Commander’s Message By: Kurt Lepinski

Auxiliary President By: Lynne Weaver

I am now officially the President of the Ladies Auxiliary, Unit #134. Sunday, October 21st, was my installation. Many friends and family were present to see me receive the Ladies Auxiliary Gavel from Past President Myrna Smith. My granddaughter, Kelsey Franz, presented me with a rose up on stage. A wonderful dinner of steak and chicken was provided by Kappy’s Restaurant, in Morton Grove, Illinois.

I spent Thursday evening with the Veterans at Jessie Brown playing Bingo. Donna Hedrick and Tom Stockenberg were also in attendance. We gave away money to the Bingo winners and long sleeve T-Shirts for raffle prizes.

I attended the Legion Executive meeting on Monday, October 22nd, and gave my report.

I will be helping with the Morton Grove Park District Halloween Party, this coming Saturday, afternoon and evening. The Post donated the money to buy the candy for the children, and some Ladies Auxiliary members will be present to help with the games.

Our meeting took place on October 9th, with discussion spent mostly on membership.

We are now collecting dues for the year 2012-2013 and any Ladies Auxiliary members out there who has not paid their dues would you please do so as soon as possible.

Until next time, Happy Halloween!!!

Commander's Message By Kurt Lepinski

Fellow Legionnaires, By the time many of you read this, the presidential election will be over. I hope you took the time to vote. In October, we had Oktoberfest and the Post Installation, at which I enjoyed seeing many Post members having a good time. We also helped at the annual Park District Halloween event. November is a busy month, starting with our Post Veterans Day Celebration as well as the 237th USMC Birthday on November, 10th. PC Ken Trumbull and the Post Vice Commanders will be conducting a BBQ. Come on out for some excellent food and camaraderie. Our Veterans Day Parade will actually be on Veterans Day this year. We hope to have some additional guests marching with us this year. We will be marching from the Post to the Morton Grove Library as usual. Please stop and participate as we remember the sacrifices made by our fellow Veterans. Ron Daum has a Social Night planned for November 16th and I'm sure the food and fellowship will be good. At the November Post meeting we will pass the hat for Toys-For-Tots. Please donate or bring a new, unwrapped toy in its original packaging (no stuffed toys or parts small enough for a toddler to swallow). On Thanksgiving Day, the Post will be hosting Navy recruits from Great Lakes. Be sure to stop by and show them we appreciate their service. Casey Bachara and team have been working on this event since last year's event. Remember to RSVP for those events requiring it. Hope to see you at these events! Kurt Lepinski Post 134 Commander Kurt Lepinski Post 134 Commander

On Thanksgiving Day Nov. 22, 2012, Post 134 will be sponsoring their 6th annual Thanksgiving Day dinner for the Navy Recruits. Each year the Post betters itself from the previous year. The event usually starts any time after 8 a.m. and continues until 4-4:30 p.m. Anyone who wishes to stop by and greet the Recruits is welcome. Also anyone wishing to volunteer or donate/bake something for the sweet table is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, call:

Casey Bachara 847-299-3613 or Joe Gesicki 847-966-4889

If you wish to make a monetary donation toward this worthy event, please make checks payable to:

Thanksgiving Committee American Legion Post 134. The address is: 6144 Dempster St., Morton Grove, IL. 60053.

Thank you, Thanksgiving Committee Chairman Casey Bachara

Friday Social Night

Upstairs Annex Room November 16, 2012, 5:30 pm

$8.00 a person

We will be serving Sloppy Joes, potato salad, coleslaw, veggies, pickles & dessert.

Please RSVP with Ron Daum (773) 625-2898 by Nov. 13, 2012.

VETERAN’S DAY CELEBRATION Saturday, November 10, 2012, 4:00 pm

$5.00 donation We will celebrate Veteran’s Day with a barbeque. We will be serving hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, polishes and potato salad. We will have a cake to celebrate the U. S. Marine Corps 237th birthday.

November, 2012 Nov 4 SAL Chili Tasting 11:30 am Nov 5 Corporation Meeting 7:30 pm Nov 7 7th District Auxiliary 7:00 pm Nov 8 Rifle Squad Meeting 7:30 pm Nov 10 Veteran’s Day Celebration 3:00 pm USMC Birthday Nov 11 Veteran’s Day Parade 1:30 pm Nov 12 Executive Board Meeting 7:30 pm Nov 13 Unit 134 Auxiliary Meeting 7:00 pm Nov 15 Post 134 Meeting 7:30 pm Nov 16 Friday Social Night 5:30 pm Nov 21 7th District 684 @ 134 7:30 pm

December, 2012 Dec 5 7th District Auxiliary 7:00 pm Dec 7 Pearl Harbor Day Dec 10 Corporation Meeting 7:30 pm Dec 11 Unit 134 Auxiliary Meeting 7:00 pm Dec 13 Rifle Squad Meeting 7:30 pm Dec 15 Holiday Party Dec 17 Executive Board Meeting 7:30 pm Dec 19 7th District 320 @ 134 7:00 pm Dec 20 Post 134 Meeting 7:30 pm Dec 31 New Year’s Eve Party 8:00 pm

Gun Range Bill Smith

We are still waiting for the insurance company and the Village to sit down and talk. We have new plans they need to review and either turn down or suggest revisions. We have a contractor to do the work per the plans and his estimate is $17,500 give or take. The Corporation will contribute $6,000 and the Gun Club will make up the difference by selling assets. I will be glad to answer questions at Bwana17@aol.com.

