April 2009 Newsletter

POST 24 NEWS AND VIEWS
APRIL 2009

Post Commander, Frank Molina
Auxiliary President, Deirdre Nye
SAL Commander, Kim Scott
ALR President, Michael Smith
Lead Bartender, Jeff Sweet
Bingo Chairman, Barb Klein
Slingo Chairman, Ann Bliss
Adjutant, Don Aiton
Editor, Karen Goodman

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Meetings
Auxiliary Meeting, April 1, 6:30p
E-Board Meeting, April 8, 7p
ALR Meeting, April 11, 9a
Marine Corps League, No April Meeting
SAL Meeting, April 15, 6:30p
Post Meeting, April 22, 7p (Elections)

Pot Luck, Monday, April 6, 6:30pm - Bring a dish to share.

Shuffleboard Night, every Monday night @ 5:30p, except for Pot Luck night. Entry fee $3.

Pool Night, Every Tuesday @ 6:30p. Happy hour drink prices for all players. The entry fee is $5. Cafe Legionnaire is open and will serve pool night specials.

Karaoke, Every Thursday @5:30p. And it’s Taco Night too!!!

Bingo, Every Friday, Doors Open @5p, Early Birds @6:30p, Regular Games @7p. Enjoy Café Legionnaire’s Friday Fish!

Play SLINGO, Saturday 3-5p, sponsored by the SAL and Sunday 3-5p sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary.

Café Legionnaire is open Tuesday, 6-8p, Wednesday thru Friday, 11a - 8p, Saturday, 9a – 8p (Breakfast 9 – 11a) and Sunday 2-6p.

Tombstone Frontier Days will take place the weekend of April 4-5. Watch for the American Legion in the parade, held on Saturday April 4, from our Post front porch.

POST COMMANDER
Frank Molina
Well here we are again, the month of March has come and gone. Here comes April and it is election time. Don’t forget to vote for your choices for officers at our election on April 22.
Also, at this time, The American Legion Post 24 would like to offer our condolences to the family of our deceased member Eugino R Ramirez. And a special thanks to the Ladies Auxiliary and Nancy Sperry, Mary Jo Burns and Dee Dee Molina in particular, for all the great work they did for the Ramirez family. Thank you ladies! Thank you also to our color guard in assisting the US Air Force team from Tucson. Thank you gentlemen, Russ Freeman, Al Jepsen, Chuck Klein and Tony Perotti, job well done. For God and Country, Frank Molina.


AUXILIARY PRESIDENT
Deidre Nye
March took with it another two of our Legionairs, Gary Garrard and Eugenio Ramirez, they are both missed terribly. Thanks to Memorial Chairman Nancy Sperry, the Memorial Committee and the very giving Auxiliary members there was plenty of food and refreshments.

Unit 16 in Bisbee lost a dear member this past week Lucille Russell, funeral service is Friday the 3rd of April at the First Baptist Church in Warren, with a reception and food to follow at the Church located at 500, Arizona Street. 520-432-4218. Let us pray that April will be a well month for us all.

Have you signed up for the Rose Parade Ladies? We will be marching. Let us meet at the Legion at noon, or for those that can only spare the time to march we will gather at 6th and Allen at 12.45 p.m.

For those that may be interested, Arizona's Congresswoman Gabriel Gifford, will be addressing The United Veteran's Councel at The Elkes in Sierra Vista opposite the V. F. W. Plan on being there early, start time is 8:00 am until 9:30. Plenty of time to make it back for the Parade at 1:00 pm.

The American Legion Auxiliary will have baskets of Easter eggs with prizes and surprises on Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th of April. A fun fund raiser for all. Thank you Sandi Freeman and Dee Dee Molina.

Pot Luck. This months theme is ham! Lots of room for new recipes.

Easter is on Sunday the 12th of April, there will be no Slingo on Easter Sunday.

It is not too early to think about the next Disrict Meeting. It will be in Sierra Vista, Post 52 at 1:30 pm. Let us show our support for 24's own Sencie Patchin for District President. There will be a barbeque following the meeting in the Park oppsite the Legion.

