Change versus Improvement
Anita Mennel, Department President
Kudos to all of you who worked so hard during the 2025-2026 administrative year. Congratulations to our National Miss Poppy, Aurora Vogel – Michigan Unit 108! And the National Junior Member of the Year, Abbie Jones- Michigan Unit 108! Be sure to attend your next district meeting and learn about the exciting news from our National Convention. Now is the time to “start over,” not from the beginning, just the beginning of the reporting year, which starts in April. As we move forward, start now by recording your hours, your events, and everything needed to complete those year-end reports. This is a great way to help our veterans- how so, you might ask? Reporting goes up! From the Unit to District to Department to our National organization, then over to the American Legion, where the National Commander gives testimony as well as the American Legion’s Washington, D.C. office, who work hard in communication with all Legislators. Those numbers speak loudly, also known as impact numbers, and they do indeed make an impact.
I have shared this numerous times, but it remains of great importance. We often don’t ‘blow our own horn’ – most of our members work our programs for the cause, and not the applause. How will the world know why we matter, if we don’t tell them? So, please remember that reporting is sharing our accomplishments- letting others know why and what we do in support of our mission. Our National President, Coral Grout‘s theme is ‘A Beacon for Veterans‘. Michigan’s theme of L.O.V.E. complements that. Speaking of our National President, a reminder: plans for President Coral‘s Michigan visit have been set for the weekend of our Fall Conference, November 6th & 7th, at the Treetops Resort in Gaylord. Some registration information and forms are on our website at www.michalaux.org or at www.michlegion.org, which the American Legion Department of Michigan runs. A meet & greet/question and answer/social-time is scheduled for Friday evening immediately following our opening.
ALL members are encouraged to attend this exciting conference. Our Program chairs and their committees are working diligently to make this time very informative about our programs. I hope to see many of you there.
Our Headquarters staff needs our cooperation in following the chain of command. Direct questions to the district first. You have elected knowledgeable presidents; use them to help with your questions. When was the last time you looked at our website? When was the last time you looked at our National Website? Most answers are found with a little research. I challenge all of you to complete at least two ALA Academy courses by the end of January. Especially those on conflict resolution!