American Legion Auxiliary
Department of IowaOctober already! Lets bring out the Sun and dry the ground!
Fall Conferences are in full swing. I have been to 6th and 8th and am looking forward to 2nd, 5th, 9th and 7th yet this fall. I have met a lot of new friends and connected with friends I don’t get to see often enough! Thank you for all of the invites so far. Membership- Membership, Membership It is what keeps this organization going. Now is the time to get those due into the department. If ALAMIS is not working for you, there is always the old fashion way of paper and mail. Do not hold membership. First deadline from National is fast approaching! DUES INCREASE For the 2027-2028 year the Department of Iowa is increasing dues by $2.00. Now is the time to have that discussion with your unit members about raising your dues. Unit dues must be at least $30.00 to cover your obligations to department and national. Have those discussions now so this very important matter is not forgotten. Are you sending around your community services notebook each month at your meetings? This is a great way to keep track of all of your volunteer hours throughout the year,this makes it so much easier for your end of the year report. JR. President We have a new Junior President, due to circumstances Nevaeh Johnson is the new Jr. President. Nevaeh is from Jewell and is a member of the Ames Unit. She has chosen to continue with the established projects. I am sure she will do great for Iowa. Please welcome Nevaeh into her new role and give her any help and support she may need. October is just around the corner and there are many important dates coming up. Check your schedules for all the things due Oct. 20th.
OCT 1- Girls State UNIT registration begins on Campwise OCT.12 Columbus Day- Department offices are closed OCTOBER 20 Gold CLub member renewal Unit Obligation form and money due Poppy orders due-NO LATE ORDERS ALAMIS invoice due- required of all users Mid winter will be here soon. February 12-14, Holiday Inn Airport, Des Moines. I hope you all have your reservations! On Saturday at Mid WInter we will be having a LUAU!!! Department Leadership will be providing pork for the hospitality rooms, we ask that the districts provide side dishes to go along with the theme. THis is to help shed those winter blues and to just have fun. Also decorate your hospitality room in tropical decor and wear Hawaiian clothes, all body parts must be covered please. There may even be a hula contest and other fun as well. Speaking of Mid WInter- this is our Education Conference, please let me know if there is any program or subject that you would like to have more information on so that we can help each other learn more about our organization. Call me anytime or email me! Thank you for your support! Continue to Focus on Family, have fun and make Iowa Proud!
Essay Theme:“How can you be a beacon of light for our veterans?”
Cover Sheet
This has to be to the National chair in April so I will accept them until April 1, 2027. When doing this essay please make sure everything is complete and legible.
Greetings to all. I hope you all had a chance to read the “Quarterly Connection” electronic newsletter from our National ALA leadership distributed in late August. The National AEF Chair at the time, Michele DeGennaro, included a sample family emergency plan to assist us in being ready for any natural disaster. I was surprised to see the 1st item on her checklist: RENEW YOUR ALA DUES. It might not have occurred to me to include that item on a disaster checklist, but how appropriate and so important! In an emergency or time of financial hardship due to circumstances beyond your control, the AEF is here for you! But, the eligibility criteria for an AEF grant requires that an ALA member must have maintained annual membership spanning three consecutive years (the current and immediate past two years). Have you paid your 2027 membership dues? Can you currently afford to pay for a PUFL (Paid Up For Life) membership? Just one more great reason to be an ALA member. Thank you for all you do and for your continued support of the AEF as we Focus on Family.
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year, consider making a few extra connections. Reach out to a veteran who may be spending the holidays alone. Invite someone to a meal or Auxiliary activity. If a friend or fellow member seems withdrawn or is going through a difficult time, take a moment to ask how they are doing and listen without judgment. Knowing the warning signs can also help. Changes such as withdrawing from others, expressing hopelessness or feeling like a burden, increased substance use, or talking about death or suicide can indicate that someone needs help. This holiday season, let’s remember that one conversation, one invitation or one phone call can be meaningful. Be the one who reaches out. Be the one who listens. Be the one who helps a veteran know they matter. If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, call 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. Help is available 24 hours a day.
Remember to include your juniors and area youth in activities within your community. October is a great month to connect with children in your unit or community, and if possible even in your schools. Maybe print some coloring pages for them to complete as a thank you to our veterans so you have them back in time to distribute on or before Veterans Day.
