As we begin a new Legion year I would like to say thank you for allowing me to once again serve this great Organization as your 1st Vice and membership chairperson. In the 28 years that I have been a member the friendships, the support and the knowledge that I have gained is second to none. We are a family and as we go forward we will continue to be a family. We have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to turn the membership around and to continue to grow. You’re elected officers and the membership committee is here to help but we can’t do it for you. Each and every one of you has to want to work the membership, help do your part. The membership committee has been broken into two subcommittees, Retention and recruitment. There is a chairman for each subcommittee, Retention-Bill Lach and recruitment Bill Ganz, The membership incentives will be the same as in the past. Sign up three new members and receive the Commanders Challenge coin, 7 new members a Hat or T-shirt and 15 new members The Membership Polo Shirt. We have a long way to go to stop the slide in our membership and these incentives are a great start towards this but it will take all of us to do this, remember why you joined, the programs we do, the Veterans and their families that we help, these are the most important incentives we have. One tool available to Posts are the three Department membership pop-up tents. If Posts are doing fairs or membership drives in their communities the tents offer an eye catching design. Post 156 recently used the tent at the Howard County Fair and signed up 21 new members. While we can’t promise that return with every event, being out in the community is a great way to increase membership and participation. If interested contact Department HQs at 410-752-1405 or email Assistant Adjutant Steve Tatro at steve@ mdlegion.org. Not everyone will work towards these goals but want to do their part, if each and every one of us signs up one new member we will reach our goals and more. We are a family and a team lets work together on this and we will make it a great year.
Yours in Legion Service,
Patricia McCoy 1st Vice Commander
Department of Maryland
