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Post Relationships

American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary

One Organization

or

Two?

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• Meeting Facilities

• Money

• Member issues

• Social Quarters

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How to become the Legion Family

A true family provides its members with emotional and spiritual kinship through:

•Shared values, beliefs, and traditions•Common experiences and activities•Unconditional, non-judgmental support

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Agree that both groups are going to work together to improve and maximize the current relationship for the sake of the organizations.

Work toward making the atmosphere more professional and less personal. You have to agree not to allow your personal feelings to cloud the working relationship.

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Tips for Working with Family Members

Look for the good and treat the other person(s) with respect. Discover their strengths, skills, or contributions; then, focus on those instead of what you don't like. The more you can recognize a person's good qualities, the easier it is to show them genuine respect.

Don’t expect miracles. Sometimes, two people who don’t get along can sometimes – over time – grow into friends. But if you make even small, incremental changes that cut down the stress and conflict on each side, you can consider your efforts a success.

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Build trust. Make sure that others can trust what you're saying and doing by backing up your thoughts and actions with clarity and explanations. Then, when you make a commitment to change the status quo, do what you're saying and say what you're doing. Make sure your actions speak for themselves, and when they don't, offer clear explanations. In addition, act with integrity, honesty and truthfulness in all that you do.

Have plenty of opportunity for discussion.

Ask for support and give it too.

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If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable — each segment distinct.

~Letty Cottin Pogrebin

Guest Protocol

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• Extend invitation with plenty of notice. Send time, location and dress code.

• Ensure guests is aware of time frame for remarks and if there will be other speakers.

• Explain the details of the meeting/dinner and the makeup of the room.

• Ask the guest for a bio to use as introduction. Ask for any particular on how they would like to be introduced.

• Day of the event reserve a close parking, if possible.

• Assign a member to greet them at the door and stay with them until the meeting or dinner begins. Present the guest with a corsage, if applicable.

• Member should show the guest to their seat unless there will be a formal escort provided.

• Guest should be seated in a place of honor. If seated at the head table as the guest speaker, they should be seated next to the person running the meeting or dinner (President or emcee).

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• Prior to meeting, ask guest if they are open to a Q&A.

• Thank the guests three times: in public from the podium, in private before they leave and in a letter or card from the Unit within three days of event.

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“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Muhammad Ali

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