Guest Column: Skipping meetings is surrendering your voice

Skipping meetings? You lose out

For more than a century, the American Legion has “built its strength on the commitment of its members.” Their dedication has built communities, supported veterans and carried our mission forward. But after a hundred years of gathering around the same tables, meeting fatigue has become a very real challenge.

Over the past 15 years, I have had the privilege of serving at many levels within the Legion. That service has allowed me to attend countless post meetings, not only in my own post but across the organization. What I have seen has been both inspiring and, at times, deeply concerning.

The American Legion stands as one of the best examples of organizational democracy in American history. But democracy is not automatic; it only works when its members show up and participate. Without participation, even the strongest organizations risk sliding into something else entirely: oligarchy.

That might sound dramatic but consider this picture: A post has more than 130 members on its roster. Their meetings have been held on the same night, at the same time, for decades. The gavel falls. The commander looks out, and only eight members are present.

In that moment, eight people are making decisions for more than 120 members who chose not to attend. Is that really democracy — or is it an oligarchy of the present?

The reality is simple: When members do not attend meetings, they surrender their voice. Empty chairs cannot cast votes, shape policy or guide the future. Decisions are made by those who show up, and if that number is too small, the strength of the Legion suffers.

But there is good news: This challenge has a solution. Participation is not complicated. It starts with making the effort to attend your post meeting, to be counted, and to contribute.

It continues by encouraging fellow members to do the same. Every seat filled strengthens the discussion, spreads responsibility and ensures that decisions reflect the will of the many, not the few.

The American Legion has endured for more than a century because members believed their presence mattered. And it still does. The future of the Legion depends not just on names on a roster, but on members in the room.

So, I leave you with this challenge: Do not surrender your seat. Do not surrender your voice. The American Legion is strongest when its members gather, speak, and act, together.

Jennifer Havlick of St. Paul Christie-DeParcq Post 406 is the adjutant of the 4th District.