SEPTMEBER 21, 2012 MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE Post visits to be rewarded T e District Commander Post


Visitation Award is an incentive for personal visits to posts by district commanders and vice commanders. T e desired result is a personal visit to each post in a given district by either the district commander or, in bigger districts, one of the district vice com- manders. Personal contact at this level sets the example for post member- ship workers to make the personal contacts necessary for a successful membership program.


CRITERIA. To qualify for the award, the district commander and/or vice commanders must visit each post in the district during their year. For districts with more than 30 posts, the district vice commanders can assist in making visits, but the district commander must visit at least 30 of the posts personally.


CERTIFICATION. A list of posts in each district can be obtained with the assistance of department headquar- ters. T e list will be mailed in spread- sheet format to each district commander. At the completion of the 100-percent visit requirement, the district command- er will send the completed spreadsheet


MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE Post Excellence Award continues National Commander James Koutz


has continued the Post Excellence Award program, which honors posts that show excellence in membership participation, youth activities, community service, and support to veterans and U.S. troops. T e purposes of this award are


membership growth, exposure of American Legion values to the youth of the community, and increased visibility of T e American Legion family through service projects. A post achieving this qualifi cation will have had numerous post members involved in planning and achieving these goals. Many posts are most likely already active in these areas and will qualify without extra eff ort. Others, however, will need to increase their eff orts in one or more areas to qualify for the award.


CRITERIA. T e standards to be achieved in each area include:


Membership. Must be at least one


member greater than the previous year. At least one post offi cer attends district meetings. Youth activities. Must sponsor and


actively participate in at least one primary youth program: Boys State, American Legion Baseball, Oratorical, Boy Scouts or Junior Shooting Sports. Community service. Must accom-


plish a community service project with members of the Legion Family actively working in the community outside the post home. A wide range of potential projects exists, such as a project centered on one of Children & Youth’s emphasis areas to fulfi lling a strictly local need. A monetary donation may be


www.legion.org/commander/postexcellence


part of the project but may not constitute the entire project.


Service to troops/veterans. Must


accomplish a project supporting troops or veterans in the community with Legion Family members outside the post home. Potential projects include the Family Support Network, Heroes to Hometowns, or simply helping a local veteran with necessary updates to his or her home. A monetary donation may be part of the project but may not constitute the entire project.


CERTIFICATION. T e district com- mander responsible for the post will certify a post as having achieved the four specifi ed criteria. T e district commander will submit a list of posts meeting the criteria to the department headquarters. T at list should include the post name, post number, post address and post com- mander’s name. Ideally, the last two crite- ria are accompanied by copies of press re- leases submitted to the local media about the projects. T at method ensures the projects were not only accomplished but that an attempt was made to enhance the image of T e American Legion through local media. T e copy submitted should include a date and time stamp showing receipt by the media outlet.


T e department adjutant will transmit information as posts qualify to:


T e American Legion National Headquarters/Attn: Membership P.O. Box 1055 Indianapolis, IN 46206-1055


During the 2012-2013 membership


year, National Commander James E. Koutz will award his National Com- mander pin to any Legion family member who obtains a minimum of three headquarters post transfers, and also obtains an additional combination of 10 new members, renewals and headquarters post transfers to equal a combined number of 13. A new member is defi ned as any


eligible person joining for the 2013 membership year who was not a member of T e American Legion during the 2012 membership year. Each member listed must be eligible


for membership in T e American Legion. Please forward names of SAL


MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE Christmas bonus award off ered To qualify for this award, a district


must go above and beyond its Dec. 31, 2011, membership total. Any district that as of Dec. 31, 2012, exceeds its membership standing by at least 1 percent or greater will receive a monetary check on behalf of National Commander James Koutz for its hard work and eff ort. For each 1 percent increase over last year’s membership, an additional $50 will be awarded. A district can qualify for this award


anytime it exceeds its Dec. 31, 2011, membership total, but it must accom- plish this by Dec. 31, 2012, or be


disqualifi ed. T is check will be sent to the department for distribution at an appropriate time. Here is an example based on a


district whose membership totaled 500


on Dec. 31, 2011:  1 percent increase - 505 $50  2 percent increase - 510 $100  3 percent increase - 515 $150  4 percent increase - 520 $200  5 percent increase - 525 $250


www.legion.org/documents/pdf/ Certifi cationChristmasBonus.pdf


members or Auxiliary members to your detachment or unit for use in their respective incentive programs. To maintain the


integrity of the National Commander’s pin pro- gram, only one pin will be awarded per individual. Upon receipt of the


certifi cation form, national membership staff will confi rm the names and mail the pin directly to the person who earned


it. Commander Koutz’s “Every Day Is Veterans Day” pin incentive program will end June 30, 2013, or when supplies are exhausted.


www.legion.org/documents/pdf/ LUCKY13PININCENTIVE.pdf


to the department, which will forward it to National Headquarters by Aug. 2, 2013.


AWARDS. Each district commander who achieves the 100-percent visit requirement will receive a certifi cate recognizing the achievement. T ere are fi ve categories of recognition, and fi ve additional prizes awarded based on a drawing of the eligible district command- ers in each category. T e categories are: districts with up to 20 posts, districts with 21 to 35 posts, districts with 36 to 50 posts, districts with 51 to 65 posts, and districts with 65 or more posts. T e commander drawn from the group of 100-percent commanders in each category will receive a giſt certifi cate from Emblem Sales. T e amount of the certifi cate recognizes the increased diffi culty in achieving the award in larger districts.


 Category 1 (up to 20 posts) – $100  Category 2 (21 to 35 posts) – $200  Category 3 (36 to 50 posts) – $300  Category 4 (51 to 65 posts) – $400  Category 5 (65 or more posts) – $500


www.legion.org/commander/districtpost LEGACY from Page 5


recipients: Jennifer Clapp and Taylor Curry, both college graduates. “Family is obviously very important to each and every one of us, and I realize I’m now a part of a much bigger family,” Clapp said. “It means so much to me that you thought of me aſt er my father made such a sacrifi ce.” Curry echoed those sentiments. “Truly, the work that all of you do – you made


a diff erence in my life,” he said. “T ere are always student loans, but because of you, I don’t have to pay back as much as I could have.” When the fi nal Legacy Scholarship Fund donations were tallied, the Run had


again bettered any previous eff orts. Totals to date have surpassed $700,000; on the convention fl oor, the top donors this year were the departments of South Carolina ($56, 925), Minnesota ($40,550) and Florida ($36,903), as well as the Legion Riders from American Legion Post 593 in Converse, Texas ($25,051).


MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE Reach out to all war eras During the 2012-2013 membership


year, National Commander James E. Koutz will award a specially designed certifi cate to Legionnaires who recruit into T e American Legion one new member from each eligible war period. A new member is defi ned as any


eligible person joining for the 2013 membership year who was not a


MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE


Recruiters to be honored with ‘Every Day Is Veterans Day’ pin


member of T e American Legion in 2012. Upon verifi cation, each recipient will receive a specially designed certifi - cate from the national commander.


www.legion.org/documents/pdf/ KoutzReachOutCertifi cationForm.pdf


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