Happy Easter every one and God Bless.

ALR PRESIDENT
Michael Smith
The next meeting of the ALR will be Saturday April 11, at 0900. A ride will follow.

VETERANS AFFAIRS AND REHABILITATION
Susan Schubert
The biggest news this month is that within the recently passed stimulus plan is a provision for 18.7 million dollars to build a Veteran's Home in Tucson. Also, under the stimulus plan, if you receive Social Security Disability and/or VA Disability payments, you will receive a check form the government for $250 sometime in May or June.

DISTRICT 3 PRESIDENT
Sencie Patchin
The next District 3 Meeting will be held in Sierra Vista on Saturday May 9th at 11:30AM. Nominations for 2009-2010 Officers will be held with the election to follow. Following the meeting will be a picnic at the park across the street from Post 52. I will update the picnic information as soon as I find anything out. Don’t forget that the Convention will be in Glendale this year on June 19-21. Please contact me for information on Hotels and directions. Please keep your prayers going for all of our District 3 members who are ill at this time. Also keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers and if you meet up with an active duty solider shake his/her hand and thank them for what they do for our country, you will be surprised at their replies. God Bless America

Marine Corps League
Bill Pakinkis
ATTENTION ALL VETERANS: ON SATURDAY, 4 APRIL 09, REPRESENTATIVE GABRRIELLE GIFFORDS, WILL BE ATTENDING THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE GREATER SIERRA VISTA UNITED VETERANS' COUNCIL. SHE WILL BE OPEN TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING VETERANS ISSUES. THIS MONTHS MEETING WILL BE HELD ATTHE ELKS LODGE, AT 0800. THE LODGE IS LOCATED ON WILLCOX, IN SIERRA VISTA. ALL VETERANS ARE URGED TO ATTEND.

POST AND UNIT NEWS AND VIEWS
The pool tables have been refurbished. Unfortunately they already have cigarette burns on them. PLEASE, take the cigarette out of your mouth and put it in an ashtray when you are shooting.

The Post has donated $500 to a needy veteran at the VA in Tucson. Two hundred dollars has been donated to the Children’s Welfare Foundation. And $200 has been donated to a member’s daughter to assist financing a basketball trip.

The report from the Nominating Committee is as follows; for Commander, Frank Molina, for First Vice Commander, Mike Stout, for Second Vice Commander, David Weed, for finance Officer, Jim Burns, and for the Executive Committee, Ron Cole, Russ Freeman, Danny Hope, Al Jepson and Terry Wiepricht. Anyone else interested in running for an office can contact any e-board member.

Happy April Birthday
Mike Stout April 1, Mary Jo Burns April 2, Edwin Smith April 4, Hillary Ciochetti April 10, Lenny Gilberg and Abraham Gonzales April 12, Dave Rockwell April 13, Claire Richardson April 15, Marty Towner April 16, John McCullough April 17, Dave Shahn and Dave Weed April 21, Judy Morton April 22, Evelyn Holder April 23, Anthony Molina April 26.

FROM THE EDITOR
Karen Goodman
If you would like to have a copy of the newsletter emailed to you, send your email address to karengoodman66@msn.com or leave the information at the Post. The same can be said for information, articles or commentary you wish to publish. Deadline for the Newsletter will be April 27. Please follow the Post News and photos on our blog at http://post24az.blogspot.com/
Reports received from Post and Unit Officers after the Newsletter deadline will be published in the blog only.


A History of April Fools Day
Unlike most of the other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.

However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1. These “backward folk” were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international funfest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.

Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"
Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.

April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!

You Know What They Say About Fools...
It's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and leave no doubt. --Mark Twain

However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him. -- Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
Looking foolish does the spirit good. -- John Updike

Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them, the rest of us could not succeed. -- Mark Twain
It is better to be a fool than to be dead. -- Stevenson

The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. -- Mark Twain
http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm

A Recipe Everyone Should Know
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!