Kilduff-Wirtanen Legion Post 74

Kilduff-Wirtanen Legion Post 74 38 Main Street PO Box 761 Brookline, NH 03033-0761For God and CountryMay 2016 NewsletterKilduff-Wirtanen American Legion Post 74, Brookline, NH meets the 4th Thursday of the month* at 38 Main Street Brookline.Meetings begin at 1900 hours (7PM). *Nov meeting held 3rd Thursday.If you wish to join or have questions about the American Legion, please call one of the Post Officers.Commander1st Vice Commander2nd Vice CommanderAdjutantTreasurerSergeant at ArmsChaplainHistorianDavid LarkinBill GrahamRichard CoutermarshGreg d’ArbonneBob GloverJim PopeBruce MoranDel Porter007 Bond St37 Averill Rd20 Hood Road65 Cleveland Hill Rd100 Witches Spring Rd85 Old Milford Rd.45 Flint Pond DrPO Box 17Next Meeting:Brookline, NH 03033Brookline, NH 03033Brookline, NH 03033Brookline NH 03033Hollis, NH 03049Brookline, NH 03033Hollis, NH 03049Brookline, NH 03033 26 May at 7:00 PMApril Meeting MinutesMeeting called to order at 7:01 PM by CommanderDave Larkin. 7 Members present.Colors advanced, prayer offered, POW/MIA emptychair recognized, prayers offered for those lost andunaccounted for and the Preamble recited. MEMBERSHIP: Nothing to report.MINUTES: The Minutes of the March 2016 meetingwere read. Bruce Moran made a motion that theMinutes be approved as read; seconded by BobCanada and unanimously approved.TREASURERS REPORT: The Treasurer’s Reportsfor April 2016 was read. Bob Glover reported that heordered 3 boxes of flags for the gravesites ( 411.92)and five Legion Grave Markers ( 190.70). BruceMoran made a motion that the treasurer’s Report beapproved as read; seconded by Del Porter andunanimously approved.SICK CALL AND EMPLOYMENT: Del Porter stated Art Fenske is back home, up andabout and doing therapy. Art welcomes visitors.OLD BUSINESS: Flag Retirement Ceremony: Members arerequested to be at the Post at 9 AM so we canprepare for the ceremony. Due to the fire hazard,the members asked if we need a Burn Permit.Greg d’Arbonne will ask Scott Boggis of the FireDepartment. Greg will also ask Allen Rosenberg,who runs the video taping of Town Meetings,about videotaping the Flag Ceremony and thememorial Day Ceremony.Flags for the Schools: Greg d’Arbonne stated hetold the VFW the Legion would work with theVFW on this project. The members asked if theperson donating the New Hampshire flags wasalso donating them to the Brookline Schools soGreg will ask the VFW. Jim Pope asked if therewere organizations like the Rotary and Lions Clubwho may be interested in helping with thisproject. Bruce Moran stated the target date forthis project should be in the next school year(September).Bruce Moran made a motion that the Post make a 400 donation to the “Honor Flight” program;seconded by Greg d’Arbonne and unanimouslyapproved.Bruce Moran made a motion that the Adjutantcast one ballot for the following slate of officers;seconded by Bob Canada and unanimouslyapproved:o Commander Dave Larkino 1st Vice Commander Will Collardo 2nd Vice Commander Bill Grahamo Sergeant at Arms Jim Popeo Chaplain Bruce Moran

oooo Treasurer Bob GloverAdjutant Greg d’ArbonneHistorian Del PorterService Officer Bob GloverCORRESPONDENCE: Nothing to report. NEW BUSINESS: Solar Lights for flag poles: Greg d’Arbonne madea motion that the Post purchase 2 solar lights forthe flag poles at the main cemetery and at the Postbuilding at a cost of no more than 100; secondedby Bruce Moran and unanimously approved. Itwas noted there are a lot of flags around Town onTown property so after this purchase the memberswill see how effective they are and make arecommendation to the Town.POW/MIA Flag for the Post flag pole: Gregd’Arbonne made a motion that the Post purchasea new POW/MIA flag that is 3’ by 5’ and made ofnylon with the POW/MIA symbol on both sides ofthe flag; seconded by Bruce Moran andunanimously approved. Bob Glover will order theflag through the American Legion catalog.Memorial Day Activities:o Graveside Flags at the Cemetery: Bob Glover will take care of the graves atthe Rt. 13 Cemetery. Greg d’Arbonne reported Bill Graham andCharlotte Farwell will take care of theLakeside Cemetery. Main Cemetery: Del Porter, Dave Larkinand Bob Canada will meet at the cemeteryat 9 AM. More help is needed. Gregd’Arbonne will contact the Boy ScoutTroop and the Girl Scouts to see if theycan provide support.o Poppies at the Transfer Station: Schedule is asfollows but more help is needed. 8 AM to 11 AM Bob Glover 11 AM to 2 PM Dave Larkin 2 PM to 4 PM Jim Popeo Memorial Day Ceremony: The ceremony will start at 9:30 AM.Dave Larkin will ask the Minister at theBrookline Community Church if she canattend to give the invocation.Bill Graham will coordinate to get thewreaths.Dave Larkin will ask the Town Band orhis musical group from the Church if theycan play the National Anthem at theceremony.Dave Larkin will ask Tad Putney if hewould like to be the Guest Speaker.FOR THE GOOD OF THE POST: Dave Larkin announced that Motorcycle Weekwill be 11 to 18 June.Bruce Moran stated there will be a paneldiscussion about the Opioid problem at 7 PM on 5May at the Brookline Entertainment Center. Allare welcome to attend.Bob Glover stated he attended a Legion Meetingin Rochester where he learned that our financialbooks need to be audited once a year as aminimum and that all officers of the Post needtheir DD214’s on file, which Bob stated hebelieves the latter is in place for our Post. He alsoattended the District meeting and attended theMerrimack and Milford Post meetings as well.Del Porter stated we need to come up with a wayto hold those who use the Post buildingaccountable for the condition they leave thebuilding after their meeting or event. He stated itshould be clean and orderly, which is commoncourtesy for using the facility. It was suggestedthe Post see the checklist the Firehouse has andcopy that as an example to post in the buildingand tell each organization that uses the building.Greg d’Arbonne will stop by the firehouse to get acopy of the checklist.There being no further business, the closing prayerwas said and the colors retired. The meetingadjourned at 8:36 PM. The next meeting is 26 Mayat 7 PM.News For & From MembersMemorial Day Activities – 26 through 30 May

