Director: You say you want a constitution …

Hello, Legion Family!

The last weekend of July the American Legion Riders rode to raise money for all Minnesota Veterans in need as we visited Legion posts and veterans homes in southern Minnesota. We were able to visit and tour two new veterans homes in Montevideo and Preston. We also stopped and visited with residents at the Hastings Veterans Home. We raised over $37,000. Thank you, Riders and Legion Family members!

The Minnesota American Legion Riders have been operating from an SOP (standard operating procedure), and we now are working to approve the Minnesota American Legion Riders Constitution & Bylaws.

During the Department Convention in the middle of July, the American Legion Riders voted to approve its Constitution & Bylaws; however, it must be ratified by the American Legion Department Executive Committee. The DEC tabled the vote to give DEC members time to look it over.

They requested we add in a line regarding our budget being presented to the Legion DEC; the SAL also has this line in its Constitution & Bylaws. Due to this request, the American Legion Riders will meet again at the Romp in September and vote on the revised Constitution & Bylaws, which will be presented to the DEC right before the Fall Conference in October.

If you would like a copy, please contact myself (jodyhassing@gmail.com) or Secretary Shawn Davis (secretary@mnalr.org), and we will send you a copy for your chapter to review and vote on. All are welcome and encouraged to attend the MNALR Romp and meeting. We look forward to hearing and seeing everyone.

Please remember all motions must originate from one of the district representatives or MNALR department officers and only those same individuals are allowed to vote.

Another topic of discussion during the MNALR Department Convention was the third patch or lower rocker that many of the older chapters in Minnesota are wearing.  We are beginning to receive a lot of flack from motorcycle clubs (better known as MCs) around the state regarding this lower rocker. The Riders have been asked to remove the lower rocker by several of the MCs.

For the safety of all, we are requesting that chapters with the lower rocker remove it. I want to thank John Weiss, 4th District representative, for already sending this request to the chapters in the 4th District.

The National Mission Run will be hosted by Slayton American Legion Riders on Aug. 17. The run will begin in Brewster and end in Pipestone. The closest hotels to the beginning point are in Worthington.

If you would like assistance setting up a chapter at your post, please let me or your district American Legion Riders representative know so we can help you get things going. If you are interested in having me talk to your chapter or district or attend one of your meetings or events, please contact me I would love to see what you are all doing.

God bless and keep the rubber side down.

Jody Hassing of Bloomington Unit 550 is the director of the Minnesota American Legion Riders.