Big changes coming to post, department history contests.
In a letter sent to department historians and adjutants in late October, American Legion National Historian Edward DeGumbia elaborated on the changes being made to the Legion’s annual history contests.
According to the letter, 2024 will be the last year for a national post history contest. For the 2024 contest, in addition to the digital history contest previously announced, the national historian will also accept one hard-copy post history-contest winner from each department. For 2024 departments may submit:
• One hard-copy post entry
• One digital post entry (cannot be from the same post as the hard copy)
• One digital department entry
The judging standards listed in the 2023 Officers Guide will be used for judging all entries in 2024. Digital entries must be submitted by department adjutants to www.legion.org/history-contest no later than Aug. 1, 2024. Certifications for hard-copy submissions are due by Sept. 15, 2024, and hard-copy entries must be available at National Headquarters in Indianapolis for judging at 8 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024.
In 2025, as approved in Resolution 20, the national post contest will become a showcase. Departments will be able to submit:
• One hard-copy post history
• One digital post history
• One digital department history
Beginning in 2025, post histories will be presented as best-practice ideas for all posts. Digital post
submissions will be made available through the national library and museum, and hard-copy submissions
will be displayed at the national convention. All submissions will receive a certificate of
recognition from the national historian, who may also recognize special achievements by individual
submissions.
The national historian will continue to conduct a contest for digital department histories, with rules to be announced annually by that year’s historian within 45 days of their appointment. Rules for the 2025 National Historian's Contest will be announced by Oct. 13, 2024. Department contest entries will be due by Aug. 1, 2025, and post showcase submissions will need to be received by Aug. 8, 2025.
DeGumbia concluded, “The goals for these changes are to expose more Legionnaires to the great work being done by our post and department historians, allow the national historian flexibility in conducting their contest, and excite the next generation of Legionnaires to explore and record our rich history …. Thank you for all you do ‘to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars.’”
Questions on the contest changes can be addressed to library@legion.org.
- Library