Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-19
Report of the Work
Local Legion Post
For the Past Year

OF the George N. Bouroue post
american Legion has submitted the
Following, comprehensive report of the
work of the Post during his admins
tration as follows:
Comrades of the George N. Bourque
| Post:
It is my duty at this time ITO give
an account of my Stewardship for
now l can be steward no longer" If
IN my attempt to review briefly the
anairs and accomplishments OF the
| George N. BOurque Post for the year
OF 1928 l should fail to stress some
thing which in your opinion is of par
ticular merit or likewise fail to pay
homage to someone of our members
whose ability in your estimation out
shone the rest, charge it to lack of
/ time or inability but never to the
heart or intention.
| At the outset of my term as COM
mander my first concern was men,
bership so Immediately the officers of
1928 sent out letters to those eligible
expounding the true significance of
this great organization. At that
time we accomplished something but
not enough so again just a month or
| two prior to the State convention we
started another membership cam
! paign which Comrade Herbert Butler
! with the aid of few stragglers car
ried to a successful conclusion, put
| ting us in the better than 100 per cent
class. In view of our trials and tribu-
] lations in this regard the present
| officers decided that December was
the time for campaign for the fol-
| lowing yelr, so already we have APP
! proXimately 25 per cent. of our 1928
membership paid for 1924:
In March of this year the George
! N. Eourque Post sent a large delega-
! ton to Augusta for the purpose of
forming the Kennebec County Coun-
! Gil. At that meeting the organization
was perfected and plans set on foot
| for bringing into closer relation the
| Legion Posts of Imperial Kennebec.
| The first meeting and entertainm
| at Augusta again saw the Bourque
Post in the forefront in the matter of
| attendance. Upon our invitation,
which was accepted most readily, the
next meeting was held at Waterville.
| The Bourque Post proved no disap-
pointment and the old fashioned pie
| eating contest at that meeting in
| charge of Cemrade Rogers is still a
| topic of conversation among Legion
! aires. Two subsequent meetings
were held, one at Pooler Camp. North
Pond and the other It Oakland. All
! Of these meetings were well attended
! and well worth the time of every
Legionaire. Comrades, we should
| not allow this phase of our activities
| to lag.
Imperial Kenncbec gained the
honor of the State prize for the 1872
National Essay contest and Water
vile the honor of having the recipient
graduate of Coburn Classical Insti-
| tute and student at Colby. Roger A.
of Clirfn0 rnnoived the
! medal which went with the honor
! from q delegation composed of sew
eral of our own Legionaires. the
President Roberts of Colby college,
| Mayor Tebbetts and members of the
Rotary club.
Memorial Day was fittingly OBJ
served by the George \. Bourque Port
, in union with the ether patriotic bod
| les of Waterville. In addition. the
graves of those buddies who are bur-
| led in outlying cemeteries were deco
rated and proper ceremonies held.
| A series of entertainments at
meetings during the early part of the
year were most successfully handled
and citations of merit, well deserved,
| were presented to Comrades Haskell,
| Russakoff. Ramsey and others for
their efforts in this regard. A mock
court martial was held of which
Comrade Sahagian was the victim.
| This was a source of edification anO
entertainment for guests, the Ro-
| tarians. 1t was at this meeting that
! the Hon. Frank E. Holley. Speaker of
| the House gave an interesting talk
| on the Budget System" The 5our--
que Post and it's guests appreciated
| the opportunity of hearing Mr.. Holley
on this most interesting subject.
This Post was favored with visit
| from the "Then State Commander"
| Perley II. Ford to which meeting
| were invited our auxiliary and the
I Posts anC auXiliarios OF oakland
Fairfield. and Vassalboro. me al,
| dresses by Commander Ford ana
Nice Commander Towne were well
! received and much appreciated.
| Later in the year we were honored
| by a visit from National Commander
| Owsley of the Legion and National
| President Barrett of the Legion AUX
| Hilary. This was indeed distinction
| for Watervillo the one well merited
as was shown by the attendance at
| the Opera House.
We should be grateful for the CO.
operation and support which we as
dictionaries have received from the
citizens of Waterville and we should
strive always to merit their conf
| dence, AS Commander of the George
| N, Bourque Post I can assure you IL
| has been most gratifying to me 10
encounter nothing but the heartlest
| support from our good citizens.
In spite of obstacles and difficulties
| beyond number and seemingly insur-
| mountable the post presented for
| the entertainment of the citizens OF
| Waterville and vicinity a, program on
July 4th at the Central Maine FAIR
success as far as the entertaining fea-
lures were concerned and the pub
lie was we'll satisfied. In assuming a
gross liability of four thousand odd
dollars for this celebration we were.
I feel. fortunate. in view of the lack
of experience of the committee and
the fact that 1t was the first such at
tempt in Waterville within the mem
ory of the oldest inhabitant be re-
turned on the debit side by less than
fifty dollars. The experience gain
benefit to the post in the future.
Our post is and should be recog-
nized as a civil as well as patriotic
organization. 1t has been our honor
to serve in civic enterprises of note
during the past year. The Legion
walks with care but goes in whole
heartedly when the object is deserv-
ing.
We have been called upon this
year on several occasions to mani
fest our sympathy in the passing of
some of our good friends. We should
never fail to show our appreciation
for a life well accomplished and
sympathy for the bereaved. From
our locality God has seen fit to re-
move such good and helpful citizens
as the Rev. Narcisse Charland, Col.
F. e. Boothby, the Hon. Frank Red
ington. Sister Catherine, and Oscar