I have created a link to a web page full of ideas. Just click and save one of the many different coloring pages that can be viewed from this link.
Let's see if we can send homemade thank you’s to as many veterans as possible. If you don’t have time to distribute, maybe take them to a local business or the city hall and ask if they will display them to honor our military members past and present.
Veterans Day Coloring pages
Make sure you record and report the activity and forward to me your pictures. It would be wonderful if we could have pictures from across our state showing our pride and thanking our veterans.
Remember as well that if you hear of or know of a youth that deserves the Youth Hero and Good Deed Awards. Forms are available at the link below or go to the department website, click on forms, National forms, where you will find the form as well. Youth_Hero_Good_Deed_Award_nomination_form.pdf
Hope everyone had a chance in some way to remember the 9-11 attacks and how it altered our Freedoms as we knew them. Let’s Not Forget. Be Forever Vigilant—Be Forever Aware! The American Legion & Auxiliary National Convention in Louisville, Ky. was another Great time Learning and Sharing. We helped initiate the furthering the eligibility to the auxiliary and the Legion passed it. Let’s make our Unit membership show the efforts. Starting with our 4th. District Fall Conference of which District President Carrie Chesmore did a Great job; to Membership, where once our members get the reminder from National, more renewals are coming in. Super! The Stand Down in Mason City was so very well attended; over 800 veterans & families served. The Golden Hawk organization really know how to get the word out for S E Minnesota and North Iowa. The Vietnam Traveling Wall was also on the grounds for the weekend. I’ve been in contact with my Central Division Community Service program chair and we’ve got Zoom meetings set up along with a Newsletter. I know Iowa has Holiday Activities coming up so Please let me know of them and I’ll make an effort to attend and help out in any way.
As we look ahead to the fall, the National Education Chair is encouraging units to participate in Give 20 for the 20th Anniversary. If your unit has not yet participated, consider collecting school supplies and other needed items now and donating them in January after Christmas break, when many schools begin to run low. Now is also a great time to connect with local schools, counselors, and students to share information about Girls State and Boys State opportunities.
October Ideas: Begin planning with schools for Veterans Day speakers and assemblies. Consider hosting a Halloween or fall-themed children’s book drive, or partnering with a school or library for a “Reading Under the Stars” family literacy event featuring fall stories, veteran guest readers, and take-home books.
Looking Ahead to November: National Education Week (November 16–20) is a great opportunity to recognize and show appreciation for everyone who makes our schools run. Consider putting together cards, providing snacks, donating supplies, or giving small gifts to teachers and all school staff, including bus drivers, food service workers, custodians, paraprofessionals, and office staff. Our schools could not operate without the hard work and dedication of each of these individuals, and everyone deserves to feel appreciated. November is also a great time to invite veterans into classrooms to share about military service, citizenship, and flag etiquette or partner with students on a Veterans Oral History Project to preserve veterans’ stories through essays, videos, podcasts, or presentations.
Thank you for all you do to support education and our schools! Please send me pictures and a short description or write-up as you participate in activities or hold events. I would love to highlight the great work happening across our communities!
Fall weather is in the air and as we approach October, there are deadlines your unit needs to meet before October 20th.
Please send in your Poppy Orders, Obligations and most important of all your membership dues! I know everyone is busy with all your unit activities but please make sure you have paid these important financial duties to keep our organization strong for now and the future.
We all feel the crunch on our checkbooks with everyday expenses on the rise and the department feels the same pain so lets all Focus on the Legion Family and keep doing what we’re best at doing, supporting our veterans and community.
