Evening star., 1934-07-22
District Legion Posts
Top 1893 Membership
Interest IN August Convention Credited With
Increase as 4.l17 Paid-Up Members
Are Reported IN Drive.

" INCREASED inGrest In the sixteenth
annual convention Of the Depart
nent OF the District Of Columbia
4 the American Legion, 70 be held
August q. and 10. In the Pau
Junior High School yesterday resulted
in the local membership surprising
that for last year with a still greater
increase predicted before the records
for paid-up members close Tuesday
night.
The total membership for last year
Of the local department WAS 404o,
while the Official figures yesterday
showed 5il7 paid d-up. The past
week witnessed a decided Jump with
o neck -and-neck race between the
three largest posts.
Victory Post. which has been run
ner-up in the membership contest.
Jumped into flrst place with a total
OF 4go psid-up members. while
Sergeant Jasper Post has AS mem
bers. The third post In the battle Is
Vincent p. Costello. with 404 paid-up
members, u. s. s. Jacob Jones has
3s6 members. followed by Fort
Stevens with 227 and Bunker Hill
Post with 224 members
The standing Of the other posts in
Che departmental race follows Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing, III,
James Reese Europe, III; Jane A.
DelAno. 1865. Lincoln. l65. Washing
ton Police, $50; Quentin Roosevelt,
i43, George Washington. 1888. Ken
meth II. Nash, 1877. Stuart Walcott,
12s, Augustus p Gardner, Ill; Henry
G. Spengler, 30 Stanley Church
Depue. 30. James E. Walker 76;
Second Division. S. National Press
Club, 40. Stephen p McGroarty, 80;
Lafayette, 27; Tank Corps, 26; Belleau
Wood. IS and George Z. Killeen, Is;
Department Membership Officer
Frank A. Connolly is rounding up all
the posts and all units voting in the
approaching convention must be
paid up by Tuesday next.
In the national membership con-
test, the James A. Drain Trophy Is
of special interest TO the members of
the District department, as the donor
OF this trophy who served in 1924 as
a national commander OF the Ameri-
can Legion was department COM
mander here In l920-2l. At the pres
ent time he Is attached TO the De-
partment of Washington.
The James A Drain Trophy is
awarded annually to the department
Of the American Legion showing the
most consistent service 10 the COM
munity, State and Nation. provided
the membership of the department is
no less than 80 per cent Of the
membership Of the preceding year.
All departments competing for this
trophy must present to national head
quarters 30 days before the conven-
Ing OF the national convention
detailed statement of claim certified
to by the department commander and
and department adjutant.
The call for the sixteenth annual
national convention Of the American
Legion was received at department
headquarters yesterday announcing
the Official dates as october %, %,
"a and rs at Miami Fla. Each
department will be entitled to five
delegates and alternates and to one
additional delegate and alternate for
each 1000 members or major portion
thereof. fully paid up by September
% next. In addition to the above
the members OF the National Execu-
tive Committee are delegates to the
national convention, voting with their
delegations. A meeting of the Nation
al Executive Committee has been
called at the McAllister Hotel Octo-
Der 81 at 8 pm. The District dele
cation will have its headquarters in
the McAllister Hotel
National Adjutant Frank E. Samuel
has notified department adjutant that
the convention headquarters will also
be located in the McAlluster Hotel
after October Is. The Committee on
Credentials will meet in the Meal
luster Hotel at / pm. October 81;
the Committee on Permanent Organi-
Zation at 1:l5 pm. and Committee
on Rules at 1880 pm, at the same
place.
The national organization has con-
structed a building in the Worlds
Fair Grounds in Chicago, known as
the American Legion Building, as a
means of building good will for the
organization as visitors file through.
An increase in charters for squad
rons in the Sons of the American
Legion was noted during the past
week and up TO the present time nine
posts have units to their organizations.
Those squadrons which have received
charters include Stanley Church
Depue, Lincoln, U. S. S. Jacob Jones,
Stuart walcott, Bunker Hill. Ser
geant Jasper, Vincent B. Costello.
Victory and Kenneth H. Nash.
The first excursion Of the new or
ganization will be August %, on the
City Of Washington, to Marshall Hall.
Daniel Saunders is chairman of the
outing. All Sons OF the American
Legion are invited to participate.
Post commanders are requested to
contact II. A. c. Horton in regard
10 the participation of squsdrons in
the annual departmental parade
August g. A meeting of representa-
tives of the various squadrons will
be held at the Plaza Hotel on July
80. Detachment Comdr George F.
Cook is planning TO establish perma-
nent headquarters Of the Sons of the
American Legion.
Brig. Gen. Davis l. Brainard. a
member of George washington Post
was felicitated by the post last week
in commemoration of the 5oth ami
versary Of his rescue in the Polar
regions, while member of historic
Greely Polar expedition.
The District of Columbia Salon
Departmental deS 8 Chspeaux ct &C
Femmes held social meeting last
Sunday al the Summer home of Mrs
Irene Arnold at Bay Ridge. She was
assisted by Mrs. Mary K, Kineen as
cohoStess
It was decided at business meet
ing last Wednesday to hold the
marche on September 10.
Kenneth Nash Post, No s. met last
Tuesday. J. O'Connor Roberts. Joseph
j. Malloy and Charles Kohen, candi-
dates for the ONCE of department
commander of the District of Colum-
hsa Sn h~geF c.4tfVp y