Post Officers for 2013 - 2014:
Post Officers for 2012 - 2013:
Commander:
Sr Vice Commander: 1st Vice Commander: 2nd Vice Commander: Adjutant: Judge Advocate: Finance Officer: Members-at-Large: Sergeant-at-Arms: Asst Sgt-at-Arms: Service Officer: Chaplains: Past Post Commander: Post Historian/Webmaster: |
Dennis Brown
Larry Havenhill Kevin Smith Frank Singleton Ed Miller Nick Youdell Bobby Corbin Don Crocker, Peter Hilton Tom Wallace Frank Ofsanko C. Olin Sargent Charles Weaver, David Mullis Geoff Toman Steve Ratcliffe |
Legion Year 2013 Events:
- August 13, 2012 was the induction of Post 307 and Auxiliary Officers for Legion Year 2013. It was a great event that was well attended. We had a supper consisting of excellent Pulled Pork barbeque, potato salad, cole slaw, and, of course, cake!
The induction of the Post 307 Officers was conducted by John Arant, Commander 9th District.
Induction of Auxiliary Officers was conducted by Susie Mash, Dept. of Georgia President. Post 307 has an incredible Auxiliary and they were recognized by both the State and the 9th District as being the "best of the best"! Multiple Department of GA awards were presented to the Auxiliary by Annice Witt, District President. Department Awards for the Auxiliary were presented by Gail Ramey, Past District President.
Dennis Brown, took over as Post 307 Commander for 2013 and was handed the gavel by Geoff Toman, Past Commander.
The induction of the Post 307 Officers was conducted by John Arant, Commander 9th District.
Induction of Auxiliary Officers was conducted by Susie Mash, Dept. of Georgia President. Post 307 has an incredible Auxiliary and they were recognized by both the State and the 9th District as being the "best of the best"! Multiple Department of GA awards were presented to the Auxiliary by Annice Witt, District President. Department Awards for the Auxiliary were presented by Gail Ramey, Past District President.
Dennis Brown, took over as Post 307 Commander for 2013 and was handed the gavel by Geoff Toman, Past Commander.
Hearty congratulations to Ed Miller, who was named "Legionnaire of the Year" by outgoing Post 307 Commander, Geoff Toman. Geoff also gave out several Certificates of Recognition to Post 307 members and Phyllis Singleton, Auxiliary President, also gave out tokens of appreciation to several of the outstanding Auxiliary members.
- September 28th, 2012 was the 2nd annual Post 307 Charity Golf Tornament. This year it was organized and managed by Guy Sullay and Richard Knight, who did a great job of getting sponsors and prizes for the event. Held at Country Land Golf Club, registration went smoothly, thanks to Bobby Corbin, the lunch was excellent, and Country Land did a good job with handling all the little details.
The greens were brand new, having been stripped and reseeded only 6 weeks earlier. Although attendance was down from last year, it was a fun event and the players expressed the desire to return next year.
- On Oct. 8th was held the monthly General Membership Meeting at the National Guard Armory. Jim Swain was the guest speaker. Jim is a lawyer who specializes in legal issues for the elderly and made an excellent presentation about topics seniors and soon-to-be seniors or caregivers need to be aware of or take care of. This was a session not to be missed!
- October 2012: Post 307 mourns the loss of member veterans Wiley S. Clifton, Jesse L. Murphy, and Morris A. Young.
- On Nov. 7th, 21 Veterans, including 8 from Post 307, attended a Veteran's Day event at Dave's Creek Elementary School. Invited by Ms. Rebecca Ray, each veteran was assigned a 'buddy' from her 21 student 2nd Grade Class. We sat with our 'buddy' and helped them do a 'word find' puzzle and answered questions from the student for them to enter on an interview form. It was a good exercise for the 2nd graders to practice both their printing and spelling, as well as gain an appreciation of veterans. Photos were also taken during this period to capture the veteran with his/her 'buddy'. Following the coaching session, we went to the hallway for a buffet lunch provided by donations from restaurants and Kroger, then Ms. Ray conducted a Bingo game, with awards going to the winning students. It was a wonderfully organized 1.5 hours and lots of fun. Before adjourning, a group photo was taken and then each student handed their veteran the photo of them in a frame the students had made and decorated with popsicle sticks and macaroni, then painted silver. A week later, each veteran received a "Thank You" note from their 'buddy' and also a letter of appreciation from Ms. Ray.
Veteran's Day 2012
- On Nov. 9th, the city of Cumming held a Veteran's Day ceremony at the War Memorial Park, in conjunction with the Christian Home Schooling Association and the American Legion. A sea of american flags covered the grounds of the park as Mayor H. Ford Gravitt told the crowd, "By virtue of the veterans that give us the freedom, we're able to stand here and do what we do." "Not enough can be said of our military and the crucial role it plays in the safety and freedom of our country."