Till next month. Patti Rolf, Ann Crawford, Jamie Barker
Iowa Girls State is one of the premier programs sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and was started by a dream of four women 81 years ago in hopes of teaching young women about the political process. Girls State is a “learn by doing” program, which takes the attendees through the entire political process. The week set for June 13-18, 2027, at Drake University is jam packed from dawn to dusk and promises to be 5 days the citizens will never forget! The fee is $500.00 per girl. Breakdown of $450.00 from the unit and $50.00 from the attendee, so she has skin in the program. We are hoping this will help with dropouts close to the date and the total number of attendees stays up. By virtue of the Girls State Board meeting, Sept 29th, some of the dates I had listed on the Girls State page in the Program Engagement Plan were vetoed by a motion so PLEASE use the following dates as your guideline for the Girls State process. Tentatively set for October 1st- Reserving your unit/ or post spot or spots may begin and be entered through CampWise. April 15th- Unit/ post reservations close on CampWise April 30, 2027- All Invoices need to be paid through Camp Wise- not the department office. April 30, 2027- Any requests for already paid fees to receive a refund need to be submitted to the Department Office via written notification. However, please try your best to find a replacement. “Don’t just throw in the towel” as some may say. There are girls out there wanting to go- keep an open mind and forge forward. The first obstacle to cover if your unit or post are considering participating in sending an attendee to the 2027 session is to vote on it. Normally during the month of September or October, you can make the decision later, that is not cut into stone, however the reserving of a spot on Camp Wise. My recommendation is if you are considering and you have not decided, go into Camp Wise and reserve a spot or two. You can always go back in and edit the number. Please DO NOT create a new account, use the previous ID and password. By referring to the Department Bluebook for guidelines- Girls State Citizens must be between their junior and senior year of high school, either public, private, or home-schooled and are selected by a local American Legion Auxiliary Unit or post. As this is an American Legion Auxiliary sponsored program, only an auxiliary unit or American Legion post if there is not a unit in the community may sponsor a citizen and pay the fee. However, you can ask other organizations to help defray the expense. Just so the money comes from the American Legion Family. As this year progresses, my hope is to stay one step ahead of the progression of the schedule for Girls State, if you have a question ask me via email, (sloancafe@aol.com), text (712-420-0272), or call- I will say I will not answer if your number is not in my contacts, so please leave a message and I will return your call. Remember, Girls State can only survive with participation from you. For more information, ask me. With the support of the American Legion Family sending citizens, the staff of the Girls State program volunteering and the citizens attending, this program will continue to grow and flourish. Please help us keep Girls State 2027 staying alive for years to come for all members. Sharing of Service, Bev Copple, Michelle Long
Remember when your Mom “requested” that you help with Spring and Fall Housecleaning? It’s time to do some Fall Housecleaning on your Governing Documents. As you probably know, The American Legion changed the Auxiliary’s eligibility structure at the National Convention this year. That means the section in your Unit’s Governing Documents that specifies membership eligibility needs to be changed. Here is the new wording: Membership in The American Legion Auxiliary shall be limited to: 1. grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, and direct or adopted descendants within two degrees of consanguinity of members of The American Legion; and
2. grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, and direct or adopted descendants within two degrees of consanguinity of all service members who served in either of the following periods: April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918 and any time after December 7, 1941 who, being a citizen of the United States at the time of their entry therein served on active duty in the Armed Forces of any of the governments associated with the United States during either eligibility periods and died in the line of duty or after honorable discharge; 3. grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, and direct or adopted descendants within two degrees of consanguinity of all service members who were in the Armed Forces of the United States during either of the following periods: April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918; and any time after December 7, 1941, who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States during either eligibility period and died in the line of duty or after honorable discharge; and 4. to those women who of their own right are eligible for membership in The American Legion.
Happy Fall!
In the August edition of the American Legion Auxiliary magazine, it had an article about the Spirit of Youth scholarship and a special Junior patch that has been created for Junior members and the Sons of the American Legion youth.
“The Spirit of Youth Patch (SOY) can be earned by raising money for the Spirit of Youth Fund. To earn the patch the Junior member must raise $5 for each year old. The example they used: If a 17 year old would need to raise a minimum of $85.”
“Donations can be raised in a variety of ways be asking family members, friends, or American Legion Family members to contribute, or by holding bake sales, or other types of sales. Funds can be raised as a group or individually.” But if a patch is desired, they must individually raise the required amount for their age.
The purpose is for Junior members and SAL youth to be involved and aware of the scholarship project.
There are two Juniors the August Auxiliary magazine featured that earned patches by raising funds.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
Remember to continue to Engage, Entertain, and Educate.
