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 SAL's COMMANDER MESSAGE Jan/Feb/March 2009

I hope everyone had a happy, safe and joyous holiday season.
Our pool leagues first year was an outstanding success. We made the playoffs but came up a little short in the end.
The kids holiday party was a smashing success—thank you Ladies, as always a great job.
Everyone please remember our troops and their great sacrifices for us.
The next few months will be extremely busy as we prepare for hosting the Vietnam Traveling Wall—”The Wall That Heals”. The Wall will be here from April 16th—April 19th, 2009. “The Wall That Heals” is a half size replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C. This event will coincide with our 9/11 Patriotic and Gratitude Week in which we pay homage for all the lives lost on 9/11/2001 and our fighting men and women by adorning Chapel Ave with American flags and yellow ribbons. The flags and ribbons will be placed on Chapel Ave on Saturday, April 11th. If you can help with that, meet in front of JFK Hospital at 9am on April 11th. We will need a lot of help the “Wall” and I encourage everyone to help with sponsorship and/or volunteering. See forms and details in this issue of the Scoop.
General Member Tom Heinsinger is running a bus trip to Gettysburg on May 2nd—$40/pp. Sign up sheet in canteen.
Thanks to everyone for all their help at Thanksgiving and over the holiday season. A special thanks to dual member Ernie Linden for making our Holiday Party a feast for kings!
Dues are due, please update your membership.
The Sal County Cancer Project—Breast Cancer—is kicking off in gear. Help with donations and look for upcoming details on fundraiser.
God Bless America.

For God & Country,
Brian Fitzgerald Commander
Fran Keashen Adjutant

MESSAGE FROM SAL COMMANDER November/ December 2008

  Family Day was a huge success ! Thanks to the Sons for their hard work and one of the best events ever! The weather was perfect and the food was great. 

The SALs County meeting was held at our Post in late October. The Halloween Party was held October 31st as was the Log Splitting on October 25th. Thanks to everyone that helped out.  Look for reports on those events in the upcoming Scoop issue.

Our legion pool league plays every Thursday night. Why not come out and show your support?....they also have t-shirts for sale. Their schedule for Nov and Dec is;

11/06/08 vs "Laurel Lanes" at Home (Post 372)

11/13/08 vs "Los Ocho Locos" at Home (Post 372)

11/20/08 vs "Team Stinger" at Slates (461 Rt. 38 W. Maple Shade, NJ)

11/27/08 vs "Next Generation' at Waldorf Tavern (4100 Federal St. Camden, NJ)

12/04/08 vs "25 Club I" at Home (Post 372) 

12/11/08 Playoffs Begin - Schedule TBA

Veteran’s Day (Nov 11th) and Pearl Harbor Day (Dec 7th) are coming up. Please try and make it to the Post on Veterans Day at 6pm for our annual Flag Retirement Ceremony. If you have any old flags, bring them with you. If you have any questions about the ceremony, contact Senior Vice Commander Ernie Brosh.

Don’t forget about the Beef & Beer Benefit coming up on November 22, 2008 for Mike Watson. It should be a great time, and will help Mike during this difficult time.

For any of you athletic members, why not join in for the first annual 5K run in honor of the Cherry Hill fallen soldier, Greg Dalessio.  Greg was killed in Iraq over the summer. See details about  the 5K run in this issue of the Scoop.

We will have our annual Holiday Party December 13th. The kids party starts at 10am, featuring Beep-Beep the Clown and also Santa. There will be an adult party in the evening. Stay tuned for details or ask one of the Ladies officers for details.

Keep November 10th open on your calendar. Veterans Haven will be having a Monday Night Football Pizza Party. Great fun for the Vets. See me for time and details.

I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season!

For God and Country,

SAL Commander

Brian Fitzgerald

Sept/Oct 2008

Everyone is getting pumped up for Family Day, which is being held September 20th from 1pm—6pm. The cost is $15 per person, $25 per couple and $20 at the door. DJ Music, BBQ, Soda and Beer are included. Be sure to bring the kids along—they’ll have a great time with all the games !
Membership is going great. If you haven’t already paid your dues, please send them in asap.
The Erlton Parade was a huge success as always and kudos go out to Fran Keashen on overseeing this event.
Our SAL Commander, and County Commander, Brian Fitzgerald, attended the Cookout and Horseshoe Tournament at Veterans Haven in Ancora, NJ. A great time was had by all.
We lost three soldiers from the South Jersey area over the summer. They were Dwayne M. Kelley, 48, Gregory T. Dalessio, 30, and Jason Mann, 29. Gregory Dalessio was from Cherry Hill. I would like to thank everyone that stepped up to help with flagging, standing in the Flag Line and attending his services. We must reach out and support these families in their time of need. We must also reach out to our veterans and keep all those that are serving in our prayers.

