Celebrating a century of service – get the word out

Guest blog by Lisa Williamson, ALA 100th Anniversary National Committee Member

 

The American Legion Auxiliary 100th anniversary is fast upon us! The conclusion of the National Convention brought with it the official celebration of the American Legion Auxiliary’s 100th anniversary coming up on Nov. 10, 2019. The American Legion began celebrating its centennial anniversary at the Legion’s National Convention in 2018 and will conclude on Veterans Day 2019; the Auxiliary will be celebrating our 100th anniversary on Nov. 10, 2019, through the National Convention 2020.

Communication is a key element to the success of our 100th anniversary celebration. As we near this ALA milestone, we want every member, every department, and every community to understand our story of Service Not Self loud and clear. This is the perfect opportunity to let the public know who we are, what we do, and why we matter. And let’s take advantage of the passage of the LEGION Act; we’re already in the forefront of the public’s mind.

We all know that social media is a large part of today’s communication. To catch that boat, a Facebook group was created to share anniversary ideas with Legion Family members throughout the country. You can sign up for the group at Facebook.com/groups/ALAcentennial or search “ALA Centennial.” All Legion Family members are welcome; remember that there are a couple of required questions to be answered before approval.

Once in the group, scroll through and see what others are doing in celebration of both the Legion and Auxiliary’s anniversaries. Share what you are doing in your community, your unit, your district, and your department for the special anniversary. Your Legion post may have already found some interesting facts as they researched the past 100 years, so make sure to include the entire Legion Family. Ask units to dig through records, find their original officers, charter date, and then share those findings and activities with your Legion Family and your community. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #ALA100.

A new hashtag has been created just for this milestone year — #ALA100Celebration. It will allow members to search events, and it will be shared to both the National Headquarters and national president Facebook pages.

Another communication source is ALA eNews and this e-publication: In The Know eBulletin. These monthly online publications will boast articles on the 100th anniversary. These will also be shared in the centennial Facebook group.

We are dedicated to our mission to enhance the lives of our veterans, military, and their families for another 100 years. Let us focus on service with 2020 vision as we celebrate a century of service, and set the bar high for the next 100 years.

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