Every unit and district should have a Chaplain. The Chaplain is the spiritual leader of your unit. It is important to remember that the American Legion Auxiliary does not promote any one religion. The Chaplain should attend all meetings and be prepared with an opening and closing prayer at each meeting. It is also helpful to have a grace prayer available when food will be served.

 

Prayers may come from any source: Reflections in the quarterly Auxiliary magazine, from our national website https://www.legion-aux.org, self written prayers or those found anywhere else. An important reminder for all chaplains is that the American Legion Auxiliary does not promote one religion. Our American Legion members, the veterans who have served and protected our country, come from a variety of religious backgrounds.

 

Be aware of your unit membership or the group you will be offering prayers to when selecting your prayers. As members we open our meetings with our Preamble and the words “For God and Country”. Remember God is aways with us.

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Some ideas activities that chaplains might consider:

• Report the names of members who are ill or have entered alternative care facilities (nursing homes, assisted living, etc.) and send them cards signed by your members at a meeting;

• When a member dies, send a sympathy card and/or memorial to the next of kin. If the family requests, visit the funeral visitation and have members present a Memorial Service for the deceased member;

• Drape your Unit’s charter at a Unit meeting and invite the family members to attend for the draping. (This sometimes works as a great membership tool for longtime members who always paid their children and grandchildren’s dues. They realize how important their family member was to the Auxiliary and want to continue to pay their own dues!)

• Keep in contact and recognize Gold Star Families whenever you can;

• Visit members and veterans in nursing homes or those who live alone;

• Visiting members and veterans in nursing homes or those who are shut-ins.

• Keeping in contact with Gold Star Families and remembering them on holidays.

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Keep track of all Unit members who die April 1st thru March 31st of the year. You will be for this information later in the year.

 

Members and Units are encouraged to donate funds as Memorials in honor or memory of deceased members. Memorials can be made to any of the programs that are found on our donation form. There is a special page to use when sending in a memorial. It has a space to indicate who the donation is in memory of and information on notifying next of kin. This is a great way to honor our deceased while maintaining some very special programs.

 

This year I am asking members and units to help create a prayer resource for all of our members. I’m asking you to send me prayers, inspirational poems, etc. to share with everyone. Each month, I will print as many prayers as I can on this Chaplain’s page. Prayers can be sent to marsha.bible@gmail.com or mail them to me at the address above.