Newsletter # 85
August 10, 2004
THE AMERICAN
LEGION
“STILL SERVING”
Master
Sergeant Mario Enrique Gonzales Acker
Guatemala
Post # 2
Antigua Guatemala
Founded
July 19, 1997
Meetings 1st Tuesday of the Month Mail: Codigo A-178
Restaurant “Personajes” 1:00 P.M. P.O. Box 669004
6 Avenida Norte # 6 Miami Springs Fl. 33266
Antigua Guatemala E-Mail American_legion2@conexion.com.gt
Telephone 011-502-832-1018 Cellular 011-502-494-1560
Membership
Dues Notices from National Headquarters
National Headquarters is the Last link in the
chain
Every year the same process takes place. You mail a check to our Miami Springs address and we batch them together and forward them to the Department of Mexico adjutant. The Department of Mexico adjutant then batches them together with the other 23 posts and then forwards them to National Headquarters. In the interim National sends out reminders to you to pay your dues. Please be patient as the postal systems between you and Miami, Miami and Guatemala, Guatemala and Mexico and Mexico and the National Headquarters are less than perfect.
The 2005 membership cards are here and its time to pay your dues for the year January 1, 2005 through December 31st 2005. We currently have 67 members paid for 2005 putting us 46% of our goal of 145 members. Please welcome to the post James A. Simmons a U.S. Army Viet-nam veteran looking to relocate to the Antigua area, Richard H. Dupont a U.S. Navy Vietnam era veteran from Alaska and Richard “Sunny” Farrand a U.S. Air Force Viet-Nam Veteran from San Diego California. Please make out all dues checks for 2005 in the amount of $20.00 (we keep as low as possible so we may serve as many veterans as possible) and mail to “The American Legion”, Codigo A-178, P.O. Box 669004, Miami Springs Fl. 33266. Please write in the remarks section of your check “dues 2005”. For those who wish to pay up for life the following rates apply. You must be a member in good standing (paid for 2004) in order to take advantage of the paid up for life membership. See Bill for the proper application; charge cards are acceptable forms of payment for Paid-up-for-life status.
AMERICAN
LEGION POSTS IN LATIN AMERICA, POST NUMBERS, LOCATIONS, CLOSING MEMBERSHIP FOR
2004, GOALS FOR 2005 AND CURRENT MEMBERSHIP AS RECORDED WITH THE DEPARTMENT
ADJUTANT.
|
Post |
Location |
2004 TOTAL |
2005 GOAL |
PUFL'S |
7/30/04 |
% Of Goal |
|
CR-10 |
San Jose, Costa Rica |
51 |
56 |
19 |
19 |
33.93% |
|
CR-12 |
Golfito, Costa Rica |
11 |
12 |
4 |
14 |
116.67% |
|
CR-16 |
Heredia, Costa Rica |
36 |
40 |
8 |
14 |
35.00% |
|
ES-01 |
San Salvador, El
Salvador |
26 |
29 |
0 |
0 |
0.00% |
|
GT-01 |
Guatemala, Guatemala |
62 |
68 |
3 |
21 |
30.88% |
|
GT-02 |
Antigua, Guatemala |
132 |
145 |
12 |
12 |
8.28% |
|
MX-01 |
Tampico Mexico
(holding post) |
0 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
10.00% |
|
MX-02 |
Mexico City, Mexico |
106 |
116 |
26 |
26 |
22.41% |
|
MX-03 |
Guadalajara, Mexico |
121 |
133 |
25 |
34 |
25.56% |
|
MX-04 |
Acapulco, Mexico |
84 |
92 |
8 |
22 |
23.91% |
|
MX-05 |
Monterrey, Mexico |
28 |
31 |
3 |
3 |
9.68% |
|
MX-06 |
San Miguel Allende,
Mexico |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
33.33% |
|
MX-07 |
Chapala, Jalisco,
Mexico |
224 |
246 |
13 |
27 |
10.98% |
|
MX-08 |
San Miguel Allende,
Mexico |
42 |
46 |
2 |
2 |
4.35% |
|
MX-09 |
Ajijic, Jalisco,
Mexico |
13 |
14 |
5 |
5 |
35.71% |
|
MX-10 |
Cuernavaca, Mexico |
