Golf Tournament

Sign up now for the September 11th Golf Tournament.  This is going to be an annual event and you do not want to miss the first one.  For $60 you get a round of Golf at Edgewood, steak dinner at the Club and an evening of the Vikings on Monday Night Football.

Fargo Theatre

On November 8th at 5:00 pm the Fargo Theatre is showing a documentary on the 173rd Airborne Division on their November 8th, 1965 combat mission as portrayed in the new Big and Rich hit single.  800 tickets will be available for veterans.  If you want tickets call the office and leave your name with Sarah.

Boys State

22 local boys were sponsored by Post #2. Matt Traynor was elected Boys State Governor and represented North Dakota at Boys Nation in Washington, DC.

National POW/MIA Recognition Day

The Fargo VA Medical Center will be holding the annual National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at 10am in the Third Floor Lounge on Friday, September 15, 2006. The public is encouraged to attend. If you have not seen the Veterans Administration Hospital use this as an excuse to see the facility that cares for our vets.

Beer Bust Returns

The Friday night Beer Bust returns on September 15th.  This was a very successful activity at the Club last year.  The price is $7 for the event plus the one time charge of $1 for a reusable mug.
Beer Bust lasts from 6-8:00.   Each time different food items are offered and draft beer. 
Following the Beer Bust there is usually some entertainment. So come early and stay late and enjoy the evening with your family and friends.

Baseball Spaghetti Feed

There will be a fund raiser for the American Legion Baseball club.  It will be held on October 18 and 19.  Tickets will be available at $7.00 each at the door or Legion office.  Spaghetti dinner shall be served from 5:00 to 8:30 each night. Vendors will be set up for you to shop for fall and Christmas items, as well as many other unique items. 

See you there!

Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus is settling in well in the restaurant area upstairs.  They have started their programs and their members are beginning to find them.  On Tuesday nights they serve a meal for $7 from 6-7:30 pm which is perfect if you are looking for something to eat before a Legion meeting.

They have filled a need for us by offering catering services for our events.  Their first event was the American Legion Baseball Banquet.  The food was hot, fresh and delicious.

Impact Foundation

The fund raising training has begun for the Legion’s long term financial health and its programs.  Four Legionnaires have committed to the four sessions, 1st Vice Russ Stabler, 3rd Vice Dave Johnston, Exec member Doug Craik and Commander Keith Kerbaugh.  Once the training is completed a new fundraising brochure and materials will be produced.

Volunteers Needed

One of the benefits of belonging to the Legion, Auxiliary, Sons and the 40 et 8 is the opportunity to volunteer in our programs and make a difference in the lives of others
Many of our programs are looking for fresh faces.  Take a moment and find something that is of interest to you.
The Bingo and Spaghetti teams need new members.  Each commitment is about two hours long and you are assigned to a team that serves once about every six weeks.  Call the office to volunteer.

Flag Disposal Ceremony

The Flag Disposal Ceremony was extremely successful.  The Color Guard performed perfectly as over 300 flags were disposed of with honor and respect.  Several members of the local media attended and the Legion received very positive press coverage.

Golf Tournament

The inaugural Legion Open Golf Tournament will be held Monday, September 11th at Edgewood Golf Course.  The four person scramble will start at 1:00.  Afterwards there will be a steak fry at the Legion and Monday night football featuring the Vikings.  Register at the Club or call 237-4013.

United Patriotic Bodies

Fundraising is continuing for the new signs on the Veterans Memorial Bridge.  The total cost for the project is $57,000.  The United Patriotic Bodies has run two fundraisers, one the Red Hawks and the other at the North Dakota Horse Park.  A matching grant from the City of Moorhead for $7,500 has also been obtained.

Coste Called Up To The Show

Former Post 2 Legion ballplayer Chris Coste has made the team with the Philadelphia Phillies as a catcher.  A Fargo native who played for Fargo South, Concordia and the Red Hawks Coste is currently batting 370 with 5 home runs and 22 RBI’s after only 108 times at bat.  Coste is the third Post 2 player to make the Major Leagues.  The other two are Roger Maris and Rick Helling who is currently pitching for Milwaukee.

Planned Giving Program

The Legion is preparing to offer a planned giving program to the members.  This is part of the long term financial stability strategy.   It will guarantee that the Legion programs will continue to benefit veterans and the community for future generations.  The program will assist the members who want to name the Legion in insurance policies or their wills.  Contact Commander Kerbaugh for more details.

