1. The American Legion Post 176 General Membership Meeting was called to order at 1930 on 6 March 2007, with Commander Taborek presiding.

a. The vice Adjutant called roll. All officers were present with the exception of Adjutant Landry; Finance Officer Cable was excused.

b. In accordance with the motion carried at the 5 Sep 06 General Membership Meeting, minutes of the previous meeting will be published on the Post Web site.

c. Commander Taborek introduced John Kokernak, 17^th District Commander, who commended the Post for its support of Legislative Day on the Hill and 17^th District VA&R programs. He also presented a 17^th District Legionnaire cap to Maudie Price who is serving as the 17^th District Chaplain. Commander Kokernak addressed the following comments to the membership:

1.) Over 125 Legion Members attended the "Day on the Hill" on 17 Jan with Gov Kaine. Over half of the 17^th District representatives came from Post 176, which helped to boost the 17^th District standing.

2.) The American Legion supports President Bush’s Iraq initiatives, especially support for soldiers and their families. Our troops need us more than ever, and they need the Legion to be their advocates. We need to be vigilant and sensitive to their needs, especially for financial assistance.

3.) Past Department Commander Brett Reistad is serving as the Junior Law Cadet Chairman. The Cadets will be making a trip to the State Police Academy in Richmond in June 07. Volunteers are needed to help with the program.

4.) The Boys State program graduated 768 boys this year. The Boys and Girls State programs need our continued support.

5.) The 17^th District Mini-College will be held on Saturday, 10 Mar 07, at Arlington Post 139. A benefit of the college is sharing of knowledge across the Post, the Auxiliary, and the SAL. The 17^th District Spring Conference also will be held at Post 139 on Sunday, 11 Mar 07.

6.) A committee meeting is scheduled for 18 Apr to nominate District officers for the 2008 Legion Year.

7.) The 17^th District will be hosting the Department of VA Convention this year from 12-15 Jul at the Fairview Park Marriott in Falls Church, VA. The Department Spring Conference will be held in Virginia Beach from 22-25 Mar 07.

8.) Department of VA annual reports will be due soon. Be sure to document all volunteer hours, including time spent on Church-related activities.

2. The meeting was recessed for cake and refreshments with the Auxiliary in honor of the Post’s 52^nd anniversary. The meeting was reconvened at 2010.

3. Committee Reports were as follows:

a. Commander Taborek gave the following report for the 1^st Vice Commander:

1.) Membership Committee: Six new and two transfer candidates were presented for membership this evening. The names were read and approved in block. The Legion Year 2007 dues are $25 (as of 1 Jan 07), $19 of which goes to Department and National, and $6 goes to the Post.

2.) Public Relations: We must continue activities that provide public relations for the Legion. Last year, the Post adopted the Springfield Recruiting Command as part of its Public Relations program. Post members also have given talks to the Lions Club and Rotary Club about Legion activities.

3.) Ways and Means Committee: Sunday breakfast is 11 Mar from 9:00-11:00 AM. The Friday night dinners are scheduled every week from 5:30-8:30 PM.

b. 2^nd Vice Commander Paige reported on the following activities:

1.) Blood Drive: The bi-monthly blood drive was held on 20 Feb. Forty-six pints of blood were collected, which was a record. The next blood drive is scheduled for Tuesday 17 Apr 07 at the Post Home. Please contact Joe Finch at 703-569-1552 for an appointment.

2.) Sons of the American Legion (SAL): The SAL Spring Fling dinner and dance will be held on Saturday, 21 Apr 07. The 2-4-U Band will provide music.

c. 3^rd Vice Commander Dzierski reported on the following activities:

1.) Bingo: Monday night bingo is scheduled every week starting at 7:00 PM. The Bingo Committee has four solid teams. Bingo revenues were $8 K last month.

2.) Children & Youth: The Children & Youth Valentine’s Party was well-attended. The party featured Bob Brown and his puppets, and a hot dog lunch for the children.

3.) Drill Team: Culpeper High School won the Junior ROTC Drill Team competition. They will represent the Northern Region at the State finals on 23 Mar in Virginia Beach.

4.) Junior Shooting Sports: Shooting events will start in May. The Edison High School team will have new air rifles that can handle multiple shots.

d. Finance:

1.) Bob Cable reported that the Post is in the process of complying with the external audit recommendations. Internal controls are being put into place, which will guarantee that cash is going to the right place. A reconciliation of the bank statements is also being done through Quick Books. There no longer will be a single POC for statements and vendor invoices. The Finance Officer’s statement will be used as a starting point for reconciliations. The Finance Report will be presented to the Corporate Board at the end of the month, then to the General Membership on the first Tuesday of the month.

