MOSCARELLA POST 199

                                                                                                    AMERICAN LEGION

                                                                        NEWSLETTER FOR FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010

 

                                                                REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING – January & February 2010

 

OFFICERS IN ATTENDANCE:

 

Arnie Regensburger               Commander

Alan Simmons                          1st Vice Commander

Judge Joseph Thaxton           2nd Vice Commander

Charles Avery                           3rd Vice Commander

Maureen Morgan                     Adjutant absent for February’s meeting

Rick Ell                                       Treasurer

John Vassar                             Service Officer

Austin Hansen                         Chaplin

Charles Butler                          Historian

Robert Dennis                         Sergeant at Arms

Judge Advocate

Peter Medina                           Committees Chairman

Robert Young                          Membership Chairman

 

January’s Minutes

 

Condolences:

 

The Post wants to extend our sympathy to the Leff family for the lost of Jerry Leff.

 

We would also like to extend our condolences to Rev. William Johnson family for the lost of Rev William Johnson’s grandson. Our thoughts are with both families at this time of healing.

 

New Members: Welcome new Martin Eisenberg transferred from Post #1.

 

Guests: Anthony Mele spoke to us about the Fort Hood attack and about our soldiers. His speech is this newsletter for every member to read.

 

DISCUSSIONS:

 

1. Membership: Report by Robert Young. Our total membership is 149 as of 12/31/2009. Our goal for membership for 2010 is 192 members.

We need everyone’s help to reach this goal.

 

2. Color Guard: Report by Alan Simmons. The next event is the Four Chaplains Service on February 7, 2010.

 

3. Parade: Report by Alan Simmons. The Memorial Day Parade will be at 12:30 on Monday, May 31, 2010. Every member needs to be present to march. The parade will start on Rt 306 by Grove St. and march down to Fred Eller Post on Saddle River Rd.

 

4. Spaghetti Dinner: Report by Robert Young. The Spaghetti Dinner is Thursday, March 25, 2010 at Spring Valley High School. We need all

members there to help serve and collect tickets. The time is 3pm to 7pm. Tickets are on sale you can contact Robert Young at 352-1052 or

Maureen Morgan at 577-6544 or any member of the Post. All proceeds go to the DARE Program for East Ramapo School District.

 

5. Ways & Means: Report by Peter Medina. Calendars for the evening draw are on sale now. Get your ticket now. The drawings start on April 1st and go through June 30th.

 

6. Building Committee: Report by Peter Medina. The committee is still looking at property for our building. When more information is available we will pass it onto the members.

 

7. Education/Children & Youth: Report by Howard Goldin. The Vet Wall will be available for the public at Felix Fiesta on February 4th @

8:30am.

 

8. Scholarship: Report by Maureen Morgan. The Post Scholarship is available in the guidance office of Spring Valley High School and

Ramapo High School. If you have a child or grandchild in either school and they are going to a 2 or 4 year college please make sure they

come in and pick up an application for the scholarship. Any questions please feel free to call Maureen Morgan at work at 577-6544.

 

9. Americanism: The Four Chaplains Service will be held on Sunday, February 7, 2010 @ 9:00 AM at the New City Jewish Center.

 

February’s Minutes:

 

New Member: Robert Young introduced PFC Joseph DeLisi, USMC Reserve as a new member. Joseph is the son of John DeLisi.

 

SPECIAL NOTICES:

 

Due to the increasing costs for printing and postage, the members have voted to discontinue mailing of the monthly newsletter as of the April meeting. The newsletter will be available on the website (www.moscarellaal199.org) or if you would like to receive your own

copy, send your e-mail address to Maureen Morgan at runaroundmom@optonline.net.

 

Robert Young has advised the members that very few tickets have been sold for the spaghetti dinner. This is a big fundraiser for the Spring

Valley P.D. DARE program. Your help is desperately needed. Please contact Robert ASAP.

 

Discussions:

 

1) Membership Committee: Report by Robert Young. Robert noted that as of January 31st, only 134 members have paid their dues. Our goal for 2010 is 192 members. Letters were going out shortly.

 

2) Buffalo Soldiers: Report by Robert Young. Our John Vassar has been named 2010 Buffalo Soldier of the Year.