Have you REALLY read the newsletter top to bottom? As I ponder and prepare my article I am able to see those committee members that have completed their task already! It really makes me smile at the creativeness our committee members have. Creativity is sometimes the key to leadership and mentorship. Not everyone learns the same way. Think outside of the box when it comes to sharing the knowledge you have. It isn’t always about standing up in front of people talking - it is putting action behind those words. Invite someone to your event to help out, be sure to ask where they feel their strengths could be most utilized. Listen to their ideas if they have some - sometimes a new person can find a way to make it more efficient. Just because “we have always done it this way” doesn’t mean a small tweak won’t make things 10 times easier. I have enjoyed attending conferences this fall and look forward to attending a couple more as harvest allows. 4th District President Carrie and I attended the Mason City Stand Down on Sept 26. What an amazing day. I had no idea what to expect and I thoroughly intend to volunteer to help again and even try to attend some of the others.
Remember to look at your unit members for the Unit Member of the Year Award. Rules are simple… They cannot have served in an office any higher than unit president. I am sure we all have someone that works hard within the unit, but just does not want to hold a higher office.
Til next time, remember to Focus on Family!
Hello all! The American Legion would like our help! They are calling on Congress to PASS THE TAKING CARE OF AMERICA'S VETERANS ACT! (TCAVA H.R. 9237 / S. 4744) (H.R.= House of Representatives bill number S. = Senate bill number) This bill includes critical provisions that directly support surviving spouses, families and caregivers who have also given so much to this Nation! TCAVA would remove the current penalty that forces surviving spouses to lose certain benefits if they remarry before age 55! This legislation will further increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), providing much needed additional support to spouses and families whose loved one died from service related causes. (The DIC has NOT been raised since 1993!!!) This bill also includes provisions to strengthen care for family caregivers by addressing the economic and personal challenges that come with caring for a wounded or disabled veterans. I feel we, members of the American Legion Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion and the Riders, owe it to our deserving veterans to support the Legion in getting this bill passed! Go Here Once there, send off the pre-written email that automatically goes to to your representatives. This is something that could be done at the start of each unit, county and district meeting! Let your members know what's going on and how easy it is to support our veterans. You can call, write or email as often as you'd like, so please do so. Thank you.
EVERY MEMBER of our organization is part of our marketing team. When most people hear the word "marketing," they think of advertisements, flyers, websites, or social media posts. While those things are important, some of the best marketing happens in our everyday interactions. It's the conversations we have with friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. It's how we welcome guests at our events and how we represent our organization in the community. Whether you're sharing an upcoming event online, talking about the good work we do, inviting someone to attend a meeting, or simply telling others why you're proud to be a member, you're helping market our organization. People are much more likely to become interested when they hear about us from someone they know and trust. Each interaction leaves an impression. A friendly smile, a positive conversation, or a social media post can spark curiosity and encourage someone to learn more about who we are and what we stand for. As we continue throughout the year, I encourage everyone to remember that we are all ambassadors for our organization. Take every opportunity to share our story, support our events, and highlight the impact we make in our community. When each member does a small part, together we create a powerful message that helps our organization grow and thrive. Simply put, our best marketing tool isn't a flyer, a website, or an advertisement. It's our members. Teresa Shaw, Carol Moony, Kristi Bridges
Wow! Here we are off and running. I want to give a shout out to several Units that are already 50% paid up dues! I know that National sent out a renewal notice recently. Please doublecheck with your Unit Membership Chairperson to make sure you don't double pay for your 2027 dues. I know some have been collected and may have also received the reminder. Remember, October 12th is our first goal. We'd like to see Units at 50%. Please, do not sit on checks. Get them sent into Department in a timely manner. Let's keep the momentum going and continue getting in those memberships! Happy Fall, y'all!! Theresa Kramer & Rebecca Teed
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting government computers – it also means protecting our military members and their families. Scammers and foreign adversaries can use social media, emails, texts, and other online information to target service members or gather information about military activities. Military families can help by using strong, passwords, being cautious about suspicious messages, and thinking before sharing information about deployment, locations, or military activities online. Auxiliary members can help by sharing cyber safety information with veterans and military families, especially those who may be more vulnerable to scams. Cybersecurity may seem like a technical issue, but it also is a matter of national security, and protecting the people we serve. Our military members, veterans, and their families can be targets of scams, identity, theft, phishing attempts, and other cyber threats. As American Legion, auxiliary members, we need to be mindful of what we share online. Personal information, photos, locations, and even seemingly harmless details can be used by scammers and cyber criminals. Let’s remind our communities that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility and encourage our veterans, military families, and neighbors to stay informed, alert, and cyber safe. National security begins with awareness, along with informing and supporting those who serve.
