Celebrating 75 sessions of ALA Girls Nation

For the 75th time, teenagers nationwide will gather in Washington, D.C., to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their state as “senators” and create everlasting friendships and memories. ALA Girls Nation is a profound learning experience designed to teach young women how the federal government operates. Senators will hold mock senate sessions, participate in a community service project, tour D.C. monuments, and much more. 

Follow @ALAGirlsNation on social media July 23-30 to see pictures of what the senators are doing each day!

Do you have memories from ALA Girls Nation and ALA Girls State? ALA media wants to hear from all ages of alumnae! Tell us about your experience and memories from ALA Girls Nation and ALA Girls State. Email us! 

Congratulations!

Ava Groth of Pennsylvania is the 2021-2022 National Junior Member of the Year! 

Groth is also the Honorary Department Junior President of Pennsylvania. As an ALA Junior, Groth has taken on amazing projects in support of local and statewide programs for The American Legion Family. In 2021, she participated in ALA Keystone Girls State.

Groth’s family is part of The American Legion Family — both of her parents are veterans and dual members of The American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary! 

Are you joining us for ALA National Convention in person or online? 

ALA National Headquarters staff and volunteer leadership are busy preparing for our 101st National Convention. This year, we’ll gather in Milwaukee Aug. 26-Sept. 1. 

Even if you won’t physically be in Milwaukee, you can follow along with our social media @ALAforVeterans and our livestream.

If you are attending, take pictures and post on social media! Tag @ALAforVeterans and use the hashtags #AuxCon22 and #AmericanLegionAuxiliary.

ALA learning opportunities still available on demand

Check out the recorded ALA Academy Live courses, and remind your fellow members about these educational offerings. Do you have other members in your unit who would benefit from taking a course? Our live webinars are always recorded and can be viewed in the MyAuxiliary member portal.

ALA Academy Live webinars currently available: 

• Using Social Media to Your Unit’s Advantage  
• Using Poppy Funds 
• Unit Fundraising Panel 
• ALA Junior Leadership Training (includes four webinars) 
• Mission Delivery Series (includes four webinars) 

The ALA Academy also includes self-paced courses:

• ALA 101 
• ALA Branding and Why it Matters to Me 
• ALA Communication Methods 
• Establishing an ALA Culture of Goodwill 
• ALA Fundraising 
• How to Deal with Conflict 
• ALA Leadership: Living Our Motto of Service Not Self 
• ALA Juniors eLearning Course 

Get started today! Log in with your member ID here. 

New, easier-to-print American Legion Family membership applications available

In a rush? Need American Legion Family applications quickly for an event? Try these simpler versions which can be printed from your home office — and without stealing all of your ink! We removed the color block headers from the original brochure (which you can still order from your department/state ALA office if you prefer) to make things easier for your membership recruiting activities.

Click here to download this black-and-white version. 

New coloring book available. We’ve added to the ALA collection of coloring books. You can now order and download the America the Beautiful coloring book. These easy-to-use publications are a great way to spread awareness of the ALA and our important mission to families in your community.

Do you shop Amazon Prime? If you do, be sure to use AmazonSmile! Through Amazon’s charitable program, AmazonSmile, you can support the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation. Simply sign in through this special link and select the American Legion Auxiliary. Amazon will donate 0.5% of every purchase you make to the ALA Foundation. It may seem small, but a little can add up to a lot.

Resources in one place. USAA now has a military spouse page full of resources to help provide support and education for those stay-behind heroes — military spouses — as they navigate USAA and the different facets of military life. Check it out! 

Creative arts help veterans heal from life-changing events

Each veteran who attends the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival (NVCAF) has their own story to share, their own baggage they bring with them. For many, this is displayed in their craft, whether it’s visual arts, writing, or performing arts. 

Auxiliary magazine talked to a few veterans to learn more about how being involved in this event at the local and national level has helped them through life-changing events. 

Ineligible-for-membership volunteers, donors can contribute to Auxiliary mission too

ALA members will continue to be vital for this organization now and in the future. We need eligible members to join and continue our 100-plus years of serving our mission. But we also need to understand that there are community members throughout the country who have seen and heard what we do and want to be part of it — they just aren’t eligible for the membership part — but they want to actively contribute their time and treasure. Don’t discount this group of people!

American Legion Auxiliary has partnered with ScriptSave® WellRx Premier to give members and their families prescription discounts, medication management tools, and nutrition guidance. The program is free to use. With ScriptSave WellRx Premier, you can save up to 80% on brand-name and generic prescription medications. More than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide accept ScriptSave WellRx Premier. You can find prescription discounts for your entire family, including pets.

July 21-23 – 2022 American Legion 3-Position Junior Air Rifle Championship

July 23-30 – ALA Girls Nation 

July 23-30 – American Legion Boys Nation 

July 25 – National Hire a Veteran Day

July 27 – National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

August 4 – U.S. Coast Guard Birthday

August 7 – Purple Heart Day

August 10 – U.S. Department of Defense Birthday

August 11-16 – The American Legion Baseball World Series

August 14 – Navajo Code Talkers Day

August 21-25 – The American Legion Legacy Run

August 26-September 1 – ALA 101st National Convention in Milwaukee

“You're being offered an opportunity to be with outstanding girls from all over the state. Some are interested in technology, some in music, some in drama, some in journalism. You will be exposed and work with these girls of all various backgrounds, and they will enrich your life by sharing ideas. You will develop friendships that will last for your lifetime. The knowledge you develop will enhance your feelings toward government and develop solid ideas that will enhance your life forever.”  

—  Kathryn LeBrasseur, Minnesota – 1947 ALA Minnesota Girls State and ALA Girls Nation alumna

The American Legion will have an enhanced convention app for 2022

The American Legion has been using a convention app since 2011 to keep convention goers updated on schedules, events, and more. For this year’s convention, the app will be enhanced to include profiles of honorees, multimedia options, floor plans, and agendas. Information about host city Milwaukee will also be expanded. 

This app will replace some of the information that has been included in the convention program. The convention program will now serve a souvenir function, rather than an agenda.

The app will be available to download to your mobile device free of charge from the Apple Store or Google Play, and will be updated as convention draws closer. You can also search the stores for “The American Legion National Convention,” or access them via legion.org/mobileapps.

Deadline approaching to order 2022 Legacy Run Shirts

Are you participating in the American Legion Legacy Run? The deadline to order your shirt is July 28 if you want the shirt to arrive before the event starts. 

Registration is also still open for the Legacy Run. The 1,200-mile ride will leave from the USS Alabama Memorial Park in Mobile, Ala., on Aug. 21 and travel through Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois before winding up at American Legion Post 434 in Oak Creek, Wis. — a 20-minute drive from Milwaukee.