 |
The
American Legion Auxiliary cares! We care about our veterans, our
children, our communities, state and nation. And we take actions
that benefit that for which we care. That is why our star shines so
brightly! Our commitment makes it extremely important to be
legislatively active, both on the state and federal levels. Our
servicemen and women, their families and our veterans deserve no
less
. |
|
We
need to keep abreast of of issues affecting them and all of us.
Being well informed is key to being successful in any legislative effort.
And there are many resources available to ensure our success.
You should subscribe to “The Dispatch”, which is an American Legion
publication that addresses issues of interest to our organization.
In addition, consider signing up to receive the American Legion Auxiliary
Legislative Newsletter and Legislative Alerts from the American Legion via
the Legislative Action Center. Both are available on line and
contact information can be found at the end of this Plan of Work.
|
|
Once
you have gathered the information you need, it will be time to take
action. One of the best ways to influence legislators is through
grass roots advocacy. Familiarize yourself with your state and federal
elected officials. Find out where they stand on issues! Next find the
local office of your legislator and get to know the staff. You can
telephone, email, or write a letter. But make an appointment to visit the
office, if possible Introduce yourself and let them know that
you are a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Provide
information on issues of interest to us. Identify one person which whom
you can maintain contact once your meeting is finished. Obtain an
email address, phone and fax number, because this will be extremely
helpful in the event of a legislative alert put forth by the American
Legion. Follow up your visit with a thank you note, and
continue to maintain contact with the local office. Rest
assured that a personal relationship with local staffers is one of the
best ways to ensure that your viewpoint and that of the American Legion
Family is recognized both in Albany and Washington.
|
|
Letter
writing is also an excellent way to convey to elected
officials the viewpoints of our organizations. It is estimated that
every letter received by a senator or representative is equivalent to
hearing from 50 to 100 constituents. Our stars shine very
brightly when it comes to letter writing. Auxiliary members are good
at it and our efforts are noticed! This is an election
year, the American Legion Family votes in large numbers, legislators
are aware of that, and we will be given consideration! So
let's get busy! There are a few simple rules to remembers when
writing letters, emails, or sending faxes. You'll find tips
and sample letters at the end of this bulletin. Remember
always ask for a response, and always send a thank you letter.
|
|
In
addition to legislative priorities, the Legislative Committee and the
Americanism Committee of your unit can work together to promote the “Get
out the Vote” initiative. There is so much we can do to encourage
people to vote. You can publicize the importance of voting in
local newspapers and through
PSA's on radio and TV, provide transportation to
the polls and babysitting service for young families on election day.
Also remember to encourage our military families overseas to request
absentee ballots well in advance of the election. Those giving their
all for our country, deserve most of all to be heard. |
One
last important note is that it is essential to always be up to date on the
legislative priorities of
the American Legion. Working in conjunction with the American Legion,
we can have the largest impact possible. So, Auxiliary and Legion
Legislative Chairmen should get to know one another, and work together to
come up with a strategic plan to impact issues of importance to the American
Legion Family. Let's shine our starlight upon those for whom we care!
Look for bulletins and website information on issues of importance.
Resources
The Dispatch – A periodical
publication of the American Legion. It's an invaluable resource when
writing letters, preparing bulletins, or reporting to the membership.
The subscription price is $15 annually and can be ordered on line from the
National American Legion Website or you can send a check or money order
payable to the American Legion The Dispatch at: The American Legion,
PO Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Include you
Membership card number and your unit and Department.
The
American Legion Legislative Action Center. Insert your own email
address and it will send all copies of Alerts directly to you. On the
same page sign up for the Action E-List and be notified by email when you
can make a critical difference on important issues.
http://capwiz.com/legion/home/
Congress at your Fingertips . A comprehensive guide with profiles of
all member of congress including key websites and contact information,
standing committees and state congressional maps. Capitol Advantage,
www.capitoladvantage.com
(877) 827-3321. There is a fee for this
service.
The
Spirit of America Legislative E-Newsletter. This is free. You can
subscribe to it by going to
www.legion-aux.org and
clicking on the box to sign up for newsletters. You can also access it from
the Department website.
American Legion Vision . This is a new feature of the National
American Legion website. It covers legislative issues and current
events. It's a great tool and very interesting.
http://www.legion.org/vision/currentevents
Related Websites
Congressional Record:
www.gpoaccess.bov/record/index.html
Department of Defense:
www.defenselink.mil/
Department of Veterans Affairs:
www.va.gov
Federal Election Commission:
www.fec.gov
House Committee on Veterans Affairs:
http://veterans.house.gov
House of Representatives:
www.house.gov
Library of Congress:
www.loc.gov
Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs:
http://veterans.senate.gov
State Department:
www.state.gov
Supreme Court:
www.supremecourtus.gov
THOMAS
Legislative information:
http://thomas.loc.gov/
US Census Bureau:
www.census.gov
US Senate:
www.senate.gov
White House:
www.whitehouse.gov
Democratic National Committee:
www.democrates.org
(202)863-8000
Republican National Committee:
www.rnc.org (202) 479-7000
US
Capitol Switchboard
(202) 224-3121
Ann
Geer
Department Chairman
email:
geerannc@yahoo.com
DEPARTMENT LEGISLATIVE AWARDS
FLORENCE WRIGHT PLAQUE
– to the County with the best all round Legislative Program. A
500 work essay must accompany the entry.
COUNTY AWARD
– To the County Legislative Chairman submitting the highest number of
replies from Legislator concerning correspondence on legislation as directed
by the American Legion. The number will be determined based on the
percentage of membership goal.
UNIT AWARD
– To the Unit Legislative
Chairman who submits the best report of legislative activities in two
categories
Group
I – Unit with 1 to 100 membership
Group II – Unit with 101 or more membership
Rules: Typewritten in narrative form not to exceed 500 words. Please include
details of special legislative meetings with copies of any newspaper
articles documenting meetings. Entries must be judged in the County
and only one winning entry in each category is to be sent for judging.
NATIONAL AWARDS:
Unit Legislative Awards:
A plaque presented to the Unit Chairman in each Division reporting the Most
Outstanding Overall Legislative Program. Entry must be typewritten in
narrative form, not to exceed 1,000 words. Do not include
pictures, clippings, scrapbooks, folders, etc. Units will submit
entries to the Department Chairman by her required date.
Individual Recognition Certificates:
A recognition certificate will be presented to the individual Unit members
that forward the National Legislative Chairman copies of responses received
from congressional leaders as a result of their advocacy efforts: letters,
emails, visits, etc. Packets of correspondence must be post-marked by
June 1, 2009 to be considered.
All entries must be
submitted to the Department Chairman by May 10, 2009
REPORTING PROCEDURE:
UNIT CHAIRMEN:
Please send
Unit Report Form to reach your County
Chairman by the following dates: November 1, 2008,
March 1, 2009, May 1, 2009
COUNTY CHAIRMEN: Please send
County Report Form to reach
the Department Chairman by the following dates:
November 10, 2008, March 10, 2009, May 10, 2009
Note:
Forms are in (PDF Format
)
and can be filled out using your computer keyboard. After you fill
one out, it is suggested you print several copies, and
keep one for your records.
Ann Geer
Legislative Chairman
email:
geerannc@yahoo.com
Note:
For
Chairman's physical address, contact
chairman or
Department
Office