2.) The Finance Office will be using Quick Books to provide accurate reports. The bookkeeper will need training on the system.

3.) There are now only four check signers for the new accounts at Bank of America. Previously, there were six check signers for Prosperity Bank.

4.) Budget planning for the next fiscal year is also underway.

e. Chaplain: Maudie Price reported that the Post Everlasting ceremony will be held on Sunday, 1 Apr 07 at 5:00 PM at the Post home. She also represented Post 176 at the Four Chaplains Memorial Service last Sunday (4 Feb) at Arlington Post 179.

f. Service Officer: Ali Nikolai reported that Robert White from the VA office in Alexandria will give a presentation on veterans’ benefits at the April Membership Meeting.

g. Corporate Board:

1.) Rich Tiner reported that the JarTrek revenue tracking system has been installed. Quick Books is being used as a supplement. Everything now is automated.

2.) A Merrifield company has signed an $8500 contract to plant 50 evergreen trees in the buffer zone. The deadline for planting the trees is 1 Apr 07.

3.) The General Manager is looking into new games for the Post. The Queen of Hearts is one game being considered.

4.) A question was asked about the $100 limit for pull tabs. The limit was set five or six years ago when people were writing bad checks. Can the policy now be reviewed since the ATM limit is $300? Also, can checks be guaranteed by a third party? Rich Tiner will refer the matter to the proper committee and report back to the membership.

h. Jr Past Commander:

1.) Lew Lipscomb reported that VFW Post 7327 will visit the Malone House at the Walter Reed Medical Center to serve hamburgers and hot dogs to service members and their families.

2.) In addition, the American Legion will establish an office with paid staff at the Medical Center to assist in the transition of wounded service members from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

i. Post Scripts: The 15^th of the month is the submission date for articles. Klaus Dahlke reported that there was poor delivery for the March issue.

3. Old Business

a. Longevity pins have been purchased for the Awards and Recognition Dinner on 30 Mar 07. The EXCOM voted at the 27 Feb 07 meeting to allow Legionnaires who could not attend previous banquets to come to the dinner at no cost and receive the last pin for which they were eligible. Ray Stone also mentioned that pins could be purchased on-line through the Legion Catalog.

b. In reference to the 14 Nov 06 GMM minutes, para 5.e., and the 6 Feb 07 GMM minutes, para 3.b., John Bednarek asked if a plaque could be made indicating that the flag for his apartment building (Manchester Lakes in Kingstown, VA) was donated by American Legion Post 176. The motion was made and carried by unanimous vote.

c. In reference to the 6 Feb GMM minutes, para 3.d., Bob Paige will talk to Suki about moving the cigarette machines so cubicles can be built to store the donated items for veterans.

d. Anyone interested in going to the Legion Mini-College should contact the Commander. The EXCOM voted at the 27 Feb 07 meeting to reimburse the $20 registration fee for everyone who attends from the Post.

e. The Nominating Committee still needs volunteers. John Young has offered to participate. Ken Hansen was voted as the Chairperson at the 26 Dec 06 EXCOM Meeting.

f. The EXCOM voted at the 27 Feb 07 meeting to give the Auxiliary $6000 to carry out their VA&R programs. The Corporate Board must approve the expenditure and the Auxiliary must provide a spend plan for the money.

4. New Business:

a. Nominations were opened from the floor for the vacant post of 1^st Vice Commander. One candidate, Ray Stone, was nominated and seconded. He explained why he was running for the post and what he hoped to accomplish. A motion was made and seconded to elect Ray Stone as 1^st Vice Commander. He was elected by acclamation. There was one dissenting vote.

b. The Commander has a form on the bulletin board to nominate candidates for Legionnaire of the Year. The award will be presented at the Installation Banquet for new officers in May.

c. A new 5’ by 8’ flag pole must be purchased for the Post. The flag pole in front of the Post home has collapsed.

d. The Commander received a letter from Brian McGrail requesting Post sponsorship for the 2007 Multiple Sclerosis Walk on 15 April 07. He is asking the Post for a $500 donation. A motion was made and seconded to refer the request to the EXCOM. The motion was subsequently withdrawn and replaced with a substitute motion to reject the request. This motion was seconded and carried by unanimous vote.

e. There being no further business, a motion was made and carried to adjourn the meeting. John Schade won the 50-50 drawing and donated the amount ($49) to the Boy Scout Troop. The meeting was adjourned at 2100.

Ali Nikolai Ed Taborek

Vice Adjutant Commander