2026 August Sunflowerette

SUNFLOWERETTE

August 2026

PLEASE SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM FOR MORE INFORMATION!!

President

Kristen Hensley

kristen.d.hensley@gmail.com

913-638-9724

Vice President

Laurie Kerns

lauriedkerns@gmail.com

620- 228-4277

Hello members! Can you believe it is August already and the kids are headed back to school in a few short weeks. I am very excited to go to Louisville, KY this month to represent Kansas at the National American Legion Auxiliary convention.

As the membership chairperson for 2027, I have been crunching numbers to create attainable goals for each unit in Kansas for the 2027 membership year. I believe our goals will be reachable with hard work from every active member through the year. Remember, those elevator speeches really do work; we should always be prepared to tell everyone we see about the excellent opportunities we have to support our past, present, and future military and their families as an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary.

I recently sent the unit goals and a Unit 58 roster to each District President for review and forwarding to the units. I asked each District leader to please reach out to the members enrolled in Unit 58 and ask them to consider transferring to the operational unit closest to their geographic location or other operational unit of their choice.

You may be asking yourself, what is Unit 58 and why is it so important to ask those members to transfer to another unit. Unit 58 was established as a holding unit for incoming members enrolling through the National American Legion Auxiliary website who knew they wanted to be part of our excellent organization but were unsure of a local establishment and live in or call Kansas their home state. Every member of the American Legion Auxiliary should have the same right to voice and vote, unfortunately as a Unit 58 member you only have the right to voice. There is no leadership established specifically for Unit 58 so there is never an opportunity for those members to be delegates at department or national conventions and have a vote in critical decision-making processes.

During fall convention in October in Dodge City we will be going over the unit, district, and department membership percentage goals. We will be building a Steampunk style lighthouse for each district as we talk about the percentage goals we are working to achieve. The lighthouse will highlight the goals reached by each district throughout the year and will shine bright with a light at the top when 100% membership is reached by each district! Stay tuned for more details regarding the lighthouse and its significance to your membership goals in 2027!!!!!

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions please do not hesitate to reach out to me via phone, text, or email. (620) 228 – 4277 or lauriedkerns@gmail.com

Laurie Kerns

Chaplain

Sonia Wiley

s.wiley160@gmail.com

913-680-5935

Historian

Marsha Weber

mweberksala@gmail.com

620-430-0650

Happy August everyone!!!!

Attention!! District and Units please send me what you did for celebrating America’s 250, articles, photos and if you put things on Facebook can you please go back and edit using this hashtag #KSALA250History.

Fourth of July Traditions and History

If your District or Unit has hosted a Fourth of July event or tradition for many years? We would love to hear your story!

I am collecting the history of long-standing Fourth of July celebrations from Districts and Units. Whether your group has organized a parade, community picnic, flag ceremony, fireworks display, fundraiser, veterans' tribute, or another special event, we want to preserve these memories and traditions.

Please share:

· The name of your district or unit.

· How many years you have held the event or tradition.

· A brief history of how it began.

· Highlights or memorable moments over the years.

· Photos, newspaper clippings, or other historical information, if available.

Your stories will help preserve the rich history of our great organization that we do for our Veterans and communities along with the dedication of the volunteers who have kept these traditions alive for generations and generations to come.

American Legion Auxiliary

153rd Annual Soldiers and Sailors Reunion – Erie, Kansas

Members of the Department of Kansas American Legion Auxiliary and surrounding Auxiliary members had the privilege of attending the 153rd Annual Soldiers and Sailors Reunion in Erie, Kansas. This one-week long-standing tradition continues to honor the service and sacrifice of our nation's veterans while bringing together families, friends, and community members in a spirit of patriotism and remembrance.

This year was special Erie; Kansas has the first Freedom Rock in the State of Kansas. The Freedom Rock was established in 1999 in rural Iowa. Now Iowa has 99 Freedom Rock throughout the State that are painted by the famous Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II. Also, in Erie they have a beautiful wall with Veterans name on them, as a tradition every year during the Soldiers and Sailors Reunion they will read off the name of the Veterans on the wall. Along with this 153^rd tradition is cooking beans the old fashion way in the huge kettles over briquettes.

This event is sponsored by the ERIE AMERICAN LEGION POST #102 FAMILY and Main Street Memories to demonstrate its continued commitment to supporting veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. The reunion served as a reminder of the importance of preserving our nation's history and passing these traditions on to future generations.

As Auxiliary members, we are proud to participate in events that honor those who have served our country. Attending the 153rd Annual Soldiers and Sailors Reunion was both an inspiring and meaningful experience, reinforcing our mission of service, patriotism, and remembrance.

We extend our gratitude to the ERIE AMERICAN LEGION POST #102 FAMILY AND MAIN STREET MEMORIES, organizers, volunteers, veterans, and community members whose dedication made this year's reunion a success. We look forward to continuing this cherished tradition and supporting the mission of the American Legion Family for years to come.

Please put this on your calendar for next year. It always starts on the first Monday of the second full week in July.

American Legion Auxiliary

Department of Kansas

Historian

Marsha Weber

620-430-0650

mweberksala@gmail.com

If you are a Department Officer or Chairman and would like to submit something for the Sunflowerette,

Please send it to me by the end of the 20th of each month.

Thank you so much!

Kristy Ehart- Newsletter Chairman

📧 klehart07@gmail.com

AMERICAN SPIRIT AWARD

On June 5, 2026, Thirty-one “Rosie the Riveters” were presented with American Spirit Award medals by the World War II Museum in New Orleans. These women did a variety of occupations during WWII to help the war efforts. They stepped up to work in factories, shipyards, and defense plants. They built munitions and vehicles, etc. They symbolize the vital labor force needed to support the war while the men were overseas. Among these women, ranging in age from 95 to 104, was Ruby “Virginia” Ball, 101 years old, of El Dorado, Kansas. Virginia was accompanied by her granddaughters Nicole Winther and Denise Henngler as well as American Legion Auxiliary Past Kansas President Karen Hasting. Virginia went to work after graduating high school as a Riveter and a Buckner on various airplanes for Boeing, Wichita, Kansas. One “Rosie” was present with her WWII Veteran husband of 80 years. Five other WWII Veterans were recognized as well. Virginia joins a list of prestigious recipients, including Kansas Senator Robert “Bob” Dole who received the award in 2005.