Riders Advisory Committee members announced

Riders Advisory Committee members announced

The American Legion Riders Advisory Committee to the Internal Affairs Commission has been named for 2014 with terms to end at the conclusion of the NEC fall meetings in 2014. Eight members form the committee chaired by Terry L. Woodburn, department adjutant of Illinois.

Five of the committee members will also serve as regional points of contact for national vice commanders, department commanders and department ALR programs. At times committee members will also travel at the invitation of the various departments to provide LEAD training and other assistance. The committee will meet in Indianapolis from Feb. 6-7 to discuss The American Legion Legacy Run, regional committee member assignments, LEAD training content, Rider program development, and preliminary planning for the 2014 and 2015 American Legion Legacy Runs.

During 2013, national staff and committee members have provided LEAD and other ALR training and assistance within the departments of Indiana, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Arizona, Virginia, New Hampshire, New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Alabama and Vermont. Departments are encouraged to use the ALR LEAD module, which explains responsibilities of post programs like ALR, trademark protection during their training events and conferences.

In other news:

Operation Comfort Warriors: Last week, OCW ordered fishing gear and Frisbee golf equipment that will be sent to the Naval Branch Health Clinic in Groton, Conn., in support of patients at its Traumatic Brain Injury clinic.

Additionally, the Department of Kansas and the Kansas American Legion Riders have teamed up with OCW to provide upgraded appliances to the Soldier & Family Assistance Center area of the Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) on Fort Riley to support the facility and the work and events they do to support the soldiers assigned to the WTB and their families.

Membership and DMS Program

The 2014 traditional membership goal is 2,001,806. Membership as of the Oct. 31 membership report is 1,340,783, which is 66.979 percent of the 2014 membership goal.

DMS Program 2014: The 2014 membership year began on July 1, 2013. The first DMS mailing for the 2014 Year was completed on Aug. 19, 2013. Responses to the first mailing are now being processed. The next mailings for the DMS program will be mailed on Oct. 21 and 28 (Under –represented Groups), and on Nov. 4 (Traditional DMS Prospects and Expires). Responses to these mailings will begin to be received by Nov. 1.

DMS Acquires: 14,111 prospects, 27,680 expires 27,680, 41,791 total

2014 Goal: 101,500 (41.2 percent of goal)

Current Renewal Rate for 2013 DMS Members: 31.1 percent (54,476 of 175,417 new 2013 members)

Online Renewal Activity: 2014 Membership Year OnLine Renewals (since July 1): 135,961

Sons of The American Legion: The Sons of The American Legion membership for 2014 stands at 91,037 members or 25.6 percent as of Oct. 31. The Sons are running 1,833 members ahead of this same date last year. The next SAL National Update newsletter is scheduled for November 2013.