Keynote speaker, U.S. Army Gen. John W. Hendrix, who retired in 2002 with 36 years of active duty as an infantry officer, reminded attendees that, "veterans are human beings". "When we talk about veterans, we're not talking about some mystical figures off the pages of history books, and sometimes I
Keynote speaker, U.S. Army Gen. John W. Hendrix, who retired in 2002 with 36 years of active duty as an infantry officer, reminded attendees that, "veterans are human beings". "When we talk about veterans, we're not talking about some mystical figures off the pages of history books, and sometimes I
think we make that mistake," he said. "Veterans were human beings, just like you and just like me. They lived, they had jobs, they had families, they had children, they hurt, they had all the real-life problems that you and I have. They were not people who were superhuman, but they believed in the importance of freedom and opportunities, and they were willing to lay their lives down for it." Gen. Hendrix also thanked all of his fellow veterans, noting that it didn't matter "whether they served in times of war or peace."
The ceremony also included several patriotic songs performed by students in the Christian Fine Arts of Forsyth and Forsyth Christian Home Educators Co-Op. Reid Jefferson, an essay winner in the organization, read his piece about his grandfather's service in the Navy, and members of the American Legion and VFW auxiliary groups presented a floral arrangement in memory of fallen soldiers. Also participating in the event were members of the Chestatee River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Forsyth Central High School Flash of Crimson band and the North Forsyth High School Marine Corps JROTC, which is sponsored in part by Post 307.
A 21-gun salute and taps were presented by the Forsyth County Fire Department and Sheriff's Office Joint Honor Guard Rifle Team.
The ceremony also included several patriotic songs performed by students in the Christian Fine Arts of Forsyth and Forsyth Christian Home Educators Co-Op. Reid Jefferson, an essay winner in the organization, read his piece about his grandfather's service in the Navy, and members of the American Legion and VFW auxiliary groups presented a floral arrangement in memory of fallen soldiers. Also participating in the event were members of the Chestatee River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Forsyth Central High School Flash of Crimson band and the North Forsyth High School Marine Corps JROTC, which is sponsored in part by Post 307.
A 21-gun salute and taps were presented by the Forsyth County Fire Department and Sheriff's Office Joint Honor Guard Rifle Team.
- At the monthly General Membership Meeting on Nov. 11th, the guest speaker was Todd Levent, County Commissioner for District 3 of Forsyth County. Todd is a businessman who builds custom houses and does home repairs and upgrade projects. A lifelong resident of North Georgia and 20 years in Forsyth County, Todd and his wife Dana live in the Sheffield subdivision on Campground Road.
Todd's talk was very informal and not "canned". He talked off-the-cuff in response to excellent questions from those in attendance and he imparted valuable insight into where the county is headed and its issues. Todd
clearly has an excellent knowledge of the issues facing the county and also understands the different points of view on how to address these issues.
During the meeting's business section, Treasurer Bobby Corbin presented the 2013 budget. In response, Commander Brown announced that the Post will no longer support a baseball team, as there are many other
opportunities for boys to play baseball in Forsyth County and the money should be used for veteran support instead. This was an excellent meeting.
Todd's talk was very informal and not "canned". He talked off-the-cuff in response to excellent questions from those in attendance and he imparted valuable insight into where the county is headed and its issues. Todd
clearly has an excellent knowledge of the issues facing the county and also understands the different points of view on how to address these issues.
During the meeting's business section, Treasurer Bobby Corbin presented the 2013 budget. In response, Commander Brown announced that the Post will no longer support a baseball team, as there are many other
opportunities for boys to play baseball in Forsyth County and the money should be used for veteran support instead. This was an excellent meeting.
- On December 10th 2012, Post 307 held the annual Christmas Party at Tam's Backstage Restaurant in Cumming. It was a full house and a wonderful, festive occasion for all. Not only did we have excellent hors d'ouvres, main course, and desert, but the entertainment was beyond priceless!
Sue Youdell, wife of Nick and a leader in the wonderful Post 307 Auxilliary, performed a hilarious skit in which she pretended to be drinking multiple shots of Tequila, as she acted out making a recipe which required Tequila as one of the ingredients. Then Pauline McKinny, wife of 'Mac' and another outstanding leader of the Post 307 Auxilliary, donned an adorable bonnet and shawl, placed 'granny' glasses on the end of her nose, and portrayed the epitome of the "granny" image. She proceeded to read The Night Before Christmas, while the crowd attempted to keep up with swapping presents in accordance with some screwy rules based on the words in the story. The evening was full of laughs, wonderful friendships, and comraderie, enjoyed by all. If you missed it this year, be sure to attend next year! |
Nona Hamilton Plays Santa!
On one of the many monthly trips the Post 307 Auxiliary makes to the VA Hospital and nursing home, they played Santa, as depicted in this photo.