Winter doldrums melted suddenly as Post 178 came alive with activity in March. The Riders got things started with their Annual 60s & 70s Party followed by the Auxiliary serving traditional St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage lunch/dinner that was especially tender and delicious. The Sons then took the lead hosting a homecoming dinner for newly elected SAL National Commander Mike Moss that included VIP guests Mike Helm, National Commander of The American Legion, and National Auxiliary President Janet Jefford.

The spotlight will again shine on Post 178 as the Sons host the Annual SAL Child Welfare Foundation Banquet on April 11th. This honor has been over a year in the making, and will bring guests from all around the Detachment.

March Madness at 178

Volume 15—Issue #10 alpost178.org April 2015

THE AMERICAN LEGION

1655 Simms Street Post 178 Lakewood, CO

“The Friendly Word” from “The Friendly Post”

The Friendly Post Leaps into Spring

Photos by Sheryl Funakoshi

A fantastic THANK YOU ( in no particular order) to the following volunteers who made National SAL Commander’s Mike Moss’ Friday Night Homecoming Dinner a hugh success; Linda Quinlan, Roni Johnson, Rosie Kunst, Faye Okeneske, Dee

Yurko, Kathy Schwab, Nancy Marshall, Jimmy Gibson, Dave McBrien, Greg Byran, Brad Hall, Wayne McClimans, Doug Powell, Dave Dupree, and Bill Radunz.

One more big dinner coming up. Saturday, April 11th we will be hosting the Annual SAL Child Welfare Ban-quet. Cornish Game Hen is on the menu. Cost is a donation to CWF. Music by Zanty’s. Social hour at 5:00 p,m, and dinner at 6:00 p.m. There also will be a Silent Auction.

Wow! What a month March was! The annual St. Patrick’s Day Lunch/Dinner, the Easter Party, and having National AUX President Janet Jefford at our Post! Fun events are springing up everywhere! I want to say THANK YOU to everyone for helping

out with all these events! You are what make these things fun! We couldn’t have done it without you and all your hard work!!

And now April is upon us! We’ll be nominating officers for the coming year at our next meeting on April 7th at 7:00 p.m. We’ll vote in May. Please think about serving.

Remember Burger Night every Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We can always use your help! There’s a sign-up sheet behind the door in the kitchen.

Another Legion convention will be taking place in Colorado Springs in June. Let me know if you would like more information. Hope to see everyone at the meeting and around the Post!

The 60s & 70s Party was good. Thanks to our sponsors Alynn and Gary Huff-man, Becky and Bruce Earnheart, and Betsy Benton who helped in the kitchen. The menu was pulled pork, baked beans, and potato salad. Boomers made the music. Ron

Nelson provided a bottle of moonshine for the raffle that was won by Gary Huffman. A great time was had by all, but we didn’t get the attendance we were hoping for and had food left over that we donated to the Post for lunch.

Our next meeting will be on 4 April at 10:00 a.m. I would like as many riders to attend as possible to vote on the proposed constitution change.

Our next event will be the Lasagna Dinner on the 18th of April. The Johnson clan will host, so you know it will be good! Hope everyone can come.

Spring has sprung and more days of good riding weather are here. Please be sure you maintain your bikes before getting out on the road.

RideRs RepoRtNick Trujillo

Membership Report 2015 Goal Actual %Legion ......743 .....701 ........94SAL ..........213 .....183 ........82

AdjutAnt’s RepoRtBill Radunz

Need a bereavement set? Call 303-234-0178, put the date on our cal-

ender, call me if you want flags set out. Podium, audio system, projector, screen, food, etc. are your responsibility.

Play is important to our moving forward after something has made us unhappy.

“When you’re depressed, the whole body is depressed and it translates to the cellular level. The first objective is to get your energy up, and you can do it through play. It’s one of the most powerful ways of breaking up hopelessness and bringing energy into your situation.” — O. Carl Simonton

“Every area of trouble gives out a ray of hope, and the one unchangeable certainty is that noth-ing is certain or unchangeable.” — John F. Kennedy

ChAplAin’s RepoRtWayne McClimans

AuxiliARy RepoRtCarol Conway

Please pray for members and families.

Final Roll CallRichard Rance—Vietnam—Army

John M. Bridges—Vietnam—NavyGerald D. Ivy—WWII—Navy—1/29/2015

Sick Bay Les Hayes—recovering from broken leg.

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Our Friday night Joker Poker Raffle has been generating lot’s of excitement. Un-believably, our 53-card raffle has gone the full 53 weeks. A full report will be given next month.