7 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
12.50% |
|
MX-11 |
Mazatlan, Sinaloa,
Mexico |
30 |
33 |
5 |
7 |
21.21% |
|
MX-12 |
Guadalajara, Mexico |
3 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0.00% |
|
MX-14 |
Puerta Viarta, Mexico |
30 |
33 |
0 |
0 |
0.00% |
|
MX-15 |
Rocky Point, Mexico |
69 |
76 |
1 |
1 |
1.32% |
|
MX-18 |
Mexico City, Mexico |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
25.00% |
|
NI-01 |
Granada, Nicaragua |
25 |
28 |
0 |
0 |
0.00% |
|
PC-01 |
Balboa, Panama |
83 |
91 |
67 |
67 |
73.63% |
|
PC-02 |
Panama City, Panama |
36 |
40 |
0 |
0 |
0.00% |
|
Totals |
|
1224 |
1358 |
204 |
278 |
20.47% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From the information
received from the Department adjutant it appears that Golfito Costa Rica Post
CR-12 has already exceeded it’s goal for 2005. This indicates a great potential
for CR-12 and we wish them a banner year.
NOVEMBER
2, 2004 GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!!!!
From the e-mail I have been
getting it is rather certain that this upcoming election has every ones
interest. The question is does the volumes of e-mail represent the potential
Vote?? That is, many people are all worked up from the extreme left to the
extreme right but will they go to the polls??? It is every United States
citizens right, privilege and responsibility to vote. Don’t just sit there and
send e-mails, get ready to vote. For us living here in Guatemala and other
foreign countries we should go to www.fvap.gov
click on “publications and Forms” look up the State where you last voted and
find how and when to submit your absentee ballot. Some states require you to
submit them up to 2 months before the election. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????
For our locals who are reading this, voter registration forms
will be distributed at the meeting and available at the post library.
Our
Policy in regard to e-mail and the net
Guatemala Post # 2 does not
send attachments; all of our e-mail is “embodied”. We do not forward
jokes or political information. The American Legion Guatemala Post # 2 is not a
forum for anyone’s political or religious views. Our organization is made up of
members of every possible religion and all political parties. We respect those
differences and support their adherence to their beliefs.
Dr.
George H. Boyce Memorial Scholarship Program
Selecting the child is the easy part turning other applicants
away is the most difficult. For this program we collect donations over the year
and when we reach the magic number of $2600.00 U.S. we then have enough funds
for 8 years of education. We have been able to enter 12 children in the past 6
years and hopefully through generous benefactors we will continue to place
children who otherwise would be field hands in this coffee growing country. The
price of coffee has fallen through the floor and many people are unemployed in
Guatemala. Anyone wishing to donate to this project, please make your check out
to “The American Legion” and in the remarks section write “scholarship
program”. A little side bar comment, in regards to our scholarship program and
illegal immigration. A person educated in the better schools of Guatemala is
more likely to stay here in their own country, as they now have become part of
the economy of their home country. Better jobs are open for these individuals
as they have the skills so necessary to participate.
