Gold Brigade spotlight: Ken Teunissen of South Dakota

Gold Brigade spotlight: Ken Teunissen of South Dakota

Three-time American Legion Gold Brigade Award recipient Ken Teunissen of Post 15 in Sioux Falls, S.D., recruited 318 new members into the Legion in 2014. And he has already recruited enough to earn his fourth Gold Brigade Award for 2015. Teunissen credits his recruiting success to searching for and contacting expired members found on mylegion.org, speaking with veterans at local events, and handing out P-38’s (a small can opener).

When Teunissen is recruiting potential Legion members at the grocery store, church, job fairs, veteran stand downs, car races, state fairs and National Guard/Army and Navy reserve drills, he hands out plastic bags with a P-38 in them, thanking the veteran for his or her service on behalf of The American Legion.

"This (the P-38) is the ice breaker. They will think of their days when they were in the service," Teunissen said. "I shake their hand, thank them for their service and ask the question if they are a member of The American Legion. If not, I ask them if they have ever considred becoming a member. I have a ‘Why You Should Belong" brochure ready to fill out the membership application."