POST EXCELLENCE AWARD

Purpose:  This proposal would institute an award for those posts that show excellence in four of the main areas of concern to The American Legion.  To qualify for the award, the post would be required to achieve a standard of participation in each of the four areas, those being; membership, youth activities, community service and support to currently serving troops or veterans.

The purposes underlying this award are membership growth, exposure of The American Legion values to the youth of the community and increasing visibility of The American Legion Family through service projects.  It is anticipated that a post achieving this qualification will have involved a number of the post members in planning an achieving these goals.  A number of posts will most likely already be active in these areas and qualify without extra effort.  A significant number of others, however, will need to increase their efforts in one or more areas in order to qualify.

Criteria:  The standard to be achieved in each of the areas is:

• Membership – Membership must be at least one member greater than the previous year

• Youth Activities – Must sponsor and actively participate in at least one of the primary youth programs; Boys State, Baseball, Oratorical, Boy Scouts or Junior Shooting Sports

• Community Service – Must accomplish a community service project that involves members of The Legion Family actively working in the community outside the post home.  A large range of potential projects exists with some candidates being a project centered on one of the Children & Youth emphasis areas to fulfilling a strictly local need.  A monetary donation may be part of the project but mat not constitute the entire project.

• Service to troops/veterans – Must accomplish a project supporting troops or veterans in the community that involves activity by Legion Family members outside the post home.  Ranges of projects from the Family Support Network or Heroes to Hometowns to simply helping a local veteran with needed updates to the home are candidates for this category.  A monetary donation may be part of the project but may not constitute the entire project.

Certification: The District Commander responsible for the post will accomplish Certification for a post as having achieved the four specified criteria.  The District Commander will submit a list of posts meeting the criteria each month to the Department Headquarters.  That list of posts should include the Post name, Post number, Post address and Post Commander’s name.  The last two criteria would ideally be accompanied with copies of press releases that were submitted to the local media concerning the projects.  That method would ensure that the projects were not only accomplished but that an attempt was made to enhance the image of The American Legion locally through the media.  The copy submitted should include a date-time stamp showing receipt by the media outlet.  The Department Adjutant will transmit information each month on qualified posts to:  National Headquarters, Internal Affairs,   Attn: Membership

For each qualifying Post, a framed certificate will be created recognizing the Post.  Certificates will be mailed to the District Commander to be awarded to the Post.  As for Districts, the Commander of each District in which 50% or more of the Posts achieve certification will receive a framed certificate denoting that achievement.  The District Commander in each Department whose District achieves the highest percentage of posts being recognized in that Department will receive an additional award.  In the event of a tie in a Department, all District Commanders with the same percentage will receive the recognition.