Auxiliary Officers
President:
Carol
Scheierman
Vice-President:
Mary Ann Serr
Secretary:
Norma
Finnegan
Treasurer
Winnie
Lewis
Historian
Doris Gowen
Chaplin
Doris Huber
Sargeant at Arms
Norma DeJung & Shirley Syring
Executive Committee
Cathy Traudt
Lucille Sterkel
Donna Bauer
The Sutton Post 61
Auxiliary is proud to have one of it's members
Carol Van Kirk of Sutton as the
National President of The American Legion Auxiliary 2005-2006
The Sutton Nebraska American Legion Post 61 Auxiliary is involved in many different programs some of which are:
AMERICANISM.... The Americanism program promotes patriotism and emphasizes the rights and responsibilities of citizenship as we strive to uphold and promote American ideals and the principles of democracy. It stresses the value of active, informed involvement in the community, home and our organization.
This program includes the Americanism Essay Contest within our schools, a "Get Out the Vote" campaign, and Flag Etiquette education. Students in 10th to 12th grades are eligible for a four-day Americanism Youth Conference held at Valley Forge, Pa.
Donations to the Spirit of Youth Fund provide scholarships for the Girl Scout Achievement Award winner, Girls Nation President, Honorary Junior President, for Junior members and the Americanism Youth Conference award winners.
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AUXILIARY EMERGENCY FUND... The Auxiliary Emergency Fund provides temporary financial assistance to eligible Auxiliary members in need to assist them in paying for shelter, food, utilities and medications. Grants are available through this program to members who require training skills to obtain satisfactory employment because of desertion, divorce, illness or death of a spouse.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH... The Children and Youth program provides care and financial assistance to children of veterans and strives to make a difference in the lives of all children in our communities and nation.
Some areas which are addressed are: promoting immunization of all children; helping children/families who are victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and neglect; promoting National Family Week; encouraging Halloween safety and assisting with teen-age drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse.
Support of Children's Miracle Network in providing health care for all needy children in any Unit's immediate area is a priority.
We support the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation to help fund special projects which foster solutions to difficult children's issues.
We support essential legislation for children at national, state and local levels.
COMMUNITY SERVICE... The Community Service program assists our members in assessing the everyday need of our individual communities. We must be prepared to help meet the changing needs. We place emphasis on programs to reach our homeless and insure the safety and welfare of our citizens.
We participate in special projects such as: Make a Difference Day, National Family Week, Habitat for Humanity, Random Acts of Kindness, and the Organ Tissue/Blood Donor programs. We work closely with other organizations to implement projects for the benefit of the community such as: the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Heart Fund, cancer awareness, drug abuse clinics, homeless and abuse centers, community centers, soup kitchens, and food banks. We volunteer in schools and libraries.
EDUCATION.... Auxiliary members believe that a solid educational foundation in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history is the cornerstone of American freedom. Members work with their local educators to develop, maintain, and support a quality system that serves the needs of our children at every level.
We provide numerous scholarships for eligible students, including non-traditional students. Members volunteer in the schools to help students achieve their goals. They work to support state and national education legislation.
GIRLS STATE... Girls State is a non-partisan program that teaches young women who will be entering their Senior year of high school Americanism, democracy, responsible citizenship, and love of God and Country.
Local Units select participants who gather within each Department once a year which affords them an opportunity to live together as self-governing citizens. They are informed of their duties, privileges, rights, and responsibilities of American citizenship in order that they may better understand and participate in the functioning of their government.
JUNIOR ACTIVITIES... American Legion Auxiliary members under the age of 18 are prepared for adult membership through this program. They also learn the gratification of voluntarism by participating in the Auxiliary senior programs.
Junior members hold their own meetings, Conferences and Conventions. They elect their officers on all levels of leadership.
LEGISLATIVE... American Legion Auxiliary members are encouraged to become involved and informed on local and national issues of special interest to The American Legion. Their endeavors include lobbying for veteran's rights, national security, policies on foreign relations, Americanism issues, and endorsing legislation to improve the lives of our youth and our citizens.
Issues endorsed by the American Legion are supported with letter writing, phone calls, e-mail, telegrams, and faxes to our legislative representatives.
MEMBERSHIP... Active recruitment of new members is an ongoing effort of every Unit to ensure future growth for the organization. Renewing the membership of current members is essential if we are to remain the largest patriotic organization in the world.
NATIONAL SECURITY... The American Legion Auxiliary believes in maintaining a strong national defense and endeavors to educate it's members on all vital issues. Topics include national and civil defense, crime prevention, emergency management and disaster preparedness, POW/MIA awareness, environmental protection, and support of military personnel. Members are encouraged to participate in blood donor programs, local and worldwide support of USO activities, savings bond purchases, operation mail call to service personel, search and rescue and ROTC. National meetings to clarify issues of importance include the Awareness Assembly in Washington, D.C.
PAST PRESIDENTS PARLEY... Members who have served the Auxiliary as Unit, District/County, Department and/or National Presidents are valuable resources for our organization. As members of the Past Presidents Parley committee, they put their leadership experience to offer guidance or counsel on any activity or problem requiring special support or emphasis. They also maintain a scholarship fund for nurses and are a primary source of support for women veterans.
POPPY... The American Legion Auxiliary adopted the poppy as it's memorial flower in 1921. Today, the poppy continues to provide a financial and therapeutic benefit to those disabled and hospitalized veterans who construct them.
We distribute the poppy across our nation to remind Americans each year to honor the patriotism of millions of veterans who serve our country. Proceeds from the annual Poppy Day distribution are used to benefit thousands of veterans and their families.
A Poppy Poster Contest and National Miss Poppy Contest are sponsored by Units annually. Educating the public on the history of the poppy is vital to a successful program.
PUBLIC RELATIONS... The Public Relations program works to establish a positive public image, maintains good will within the organization, and promotes our many worthwhile programs, events, activities, and accomplishments through every available medium.
Public awareness of our efforts ensures continued community support. Good publicity supports our membership recruitment efforts by attracting eligible women and motivating them into becoming active. The American Legion Auxiliary's bi-monthly national magazine, the National News, is a primary source of information and a means of communication between Unit members and the organization's national leadership.
VETERANS AFFAIRS AND REHABILITATION... Our Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation program is the founding concept on which the American Legion Auxiliary was conceived, "Service, Not Self".
The volunteer program to assist veterans and their families is composed of three divisions:
a. The Hospital Service program supplements the care given to the ill and disabled veterans in VA Medical facilities, i.e. VA Hospital, Outpatient Satellite Clinics and Outreach programs.
b. The Field Service program gives care and assistance to non-hospitalized veterans in a state-owned facility, i.e. Veterans Home, Nursing Home, Halfway House, homeless shelter for veterans, elderly day care, etc. A field Service Orientation course is required to accumulate volunteer hours earned.
c. Home Service involves volunteering in our home, i.e. baking, sewing, making gifts, e-mail to a veteran, writing cards, etc.
Units donate gifts and members volunteer in our Christmas Gift Shops which provide a selection of presents our veterans may give members of their family. The gifts are offered at no charge; are wrapped and mailed to their home, if necessary.
Volunteers are invaluable to the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation program.
We assist in fulfilling the needs of women veterans.
Members encourage and support legislation to increase benefits and improve the lives of all veterans.