For God and country,
Tom Wright
SAL Chaplain

SALS MESSAGE JULY/AUGUST 2008

The Wildwood Convention was a huge success with the SAL’s winning three awards – the most of any squadron in the state! We won 1st place SAL’s Boys State Award, 1st place SAL’s Special Olympics Award and tied for 2nd place in the SAL’s Childrens Welfare Fund Award.
Gary Gottron’s brother, Neil Gottron, came all the way from Pittsburgh, PA to represent the squadron as a delegate. A
heartfelt thank you goes out to Neil, and to the other delegates – Tim Viguers, Tom Wright, Gary Gottron, and Fran Keashen.
A huge thank you also goes out to duel member Ernie Linden. Not only did Ernie provide an
outstanding spread and BBQ for our hospitality area at the
Nantucket during the convention weekend, he also did the same after the flagging of the graves at Locustwood Cemetery, just as he does every year. Your efforts are very much appreciated Ernie.
The Erlton Parade will be held on July 3rd. Meet at 6:30pm at Jefferson + Sheriden Aves. Parade starts at 7:00. We will have our Color Guard— any Vets that want to ride, we will be getting loaner cars again. Anyone that wants to drive their own classic car or corvettes are welcome. Motorcycles from 372 and the Legion Riders are also welcome and will be at the end of the parade. For more details or questions, check with Fran Keashen.
Please join the 4th of July
festivities at the Post. Music begins at 8pm and fireworks begin at 9pm at the Cherry Hill West High School – bring a lawn chair and watch it all from the Post property. Rain date is July 5th. Our parking lot is reserved for Post members only.
There will not be a SAL’s meeting in July. We may have a meeting in August to discuss our annual Family Day, which is held in September. Please check with a SAL Officer or look on our website for details.
If you have not already signed up on our American Legion Email List, please do so! You will receive late breaking news! !

For God and Country,
SAL Commander
Brian Fitzgerald

SALS MESSAGE May/June '08

The American Legion Convention is coming up the second week of June. Everyone is urged to attend to see what the American Legion is all about.
Dues are slowly trickling in for 2008—please help recruit new Son’s. The ultimate goal we are shooting for is 200 members!
We had our 2008-2009 Election of Officers in April. Congratulations goes out to everyone. You can view the Officer listings in this issue of the Scoop.
The American Legion is looking for a regulation size pool table. If you, or anyone you know, can help with this task, please contact the post at 856-665-3889.
A thank you goes out to members of the SALs that came out to help the Cherry Hill Fire Department and myself plant the 16 new cherry trees on Chapel Ave. (Philo Beck, Ron Flynn, Robert Arcinese, and Jim Arcinese).
There was a follow-up of Post volunteers the following day for the flagging and ribboning of Chapel Ave. Thanks to SAL members, Tom Wright, Tim Viguers and other Post volunteers who came out to help with that.
Although submissions for this Scoop were due before the Annual Yard, Bake and Hoagie Sale took place (April 26th), I’m sure it will be a huge success, as it is every year. A special thanks to Doris Ihlenfeld for all her hard work, along with all the other Post volunteers that help.
We are now entering our busy season with Memorial Day just around the corner. We’re going to need all the volunteers and help we can get within our Squad. There is the grave flagging at Locustwood, the Township services at Town Hall and the annual State Service at Locustwood. See Post calendar or our website (www.alch372.com) for details of all events.
Speaking of our website, be sure to visit it frequently and sign up for email alerts. It’s a great way to keep up to date with all our upcoming events and also late breaking news! Please make an effort to volunteer some time over the next couple of months to help out for the good of your Squad.

For God and country,
Brian Fitzgerald
SAL Commander

SAL's MESSAGE March/April 2008

Our annual St. Patrick’s Day Party is March 15, 2008—7:30pm—?. Tickets are 15/per person and $25/per couple. All are invited to attend this wonderful event. Be sure to wear your green! (Party canceled)
You still have time to pay your dues! We are shooting for the
ultimate goal of 200 members this year.
I am very proud to tell you that the SAL’s donated $500.00 to the
Children’s Welfare Fund of NJ and $500.00 to the Special Olympics. Two truly great causes!
The Ladies have an Easter Party coming up which should be great fun for the kids and also the annual Yard, Bake and Hoagie Sale on April 26th. Everyone is
encouraged to come, and bring your family and friends!!
The flagging of the cherry trees on Chapel Ave will be held in April. It will be held either April 12th or April 19th. The date to be
confirmed by Joe Zanghi. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the flagging, call the Post to find out the date and time, or email Joe at
ACTIONPLAY@aol.com.
Don’t forget—nominations are in March and elections are in April. All are welcome to run for office.

