Florida American Legion

Department Membership Goal 100%
2025-05-07

CPR & Addendums Due
2025-05-07

Legion Link Articles Due
2025-05-15
Publishing Guidelines
About the Legion Link
The Legion Link is a monthly newsletter, providing information from The American Legion, Department of Florida leadership to engage and inform members, veterans and other interested persons, of important Department objectives, events, benefits and official Department and National business.
The Legion Link publishes on the first working day of each month, except for July. There is no Legion Link in July.
Who Can Contribute?
Department Officers, Area and District Commanders, Chairs, and Staff may contribute to the Legion Link. Submissions from National, Posts, Legionnaires, Legion Family and any other individuals, may submit an article for consideration, however these articles must be relevant and considered valuable to our readers, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to refuse any article that we do not deem appropriate or relevant to our readers.
Article Submission Requirements

Content must be engaging, informative, and/or relevant to The American Legion and the Department of Florida.
Articles may be submitted using our online submission form, contained within an email, or attached to an email in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). Emails should be sent to legionlink@floridalegion.org. Please do not submit articles as .pdf files, as they will not be published. Flyers in .pdf format are acceptable, as they do not require editing and formatting.
If a piece has already been published elsewhere, please resubmit it as a synopsis or a summary of the original document.
Be sure to credit any other authors and/or publishers, including references. Sources should be cited in the article.
The working language of the newsletter is English.
Although there is no word limit, articles are generally no longer than 1200 words. Longer articles will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The editorial board reserves the right to edit work that has been accepted for publication. The author’s message will not be changed, changes will include grammatical corrections, changes of inaccurate data, omission of unacceptable or irrelevant information.
The submission deadline is the 15th day of each month, for publication on the 1st of the following month. Any submissions received after the 15th day of the month, will be held for the next publication. Deadlines are firm, unless prior permission has been granted. There is no Legion Link in July.

Photo Submission Requirements

Photos/Images should be submitted in high resolution format, in one of the following file types: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .tiff, .pdf.
Photos/Images must be sent separately and not embedded with the article. They may be sent using our online submission tool, attached to an email, or emailed link from your personal Gmail or Dropbox account. DVD/CD and flash drives are also acceptable, if received prior to the deadline.
All professional photos should be given proper accreditation. Please cite the photographer’s name and affiliation.
Please follow these guidelines when taking photos of children:

You must receive consent from the parent, guardian or caregiver of any child or young person up the age of 18, especially if they are clearly recognizable in an image.
Be sensitive when taking photos of children with disabilities.
Be inclusive. Include images of people from all different ethnic communities, backgrounds, sex and socio-economic status.
Exercise caution at all times to make sure that only images of children in suitable attire are taken.

Department Headquarters Closed
2025-05-26, 2025-06-19, 2025-07-04

Department Membership Goal 100% +1
2025-05-31

Youth Law Cadet Application & Fee Deadline
2025-06-01

Post Officer Reports Due
2025-06-01

Certification of Officers Due
2025-06-01

Department Headquarters Closed
2025-06-11 - 2025-06-16
Will be at Convention

106th Department Convention
2025-06-12 - 2025-06-15

Leadership Retreat
2025-07-11 - 2025-07-13 | The American Legion, Department of Florida, 1912 A Lee Rd, Orlando, Florida, 32810, United States

Legion Link Articles Due
2025-07-15, 2025-08-15, 2025-09-15, 2025-10-15, 2025-11-15

106th American Legion National Convention - Tampa
2025-08-22 - 2025-08-28

Headquarters Closed
2025-09-01, 2025-11-11

Membership Department 50% Target
2025-09-04

Membership Department Zoom Meeting
2025-09-04

Membership Early Bird Kick-Off
2025-09-04

Membership Post Highest Percentage Award (Dept)
2025-09-30

Membership Department 55% Target
2025-10-01

Membership National 55% Target
2025-10-15

Department Wide Membership Drive
2025-11-01
A quick burst of encouragement as we head into our Department-Wide Membership Drive on November 1, 2025. These dates are anchors for our 2025–2026 Membership Year—and a perfect moment to welcome back members who haven’t renewed yet.

Why this matters (now more than ever)
Every renewal strengthens your Post’s ability to serve veterans, families, and your hometown. Local dues stay local. Your programs—honor guards, service officers, youth scholarships, community outreach—depend on it.

Your 60-Minute Kickoff Plan

Gather your crew: Invite Legionnaires, Auxiliary, and Sons to join a one-hour “call & connect” session.
Prioritize your list: Print a current roster of non-renewed and 0400/0400AD members in your area, and divide it into small call blocks.
Reach out, warmly:

If you miss them, leave a short, positive voicemail.
Follow with a friendly text or email.
Note the result so follow-ups are easy.

Share the ‘why’: Remind members that renewal fuels local impact and keeps our voice strong for veterans across Florida and the nation.

Simple talking points for your team

“Why should I renew?” Renewal keeps programs alive right here at home—funded by local dues.
“What does The American Legion do for me?” Point to your Post’s recent wins: service officer assistance, community service days, youth programs, ceremonial honors, and advocacy.

Tools & tone
Lead with appreciation, not pressure. Every contact is about connection and belonging. Use your Post’s recent stories—photos, brief anecdotes, or an upcoming event invitation—to make it personal.

Let’s do this—together.
Circle the dates: November 1, 2025 and March 1, 2026. A few focused hours from each Post will make all the difference for our 2025–2026 Membership Year.

Short on time? Even ten calls from each volunteer moves the needle. Small steps, big impact.

Thank you for everything you do for our veterans, families, and communities.

There are tons of online resources from both National and Department to aid you:

Department
National

Membership Department 65% Target
2025-11-05

Department Fall Conference
2025-11-21 - 2025-11-23 | Caribe Royale Orlando, 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando, FL, 32821, United States
Additional Details >>
