You have to become involved to make an impact. No one is impressed with the won/loss record of the referee.

~ John Holcomb  ~

     The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the Legion are all service organizations.  Yet, a majority of the members of each of those groups simply uses their membership to access the club.  They don't get involved. 

     Recently I read an article about people who stop being involved in organizations.  The number one reason that volunteers quit is that they feel un-recognized and un-appreciated.  In fact, according to the magazine article, 35% of volunteers drop out because they don't feel like they are part of things.  Are you one of those volunteers?    

     Unfortunately, the article also said that it is common in most organizations that 10% of the members do 90% of the work.   There are enough members at Post 163 that if each member would commit to just one single volunteer project per year, that would be all the volunteer time needed from one person.

     Whether you belong to the Legion, SAL or Auxiliary, here are some questions to ask yourself.

ê Do you know what the volunteer opportunities are at Post 163?

ê Do you have the opportunity to choose projects which are interesting for you and best suit your talents?

ê Did someone say "Thank you" the last time you volunteered?

ê Do your opinions count in meetings? 

(Of course your opinion will never count if you don't attend the meetings and express yourself.)

      Now set a plan of action and get involved. It doesn't have to take much of your time. Here are some examples of things you can do to serve in our Post 163 family.

 

Poppy Days – The weekends of May 22-23 and May 29-31 are Poppy Days.  That means representatives of Post 163 will be distributing poppies to commemorate those who have given their lives for our country.  Can you spare two hours to sit at a table and help distribute the poppies?  Call Marilyn Goff at 378-3370 to volunteer. 

 

Memorial Day Ceremony – We need volunteers of Legion and Legion Auxiliary to march in the ceremony.  Call Shannon Plummer at 317- 5256 if you want to participate.

 

The San Juan County Fair-  The Legion Auxiliary operates a fair booth at the fair.  You can participate by simply buying your lunch at the booth or if you really want to have some fun, join one of the cooking teams.  No experience necessary.  The shifts are 4 hours but the time goes fast.  Call Callie McKay at 378-8247 to help with the fair booth. 

The patio – Do you have a green thumb?  Soon we will need to pressure wash the cement and reseal it.  It takes a few hours of one Saturday.  If you have a pressure washer or are willing to help move patio furniture call Marlene Crosby at 378-2858.   In May we will replant the pots on the patio so that our summer will bloom.  If you’d like to help with that, call Marlene.   Maybe you would like to volunteer to water the plants once a week?  Or perhaps you don't mind spending a few minutes a week trimming and plucking dead heads off the blooming summer plants?  Let Marlene know. 

 

Troop Care Packages – For three years we have been collecting money and comfort items on the first Saturday of the month.  On the following Wednesday we pack those items into care packages for our local troops serving overseas.   The shifts on the Saturday collection date are 2 hours starting at 8 AM and ending at 6 PM.  Call Minnie Knych at 378-4662 if you would like to volunteer for a shift.  Everyone is welcome at the packing party – call Minnie and volunteer to pack.  No time to pack?  You can still contribute by donating some homemade cookies.  Our troops say cookies are a favorite thing to receive. 

 

 Not being able to do everything is no excuse for not doing everything you can. ~ Ashleigh Brilliant ~

ARE YOU PART OF THE 10% ?  - GET INVOLVED!