Evening star., 1935-08-11

0CpuA tAsC1lb Va WIG LAoo ASS va
Columbia, American Legion,
~ will begin this week to outline
plans for trs ensuing year. The first
official act OF the new department
commander will be to appoint his
staff.
With the closing Of the activities for
the past year last week the member
ship was the largest ever attained in
a single year in the history of the
local department. Retiring Depart
ment Membership Officer Charles G..
Allies awarded certificates of merit to
more than 200 Legionnaires who
brought in two or more new members
since the last convention.
Another feature of the department
convention was the presentation of the
Watson B. Miller Trophy to John H.
O'Connell, commander Of Vincent B.
Costello Post, No. IS, and grande chef
de gare of the Forty and Eight So
ciety. affiliated with the American Le-
gion. This trophy is presented an
nually to the Legionnaire who has rem
dered conspicuous and unselfish serv-
ice to the cause of the American Le-
gion and the Department of the Dis
trlct of Columbia between department
conventions. The trophy is placed in
the possession of the post during the
year and a handsome PLAGUE is
awarded to the winner which becomes
his personal property.
This year there were nine candidates
recommended to the Trophy and
Awards Committee, and according TO
Past Dept. Comdr. Paul J. McGahan,
chairman of the committee, the rec
ord of John H. O'Connell was out
standing from every standpoint and
his selection was the unanimous vote
of the committee.
The other candidates and the posts
recommending that the Miller Trophy
be awarded included the following: DR..
H. D. Shapiro, by Lincoln and Stuart
Walcott Posts; William F. Kershner,
by Sergeant Jasper Post; DR.. F. l..
Benton, by Kenneth H. Nash Post; o.
c. Gaudette, by Government Printing
Office Post; E. P. Van Hise, by Lin
coin Post; Charles c. Allies, by Quentin
Roosevelt Post; John r. Anderson, by
James Reese Europe Post, and E. H.
Hale, by Bunker Hill Post.
The monthly meeting Of Govern
ment Printing Office Post. No SO, will
be held tomorrow in Harding Hall at
pm.
Members who expect to attend the
national convention, at st. Louis.
Mo, September % to 26. are re-
quested to communicate with the post
commander or the adjutant as soon
as possible
Government Printing Office Post
Band will play at the Departmental
Convention, District of Columbia
American Legion Auxiliary, August
10, at Red Cross chapter house, 1740
D street. In recent days many in
Vttations to play have been rendered
the band.
A proposed change in the bylaws
will be as follows: The annual meet
ing of this post will be held on the
second Monday in November" to be
amended to read: Annual meeting of
this post will be held on the second
Monday of October"
Sergt. Jasper Post, No. 10, met in
the Musicians Hall last Monday eve
ming, with the commander, w. A.
McCallum, in the chair. Department
Comdr. J. O'Connor Roberts made
an address.
Comdr. McCallum announced that
for the second time the post has won
the Peckham Cup for the largest mem
bership in this department.
Comrade Chaillet, entertainment
chairman. announced a boat ride, to
be given by the post August 16.
Past Comdr. Joseph Y Reeves, first
commander of the post, gave a short
history of the post. Other past COM
manders who gave short addresses
were Fred Frazier Tom Frialey, Ed.
Marthill, Paul McMurray and Joe
Malloy. Comdr Holmes of Arlington
(va0 Post, No. 1879, also gave short
talk. Department First Vice Comdr.
Horace Lineberg thanked the post
for its support during the past year.
Forty-seven new members were ad-
mitted to membership and will be
obligated at the meeting to be held in
September. The time and place will
De announced at later date in a
communication to be mailed all men,
bers.
Comrade Earl Baker spoke on the
Home for the Legion, which is now
in the making, and urged all men,
bers to sign up for their contribu-
tions so that this post could be the
FIRST to turn in the required amount
Nominations for officers resulted as
follows: For post commander Frank
Mccarthy and william P. Kershner:
for first vice commander, Fred Money.
George Lee, Daniel Goodacre and
James T. White; for second vice COM
mander, Jess Chaillet and Herman
Ludwig; for third vice commander.
Earl Baker and j. ]. Freeman, and
for chaplain, Comrades Ard, Darling
and Kelliher.
The American Legion membership
Is pressing on to a substantial in
crease over the 1884 total of 831,681,
according to a report from national
headquarters at Indianapolis.
AS Of July "a the Legion had
8l2,lS5 membership cards recorded
at the headquarters, while the Ameri-
can Legion Monthly had 817,614,
which, it is said, showed there were
more than 5000 additional cards in
transit to indianapolis. The 812,185
figure represented a gain of 20,O11
members over the same date last
year. At the same time the number
of posts rose to l1,184, a gain of
el5 posts over this time In 1894.
L..