The need to be a part of something
Marine Corps veteran Matthew Lutz, center, found the camaraderie and outlet to serve his community when he transferred into Post 75 in Geneva, Ill. (Photo by Steve B. Brooks)

The need to be a part of something

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Matthew Lutz joined The American Legion online because he wanted to get involved in his community and connect with fellow veterans in the Geneva, Ill., area. But whether or not he would have stayed in the Legion without finding a local Legion post in which to transfer to is uncertain.

But Lutz did find that post, Fox River-Geneva Post 75, and transferred to it in November of last year. His story shows the importance of getting members who join the Legion online into a post where they feel they are a part of something.

“It’s a big difference (being a member of Post 75) because you actually get to meet with other veterans,” said Lutz, 30. “The camaraderie is like it was in the military. You’ve got lots of guys around who went through the same things you went through. It means a lot to be able to talk with other guys and know they’re maybe going through some of the same situations you are.”

Post 75 Commander Dan Clarke said his post targets members like Lutz. “We aggressively went after the (headquarters post members),” he said. “Carl (Szajkovics), myself and our adjutant got together and said, ‘Let’s reach out to these guys. Let’s invite them into the post and see how many takers we get. And just about every one that we went after (transferred).”

Szajkovics, Post 75’s senior vice commander, said he found himself in a situation similar to that of Lutz. “I joined and kept getting my membership card from down state, and I was coming to (Post 75),” he said. “I finally figured out that I needed to be transferred.”

Both Clarke and Szajkovics said that giving back to the community is important for most of the veterans who have joined the post. “They have so many other pressures that they don’t have time to figure out how to get active,” Szajkovics said. “They know we’re active here.”

Charles Coffey, a member of Post 630 in Elburn, Ill., and the 11th District adjutant, said one of the main reasons his post is at 105.1 percent membership is due to transferring department headquarters post members into Post 630. And Post 342 in St. Charles is at 100 percent, thanks in part to going after HQ post members.

"There are veterans out there that are sitting in limbo, Post 342 Commander Greg McKinney said. "Nobody’s bothered calling them. We have a group of guys who are retired that actually go out and knock on your door and say, ‘What is it that we need to do to get you to become one of us?’ They talk with them personally. I think that draws as many people in as anything. It’s that personal touch.” Don Grillo – commander of Kane County, in which Post 75 and 630 both reside – took part in a revitalization effort last fall. “When you talking to these guys in (the headquarters post) and tell them they’re a member of the post in Bloomington, Ill., that’s a two-hour drive from here.” Grillo said that when he asks them if they want to transfer into a local post, “They always say yes.”

To read about how membership is working in Illinois' 11th District, click here.

To read about how a revitalization effort helped spur membership growth in Illinois, click here.