For God & Country,
Brian Fitzgerald
SAL Commander

SAL'S MESSAGE Jan/Feb 2008

 I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. ..The Ladies Auxiliary did a stellar job with the kids annual Christmas Party with Beep-Beep the Clown and Santa! The evening adult party was a lot of fun as well.

Be sure to stop by the Post over the winter months—there is always someone around to welcome new faces and we encourage members to stop in, get to know the other members. There have been many improvements made in the canteen, making it an even more popular place nowadays! In addition to our pool table and shuffleboard table, we now have 5 TV’s, ensuring a great time for all our sports enthusiasts! And of course our warm and cozy fireplace which is a favorite spot during the winter months! What better way to spend a relaxing Sunday !

Be sure to check out the list of our Pull Tab Donations in 2007 in this issue of the Scoop. We've managed to help out a lot of charities throughout the year. Thanks to all that contributed. Let's try to do the same this coming year!

Speaking of which, a huge thank you goes out to all of you that donated things for our annual Thanksgiving drive and Toys for Tots.

During the holiday season, its another reminder of the sacrifices the troops make for all of us. May God Bless them and may they all come home safe and soon.

If you haven't paid your membership dues, please do so ASAP.

The Post is sponsoring a trip to Gettysburg January 19th which is free to all members! For details and to sign up, call the Post at 665-3889.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone for out annual St. Patrick's Day Party! Stay tuned for details about the party in the next Scoop and on our website at www.alch372.com.

For God & Country,
Brian Fitzgerald
SAL Commander

SAL'S MESSAGE Nov/Dec 2007

Our annual Family Day, which was held on September 22nd,  was a smashing success on a gloriously beautiful day ! Best ever for sure - Great fun, food, and people ! The same can be said about our Halloween Party which was held on Oct 27th. Special thanks to all the volunteers that helped out to make both of these events a great time for everyone who attended. We couldn’t have done it without you!

  Early bird dues are due! If you haven’t paid your SAL Membership dues, please step up to the plate and do so as soon as possible!

  The tremendous turnout we had last year with the wood chopping extravaganza has left us with enough firewood to warm the Post again this year, ensuring a cozy atmosphere for all members. However, if you have some cut wood you would like to donate, we would surely take it! Be sure to stop by the Post this winter, get your hands & feet warmed up and watch some of the sporting events with us on one of our 4 TV’s – or stop by for a game of pool or shuffleboard!

  A huge thanks goes to all that contribute to our Pull Tab Machine as it enables our Post to make many donations to very important charities throughout the year. Last year we made over $31,000 in donations. The donations were made to places such as the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, Vet Haven, Deborah Hospital Foundation, Special Olympics, Ronald McDonald House, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Susan Koman Fund, Toys for Tots, CHHS West ROTC Fund, CHHS West PTA, Boys State, Project Chili Troops, Twp Memorial Day, CCHS Project Graduation, CH Babe Ruth Team, CH PBA, and Erlton Fire Relief Fund to name a few! Stay tuned for a listing of all the donations made this year in the next issue of the Scoop!

  Speaking of donations, tis the time of year again for the Thanksgiving Food Collection  - please remember to drop off your donations of canned and boxed foods and goodies at the Post lounge as soon as possible.

  Every year the Post also participates in the worthwhile Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” program. Please drop off of new unwrapped toys in the collection box at the Post this holiday.

 The Legions Senior Vice Commander Ernie Brosh will be holding Flag Retirement Ceremonies at the Post on November 10th at 12 Noon.

  Be sure to join us in the upcoming holiday festivities, which include the Holiday Party on December 15th at the Post. The Childrens Party during the day and the Adult Party in the evening. The Ladies have arranged for Beep Beep the Clown and Santa to come to the Childrens Party. The evening adult party will include Music, Dancing, Food and Beer. Look for more information at the Post or the website regarding purchasing tickets for this fun party!

  Some more exciting news is that on December 31st we will be holding a New Years Eve Party at the Post this year! See Tom Wright for details and look for flyers in the canteen soon.

  For those of you that do not frequent the Post on a regular basis, be sure to follow our news and updates on our website at www.alch372.com. If you do not have access to a computer, give us a call at 856-665-3889.

   I hope you all enjoy the upcoming holiday season and hope to see you at the Post and our upcoming parties!

