights of camping, 364 miles of hiking and 372 hours of service hours. He has attended multiple summer camps in Washington, Idaho and Montana as well as three different National High Adventure Camps. His Eagle Scout Service Project benefited the Grand Forest in Bainbridge Island where he replaced the information kiosk.

His community service and service to his church was remarkable.

At the time of the nomination, Strom had a 3.798 GPA as a senior at Bainbridge Island High School where he also on the Honor Roll and a three sports letterman in Cross Country, Swim and Dive and Track. He is a member of the Honor Society as well as the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and on the Dean's List at Olympic College with a 3.7 GPA.

He has been accepted into Corban University in Oregon majoring in Biblical Theology.

His nomination has been forwarded to National for consideration for the National Award and Scholarship.

The committee received two other nominations this year. Regrettably, they did not follow the listed instructions and had to be disqualified.

---

Jim Davidson - Chairman

Boy Scouts Committee

jadavidson46@gmail.com

What's Going on in Your Neighborhood?

The items we share here are frequently what we find in your Facebook Posts. Want your District, Post, Unit, Squadron or Riders Chapter to be featured here and on the Department Facebook page? Please submit emails with information and pictures of your activities to TAL.WA.WEB@gmail.com and blombrano@legion.org.

Chaplain Corner & Prayer Requests

Do not miss any opportunity to tell friends and loved ones how much they mean you and that they are important to you. To “BEtheONE”, can mean more than you’ll ever know to that ONE. An opportunity missed is an opportunity LOST.

If there are prayer requests you wish to have added to the webpage, please submit them on the website at: https://walegion.org/chaplain/submit-prayer-request/. In order to prevent spam, they will go into a queue to be approved before appearing on the page.