Let's change the narrative

In March of 2013, a New York Times reporter called me to ask about the declining membership in The American Legion.  The reporter’s story focused on the aging population and how younger veterans were not joining the organization. Here is what was printed from our conversation:

“For many of the younger veterans, when they think of The American Legion, they picture the building on the corner where the old guys go to drink beer,” said Mr. Sutton, whose state’s (Michigan) membership is down from 100,000 members in 1994 to 86,000 members in 2012.
Nonetheless, Mr. Sutton said the Legion needed to do a better job of getting the word out that it was there to help veterans with things like filing medical claims and applying for Veterans Affairs loans and GI Bill benefits — regardless of whether the post has an actual building or not.
“I know we have some growing pains, but the mission of the organization is sound, and it’s all a matter of changing the public’s perspective,” Mr. Sutton said.

How important are you as a NALPA member? You have the power of the pen and how you use it or not can change the course of your post, district, department and The American Legion as a whole.

I recently read another article about The American Legion’s declining membership from WOSU Public Media and Radio in Columbus, Ohio. In the article, Department of Ohio Interim Adjutant Suzette Heller discussed the perception of the Legion as a community bar.  

“The biggest challenge of getting those new members in is educating veterans about what our organization does,” Heller said to WOSU. “We are not just the post in your community that sells drinks. We are not just a bar.”

Have you ever heard of the power of the press? As a NALPA member, you are The American Legion press. The American Legion programs are our power and, to put power behind the pen, you need a post that works the programs. Is your post actively supporting and promoting the programs of The American Legion? Do you know what those programs are? What makes your post special? To find out, use your post audit that is located in the Post Officers Guide. I would suggest you review it with your post members and be honest about the answers; be critical of what it means.  

Now, let’s change the narrative. If your post is conducting a program, make the community aware of what you’re doing – brag about it, write about it, invite the press to cover it. When the membership question is asked, your answer should be, “Membership is doing great! We are excited about the programs we have and invite all veterans and community members to come and help make this program even better.”  

Would you prefer to join an organization that is down and out and struggling for membership, or one that is active and vibrant in its mission?  You might say, “But Mark, membership is shrinking.” The veteran population is seeing a decline. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are about 15.2-million wartime-era veterans in the United States. Over eight million of them are veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam who are getting older and passing away.  Therefore the veteran population is experiencing a rapid decline – one that impacts American Legion membership numbers.  
 How is our market share? The Department of Michigan has more than 13 percent in market share of its wartime-era veterans. Nationally, we are at 1.2 percent. How is your department doing? If a reporter questions membership, ask if they looked at the veteran population in the state, and specifically, at the wartime-era population. And supply them with the correct numbers.

Does changing the narrative work? Yes, and here’s an example. Eleven years ago American Legion Post 131 in Leslie, Ark., was on the brink of turning in its charter. Instead, the post began a relationship with local schools and started engaging the community. Membership grew slowly, but it grew to over 100 members. It would be great if Post 131 was featured in the New York Times.

As members of NALPA, we can change the public perception of The American Legion for a new generation. Let’s change it so that when veterans want to help their fellow veteran, the only place they look is at their local American Legion post.
As I end my last article as NALPA president, I want to thank everyone for your membership and contributions. As a NALPA member, I will continue to contribute to the organization, and I look forward to an exciting future.