The
Stephen Skelton Memorial Library
The
American Legion, Guatemala Post # 2
4th
Avenida Sur # 21 (between 8th and 9th Calles)
Next
door to the Hotel San Jorge
The library is open 7 days a week, from 11:00a.m. to
3:00p.m. Sunday through Friday, with extended hours on Saturday of 9:00a.m.
till 5:00p.m.The staff is totally made up of volunteers from the community and we
appreciate their wonderful work. As more volunteers come aboard we will be
extending the daily hours to accommodate those people wishing to use the
library. We currently have over 50 videos as well as over 7,000 books 1,000 of
which are in the Spanish Language. Annual membership is currently available at
$10.00 for an individual and $15.00 for families. A special thank you to Elise Patterson for placing the library
information the United States Embassy newsletter. The results of this has
increased our membership and our available books. Thanks also to the employees
of the U.S. Agency for International
Development for their donation of books and magazines that were
delivered by John Barrett of the American Citizens Service office. We will be
forming a work party in the next week to help re-organize the shelving and
books. Anyone interested in giving us a hand please contact Milo at 831-0609 or
Bill at 494-1560.
Nido
Jesus Nino Orphanage
The Sisters continue to
express their gratitude to our members and friends for their wonderful
generosity. For over five years we have donated milk, clothing, computers,
vehicles and that all important commodity cash. The real gratitude of course
goes to the two Nuns who have dedicated their lives so that these children have
a happy and warm family atmosphere in which they thrive. Many people have
offered to ship clothing and other items to Guatemala for the 23 children
currently housed at the orphanage. The cost of receiving such packages is truly
prohibitive and the trip to Guatemala City is just as problematic. The post
maintains a separate fund solely for the needs of the orphanage that may not be
used for any other purpose. The orphanage has a web site at http://www.casadeangeles.org
. e-mail may be sent to nidojesusnino@conexion.com.gt
the sisters only speak Spanish.
Our
Policy in regard to e-mail and the net
Guatemala Post # 2 does not
send attachments; all of our e-mail is “embodied”. We do not
forward jokes or political information. The American Legion Guatemala Post # 2
is not a forum for anyone’s political or religious views. Our organization is
made up of members of every possible religion and all political parties. We
respect those differences and support their adherence to their beliefs.
Guatemala
Post # 2 Officers
Each one of our elected
officers has taken the position to serve veterans and the community, please
feel free to call upon them whenever you feel the necessity.
Commander--------William J.
Shetz-011-502-832-1018---- american_legion2@conexion.com.gt
Vice-Commander--Jerry
Lightel-----011-502-832-5289---- jjlgua@yahoo.com
Service Officer-----Milo
Vukovich--011-502-831-0609---- mvuko68@aol.com
Judge Advocate----Jerry
Williams---011-502-832-3555---- hjwnofun@conexion.com.gt
Sergeant-at-arms---James
Gibbs-----011-502-832-3629---- ochodemarzo75@hotmail.com
Entertainment
and Activities
SUNSHINETENANGO( A U.S.
REGISTERED NGO)
WILL
BE HOLDING ITS BI-ANNUAL GARAGE SALE ON
SATURDAY
AUGUST 14, 2004 FROM 10:00 A.M. TILL 4:00 P.M
AT
7 AVENIDA NORTE # 25
PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF CUSTOM DESIGNED TIPICA AND
DONATED CLOTHING WILL HELP PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO
CHILDREN
Geronimo
Restaurant and cocktails
Is open at 7th
Avenida between 4th and 5th Calles and Jerrry is now
selling those famous Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwiches.
Unfurnished house for rent 2 bedroom 2-bath in Antigua $350.00 contact
Luis at 403-6750
Furnished House for rent 2 bedroom, hot tub 1 1/2 bath, garage, hot tub
contact Leslie at 410-0372
Our socials are open to all
who wish to attend so bring a friend to our twice-monthly dinners and our
weekly Sunday breakfasts. This months dinners are as follows.
Wednesday 6:30 P.M. August 11, 2004 “El Punto” 7a
Avenida Norte west side just above the 4th calle.
Wednesday 6:00 P.M. August
25, 2004 at “Restaurante Ponchoy” 6a Avenida norte # 14.
Sunday breakfasts are
spontaneous as to the location please call 494-1560 at 8:00a.m.
William J. Shetz /Editor, post Commander / Department of Mexico 2nd
vice Commander, Chef de Gare Voiture Local #1624
