Our goal this year is for The Department of North Carolina to be Number One in membership. By working together we can achieve our goal. We are still leaving our comrades behind when we fail to have them renew their membership. When we were in combat we never left a comrade behind. Yet that is what we are doing when we fail to help them renew their membership. Remember this as we start a new year. Work hard to have all of your Post renew their membership.

Recruiting new members starts with asking a veteran to join our great organization. Be proud of being a member of The American Legion and show your pride by signing up new members. Talk with pride about all of the programs of The American Legion, and then they will ask to join.

Use the DMS list, for these are the men and women who are already members of The American Legion. All you have to do is convince then to transfer their membership to your Post. By joining your Post they will have a feeling of belonging, not only to your Post, but to their community.

This past year Commander Jeff Joyner and Membership Chairman Paul Loftis worked hard to increase our membership. Commander Jeff made the Membership Committee available to any Post that wanted help. We have revitalized several Posts and have the start of several new Posts. Membership Chairman Lou Cook and the Membership Committee will continue to be available to any Post that would like their help. All you have to do is call and they will be glad to help.

My motto this year is “To Protect and Serve”. That is to protect all veterans’ rights and to serve all veterans, widows and children. If we join together, we can make The Department of North Carolina Number One.

For God and Country

Richard W. Neville

Commander American Legion Department of North Carolina

2007 - 2008

The American Legion

Department of North Carolina

Fellow Legionnaires:

From all the indicators we’ve seen so far, we’re coming off a very successful membership year. There were some goals we met and some we didn’t do so well on. We saw Division Commanders like James Ervin take his division to levels never achieved before. Several of the District Commanders set their sights high and hit the mark every time. District 15 Commander Billy Joyce led his district into first place in mid-November and never looked back. Some Post Commanders rolled up their sleeves and achieved new levels of membership as well. Commander Harold Smith of Kings Mountain Post 155 utilized the DMS roster successfully and transferred (186) members into his post. Commander Milton Woodle of Wilmington Post 10 moved (172) Legionnaires into his post. Commander Nina Wiglesworth of Greensboro Post 53 really showed how the DMS transfer system works by moving (265) members aboard!

The last time I checked a Membership Report, there were over (76) posts that achieved 100% membership which is just great. However, there were far too many posts needing less than ten members to reach that plateau. That’s got to be heartbreaking to get down to single digits and come up short.

All that being said, that was then and this is now. It’s time to wake up, smell the coffee, shake the cobwebs out of our heads, and begin our journey on the most successful membership year ever. I’ll never be able to get you and your team motivated by quoting statistics, reminding you of what the Legion does for the community or promising you a streamer for your flag. You already know why it’s important to beat the bushes and round up members. You know why you need to pay a visit to those former members who have fallen by the wayside and find out why they’ve not renewed. And you know why it’s important to keep your post active with Legion programs and by that, you keep the members involved.

Commander Neville has assembled a Membership Team that stands ready to help you achieve your goal. Call on us . . . we’ll be there!

Lou Cook

Membership Chairman American Legion Department of North Carolina

2007-2008

	MEMBERSHIP, POST ACTIVITY, POST ORGANIZATION, AND REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE


Chairman		Vice-Chairman
Lou Cook (94)		N. Paul Loftis, II (290)
104 Spring Ct		225 Meadowbrook Dr
Goldsboro, NC 27534		King, NC 27021
919-778-1463 (H)		336-816-0433 (C)
919-778-9687 (W)		336-725-8781 ext 21 (W)
919-738-3654 (C)		nploftis@adelphia.net
cookwalnutcrk@aol.com
	TERM EXPIRES 2010
Ron Ambrose (46)	Al Carlson (94)	Larry White (108)
811 Lake N Shore Dr	440 Davis Grove Ch Rd	130 Watauga Heights Rd
Morhehead City, NC 28557	Snow Hill, NC 28580	Franklin, NC 28734
252-726-0028 (H)	252-747-4171 (H)	828-524-0177 (H)
rambrose@ec.rr.com	sonofcarl@earthlink.net
	TERM EXPIRES 2009
Richard Neville (71)	Michael A. Reott, Sr. (240)	James Ervin (58)
107 Bradford Cir	119 Robinhood Lane	2957 Reges Store Rd
Clayton, NC 27520	Lincolnton, NC 28092	Nashville, NC 27856
919-550-6366 (H)	704-732-0173 (H)	252-459-5488 (H)
919-818-4278 (C)	828-428-3737 (W)
rnevil@aol.com	704-450-0160 (C)
	704-736-1171 (Fax)
	drreott@vnet.net
	TERM EXPIRES 2008
N. Paul Loftis, II (290)	Lou Cook (94)	Rora Kellis (72)
225 Meadowbrook Dr	104 Spring Ct	2960 US Hwy 1 N
King, NC 27021	Goldsboro, NC 27534	Vass, NC 28394
336-816-0433 (C)	919-778-1463 (H)	910-245-2805 (H)
336-725-8781 ext 21 (W)	919-778-9687 (W)	910-215-5158 (W)
nploftis@adelphia.net	919-738-3654 (C)	910-603-1318 (C)
	cookwalnutcrk@aol.com	rmkellis@earthlink.net
	EX OFFICIO
	Patti Fleming
	PO Box 26657
	Raleigh, NC 27611
	919-832-7506 (W)
	pfleming-nclegion@nc.rr.com

