FALL AND RESPECT
Happy fall, everyone! I hope you all had fun and learned a lot at the Fall Conference. What an honor it was to have the National President Trish Ward join us and conduct a training as well. Please share what you learned with members who could not attend the training. I have attended several unit meetings, and to my surprise, we have presidents who have no idea how to open or run a meeting. One President stated, “We can skip the Preamble” WHAT?!
As I wrote in my last article, policy procedures and protocol will be a focus this year. We all have a responsibility to help each other. I understand it can be challenging to fill officer positions at the Unit and District level, or members are taking the positions for the title and not for the right reasons. Either way, this could result in a disaster. We are all responsible for ensuring the success of our Units. Mentor your members; do not be quick to point out what was done wrong. Have a conversation after the meeting and offer your guidance. We cannot grow if we do not know.
R E S P E C T
It is time we ALL learn how to respect each other. It should not matter if you have a title or not. We all deserve to be respected. Everyone has the right to be heard in their meetings. “Sit down and shut up; you’re one of them” is not okay to say to someone. Yes, that was said in a unit meeting. As I looked around that meeting room, I noticed there were cliques. Stop it! We are all members of the American Legion Auxiliary and here for the same reasons: Our Veterans, their families, and our communities. Change starts with YOU. You and you alone are responsible for your actions and what you say. Be the change!!
I have been getting invitations to District meetings, thank you. I would like to be invited to Unit meetings as well. Please fill out the President request visitation form on our Department ALA web page, www.michalaux.org, and I would be more than happy to visit your Unit.