 

3) Color Guard: Report by Alan Simmons. Our Color Guard participated in the annual Four Chaplins service at the New City Jewish Center. The next function will be the presentation of colors at the East Ramapo Black History assembly to be held at Spring Valley High School.

 

4) Parade: Report by Alan Simmons. The Joint Memorial Day Parade will beheld on Monday, May 31st, the actual Memorial Day. The parade will start at 12:30 P.M. and follow the same route as in the past. Refreshments will be served after the parade and ceremony. The rifles are now being held by Commander Regensburger. ALL MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED TO TURN OUT. LAST YEAR WE HAD ONLY FOUR MEMBERS REPRESENT THE POST.

 

PLEASE NOTE: ON SATURDAY, MAY 29TH, AFTER THE PLACEMENT OF THE FLAGS AT BRICK CHURCH CEMETARY, AT

SHORT MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT THE SPRING VALLEY MEMORIAL PARK MONUMENT TO HONOR THE SPRING

VALLEY DECEASED. EVEN IF YOU CANNOT HELP WITH THE PLACEMENT OF TH FLAGS, PLEASE ATTEND THE SERVICE TO

HONOR OUR OWN. START TIME IS 12:00 P.M.

 

5) Education/Children & Youth: Report by Howie Goldin. Howie noted that 770 children attended the presentation about the Viet Nam War at the Felix Festa school. The largest turnout ever.

 

6) Ways & Means: Report by Peter Medina. Calendars for the evening draw are still available. To date we have sold only $710.00 worth of calendars. Again this is another major fund raiser that is getting little support from themembers.

 

7) Service: Report by John Vasser. The Veterans Coordinating Council will be sponsoring the placement of benches at the Veterans Cemetery. The cost will be $300.00 per bench. Additional information will be forthcoming.

 

8) Shut Ins: Report by Robert Young. Arnold Becker is still home bound.

 

9) Grants: Report by Peter Medina. Grant letters have been sent to both theTown of Ramapo and Rockland County.

 

10) Building Committee: Report by Peter Medina. Peter is looking at another building near the Spring Valley Post Office which is presently a

combination bar and hotel. Peter is also working with Jerry Levi from RCDC on funding issues. We expect to meet with Ms. Levy at a Post

meeting in the near future to discuss many issues.

 

11) Fund Raising: Report by Peter Medina. The POPPY Drive will be on Saturday, May 1st. This will again be a one day affair, starting around 8:30 A.M. and ending at noon.

 

12) Spaghetti Dinner: Please note that the times for the dinner are 4:00 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. If you plan to help with the food preparation, please be at the high school by 3:00 P.M.

 

13) Baseball Committee: Report by Charles Avery. Charles is now the Rockland County Chairman of the American Legion Baseball. At the

District meeting held on January 31st and subsequent telephone call on February 1st, Charles was informed by Robert Farese, manager of the OTB Pirates, that the Pirates will no longer participate in American Legion baseball. With the loss of the OTB Pirates and the Fred Eller Post as their sponsor, Moscarella Post is now the lone sponsor of all American Legion Baseball teams in the county. The Rockland Riverdogs (zone 2) will continue to be “our” team and coached by Mike Pisano.

 

14) 90th Anniversary Dinner: Report by Peter Medina. The dinner will be held on Saturday, November 20th. Cost will be $75.00 per person. After a short discussion the members voted to hold the dinner at the Holidome. Much more to follow.

 

MESSAGE FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR ANY MEMBER OF THE POST WHO IS AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH THE SPAGHETTI DINNER ON THURSDYAY, MARCH 25, 2010 NEEDS TO BE AT SPRING VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL BY 3:00 PM. THIS NEWSLETTER WILL INCLUDE FEBRUARY AND MARCH’S BIRTHDAY LIST.

 

IF YOUR ADDRESS HAS CHANGED AND YOU HAVE NOT NOTIFIED MAUREEN MORGAN BY E-MAIL AT runaroundmom@optonline.net or called her at 845-354-6763 and we receive your newsletter back in the mail you will be removed form our mailing list. So I hope everyone’s address is current.