Gone but not Forgotten Mickey McCarthy went to Post Everlasting on October 21, 2012.

POST 134 Minutes from October 25, 2012 Meeting Finance Report, PC Joe Hedrick Finance Report accepted subject to audit. Commander, Kurt Lepinski I encourage everyone to go and vote early. November is a busy month. We have the SAL Chili Tasting on November 4th, the Veteran’s Day Barbeque on Sat., November 10th, the Veteran’s Day Parade on Sun., November 11th and the Thanksgiving Dinner for the Navy Recruits on November 22nd. Sr. Vice Commander, Joe Lampert We have 361 paid members which puts us at 48.85%. Goal this year is 739. 1st Jr. Vice Commander, Ray Ariaz Everything is coming together for the Thanksgiving with the Recruits. 2nd Jr. Vice Commander, Shawn Hoffmann Chicken cordon bleu, rice, veggies and pie were served at the Post meeting. Adjutant, PC Ken Trumbull No report. Americanism, report read by Kurt Lepinski Jac was out of town today. Information was handed out to members about Avon’s support the troops initiative. Presentation by Jan and Kurt Lepinski at the Eagle Scout project of Daniel Pietrzyk. This was a flag disposal ceremony held at Notre Dame HS on Saturday, 10/20. Flags were put at half-staff due to the death of Senator Arlen Specter (PA). One full box unusable American flags taken to Haben Funeral Home for cremation. Auxiliary, Lynne Weaver We had our Joint Post Installation on Sunday and now it’s official: I am the Auxiliary President. Donna Hedrick, Tom Stockenberg and myself went to Jessie Brown VA for bingo this month and handed out long sleeved tee shirts for raffle prizes.. I thanked the Post for giving the Auxiliary a $6,000.00 check which funds our visits to the VA hospitals for the year. Auxiliary gave the Post $300.00 to help with the cost of the Joint Installation. Awards, PC Don Stotz Please submit a resume to PC Don Stotz for a deserving post member to be awarded an Honorary Life Membership to the post. The resumes will be considered by a board of members and awarded in May 2013. Children & Youth, PC Jan Lepinski We will send $100.00 to KODA for 15 children who are in need of transplants. Next month we will start our collection for Toys for Tots. We have $950.00 and a member donated $50.00 at the meeting. Community Service, PC Joe Piento No report. Corporation, PC Ken Trumbull We have asked the Trust Committee to give $6,000.00 to help with the Gun Range expenses. We had members come to the Post for Basset Training, but apparently it was cancelled and we were not notified. We are in need of more bartenders. Please see the Bar Chairman, Joe Lampert if you are interested. Community Service, PC Joe Piento No report. Parade Chairman, PC David Lee The Parade will go on as usual with assembly at Post 134 Legion at 12:30 and step off time will be 1:30 pm. Parade will go down Georgiana and end up at the Morton Grove Library.

Park District Liaison, PC Jerry Weaver Village Halloween Family Fest will be at 4:00 pm on October 27, 2012. If you want to volunteer, contact PC Jerry Weaver (847) 673-3914. Rifle Squad, Ed Kilb The Rifle Squad will participate in the Veteran’s Day Parade. We will assemble at the Post at 12:30 and step off will be at 1:30. We will march to the Morton Grove Library. The Auxiliary will help with refreshments for the Scouts and their will be light refreshments for the Legion at the Post. SAL, report read by Kurt Lepinski Mathew handed in a written report. Mathew is studying for an important licensing exam he has this week. SAL cancelled their meeting on Sunday, Oct. 21st due to most of the officers being unable to attend because of out of town travel. It has not yet been rescheduled. SAL will still have their chili tasting in Club 134 on Sunday, November 4, 2012. Any SAL member can enter a chili into the contest but they have to be a paid up member of the SAL. If anyone wants to enter a chili in the contest contact Jerry Coursey. SAL has still not met with Donna Hedrick mostly because Donna was busy the first half of the month and I have been busy the second half trying to prepare for my upcoming exam. SAL would like to donate a TV to replace the old television above the bar. Service Officer, PC Don Stotz PC Ken Trumbull was at Hines for surgery this month. PC Ron Daum also had his gall bladder removed. Both Past Commanders are doing well. Mickey McCarthy passed away on October 21, 2012. Social Night, PC Ron Daum Next Social Night will be November 16th at 5:30 pm, $8.00 a person. We will serve sloppy joes, potato salad, cole slaw, pickles and dessert. VA& R, PC Ken Trumbull We will have our annual raffle for Veteran’s Day. Members will receive a letter and tickets in the mail next week. We will have our Veteran’s Day Celebration will be on Sat., November 10 with a barbeque. We will also celebrate the Marine Corps 237th birthday with a cake at the barbeque. Village Liaison, PC Joe Hedrick The estimate for the Gun Range has been finalized and presented to the Village Administrators. We will meet with the Village hopefully in a few days. The Veteran’s Day Parade is all set up with IDOT and the Village. Old Business No report. New Business We have a new member, Ed Massart who in the Army. Ed was sworn in at the meeting. For the Good of the Legion Joe Lampert, 7th District Vice Commander said the 7th District will have their Annual Turkey Raffle. Tickets are 6 for $5.00 or 1 for $1.00. Drawing will be at 7th District meeting on Nov. 21 at 7:30 pm. See Joe Lampert if you want to purchase tickets. Pot of Gold PC Don Stotz won $183.00 in the Pot of Gold drawing.