We’ve tweaked the rules for our next Joker Poker by seeding the game with $1500. We’ll also pay higher consolation money for any non-joker card selected. The new rules are posted in the lounge. The initial draw-ing for our next Joker Poker will be April 3 at 6:00 p.m.

This past month Dick Moore and Greg Peterson volunteered to swap out the recently installed 50-gallon water heater for a 75-gallon unit. The larger capacity heater was necessary because the smaller one could not keep up when the kitchen is very busy. Thanks to both of you. If anyone needs a new 50-gallon heater please see me and make an offer.

I also want to thank Pete Zuniga for again cleaning and polishing the back hall floor. Pete had the floor look-ing great for the recent visits by Legion National Com-manders on the 20th.

Between April 13 and 16 there will be no access to the back hall or back yard so a group of our Legion Rid-ers can sand and refinish the hardwood floor.

The Homecoming Dinner for new SAL National Commander Mike Moss was a big success.

Our volunteers prepared and served 188 dinners to guests. National officers from The American Legion greeted everyone who attended. Music by Zanty’s kept everyone going.

We’ll do it all over again next month on April 11th when we host the Annual SAL Child Welfare Dinner. Any contribution to CWF gets admission for dinner and dancing to Zanty’s. This important event will again bring visitors from many other American Legion Posts to ours. A good turn out from Post 178 members would be greatly appreciated to recognize the Son’s most important annual fund raising effort.

Dewey Finds Friends at 178Dewey Fries celebrated his 92nd birthday March 19th with friends at Post

178. The Bayard, Nebraska native worked in the sugar beet fields as a youth and was a Navy gunner aboard Merchant Marine ships during WWII, from November 1942 to September 1945. His awards include a Combat Action Ribbon.

He joined the U.S. Air Force in January 1947 and served through March 1964 in Ja-pan and England. Called up in June 1967, he served again until June 1969 loading F-100s, F-86s, and B-47s with nuclear bombs and

other material. He followed his military career as a GS-11 Training Office & Safety Instructor with the Civil Service at Lowery AFB.

After retiring in 1978, Dewey and his wife Elsie traveled between several National Parks in their RV. When Elsie passed away in 2011, after 62 years of mar-riage, Dewey joined Post 178. He has 3 daughters, 4 grandchil-dren, 4 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild.

WelcomeNew MeMbers

Lisa Simmons—Gulf—NavyJohn T. Reed—WWII—Army

Richard J. Molinari—Gulf—Air ForceTodd Elsen—SAL

Jack Howell—SAL (Dual Member)TraNsfers

Stan Moore—Vietnam—ArmyGary D. Jalbert—Vietnam—Army

Keith J. Hedlund—Vietnam—ArmyFred Griffin—SAL

Business RepoRtBob Heer

sAl RepoRtDave McBrien

More March Madness

Barbara Bunting, Commander............ 303-234-0178 commander178@comcast.net

Bill Radunz, Adjutant ........................... 303-995-2663 bradunz@msn.com

Wayne McClimans, Chaplain .............. 303-279-6712Carol Conway, Auxiliary President ...... 970-275-2891

snoopypls2@yahoo.comMickey West, Auxiliary Chaplain ......... 303-238-0039Dave McBrien, SAL Commander ........ 720-621-8791Rob Dynes, SAL Chaplain ................... 303-887-3723Nick Trujillo, Riders President............. 303-763-9510

sgmnickt@q.comDave Dupree, Newsletter Publisher..... 303-238-9723

dave_dupree@q.comBob Heer, Post Manager ..................... 303-234-0178

alpost178@comcast.netLounge and Dining ............................. 303-232-4041

Lounge Hours* Mon.—Thurs. 11:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight Fri. 11:00 AM to 2:00 AM Sat.—Sun. 9:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight

*Bartenders may close earlier on slow nights.Newsletter BaNNer Photo By Beth hall

THE AMERICAN LEGION1655 Simms Street Post 178 Lakewood, CO 80215

Photos by Sheryl Funakoshi and Dave Dupree

Left: Post 178 Chaplain Wayne

McClimans, National Auxiliary President Janet Jefford, National SAL Commander Mike Moss, and National Com-mander of The

American Legion Mike Helm.

bulleTiN board

$6 PANCAKES ALL YOU CAN EAT

Fund RaiserSunday April 12

9 AM — NoonHelping Youths Hold Steady, Aim Higher

Junior

Regular Menu Available

CWF BanquetSaturday, April 11 at 5 PM

Cornish Game HenSilent Auction Zanty’s Band

JOKER POKER6 PM

FRIDAYS

Riders Lasagna Dinner

April 18, 4 — 7 PM