President’s Corner
Gloria Covert – Department President
president@ndala.org
Greetings Auxiliary Members,
“BE THE ONE” day is the 1st of every month. Use branding as well as promoting this initiative.
RED (remember everyone deployed) Friday is also a day to brand with anything red as well as promoting it in your communities and schools. Remind your members to wear RED on Fridays. (www.ALAforVeterans.org)
The Girls State website is updated with new information for the 2024 event to be held on the University of North Dakota campus, June 9-14, 2024. The packets have been mailed to units and schools so be sure to contact your schools and help promote the program. Put an article in your local paper, promote on your Facebook page if your Auxiliary has one. Make posters and tack up around town and at your school. City Moms are needed to help supervise the girls so you may wish to promote that idea as well. It would be nice to see over 100 girls registered this year. The registration fee has been increased to $325 this year to be all inclusive.
Constant Contact – This is a new email program used by the Department to send information to members with email addresses. We need the email addresses of all members that would like to receive information from the department. This resource will be increasingly used to get information to members in a timelier manner and save time and expenses for paper and postage. Please send an email to news@ndala.org to sign up.
If you have SLM or PUFL members in your unit, it is important that you maintain contact with them so you can keep up with any changes such as addresses, or a member is deceased. Deceased members need to be reported to the Department. State Life Members (SLM) dues are paid by Department to National in late November. Please be sure to verify SLM information no later than November 1 to be sure information is updated in ALAMIS.
There are National Facebook pages for all Auxiliary programs. Get connected to the Facebook pages in which you are interested. There is a lot of information and questions answered on these pages. Some of the chairmen are putting their newsletters on these pages as well so the information is up to date.
Promote the poppy poster contest in your schools. We had two National winners last year. There is a cover letter that needs to be attached to each poster that you send to our Poppy Chairman. Units be sure all the information that is required is on the back of the poster. Mark the class on the back of the posters also, it helps the poppy chairman with judging. Deadline for the Poppy Poster Contest is May 15, 2024.
Medora Homecoming: Pictured (l-r) Department President Gloria Covert, Past Department President Sandra Petermann (2022-23), Past Department President Marlys Aubol (2013-14), Past NW Division National Vice President Judy Twete (2015-16), and NEC Tammy Ryberg.
Good deed awards for the youth in our communities is a national program. As of this writing ND has no awards. The National Chairman wants every state to have at least one. Units can follow their school websites, local paper or word of mouth to find these outstanding individuals. The award can be for one person or a group. Look at other youth organizations in your community as well. All nominations must be done online on the national website. If you need help, please contact Department Children and Youth Chairman, Jill Carstens.
National President, Lisa Williamson, will be visiting North Dakota July 15-18. We are tentatively planning to visit the International Peace Garden, Annie’ House, and Mystical Horizons at this time. I am waiting for possibly a mini powwow at White Shield. If there are units that have something of interest that would be fun to see in this general area, please contact me.
Remember to send the pictures and articles on your unit events to Department Historian, Andrea Neshem so she can archive our happenings. What units do to complete the mission statement needs to be in newspapers and on social media.
The Department’s website, www.ndala.org, features information on our programs, application forms, unit mail material, “The Message” articles, and more. All members with a computer have access to this information.
Always be kind,
Gloria Covert
- Unit Mail – April 2024
- Unit Mail – January 2024
- Unit Mail – December 2023
- The Message – March 2024
- The Message – December 2023
- The Message – September 2023
Department President-Elect
LoAnn Dick – Department President-Elect presidentelect@ndala.org
Hello North Dakota Auxiliary Members,
I want to reiterate my constant call for ‘membership, membership, membership.’ We need every Auxiliary member to pay their dues! We in North Dakota are active, involved members of our country and communities! We love our veterans! Remember why you became a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Our mission is to support our veterans and active-duty military members and their families.
We must never let our Auxiliary members forget how important they are and how critical paying their dues is in our efforts to support our mission of advocating for veterans and their families. North Dakota is known for the number of men and women who have served and continue to serve in the military, for how well we honor our veterans, and for our wonderful generosity on behalf of veterans.
Remember that Congress acts on behalf of our veterans in direct proportion to our membership numbers in the American Legion Family. We just cannot let our veterans down. Bills such as the GI Bill, health bills related to Vietnam and Camp Lejeune, the Choices Bill that allows veterans to go to local doctors when they live 40 miles from a VA care facility, the PACT Bill regarding burn pits, and so much more have all been passed for veterans. These important Congressional actions would not be possible without the help and support of numbers in our organizations, our volunteer hours, and our donation of funds spent on behalf of our veterans.
Remember the ‘Be The One’ program and its focus on the well-being of our veterans. Watch over your veterans and if you see one in need or going through hard times, reach out to them and assist them in any way you can.
For God and Country.
LoAnn Dick
Meet your Department Vice President
Candace Berg – Department Vice President
vicepresident@ndala.org
Candace joined the Auxiliary as a junior member under the eligibility of her father, Harland Berg, a Vietnam veteran. During her years as a junior member, Candace served as the trumpet player (bugler) for Memorial Day programs until graduating from high school.
Candace is active with the York unit as well as the Devils Lake Neathery-Simenson VFW Auxiliary, having served as a flag bearer, unit secretary, unit chaplain, and several chairmanships.
Candace is also involved with Ramsey County 4-H, serving as the treasurer and a 4-H leader. She emphasizes community service projects with her group that are veteran-focused, such as learning the meaning of the US flag, flag folding, honoring businesses and homes who display the US flag, putting together veteran food and supply packages, and helping with veteran and patriotic holiday services.
Candace currently lives and works in Devils Lake and is the proud parent of 3 children and a menagerie of pets. She is a licensed foster care parent, and in her spare time she enjoys volunteering at White Horse Hill National Game Preserve, sketching, photography, genealogy, watching hockey, exploring nature, and spending time with loved ones.
Candace’s focus this year is to embrace the programs of the American Legion Auxiliary and meeting as many veterans as possible.
(Department Staff Article)