Sons of The American Legion Detachment of Floirda Newsletter

We are three months into our Round Up and the jails are still full. We need to take the time to turn our Outlaws into Citizens. We are way behind our numbers from last year. I know that the hurricanes have had a major impact on our lives and rebuilding our homes and communities have had an effect on our membership. Together, we will overcome the challenges that we have been subjected too, and as we rebuild our towns we will also rebuild our membership.

Please keep in mind that our Fall Conference will be held the end of this month. If you have not yet made your reservations, please do so today. The program that is planned will be informative to all. I hope to see everyone there.

If your squadron or post is having an event and would like me to attend, please let me know at least two weeks in advance of the event. I will try my best to be there. You can reach me at (727) 204-9244

Lets pick up the pace and ROUND UP those OUTLAWS today!!! Remember our goal of 500 members over last year. Let’s make it another ALL TIME HIGH!

The 1st Annual Fall Conference will take place on Saturday, October 30th, 2004 at the Rosen Centre on International Drive in Orlando. This Conference will be like no other that we have ever had in the State. Aside from the Detachment Executive Committee meeting on Saturday morning, the rest of the morning will be training seminars for officers, proper completion of forms and membership cards and a question and answer session.

The afternoon session will include seminars from the Detachment Committee and Commission Chairmen on their respective Committees and Commissions. This format is a first for the Detachment. We will be asking for your comments and suggestions for future Seminars. We may have a few surprise speakers as well. So make your plans to attend the Fall Conference. After the Conference concludes, we will have time and space for any Area Commander who wishes to have an Area Conference or Caucus.

Usually during the previous Mid-Winter Conferences we would accept donations for our various Charities. If any squadron has money that they wish to donate to any program, we will accept them at the Fall Conference. I hope to see everyone at the Conference! Until next month!!!!

Once again, I need your help at the upcoming Special Olympic Games to be held Friday and Saturday, November 5th and 6th in Bradenton, FL. As usual we are in charge of security. I need volunteers for Saturday, November 6th. We will be breaking the day up into two shifts. The first shift will run from 7:30am – 12:30pm. The second shift from 12:00pm – 5:00pm. Please contact me at (904) 241-4030 if you can spare some time.

For those needing lodging, please contact the Days Inn at 3506 1st Street West, Bradenton, Florida. The rates are $56.99 per night. Please call (941) 746-1141 for reservations and be sure to mention the American Legion or Special Olympics to get this rate.

I need your help! No, let me rephrase that, the Detachment needs your help! As of the last membership report, the Detachment still had 48 “GOOSE EGG” squadrons. I know that the storms of 2004 have put us behind, but we need to pick up the pieces and get focused on our membership! I am asking the Area and District Commanders for their help to rectify this situation. Please make phone calls or personal visits to the squadrons in your area or district.

We continue to loose members every year to the tune of about 2,000 members failing to renew within Florida. In order to reach our goals, we must focus on renewing our members. We will not make our goals on new members alone. We need to reach out to these gentlemen and bring them back into the organization. Let’s give them a chance to once again become active participants. We have been asked to help our National Organization continue to grow. However, it starts with all of you at the local squadrons beginning to focus on the renewing of current members. We are all salesmen for the SAL, and we must do our best to sell the program to all of our members.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Fall Conference at the end of this month. Due to my new job position, I have relocated to Tallahassee. My new address and phone numbers are as follows:

The 1st Annual Fall Conference of the Detachment of Florida will be held on Saturday, October 30, 2004 at the Rosen Centre, International Drive in Orlando. All sessions for the SAL will be held in Salon #10.

Last Updated: November 25, 2004