Greetings from Bedford. I hope your creative juices are flowing so you can participate in the three categories we have for poppy contest at Mid Winter! I look forward to your entries. Get those poppies ordered for your units as well!! After consideration, traffic may make it hard to get your applications by 5. We will accept until start of joint session Friday night. Thanks!!
I hope district conferences are going well! This year our National Public Relations chair has asked us to focus on” the story behind the photo” this year. We want to know who, what, when, where and why. We not only want to see the flyer before your event, but the pictures and story of how it went after! Did you talk to 5 people about the American Legion Auxiliary? I hope you were able to! With Halloween coming up I know many units will be planning events. How are you promoting those events? Newspaper, flyers, Facebook? Share these with me!
The National Risk and Compliance Committee is charged with assuming an independent oversight and advisory role, with the responsibility for decision making resting with governance. It reviews policies that are designed to mitigate threats to our organization and provides perspective in areas that could be potential risks, if not effectively identified and managed. Its members understand that safeguarding our organization requires having and following proper procedures for oversight, internal controls and a system for checks and balances. This is what is the Key statement on the National web page. It applies to our Dept. and our units as well. Make sure that not only are your EIN numbers filed on time but other procedures are being done correctly. Some questions to ask you unit are how many signatures are on the checking accounts, {you definitely need more than one,} are their written procedures to follow when using the post, such as who cleans, where does trash go and who is the point of contact. Think of all written procedures and when they were last updated, make sure they are current. The federal filing due date for the IRS Form 990,990-EZ, or 990-N [e-Postcard] is the 15th day of the 5th month after the close of the organization’s tax year. It is strongly recommended that ALA entities have written policies and procedures that document the organization’s review process for their annual returns. Although a 990 review policy is not legally required, having one written reflects good management and good governance of the organization. IRS Form 8822-B is used to notify the IRS of a change of address or a change in the responsible party for your organization. A “Responsible Party” is typically the person who signs your IRS Form 990/990EZ/990-N. It is the responsibility of the officers who manage the organization to notify the IRS if there is a change in the responsible party and or the organization has changed its address to receive correspondence. I know this is long and detailed but it has very important information included. Verlinda Prior, Regina Chock, Kim Dixon
Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation…what exactly is it? The purpose of the VA&R committee is to - Support the therapeutic rehabilitation and healing of veterans through arts, crafts, and hobbies.
- Support veteran caregivers, family members, and survivors
What might this look like in your unit? - Volunteering at your local VA facility or CBOC. Iowa has 4 VA facilities that it supports and the Iowa Veterans Home.
- Collaborate With organizations that support veterans and their families such as Wreaths Across America, Honor Flight, and the Military and Veteran Caregiver Network.
Each community has its own opportunities to support veterans, their caregivers, families, and survivors. Your commitment to any program or activity that supports the purpose of the VA&R committee is always appreciated. As you attend or host events and support Veterans and their families, caregivers and survivors share them with me and the American Legion Family for inspiration.
October 1st- Girls State Unit Registration Opens in Campwise 3rd-1st District Conference Fairfield VFW 3rd- 2nd District Conference Walcott 10th- 5th District Conference Montezuma 12- Department office closed 16-17 Des Moines Stand Down 17th- 9th District Conference Hornick 24th- 7th District Conference Walnut Legion 29-1 Quilts of Valor Retreat
November 11 Veterans Day Department office Cloed 26-27 Department office Closed
December 3 Department Christmas Open House 23-25 Department office closed
October 1 – Girls State Unit Registration begins on Campwise 20 – Gold Club Membership Renewals are due in the Department Office 20 – Unit Obligation form and check due in the Department Office-Unit President received. 20– Poppy Orders due in the Department Office - NO LATE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED
November 16 – PUFL and Online reimbursement checks cut from the Department office
UPDATE On Des Moines Stand down
If you have a moment, lend your support now. It takes only a minute and means far more than you might imagine. American Legion Auxiliary |
