The Fargo
Fargo Legionnaire
Fargo, North Dakota
July - August  2005

Commander's Message
Dave Rice

It is a great honor to serve as Commander of the Fargo American Legion, Gilbert C. Grafton Post #2. Thank you for your support and encouragement, I look forward to working with all of you in 2005-2006.

Our Immediate Past Commander Wayne Wermager deserves a huge thank you for all his hard work this past year. Wayne provided the leadership as we considered the sale of our building and in our negotiations with the restaurant and lounge agreements. He did an excellent job in gathering information, getting interested people at the table, facilitating discussion and ultimately making group decisions. Thanks Wayne!

Your input is needed to help us establish priorities for 2005-2006. I provided several examples of what we could do at the June post meeting, but your ideas are still needed. There is a limit, based on finances and volunteer time, on what we can accomplish so we would like you to help us prioritize our goals. Please let us know what you think we should focus our attention on this upcoming year.

The more I get involved with this great organization the more I realize how dedicated our members and staff are. The unsung heroes are our office staff. Sarah, our Post Secretary and Doris, our Gaming Coordinator, are the glue that holds us together. Wally, our Finance Officer and Ralph, our Adjutant, put in countless hours for our Post and their dedication should be commended. Many of our members are involved in everything we do. Please consider volunteering some of your time to help them out.

Please continue supporting our Post, our programs and our club. We need your participation and patronage to keep our post going.

Dave Rice, Commander

Auxiliary President's Message
Barb Nash

First of all, thank you to the Nomination Committee for having faith that I will diligently perform the duties of the American Legion Auxiliary President. With the help of all of the team of officers and members, I am sure I will do just fine.

By the time you read this, I will have completed my first official duty as President for the 2005-2006 season: I attended and otherwise assisted at a RedHawks baseball game in support of American Legion Day on June 22, 2005. Tough stuff, I know.

I hope that a good number of you were in attendance at the State Convention and we returned with ideas for a good year of service work in support of our Veterans and our Children and Youth programs. I am open to any suggestions you might have for projects throughout the coming year. There has been interest in reforming and rejuvenating the Junior Auxiliary membership. This would be an awesome way for moms and daughters to spend some quality time together. Perhaps, a project in conjunction with Veterans Day in November? Again, if interested, please contact me.

At the last Board meeting, there was also discussion of doing some recruitment this fall. This would simply consist of bringing an eligible friend to the September meeting. We will have information set up about what the ALA does, the benefits of membership, and goals for upcoming year. Let’s make these meetings productive and fun. Please plan to attend and bring a friend or seven or eight!

In preparing for my first newsletter, I did some “surfing” through the ALA website and found the mission of the ALA. I would ask simply that you look at our Mission and see what each of us can do in support of this:

• To support the American Legion programs for veterans, young people, and community
• To provide for today's needs while being advocates for a brighter future
• To advance the understanding of patriotism and responsibility of citizenship
• To promote individual integrity and family values
• To ensure as volunteers, that Auxiliary members continue to be the leaders in all that is good in this nation today, tomorrow and for generations to come through serving others first and not self.

Join me on July 21st at 5:30 at the Legion for our summer picnic. Maybe we’ll be able to compare tans by then!

Barb Nash, Auxiliary President, Unit #2

Message from the Chef de Gare
Larry Lein

Greetings to my fellow Voyageurs

Since the last Legionnaire News Letter we have finished another year in Voiture 240 and Don Schwinden is a past Chef de Gare and I am your new Chef de Gare. Most of you know who I am but for those that don’t, my name is Larry Lein. Just a brief run down of who I am. I am a 34-year Legion member of Post # 2, Past Commander of Post # 2, 40 & 8 member for 15 years, Past Chef de Gare of Voiture 240, and past Grand Chef de Gare of North Dakota. So much for me.

With the start of a new year I look forward to continuing where Chef Schwinden has taken Voiture 240 with its programs and membership, but I or the rest of the officers cannot do that by our selves. It takes everyone’s effort, your and mine. Together we can make this Voiture and 40 & 8 organization a great and fun organization.

Just because it is summer don’t forget about spaghetti every Monday night at 6:00 pm. Not a bad meal for $3.00 and it helps the 40 & 8 Nurses Training Program, and you don’t have to cook.

One last thing till September letter, mark the 4th of September on your calendars for the annual 40 & 8 picnic and horseshoe tourney.

Enjoy the summer and see you in September if not before,

Larry Lein, Chef de Gare 

From The Gaming Manager
Russ Stabler

Allow me to introduce myself, I am Russ Stabler. and am your new Gaming Manager. It is exciting for me to accept this position and learn something new. As most of you know most of the jar people are new like me, I enjoy working with them. Everyone needs to help support the club and visit with them.

As some people are aware, we have started $25.00 Blackjack. It is my understanding that our members have been requesting this move and we are happy to provide our members with what they would like if at all possible. Due to State regulations it will be a while before we can start up another table for Blackjack.

As this quarter for the year nears its end, Doris and I have chosen new jar tabs for the next few weeks.

I am open to suggestions about improving our gaming, but keep in mind that we are working within a limited budget due to the falling number of players at the club. I would like to see everyone come out and have a good time with the gaming we now provide, and re-establish our gaming relationship.

Russ Stabler, Gaming Manager

The Capital Campaign

City of Fargo Grants Legion $50,000

The city of Fargo has awarded Post #2 $50,000. The funds will be used to upgrade the two outside walls of the building that face 3rd Avenue and 5th Street. The funds are from the Storefront Rehab Program which is part of the Community Development Funds program.

The Legion grant was a three step process. The first was working with the Historic Preservation Committee. The Committee met several times and toured the Legion facility. They established what could be changed and what had to stay the same. The second stage was the Community Development Committee and the last was the City Commission. At every level the various committee members and city employees were exceptional to work with and they always had the best interests of the Legion in mind. They all deserve our heart felt thanks.

The approved changes are as follows; new windows and doors, power cleaning of walls and repair of the bricks and mortar, repair of the Legion sign, moving of sign to SW corner of the front, installation of an electronic reader board to the sign, cutting down pine tree, and establishing a veterans memorial and sitting area in place of the tree.

Other funds raised that are $1000 or more have come from the Legion Auxiliary, Wells Fargo Bank, Walmart, Northern Improvement, and in memory of John McCormick. The fundraising effort continues and looks for you help. If you have not given to the effort now is a great time to get on board. The Legion would like to have everything completed before November.

Keith Kerbaugh, Capital Campaign Chairman

Congratulations

The Legion would like to congratulate our Adjutant Ralph Hoff on being elected Commander of our District.

Have Your Wedding, Anniversary or Any Party Here

The American Legion has rental space available for a wide variety of events at a very reasonable price. 
To Schedule an Event please Contact our Office at 701-293-3930.  Click here for additional information. 

Attention: In accordance with North Dakota Charitable Gaming Regulations, American Legion Club notifies its membership that the organization's cash profit; cash long or short; net proceeds expenses, if any; reimbursement of excess expenses, if applicable; and a list of eligible use contributions is available for review. The information is available at the American Legion Club, 505 3rd Ave N,. Fargo, 8am - 4:30pm, Mon.-Fri. (701)237-4013