Commander: Know the facts about district merger discussions
After viewing the 6th District Executive Committee meeting held on Jan. 11, I believe it is necessary to correct several inaccurate statements made regarding both the Department of Minnesota’s Ad-Hoc Redistricting Committee and the ongoing discussions involving the potential merger of the 4th and 5th districts.
4th-and-5th-district-merger discussion
The 4th and 5th districts have been engaged in discussions regarding a potential merger for more than three years. During the meeting, a statement was made suggesting that the 4th District “spent all of their money” and is now seeking to merge with the 5th District in order to access or utilize the 5th District’s funds. That statement is inaccurate.
For clarification, the initial outreach to discuss a potential merger came from the leadership of the 5th District to the leadership of the 4th District. The motivation for these discussions was not financial in nature. Rather, the primary concern expressed by the 5th District was difficulty in consistently filling district leadership positions and maintaining operational continuity challenges that the 4th District was not experiencing. Additionally, both districts remain financially stable and well-positioned.
Here is a PDF map of the Minnesota districts.
Department Ad-Hoc Redistricting Committee
It is also important to clarify that the Department of Minnesota’s Ad-Hoc Redistricting Committee was not created in response to potential merger discussions between the 4th and 5th districts. The committee was established by the department commander with no intent to focus on, target, or prioritize any particular districts, including the 4th or 5th District.
The Ad-Hoc Redistricting Committee was formed with the following mandates:
- To review the current boundaries of the ten districts within The American Legion Department of Minnesota.
- To determine whether the districts should be realigned in order to improve district effectiveness.
- To evaluate how many districts should exist within the Department of Minnesota to best carry out the mission of the organization.
- To assess whether the current district boundaries effectively support the mission of the Department of Minnesota.
This was printed in the December 2025 Legionnaire. As reflected in these mandates, there is no mention of the 4th and 5th districts, nor any directive connecting the redistricting effort to the potential merger discussion.
These committee members acknowledged that anything coming out other than “leave it alone as is” would create numerous and swift reactions. But they also realized that doing nothing only kicks the can down the road. At some point, some changes may be necessary. They are doing their business while trying not to play favorites with any district.
Encouragement for accurate information
I would encourage those interested in this topic to wait for the official report from the Department Ad-Hoc Redistricting Committee before drawing conclusions or determining potential outcomes. Speculation prior to the release of accurate and current information only serves to create unnecessary division.
As it pertains to the 4th and 5th districts, the 4th/5th-merger committee has worked diligently for many months to develop a clear picture of what a merged district could look like. This includes drafting a combined Constitution & By-Laws as well as finance policies that thoughtfully consider the long-term welfare of members in both the current 4th and 5th districts.
Points of contact
If you have questions regarding the Department Ad-Hoc Redistricting Committee, please contact the committee chairman, Chip Manson.
If you have questions regarding the 4th-and-5th-district-merger discussions, please contact the adjutant of either district. They will be happy to provide clarification and answer any questions.