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Commander’s Corner

Thank you for your continued service and support to our American Legion. During the Department Convention on July 1, 2017, I was elected and installed as the Department Commander for Florida.

Leadership is not about a title or a designation.  It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration.  Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team – mates and customers. **Robin S. Sharma

I look forward to leading our American Legion by Securing the Future for All Veterans. This can only be accomplished with the total support of every Legionnaire and the American Legion Family. We are rapidly coming to closure of our first century as a veteran service organization and we seek to maintain our membership securing our vital endeavors.

We have endured change and the future of The American Legion will rely on our current generation to Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome any and all shortfalls so they can continue to maintain The American Legion’s Duty, Honor, Courage, and Commitment serving all veterans into the next century.

A department membership high is a goal that is attainable – we can do this. Program strength will increase as we educate and market our community and state on who we are, what we do, why it’s important to belong, serve, and support. Now is the time to help Florida become successful once again – we are well on our way and we can all overcome this. We begin this process Bridging the Gap into the Future, together. I thank you all once again for giving me the chance, the opportunity, and the honor to serve, support, and lead our Florida American Legion.

For God & Country,

Stephen Shuga
The American Legion
Department of Florida
Commander

Donation request letters – Be sure to double check where the letter is coming from…

There are other American Legion Departments, including the National Headquarters that are soliciting donations to the Florida membership. Please make sure you DOUBLE CHECK where the letter is coming from and where they’re asking you to send in your donations.

The Department of Florida DOES NOT receive any portion of the donations going to National and other Departments. In order to insure your donation is staying within our state and benefitting our Veterans and their families, send them to the Department of Florida Headquarters Office.

Check out these photos below. If you take a closer look, these mailings are from National Headquarters and the Department of Oklahoma.

Post Excellence Award:

The Post Excellence Award program honors posts that excellence in membership participation, youth activities, community service, and support to veterans and U.S. troops.

Criteria:

• Membership. Post membership must be at least one member more than the previous year. A post officer must attend district meeting.
• Youth activities. The post must sponsor and actively participate in a least one primary youth program: Boy Scouts of America or Junior Shooting Sports.
• Community service. The post must organize a community service project that involves members of the Legion, Auxiliary or Sons of The American Legion. A monetary donation may only be one part of a project.
• Service to troops or veterans. The post must organize a project supporting or veterans (for example, Family Support Network or Operation Comfort Warriors) that involves members of the Legion, Auxiliary or SAL outside the post. A monetary donation may only be one part of the project.

Certification:

District Commander must certify Post as having fulfilled the four specified criteria, and submit a list of the posts name, address and commander’s name to department headquarters. If possible, accompany with copies of press releases submitted to local media that raise awareness for the project and enhance the Legion’s public image.

For more information, go to National’s website: http://www.legion.org/commander/postexcellence

If you have any questions please let us know about first. Commander@floridalegion.org or Call (407) 247-5232

Thank you for all you do for The American Legion Department of Florida!