Tim Engstrom
EditorRecent Articles by Tim Engstrom
Minnesota Girls State deadline is April 1
American Legion Auxiliary Minnesota Girls State 2025 78th session is June 15-21, 2025, at Bethel University in Arden Hills.
American Legion National Samsung Scholar is a Minnesota Girls Stater!
Jensen was among 10 scholars who were recognized at a dinner. The 10 Boys and Girls Staters each received $10,000 scholarships from the the American Legion’s Committee on Youth Education.
Department of Minnesota is near a membership milestone!
March is Community Service Month. What are your plans for your community? Please share your ideas with the district and department community service chairmen. We want to be able to toot your horn in the annual reports as to what you have done and will be doing.
There is time to register for Boys State
High school boys currently in their junior year are registering for the 2025 Boys State session at St. John’s University June 8-14 at www.mnboysstate.org.
ALR Director: Warmer weather is around the corner
Please make plans to attend the Minnesota American Legion Riders Department Convention in Willmar on July 11. This year we will elect a new MNALR director to a two-year term, as well as an assistant director to a one-year term, along with a secretary/treasurer to a one-year term.
NECman: Don’t be afraid to take on an officer role within your post, district, department
Spring is in the air, which means Girls Fastpitch Softball and American Legion Baseball. Our own Minnesota Twins are at their spring training too, so let’s start thinking along those lines for our youth. Get those teams registered.
Veteran tries to connect with distant relative’s POW experience
In 2019 I drove 3,300 miles and 72 years into the past when I connected with my paternal biological family. Thanks to DNA technology I suddenly I had five new brothers and a new sister whose unconditional love and acceptance have been amazing. Over the past five years they’ve shared history of our family with me. As a youth, I spent four years in the military, so when I learned that I had a distant relative, Andrew O. Grignon Jr. who was a Japanese prisoner of war (POW) during WWII, I had to learn more about him.
Claim shark bill advances out of Minnesota House veterans affairs subcommittee
Bill author Emma Greenman of Minneapolis said the state government can’t solve the difficult of the VA disability claims process, but it can solve the for-profit aspect of claim sharks.
Be sure to hear the national commander speak
ST. PAUL — American Legion National Commander James A. LaCoursiere Jr. comes to Minnesota the last full week of March. The route weaves from the Twin Cities metro to southern Minnesota, back to the metro, then westward.
Registration is open for Legionville
BRAINERD — Make the most out of summer with programs that enable kids to get outdoors, meet new friends and learn lifelong skills. Campers may be sponsored and tuition paid by an American Legion post, school, other community organization, or an adult such as a parent or guardian.
Bowling tournament is set for this spring
DAYTON — The 79th annual Minnesota American Legion Family Bowling Tournament will be March 29 to April 27. Singles and doubles leagues bowl at 11 a.m. Saturdays. Teams bowl at 3:30 p.m. Saturdays and noon Sundays.