Membership and Post Activities - Responsible for developing and implementing a program in membership
recruitment that gives due consideration to the renewal of existing members and the enrollment of new
members. This program shall provide for appropriate awards for those who participate in membership
recruitment. Receive post officers to discuss program and activities, problems, etc.

2007-2008 MEMBERSHIP TARGET DATES

DEPARTMENT TARGET NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 50% *SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

OCTOBER 10, 2007 55% OCTOBER 11, 2007

NOVEMBER 14, 2007 65% NOVEMBER 15, 2007

DECEMBER 11, 2007 75% *DECEMBER 12, 2007

JANUARY 8, 2008 80% JANUARY 9, 2008

FEBRUARY 12, 2008 85% FEBRUARY 13, 2008

MARCH 11, 2008 90% MARCH 12, 2008

APRIL 8, 2008 95% *APRIL 9, 2008

MAY 13, 2008 100% MAY 14, 2008

National Delegate Strength 30 Days prior to National Convention

* This is also a renewal notice cut off date.

2008 DIRECT RENEWAL NOTICE DATES

JULY 2, 2007 OCTOBER 1, 2007 JANUARY 3, 2008

MARCH 3, 2008 MAY 1, 2008

POST SIZE CLASSIFICATION FIGURES

CLASS A - 500 AND ABOVE (15) CLASS D - 60-99 (41)

CLASS B - 200 - 499 (46) CLASS E - 30-59 (76)

CLASS C - 100 - 199 (58) CLASS F - 15-29 (93)

2008 MEMBERSHIP GOAL CALCULATION

If your Post made its 2007 membership Goal, your 2008 Goal is your 2007 membership achieved plus 1. If your Post DID NOT make its 2007 membership Goal, your 2008 goal becomes your 2007 membership achieved plus 50% of the difference between your 2007 achieved and your 2007 goal. Your Post must maintain a minimum of 15 members. If your Post did not achieve 15 members in 2007 then your 2008 goal is 15 members.
AWARDS

QUICK LOOK SHEET

AWARD CUT-OFF DATE

Early Bird Certificates August 31, 2007

Post Commander Excellence Award November 15, 2007

Go-Getter Club December 31, 2007

Dogwood Award December 31, 2007

Department 100% Award

National Post Honor Ribbon December 31, 2007

Certificate of Meritorious Service December 31, 2007

Five or More Consecutive December 31, 2007

All-Time-High Award

District Commanders Race to the Top March 31, 2008

DMS Award March 31, 2008

Paul H. Robertson May 15, 2008

Post Membership Awards

100% Post Commander Pin May 15, 2008

100% Post Adjutant Pin May 15, 2008

The Gold Brigade May 15, 2008

Silver Brigade May 15, 2008

National Recruiter of the Year May 15, 2008

Go-Getter Award May 15, 2008

New Member Recruiter of the Year May 15, 2008

National Recruiter Pin May 15, 2008

AWARDS

QUICK LOOK SHEET CONT’D

AWARD CUT-OFF DATE

Department Recruiter of the Year May 15, 2008

100% District Commander Award May 15, 2008

District Commander’s New Post May 15, 2008

Achievement Award

District Commander Achievement Award May 15, 2008

100% Division Commander Award May 15, 2008

Top Division Commander Award May 15, 2008

1ST to 100% Division Award Variable Date

to May 15, 2008

1ST to 100% Plaque Variable Date

By Category

Target Date Awards Variable Dates

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

DEPARTMENT LEVEL

CUT OFF

DATE AWARD REQUIREMENTS

Dec 31, 2007 Go-Getter Club Each member who secures at least 10

Members by Dec 3lst shall be a member of

10 members - Silver Star the Go Getters Club. In addition, a cap pin

20 members – Gold Star will be awarded indicating the number of

30 members - Silver Star w/wreath members secured.

50 members - Gold Star w/wreath

75 members - Special Design Pin

100 members - Century Club Shield

May 15, 2008 Go-Getter Award Classes A, B, C, D, E and F - The

individual in each Post Class who

secures the highest number of post

members certified by the Post Adjutant

will receive a plaque at the 2008

Department Convention

May 15, 2008 New Member Recruiter Classes A ,B ,C, D, E and F - The

of the Year individuals in each Post Class who

secures the highest number of NEW

members certified by the Post Adjutant

will receive a plaque at the 2008 Dept.