INSIDE THIS ISSUE National Commander Visit ...... 2 ALA 100 Years ......................... 3 Legion Baseball Recap ............. 4 Baseball Scholarship Winner ... 5 Law and Order/YCLE .............. 5 Buddy Check ............................ 6 In-State Legacy Ride ................ 7 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST • Get out the Vote - page 2 • Lucian Butler and EAGLE Scout of the Year Scholarship Application - page 3 • High School Oratorical Con- test information - page 4 • Veterans Employment and Education Award Deadline - page 6 Virginia Legionnaire Most importantly, thank you all for electing me as your Commander of The American Legion Department of Virginia. It is an honor and I am extremely humble and proud to be your representative. Our theme this year is Visibility! We are proud veterans! We conduct ourselves in a positive, professional manner. What do we do? The four pillars identify our founda- tion of what we do … Americanism, Veter- ans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National Security, and Children & Youth. Our pro- grams within these pillars are performed mostly at post level. Therefore, it is im- portant we spread to our respective com- munity the value of who we are and what we do. Our growth is based on this con- cept. When others see who we are and what we do, they will want to be part of us. This results in membership growth. Visibility is the link. Be Visible! Membership 2019-2020 Year’s Theme: Visibility By A.B. Brown, Department Commander DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA HQ 1708 COMMONWEALTH AVE RICHMOND, VA 23230 (803)353-6606 WWW.VALEGION.ORG July - October 2019 Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Official Publication of the Department of Virginia, Inc. Department Membership Standings (as of Oct 24th) Western Region: 66.246% Northern Region: 64.030% Western Region: 58.803% Have you heard of our bi-weekly podcasts? Listen today!
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
National Commander Visit ...... 2
ALA 100 Years ......................... 3
Legion Baseball Recap ............. 4
Baseball Scholarship Winner ... 5
Law and Order/YCLE .............. 5
Buddy Check ............................ 6
In-State Legacy Ride ................ 7
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
• Get out the Vote - page 2
• Lucian Butler and EAGLE Scout of the Year Scholarship Application - page 3
• High School Oratorical Con-test information - page 4
• Veterans Employment and Education Award Deadline - page 6
Virginia Legionnaire
Most importantly, thank you all for electing
me as your Commander of The American
Legion Department of Virginia. It is an
honor and I am extremely humble and
proud to be your representative.
Our theme this year is Visibility! We are
proud veterans! We conduct ourselves in a
positive, professional manner. What do we
do? The four pillars identify our founda-
tion of what we do … Americanism, Veter-
ans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National
Security, and Children & Youth. Our pro-
grams within these pillars are performed
mostly at post level. Therefore, it is im-
portant we spread to our respective com-
munity the value of who we are and what
we do. Our growth is based on this con-
cept.
When others see who we are and what we
do, they will want to be part of us. This
results in membership growth. Visibility is
the link. Be Visible!
Membership 2019-2020 Year’s Theme: Visibility
By A.B. Brown, Department Commander
DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA HQ
1708 COMMONWEALTH AVE RICHMOND, VA 23230
(803)353-6606
WWW.VALEGION.ORG
July - October 2019 Volume: 1 Issue: 1
Official Publication of the Department of Virginia, Inc.
Department Membership Standings (as of Oct 24th)
Western Region: 66.246%
Northern Region: 64.030%
Western Region: 58.803%
Have you heard of our bi-weekly
podcasts? Listen today!
In an early push during his tenure as National Com-
mander of the American Legion, James W. (Bill)
Oxford has been blazing new trails getting out to
the military veteran community - throughout the
region and specifi-
cally Virginia. In a
recent visit to the
commonwealth,
Oxford completed
a whirlwind tour
visiting six cities
throughout Virginia
- along with an ex-
cursion to Rocky
Mount, NC for
Hurricane Dorian
relief efforts.
Throughout his visit
though, his message
and intent remained consistent: connect with today's
veterans in order to build a foundation for the fu-
ture.
Escorted by A.B. Brown, Commander, Department
of Virginia, and a team of American Legion Riders
from Post 284, Oxford traveled from Richmond to
Bedford, Virginia for a visit to the National D-Day
Memorial. Hosted by Post 54, Oxford toured the
memorial, and visited Green’s Drug Store, home of
the “Bedford Boys” memorial. Following a visit
with veterans in Lynchburg, Oxford toured Hunter
Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond.