 For God and Country,

Brian Fitzgerald—SAL Commander

SALS MESSAGE Sept/Oct 2007

 Everyone is getting pumped up for Family Day September 22nd from 1-6pm—SAL;s Best Event Every Year—all are welcome! Bring the kids—Games and our famous Clown is sure to please!
Membership ended in July—186 members—third in the state—Thanks to all! Early bird dues are piling up—let’s go for #1 this year.
My friend Richard Sabo passed away August 12th. The SAL’s did a nice ceremony at the funeral at the Grace Episcopal Church in Merchantville. Thanks Tom Wright and Ernie Brosh—Rest in Peace Richie.
The Camden County SALs had a horseshoe tournament at Veterans Haven in Ancora in July. A great time was had by all. They do a great job of getting Vets back on their feet. Please help support this cause. The SALS and Ladies Aux annual Halloween Party is right around the corner on 10/27. Start picking our your costumes now—prizes will be awarded for best costume!

For God & Country,
Brian Fitzgerald

SALS MESSAGE June/July 2007

 Summer is coming fast and so is the Annual
Legion Convention… Looking forward to seeing everyone there...Please participate in the parade (See Tim Viguers to
register).
I’m proud of the turnout at the “Flagging of the Grave’s” last month. It was one of our best turnouts. My thanks to all those that helped out.
Memorial Day ceremonies started at the Legion and ended up at the Cherry Hill Township Building with great success.
The Fourth of July Parade looks like another success so contact Fran Keashen for details. The Sons are looking for more members to reach our goal of 200, so please do all you can to get some new sign-ups.
Special prayer for our departed friend, Tom Fritsche, whom we all miss.
For God and Country,
Brian Fitzgerald
SAL Commander

SALS MESSAGE March / April 2007

 I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our annual St. Patrick’s Day Party on March 17th 7pm—Midnight.
Membership for the SAL’s is going well and we are still shooting for the ultimate goal of 200 members.
Commander Macukewicz gave out Certificates of Appreciation to members for their outstanding contributions—Thank you Robert, Tom, Rich, Fran and Harry—Job well done on recent post transitions.
The Wildwood Convention is on the horizon. See Tim Viguers for marching and being in the parade for 372. See Tom Heinsinger for information about rooms at the Nantucket. June 7-10th

For God and Country,
SAL Commander
Brian Fitzgerald

SAL'S MESSAGE Commander Memorial December 2006

When I first met Mr. Goldy 13 years ago I thought he was a nice guy—but little did I know he would be a great influence in my life and a great friend. He has shown wonderful support to the Sons of the American Legion activities and has made all of us better people by his friendship. Tom, Bob and Darlene always had a good time at the Post home. Bob always had a smile on his face because of his two friends, Tom and Darlene, who took the time to make his life better.

Post 372 will never have a better man in charge.

We will always miss the Goldy’s.

 For God and Country 

Brian Fitzgerald

SAL’s Commander

SAL'S MESSAGE November/December 2006

 Everyone agrees that this year’s Family Day gathering was the best on record so far…Good fun, good food, food weather and great people attending the annual affair which is one of the SAL highlights of the year.

The tremendous turnout for the wood chopping extravaganza was also encouraging, getting bigger ad better every year. We now have enough fireplace wood to hopefully take us in the 2010.

The SALs want all the members to remember other SAL members who are currently fighting illness, suffering injuries or convalescing and keep them in your hand prayers.

Also a salute to the Regular Members and Executive Board of Post #372 who granted a $1,000 contribution to the County Commander for his Special Olympic Fall Fund Drive.

Finally a note of thanks to some Junior SAL members who helped us during the wood cutting day festivities; Richie Doerer; David D”Orazio and Sean Brining…Didn’t we have fun???

Submitted by:

Brian Fitzgerald. Commander &

Fran Keashan, Historian.

SAL'S MESSAGE September/October 2006

Early Bird Dues are beginning to come in and we’re hoping to reach the 200 plus membership distinction for this year.
Everyone please keep Russell Thomas and Tom Viguers in their thoughts and prayers to help them through their present illness and rough times…
Family Day is shaping up as the highlight event of the year set for September 23rd from 1pm to 6pm. Raffles already prepared are a Digital Camera; 150lb Pig, 1500 clams and more surprises. Tickets at the lounge are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the event. Be there!
This year’s Camden Country Commander’s Project is aiding the finances of the Special Olympics. Any donations or financial assistance will be appreciated.
Special thanks to all the Sons in helping with picnic tables, transition of bar expansion and being great men!
Halloween Party is scheduled for October 28th, always a fun time to get together with friends.

For God and Country,
Brian Fitzgerald
SAL’s Commander 

To see archived Messages click here

To contact American Legion Post 372 email Don McDonough at donmac0412@yahoo.com.

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