Membership goal: 110 percent

The American Legion’s 100 percent membership goal is only a few months away, which puts the challenge on all 55 departments to meet, or better yet exceed, their assigned membership number.

Once we meet the 100 percent membership target date (May 31), everybody thinks the membership year is over. But we need to continue working membership; let’s not stop. Let’s make the goal 110 percent.

A lot of departments look at membership as another number to achieve; however, membership is more than just a number. Membership gives us people to implement and execute our American Legion programs, and membership strengthens our voice on Capitol Hill.

To keep membership momentum strong for the last stretch, I want to remind all of you of my membership incentives.

Upon taking office last September for the 2016-2017 membership year, I encouraged membership growth by announcing the award of my commander’s pin to any Legion member who recruited three new members, as well as a certificate to those who recruited one new member. To date, 39,000 new members have been recruited into the Legion. And the new department membership award is now in effect, which provides a monetary award to the departments with the largest percentage increase of new members from Jan. 1 to May 31.

I’m asking every Legionnaire to sign up just one new member, just one. It is our responsibility to leave our footprints on this organization and membership is one way that each and every one of us can do that.

In the coming months, let’s continue to work membership because we have a legacy to carry forward. It’s not about my remaining months as your national commander. It’s about the sustainability and continuation of this organization, especially as we come up on our 100th anniversary.