Some of you may have heard I took a vacation in the hospital here in Chanute between Christmas and New Years. If you want to spend New Years with out much sleep and stone cold sober do it in the Intensive Care Unit in a hospital. About every hour and a half they need blood, breathing treatments, and about 14 other things but not at the same time. I've got an irregular heart beat, which so do a lot of other people, so you’re not going to get rid of me that easily. I want to thank everyone who sent a card.

I want to thank every Post that has made 100% in membership and all of those which are over 90%. For all the smaller Posts we have a race for all the Posts of 500 members or more. Concordia lead the pack last year and lead every lap this year but won the last one which was Hutchinson, congratulations to both.

Some things that every Post needs to do is make sure that the Post is incorporated which keeps your officers and members from being sued. Make sure that you have all your financial accounts require two signatures to get money, a financial account and that includes safety deposit boxes that only requires one signature is an open invitation to steal your money.

I want to thank DeDe Danin and Jeff Bond for their work in getting help for a number of people in need to the tune of several thousand dollars.

Posts need to get out and push Boys State and Cadet Law in the school system for Juniors and push the Oratorical contest in the schools starting with the freshman classes. Another thing, Posts can do to get the Legion noticed in schools is give out school awards to students who do good in school whether in studies or athletics.

District Conventions are coming up shortly and everyone needs to be thinking about who you want for District Officers and who you want for Department Officers. People will be traveling around and campaigning for office, listen to them and then go to Conventions and vote for your favorites.