CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMITTEE

Michael Davies

The Children and Youth Committee met on Saturday August 10th 2024 at 13:30 to prepare for our upcoming Legion year. Our Children and Youth programs are built upon: Family Emphasis, Juvenile Delinquency Prevention, Immunizations, Legislative Efforts, Temporary Financial Assistance, Child Safety, as well as Children & Youth Awards and Citations. During our meeting we discussed updating our applications as well as the importance of attending meetings of different levels and promoting our programs to everyone.

We reviewed and updated our applications for the Children and Youth awards and Educator of the Year. In order to encourage Posts to participate and document as they go through the year, we included a grid by season to record what you are doing for our youth throughout the year. We also added some non-traditional activities to encourage Posts to include everything they do such as fishing derbies, trunk or treat and father daughter dances.

We would like to emphasize the importance of including detailed information about your Children and Youth programs when applying for the Children and Youth Awards. Supporting documents and details such as transcripts, pictures, articles, cost, and volunteer hours help us when it’s time to make our selections. We would also like to emphasize the importance of Post support and recommendations for the Educator of the Year award. Applicants must be sponsored by a local Post.

We encourage all American Legion Posts to participate in all of our Children and Youth programs such as American Legion Baseball, Keystone Boys State, State Police Youth week, Scouting, Junior Shooting Sports, and Oratorical and Essay Contests, as well as supporting and promoting flag education and service to God and our great nation. Our Department has compiled a wonderful guide to use for promoting all of our family’s Children and Youth programs.

Please remind your Post commanders to keep track of their volunteer hours and activities throughout the year. We award plaques every year, for each class, during our annual convention. We also award the educator of the year so gather the portfolios and get those applications in as soon as possible.

We would like you to remind your Post Commanders that April is Children and Youth Month. As they make their monthly monetary donations from their Small Games of Chance Funds, please keep in mind that our American Legion operates 2 separate funds both of which are 501 (c) (3) organizations.

Donate anytime, but especially in the month of April to:

· American Legion Child Welfare Foundation

· American Legion Endowment Fund

I would first like to recognize any and all of you who support or promote our Children and Youth programs, please stand if you are able or raise a hand and wave if you are not.

On behalf of the Children and Youth committee I would like to thank you for your attendance and support.

All members of our committee please remain standing or waving.

Commander Fritz: Thank you for the appointments of all our Committee members.