Landscaping

The outside landscaping project has begun which will continue this fall and finish in the spring.  Dianne Fischer, Asplin Excavating, City Landfill, Scheels, Fargo and Moorhead Kmarts, Doug Craik and family, City of Fargo, Swanson Equipment, Wal-Mart of Dilworth, Lee and Jerry Gnoinski Concrete Construction, Baker Nursery, Wally Lueck, JDP Electric, and Cougar Tree Service.  Boy Scout Troop 229 will be completing the project as the Eagle Project for Scout Casey Peuser.  

Club Activities

Dart, Pool and Poker Leagues are about to begin.  Make sure you stop down or call the Club at 237-4013 to register.  Pool and darts start the week of Sept.18th.  Poker begins Sept. 12th at 7:30.

C. Warner Litten

Post #2’s oldest living Past Commander C. Warner Litten passed away on July 26th.  He served as Commander in 1948 and on the building committee that built  the current Legion home. 
Litten was one of Fargo’s greatest civic leaders and had many favorite sayings that he passed on to others at every opportunity.  One saying  that strikes well with Legionnaires is “Service is the price we pay for the space we occupy on this earth.”

Newsletter Preparation

Too often the Legion volunteers who make our programs successful do not get recognized.  Post 2 wants to thank the people who get your newsletter out to you each month.  After it is printed Don and Pat Schwinden, Bob and Marion Lechner, Boots and Carl Anderson and others gather to fold, address and sort it for mailing.

Legion Baseball

The Fargo American Legion baseball team finished the season with a fourth place finish at State.  The team came into the State Meet with a 45-21 record and an EDC Championship.  The Bombers did not make State but had an outstanding 49-12 record.

Upstairs Rental Space

The American Legion has rental space available for Christmas Parties, Anniversary Parties, Birthday Parties, Reunions, Weddings, Retirement Parties or any other party you may be interested in throwing.  Just a reminder all Legion members receive a discount when booking the upstairs.  The Legion will provide a cash bar, janitorial services, set up and many other services at no additional cost.  Please contact Mona for more information at 701-237-4013 or come on down and take a look at the room to see what we have to offer.

Meeting Room Rentals

The American Legion has a conference room available for rental . The conference table can sit 14 people around the table comfortably and there is wireless internet available in the conference room.  Please contact Mona for more information at 701-237-4013.

New Donations

Christianson Business Furniture has donated a new 14 foot conference table.  This replaces the old 9 foot table and it gives greater flexibility for Legion meetings and room rentals.
Universal Services has donated a laser printer for the office.  It prints on both sides of the paper up to 11 x 17 and prints on envelopes .  This  versatile printer will save the office costs in time, paper supplies and ink cartridges.

Planned Giving Program

The Legion is preparing to offer a planned giving program to the members.  This is part of the long term financial stability that will guarantee that Legion programs will continue to benefit veterans and the community.  This program will assist the members who want to name the Legion in insurance policies or their wills.  Contact Commander Kerbaugh for more details.

Ad sales

The Legion has started selling ads for its newsletter and the bathrooms.  If your business is interested in an ad the basic newsletter price is $50 and the bathroom ad is $30.  The money raised will pay for the newsletter and allow it to return to a monthly publication. The bathroom ad sales will generate enough income to pay for the annual utility bills which has been one of our largest financial hurdles.

VA Data

The computer stolen from a VA employee was recovered with all the data intact.  The VA stated that it didn’t appear to have been tampered with and all the data was safe.

Capital Campaign

Recent donations have been John West ($1,000) Butler Machinery ($500), Rick Berg ($200),

Exec Committee

The Exec Committee is off to a fast start.  The meetings have been a bit long but very productive.  Current projects include a personnel manual, internal policies manual, job descriptions, financials, and building updates.

Military Ball

The October Military Ball is fast approaching.  Reserve your tickets at 293-3930 or stop in at the Post #2 office.  A couple is $55 and a single $30 for an evening of hors d’ouerves, champagne, music, dancing, a silent auction and socializing.  See the attached flyer in the newsletter.

Commanders Agenda

The Commanders are hard at work on their agenda. In January the Legion will host a Policemen’s Ball and a First Responder’s Ball.  The Balls will serve as our thank you to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to protect us. 
The Legion on a national level has awards for the Law Officer of the Year and Fire Fighter of the Year. The local awards will be given out at each Ball in a recognition ceremony.  The recipients will be referred on to the Department for the State Award. 

September and October 2006
Legion Schedule of Events

$25 Blackjack every Friday, Saturday, and Monday night.

Bingo every Saturday at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm every Monday.

Spaghetti 6:00pm every Monday for only $3.00 per person.

Karaoke 8 pm. every Friday night. (or a live band)