HOW TO OPERATE YOUR POST

BUTCH SPARKS, PAST STATE COMMANDERKILLEEN, TX JULY 27, 2013

OVERVIEW

• MISSION• RESOURCES• BUSINESS PLAN• IMPLEMENTATION• DOCUMENTATION

POST’S MISSION

TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND SERVICE TO OUR VETERANS, ACTIVE DUTY, THEIR FAMILIES AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY

NEEDED RESOURCES

• MEMBERS• PLACE TO MEET• CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS• DEDICATED & TRAINED OFFICERS &

COMMITTEES• FUNDS• AVAILABLE MANUALS, HANDOUTS,

GUIDELINES, ETC. AVAILABLE FROM DEPARTMENT

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 1)

• ELECT KNOWLEDGEABLE POST OFFICERS• INITIATE CERTIFICATION OF OFFICERS• INITIATE POST AUDIT• HAVE INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 1 cont’d)

• UPDATE AND/OR DEVELOP POST CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

• REVIEW/UPDATE POST RECORDS AND GET NEWEST MATERIAL FROM DEPARTMENT

• ESTABLISH POST GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE MEMBERSHIP YEAR (JULY-JUNE)

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 2)

• CALL AN EARLY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF ALL NEWLY ELECTED & APPOINTED OFFICERS

• INVITE OUTGOING COMMANDER & ADJUTANT AND OTHER INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS

• INVITE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS• INVITE AUXILIARY, S.A.L., & RIDER OFFICERS

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 2 AGENDA)

– BUDGET• OLD, AND POSSIBLY NEW SOURCES OF INCOME• ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES• POSSIBLE METHODS OF FINANCING SELECTED

PROGRAMS WITH OTHER THAN POST FUNDS– ASSIGNMENTS

• OUTLINE DUTIES OF ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICERS

• ESTABLISH TRAINING PROTOCOLS FOR OFFICERS

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 2 AGENDA)(cont’d)

– DISCUSS INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS & COMMITTEES IN POST TO DETERMINE THE FOLLOWING• QUALIFICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR

COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND MEMBERS• ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS• POSSIBLE NEW PROGRAMS• PROGRAMS OF RECOGNITION & SERVICE TO

ALL VETERANS

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 3)

• POST COMMANDER ACTIVATE COMMITTEES– SELECT CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF EACH

POST COMMITTEE– MAKE PERSONAL CONTACT WITH EACH CHAIR TO

DETERMINE WILLINGNESS TO SERVE– ARRANGE MEETING OF COMMITTEES TO

FORMULATE PROGRAMS

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 3)(cont’d)

– INSTRUCT CHAIR AS TO PROGRAMS, AVAILABLE MATERIAL, POST REPORTS, ETC.

– BUILD TIMETABLE FOR EACH COMMITTEE TO FIT INTO THE OVERALL POST CALENDAR

– ADD A YOUNGER MEMBER TO THE COMMITTEES

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 4)

• ESTABLISH AND PUBLISH A POST CALENDAR IN COOPERATION WITH THE AUXILIARY, S.A.L, RIDERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS– THE ANNUAL PROJECTED CALENDAR SHOULD BE

DONE BY MONTH STARTING WITH AUGUST AND INCLUDE:

• POST ACTIVITIES• AUXILIARY ACTIVITIES• S.A.L. ACTIVITIES• RIDERS ACTIVITIES

POST BUSINESS PLAN(STEP 4 POST CALENDAR)(cont’d)

• ITEMS FROM THE POST ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT

• POST COMMITTEE SPONSORED EVENTS• COMMUNITY SCHEDULED EVENTS• DIVISION SCHEDULED EVENTS• DEPARTMENT SCHEDULED EVENTS• TRAINING SCHEDULES

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• COMMANDER’S 1ST POST MEETING– WILL SET THE PATTERN FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR– WORK CLOSELY WITH ADJUTANT, OFFICERS AND

COMMITTEE HEADS– HAVE WELCOME COMMITTEE GREET ALL

MEMBERS ATTENDING THE MEETING

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• COMMANDER’S 1ST POST MEETING (cont’d)– CONDUCT A FORMAL MEETING – COMMITTEE REPORTS SHOULD BE WRITTEN,

BRIEF & TO THE POINT– GO OVER POST GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR

THE UPCOMING YEAR WITH THE MEMBERSHIP– CONSIDER HAVING A GUEST SPEAKER AT SOME OR

ALL OF POST MEETINGS TO BRIEF SOME PHASE OF THE LEGION

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• FORMULATE INSTRUCTION TO POST OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS ON PROCEDURES FOR KEEPING PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR AND EDITOR OF YOUR NEWSLETTER, COMMUNITY PAPER, ETC., INFORMED

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• PLAN FOR A BETTER INFORMED MEMBERSHIP– HAVE TALKS OR TRAINING AT ALL POST MEETINGS– GIVE ALL MEMBERS A JOB– ENCOURAGE ENROLLMENT/COMPLETION OF THE

AMERICAN LEGION EXTENSION INSTITUTE COURSE

– PASS ON INFORMATION

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• PLAN FOR A BETTER INFORMED MEMBERSHIP (cont’d)– DEVELOP A MONTHLY POST NEWSLETTER,

BULLETIN OR WEBSITE– ACQUAINT ACTIVE MEMBERS WITH VETERAN

BENEFITS

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• APPOINT COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR PATRIOTIC OBSERVANCES– WORK WITH STANDING COMMITTEES; INCLUDE

YOUNGER MEMBERS– WORK WITH COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN

RECOGNITION OF OUR ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL, AS WELL AS ALL VETRANS

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• GIVE PROPER CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE– AWARDS AND CITATIONS– THANK YOU NOTES– CREDIT AT MEETINGS

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• ENCOURAGE LEGIONNAIRES TO VOICE THEIR INPUT BY ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING IN MEETINGS AT POST, DISTRICT, DIVISION, DEPARTMENT, OR NATIONAL

• ENCOURAGE ATTENDANCE AT CONVENTIONS, AND CONFERENCES

• ENCOURAGE ATTENDANCE AT TRAINING VENUES

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• FOLLOW STANDARD PROCEDURES AND SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR

• KEEP POST MEETINGS PLANNED ONE TO THREE MONTHS IN ADVANCE

• SOCIAL ACTIVITIES THREE TO SIX MONTHS IN ADVANCE

DOCUMENTING RESULTS

• LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IT IS VITAL THAT POSTS COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE CONSOLIDATED POST REPORT DOCUMENTING THE POST ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR

REVIEW

• MISSION• RESOURCES• BUSINESS PLAN• IMPLEMENTATION• DOCUMENTATION

QUESTIONS?