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75 75 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 75 75 7 7 7 7 7 7 75 75 5 5 5 5 5 5 75 75 75 75 5 5 5 5 75 75 5 5 7 7 5 5 5 5 75 75 5 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 75 75 2016 2016 h h h t t th th t t h h t t th th t t h h t t th th t t Anniversary Anniversary The mission of The American Legion, Department Of Wisconsin is to provide service to veterans, their families and their communities. Badger &“Wisconsin” &“Wisconsin” Official Publications of The Wisconsin American Legion Family www.wilegion.org “For God & Country” January 22, 2015 • Vol. 92, No. 1 1. Log onto wilegion.org and click on “Renew Online” 2. Enter your name and member ID number 3. Pay with MasterCard, Visa or Discover That’s it! You’re done. You will receive your new membership card in the mail. No more renewal notices. No more stamps. Printed using recycled newsprint IT’S AS EASY AS 1 2 3 ! Badger Boys State – History, Vision and Success Santa Spotted at Milwaukee VA Commander Bob’s Testimonial Dinner Sat�rday, June 6, 2015 5PM Cocktails - 6PM Dinner Count�� Inn & Suites 350 E Seven Hills Road • Por� Washing�on WI Come join in a celebration of who we are and what we do! More info to follow…… SAVE THE DATE American Legion Riders from Chapters in the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Districts gathered at the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee on the evening of December 10th to share some Christmas cheer with veterans undergoing medical treatment. Har- ley Davidson t-shirts, candy and Christmas cards were presented to the patients and hearty holiday greetings from Santa were shared by all. Two decades ago, I at- tended my first National American Legion Boys State Conference in In- dianapolis, Indiana. The conference is put on for the leadership of the 49 Ameri- can Legion Boys State pro- grams around the country. Only Hawaii is without a session. I attended this meeting with the encouragement of two Badger Boys State (BBS) visionaries, Jack Mercier and Jack Saun- ders. Some would call them dreamers. They had a vision of a program that would be all that it could be. They wanted a pro- gram that would remain viable and relevant. It would be one excellent program that would last long beyond the time of their involvement. Jack Saunders and Jack Mercier understood that to transform and then to maintain that type of program, we would have to change. And it would take individuals capable of facilitating that change to make it happen. Some at Indianapolis that year were in pro- grams suffering from en- tropy. Entropy is a phys- ics concept which essen- tially says that without a continued input of energy, the universe would even- tually shut down. Kind of like a teenager’s room! Leaders of these declin- ing Boys State programs knew that something had to be done. In some cases the leaders had no clue how to proceed. In other programs, certain con- straints would not allow effective change to take place. Others were unsure of the direction to take. Few understood the levels of expertise their volun- teers brought to the table, especially in the infor- mation technology area. They were bogged down in paper, and policies and personnel that stunted their ability to change. There probably were no real bad Boys State Pro- grams but there were few excellent Boys State Pro- grams. Over the next several years, the BBS Board would begin to change and evolve. Members like Dr. Leo Weinshel, Judge William Haese, Rev. Bill Spencer, Glen Duven, Tom Goss, Bill Fehren- bach, Fred Heinle, Dr. Len Szudy, and Clyde Knox would move on. Many had almost five decades of service with the pro- gram. They were replaced by other Legionnaires like Mike Feirer, Wayne Jensen, Rob Moodie, Ted Duckworth, Marty Jan- sen, Chuck Cooney, Bud Mautz, Lloyd Wagener, Al Richards, Bob Batty, Fred Berns, and Jim Reigel. These Legionnaires en- acted program, personnel, and Bylaw changes that would transform both the program and the make-up of the Board of Directors. One dramatic change was that for the first time in BBS history, non-Legion- naires would serve on the Board with both “voice and vote.” This was no small deal. Non-Legion members (continued on page 3) We believe the military community, veterans who have honorably served and their eligible family members deserve a higher level of service. Like The American Legion, our commitment to service is a core part of everything we do. USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its insurance, banking, investment and other companies. USAA products are available only in those jurisdictions where USAA is authorized to sell them. Purchase of a product other than USAA auto or property insurance or purchase of an insurance policy offered through the USAA Insurance Agency, does not establish eligibility for, or membership in, USAA property and casualty insurance companies. Use of the term “member” or “membership” does not convey any eligibility rights for auto and property insurance products, or legal or ownership rights in USAA. Ownership rights are limited to eligible policyholders of United Services Automobile Association. “Honorably served” means a discharge type of “honorable.” Membership and product eligibility and underwriting restrictions apply and are subject to change. Eligible former dependents of USAA members may purchase auto or property insurance if the member obtained USAA auto or property insurance. The American Legion receives financial support from USAA for its sponsorship. © 2014 USAA. 202068-0314 We know what it means to serve. Let us serve you. 1-877-699-2654 | usaa.com/legion Insurance Banking Investments Retirement Advice USAA’s values mirror those of The American Legion.
