The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-12-09
& OFFICERS

The Legion held n of the biggest
meetings of the year at the CONNER
cial club rooms last Thursday even
ing. DR.. w. E. Johnson, president OF
State college, gave an encouraging
talk to the members praiSing their
undertaking to give a big community
Christmas to the children of Bookings
county. DR.. Johnson said tina n
legion was tackling the biggest thing
of its kind ever attempted in the
northwest and he felt assured that the
post could make it a success. FOLLOW
ing this talk, Claude J. Harris of Sioux
Falls, state adjutant of the American
Legion, made an address in which he
outlined some of the work that the
legion plans for next year and con-
graduated the post on their work dur
ing the past year. He especially en-
couraged the splendid undertaking OF
the post in working out a community
Christmas. In speaking OF the pro-
gram for next year Mr.. Harris said
that the national organization should
do no other thing until all disabled
ex-service men are taken care OF. TWO
years after the armistice finds o
sands of our disabled soldiers in need
of hospital treatment, in need of COM
pensation, and in need of ~rehabilita-
ton. The country is aware OF the
frightful i~nefficiency of the various
government boards in charge of this
work. The American Legion will de-
mand the removal Of every man IN
Washington who is found to be IN
efficient or who has slowed up the
work of the department. A case here
in Bookings became so desperate that
the legion officials sent a long tele-
gram to the head of the bureau de-
handing immediate compensation Tor
a man who had been totally disabled
for over five months and who had kept
his insurance up to date. The tele-
gram brought results and the money
was received within a few days, but
still the department cannot be excused
for the five months delay. The election
of officers for next year took place at
this meeting and very interesting con
tests we're staged for the office OF
post commander and post adjutant. On
the first ballot it was found that DR..
f. H. Whitehead and DR.. O. H. Law
renee were tied in the rae for post
commander and A. S. Mitchell and
E. G.. Trotzig were tied for post adJu-
tant. 1t was decided to ballot again
and when the count was made, Or.
Lawrence received "a votes and DR..
Whitehead II, so DR.. Lawrence was
declared elected to the office OF post
commander for the coming year. But
the count on post adjutant gave 20
votes apiece to Mitchell and Trotzis
so it was decided that a third ballot
be taken in an effort to remove the tie.
When the last ballot was chalked up
il was found that the two candidates
had tied for the third time. Deeming
it useless to try to remove the dead
lock by further balloting the members
voted that the two candidates flip a
coin to see who should be elected.
The coin was Tipped and E. G.. Trotzig
was declared elected to the office of
post adjutant for the coming year.
The other officers elected were as fol
lows: James Salisbury, vice post
commander; Forrest Simmons, finance
officer; Guy P. Squire, chaplain; DR..
B. T. Green, post historian; B. H.
Sc~haphOrst, war risk officer. An ex-
ecuttve committee was then elected
which will be composed of the follow
ing: DR.. O. H. Lawrence, A. E. Ander.
son, John Sponsler, Ivan L.. Cobel and
A. S. Mitchell. Immediately following
their election the new officers were in
stalled by the retiring commander. A..
E. Anderson and post adjutant, John
Sponsler. Membership dues for the
coming year are now payable and the
new officers will begin at once on a
drive for new members.
wv S. S.