After meeting hospital administrators, Oxford
stopped by a session with recovering veterans learn-
ing how to properly handle service dogs they’ve
been given by the VA. Late afternoon brought Ox-
ford and the Department’s leadership to Post 284
for a dinner with Colonial Heights Legionnaires. In
anticipation of his arrival, the post organized a col-
lection of non-perishables to be delivered to fami-
lies affected by Hur-
ricane Dori-
an. Once again es-
corted by the Legion
Riders of Post 284,
Commander Oxford
delivered countless
clothing items, chil-
dren’s toys, books,
and nonperishable
food to North Caro-
linians affected by
the hurricane -
proving his leader-
ship not just in
words, but also his deeds.
James W. (Bill) Oxford was elected National
Commander of The American Legion on Aug. 29,
2019, during the organization’s 101st national con-
vention. A veteran of the US Marine Corps, Oxford
served in Vietnam during his initial enlist-
ment. Following the war he transferred to the US
Army Reserve, where he ultimately retired as a
Colonel after more than 34 years of service. A for-
mer mayor and city council member of Cajah's
Mountain, NC, Oxford is an active volunteer with
several organizations. His theme as National Com-
mander of The American Legion is, "A Foundation
for the Future," as the organization enters its second
century of service.
National Commander Bill Oxford Visits Department of Virginia
By Doug Osborn
American Legion National Commander Bill Oxford with
Legionnaires of American Legion Post 284 (Photo by
Doug Osborn.)
Page 2 Virginia Legionnaire
Get Out the Vote
The American Legion encourages Legionnaires to not only exercise their constitutional responsibility
to vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, but also to encourage others to do the same.
To help accomplish this message visit: www.legion.org/vote to download The American Legion’s
“Get Out the Vote” brochure.
THE ALA: 100 YEARS OF HONORING SERVICE
LUCIAN BUTLER
SCHOLASTIC
DEADLINE
1 March 2020 is the deadline
for high school seniors to
submit applications for this
years Lucian Butler scholar-
ship. Over the past four years
over $160,000 in scholarships
have been awarded. To be
eligible, seniors must be the
son, grandson, daughter, or
granddaughter of an active
member of the Virginia
American Legion fami-
ly. Application and additional
information can be located at
www.valegion.org/
programs.
Eagle Scout
of the Year
Applications
Nominations for the 2019
American Legion Eagle
Scout of the Year are
open. Nomination pack-
ets must be received by
each applicant’s respec-
tive American Legion de-
partment (state) headquar-
ters no later than 1 March,
2019. The nomination
packet judged best by
each respective American
Legion Department (state)
must then arrive to Ameri-
can Legion National
Headquarters no later than
1 April, 2019.
For more information
please contact Program
Chairman Lowell Badgley
at (434) 295-5952.
Greetings American Legion Family,
As we enter The ALA Centennial year, we
want to continue the momentum generated
during The American Legion Centennial.
The Department theme this year is inten-
tionally focused on our 100th Anniversary
– 100 Years of Honoring Service.
A major focus this year is to employ mul-
tiple avenues of communication to reach
more members in order to share program
updates, ideas, tools and success stories, to
encourage increased engagement in our
organization’s mission. We want to max-
imize the impact of our efforts through
collaboration with TAL and SAL mem-
bers and include our youth members in
meaningful ways to promote a foundation
for the future of our organizations.
This has been a hallmark year for The
American Legion with the signing of the
LEGION Act into Law, and this should
likewise be a hallmark year for the ALA
as it enhances potential for increased ALA
membership. We are now able to welcome
spouses of women veterans into the ALA
under their wives’ membership in the
American Legion, which allows greater
diversity and further augments member-
ship, and ultimately the strength of our
collective voice.
The ALA must remain an action-oriented,
mission-driven organization in order to
fulfil our pledge and promise to veterans,
the military and their families. Without
risk there is no possibility of success, so
implementation of new ideas in addition to
those that have proven effective is encour-
aged. Our goal is not merely numbers, it is
mission delivery, and mission delivery is
how we can continue to Honor Service.
As The ALA preamble states, our purpose
is “to participate in and contribute to the
accomplishment of the aims and purposes
of The American Legion”. The American
Legion Family is stronger together and our
part of the Family stands ready.
For God and Country,
Dr. Lisa Chaplin
President, The American Legion Auxiliary
Department of Virginia
Pictured above (from l to r): Department Commander A.B. Brown, ALA President Dr. Lisa
Chaplin and SAL Detachment Commander Fred Vaccarro show their true Legion Family