Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-10-13
CONDENSED REPORT
OF LEGION CONVENTION
Seventh District. Meet Most Sue
cessful. Willmar Has Active
Post

Post
Two thousand members and friends
of the American Legion met in Mon
tevideo- Friday for the first conven-
tion of that thriving organization of
former service men and women in the
Seventh Minnesota district. Aside
from entertainment features the con-
vention bore permanent result in the
decision to form a district organiza-
tion which will function to carry out
the Legion program. A. H. Vernon of
Little Falls, state commander of the
Legion, explained that program in a
rousing address.
Every county in the district had
representatives at the convention.
The delegates transacted their official
business, turned out in force to hear
Mr.. Vernon set forth the Legion plat
form, and generally made a big day
of it.
Willmar made strong bid for the
1921 convention and won. The men
from Kandiyohi county We're on the
job early Friday morning getting de-
legates pledged to their town. They
presented letter from the Willmar
Commercial club in which that or
ganizatiOn extended to the Legion "a
cordial invitation to hold the 1921 con-
vention of your organization for the
Seventh congressional district of Min
nesota in our city. We will gladly
furnish a suitable convention hall
free of charge and will do what we
can to make your stay with us a
pleasant one." The dates will be de-
termined later. Ortonville put in a
bid for the convention and expects to
be in line for 1922.
In his address Mr.. Vernon drove
home the ideas and ideals to which
the Legion is committed. 1t insists,
he said, before all other things for
the best possible treatment of men
and women who were wounded and
disabled in war service. It stands for
fair treatment for former service men
in the form of adjusted compensation.
1t believes in individual obligation
to the community, state and nation"
and is taking an active part in pro-
noting better citizenship.
At the business session Friday
morning Paul Scheimo of Granite
Falls, senior member on the state
executive committee of the Legion
from the Seventh district, presided.
A. R. Thompson of Dawson, Bayard
Taylor of Montevideo, R. H. Schin-
nick of Benson, Archie Carlson of
Willmar, and Jay Putnam of Granite
Falls acted as a committee on organi-
zation and presented resolutions to
the effect that the Seventh district
be permanent organization and that
temporary officers be elected and to
serve until next spring.
This committee will also serve to
draft a permanent constitution Lee
Nickolai of Madison, B. A. Nordstrom
of Sacred Heart and R. F. Anderson
of Ashby were the committee on
rules. Committee on time and place
for next convention: C. B. McCOn-
nell of Elbow Lake; E. w. Sather,
Glenwood; Theo. Gill, Appleton; S. H.
Roberts, Dawson; Arlow Larson, Can
by; Clifford Bonde, Montevideo; J. R.
Curran Willmar; Louis Vinje, Nor
rs; A. H. Froemming, Alexandria.
officers were elected as follows:
Commander, Ludwig l. "Roe, Monte
video; vice commander, DR.. w. w.
Larson, Starbuck; second vice COM
mander, A. R. Hustad, Benson; ad-
jutant, R. G. Weed, Ortonville; treas
urer, N. H. Tallakson, Willmar.
Basketball fans boosted the idea of
a Legion league and committee con-
sisting of H. F. Peterson of Benson,
M. G. Moe, Granite Falls, and E. E.
Howard, Wheaton, was named to
form league. Men from a dozen
towns in the district met to discuss
preliminary plans. It is proposed to
organize the district teams in groups,
according to locality and railroad con-
nections, and toward the end of the
season to have the best teams in each
group play for the district cham
pionship.
The merry Mixers" started mixing
at noon and drew large audience
to the Opera House where the formal
convention program was given. After
songs by the Legion quartet of Mon
tevideo, Mayor j. R. Burnip officially
welcomed the convention to the city.
Mr.. Vernon's speech as briefly out
lined above, was the main number on
the program and held the close at
tention of the large audience for more
than an hour.
Delegates and visitors to the con-
vention ate dinner and supper to.
gether in the Odd Fellows hall, the
meals being served by the ladies of
Our Savior's Lutheran church. Canby
High School failed to provide serious
opposition in the football game with
Montevideo High School and met de-
feat, 102 to 6. In the evening a pro
gram of boxing and wrestling was
given at the Opera House, and a
dance at the Auditorium. The con
vention broke up at about time fol
reveille.