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Our History
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Excerpts from the book,
History of the American Legion of Nebraska
By
Frank Boyd O'Connell
(First Nebraska American Legion Adjutant)
and
Published by The American Legion
Department of Nebraska
1922
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Early in 1920, efforts were first made to
organize Auxiliary units in Nebraska. The National Executive
Committee of The American Legion advised the Department Officers of
the Nebraska Legion that such authority had been granted.
Commander Cline (Dept Commander, 1920) immediately arranged to
charter nits as fast as they were organized, and on August 11, 1920,
shortly before the Second Annual State Convention of the Nebraska
Legion, thirty-three units had been organized in the department, and
nearly a thousand members enrolled.
Among the first units to get under way were Scottsbluff,
Wilber, Hartington, Fremont and York. It seems that the York
women were the first to take up the work, but they did not file
their application at State Headquarters until after several others
had come to hand.
At the Hastings convention of the Legion, held in the fall of
1920, Commander Cline appointed W. P. Bemis, of Grand Island as
Chairman of a committee to consider ways and means of promoting
Auxiliary activity and organizing units. Immediately following
the meeting at Hastings, Commander Simmons appointed Mr. Bemis as
Chairman of a permanent committee to look after the organization of
the Auxiliary in Nebraska. The Department Executive Committee
placed the administrative work under the Department Adjutant, to be
handled along with his Legion duties. During 1921 over a
hundred units of the Auxiliary were organized and over three
thousand paid members enrolled. Inasmuch as the organization
made such a splendid growth, Commander Simmons deemed it advisable
to call a State Convention of the Auxiliary and let them adopt their
department constitution and elect their own officers. This was
duly done and the Nebraska Auxiliary held its first state convention
at Fremont on September 30 - October 1, 1922.
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 am, Friday, September
30, 1921, by Walter L. Anderson, a member of Lincoln Post 3, of The
American Legion, and at the time the Speaker of the House in the
State Legislature. Mr. Anderson was deputized for the occasion
by Commander Simmons who had to officiate at the Legion meeting
which was in session at the same time. Miss Helen Marr, of
Fremont, was selected as temporary Chairman of the convention, and
Mrs. W. H. Neumarker, of Columbus was chosen as temporary Secretary.
Most of the work accomplished by this first convention was in
the matter of organization. It was necessary to build the
department structure and coordinate the units before other tasks
could be attempted. However, the organization was perfected in
a remarkably short time, and it was not long until the Nebraska
Woman's Auxiliary was ready to take its place beside the American
Legion to do constructive work in all patriotic endeavors and in the
care and relief of disabled veterans.
The Auxiliary was particularly fortunate in the selection of
its first officers. Mrs. Minnie F. Penney, of Fullerton, was
elected the first President. Mrs. Penney was a woman of much
experience, having been prominent in the Nebraska Federation of
Women's Clubs and active in Red Cross work during the war. She
possessed great ability as a leader and as an organizer, and was
very sympathetic toward the cause of the ex-serviceman.
The administration of Mrs. Penney and her co-workers was most
successful from every point of view. The units were increased
during 1922 from 110 to 190, and the membership raised from
approximately 3,000 to over 6,000. The organization centered
its efforts during the year on welfare work among disabled men in
Nebraska hospitals, and it accomplished much of this respect.
Mrs. C. H. England, was named as Chairman of this committee, and
proved to be an efficient and tireless worker, with a kindly
interest in all men who returned from the war broken in body and
spirit. During the year over 300 Christmas boxes were prepared
and sent to the various hospital; while local units made weekly
trips to the institutions located in their respective vicinities
where contact with the men was established. A special hospital
fund was raised for emergency needs, and a radiophone was installed
in one of the large hospitals in Iowa where many Nebraska men are
hospitalized. Owing to the fact that Nebraska contained few
Government hospitals, the Nebraska Auxiliary contributed largely to
hospitals in Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.
A system was perfected whereby large boxes containing magazines,
phonograph records, smokes, candy and other articles were delivered
to these institutions every two weeks. Great aid was also
rendered the Legion's State Aid Committee by the various local units
of the Auxiliary.
The American Legion Woman's Auxiliary of Nebraska has a great
future. It can become the most powerful woman's organization
in the state, and be a great force for better government and
Americanism. There are approximately two hundred thousand
women in the state who are eligible to join this association.
It has four times the potential strength of the Legion, and many
times the potential strength of any other woman's organization.
The Auxiliary is the Great Sister to The American Legion and it
aims and purposes are to work side by side with that organization.
What the future holds for it must be left for history to record, but
it is not beyond reason to believe that the American Legion
Auxiliary is going to help write a brilliant page in the history of
Nebraska. |
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