Memorial Day is 30 May. A highlight of our activities is listed here. Your participation is greatlyappreciated. Please watch the local papers for times for other events at the schools and in the community. Thursday, 26 May: 2:15 PM, Hollis Upper Elementary School. Friday, 27 May: 9 AM, Brookline Memorial Day Ceremony at Brookline CSDA School. Saturday, 28 May:o 8 AM to 4 PM Poppy Distribution at the Transfer Station: We will pass out Poppies at theTransfer Station. An hour of your time is requested.o 9 AM to 10 AM Graveside Flags at the Cemetery: We will replace the old American flags ateach Veteran gravesite with new flags. Quick activity if we get enough people to participate. Monday, 30 May, Memorial Day: Preferred dress for the ceremonies in Brookline and Hollis is blueblazer, blue or grey slacks, white shirt, cap, tie optional.o 9:30 AM, Brookline Town Hall Brookline will hold their Memorial Day ceremony in front ofthe Brookline Town Hall. The public, especially Veterans, are invited to attend.o 5:30 PM, Hollis Town Common Hollis will hold their Memorial Day ceremony at the HollisTown Common. Those who are in town and will participate should plan on meeting on theCommon at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. All Veterans are invited to attend.Brookline Elementary School Annual Memorial Day Ceremony, Friday, May 22ndThe Brookline Elementary Schools will hold their annual Memorial Day ceremony on Friday, May 22nd at9am in the Captain Samuel Douglass Academy (CSDA) Gymnasium. This is a tremendous event and theVeterans and First Responders, who are all honored at this event, truly enjoy being with the kids. Theinvitation for this event is below for your information, viewing, and dispersing to other Vets. Please RSVPto the school as requested so you can participate and be honored at the ceremony.

News of Interest to VeteransUpdate on Veterans Choice ProgramThe Manchester VAMC is in the process of hiring four (4) new Primary Care doctors. There are two newdoctors, to bring the staff up to full complement. Two additional doctors are being brought on board as"floaters", to bolster the chronically swamped staff and fill in for doctors who are: out sick; away forrequired continuing training; retiring or are leaving as part of normal staff turnover.The Primary Care department has been chronically short of doctors for many years, due to lack of properfunding, turnover and retirements. There has also been a chronic inability to replace doctors in a timelymanner. This has been a major reason for long appointment wait times for Veterans at many VAMC's,including Manchester. The additional funding provided by Congress -- following the Phoenix VA fiasco, ishelping the VAMC's to address their previous understaffing and long appointment wait times.Manchester has added a Nurse Practitioner to the Nurse One position in the Primary Care department, whowill also double as another Urgent Care department doctor. This will help improve patient assessment andaccess to Urgent Care.The Manchester VAMC was made aware that an outside pain care provider -- and participant in the VeteransChoice program, was not being paid and was about to drop out of the program. The reason was the ChoiceProgram's administrative requirement that virtually every scrap of patient care paperwork be submitted bythe care provider to Health Net -- the program's administrator, prior to payment.This was a looming major issue for the Choice Program – not only locally, but nationally. The ManchesterVAMC has subsequently been working with our Congressional delegation to modify the rules, to insurepayment to outside providers – when reasonable patient care documentation has been provided.Points To PonderThe views expressed in the following article were deemed interesting enough by me to include in thenewsletter. I take full responsibility and the content does not reflect the opinion of the members of the Post.Please contact me if these articles offend you. – Greg d’ArbonnePhilosophers John Glenn.As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket wassupplied by the lowest bidder. Desmond Tutu.When the white missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land.They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land. David Letterman.America is the only country where a significant proportion of the population believesthat professional wrestling is real but the moon landing was faked. Howard Hughes.I'm not a paranoid, deranged millionaire. I'm a billionaire. Old Italian proverb.After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box. Betsy Salkind.Men are like linoleum floors. Lay 'em right and you can walk all over them for thirtyyears. Jean Kerr.The only reason they say 'Women and children first' is to test the strength of the lifeboats. Zsa Zsa Gabor.I've been married to a communist and a fascist, and neither would take out the garbage. Jeff Foxworthy.You know you're a redneck if your home has wheels and your car doesn't. Prince Philip.When a man opens a car door for his wife, it's either a new car or a new wife. Emo Philips.A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing.