By MARY STANLEY
Special to Atmore News
These are support services for the American Legion, active military, our country and our communities.
The primary requirement for membership is eligibility through a military family connection. The proof of this is through a DD214, which is military proof of honorable service and discharge. This is required for both adult and junior members.
Relationship is through war connection and close relationship to the service member – mother, wife, daughter, sister, grandmother, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, self. Our junior membership is birth to 19 years, before being eligible for senior membership. Parents can attend junior meetings or join the senior group and be near the junior members. We do not have nursery facilities, so meetings are available for kindergarten age through high school. For the juniors their charities mainly are for children’s hospital and Ronald McDonald House. The adult auxiliary does some contribution to the junior treasury.
Both groups elect their own officers, set their own goals, support their own charities and raise their own fund to support their own programs. Both are run like a business, including reading of minutes and giving a treasury report.
The pillars of operation are
- Honoring God – All meetings are opened with prayer and meditation.
- Supporting Country – Pledge of Allegiance and repeating our Auxiliary Preamble to our Constitution.
- Supporting Our Community – Discuss current events and what the Auxiliary can contribute.
- Support Family – Our own families and our Auxiliary families.
There are many areas in which we can improve what we assist with. These are discussed in our meetings.
All meetings are closed with prayer.
Mary Stanley is president, American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 90, Atmore.