Flag Disposal Ceremony conducted by Cmdr Mo McWhirter of Traer and Ron Busch Dist Vice-Cmdr of Gladbrook.

The Tama County Legion and Auxiliary organizations held their annual potluck and Flag Disposal meeting on Tuesday evening June 22 at the Tama Legion Post.

Present were nineteen members and guests who joined Laurel Degelau, Volunteer Services Director at the Iowa Veterans Home and Pat Williams, who will serve as Third District ALA President for another year. The group enjoyed lots of good food before undertaking a full agenda for the business meeting.

The disposal ceremony was held in the Tama Legion Hall as the area welcomed some much needed rain. Cmdr. Moe McWhirter lead the Legion as the ceremony properly disposed of a large pile of unserviceable flags by burning later in the evening.

The joint meeting was opened in form by Cmdr. McWhirter and President Jolene Denbow before convening into separate meetings.

District Auxiliary membership ended the year with the Third District in second place of the nine districts in the state. Tama County has six units with three reaching their goals for the year.

Pat Williams, Dist ALA Pres with Diane Caloud Tama Co Pres and Lorraine Vileta, Vice-Pres/Chaplain

Gladbrook was two over at 266, with Toledo reaching their 38 member goal and Reinbeck at 53 and hitting their goal.

Most of the units are again holding their regular meetings and planning their projects for the 2021-22 year.

Membership cards will be sent to the units around July 1, but the members will not be receiving renewal notices until Sept 15. Units are encouraged to hold a membership event so they can get an earlier start on getting renewals sent in.

New officers were elected with Diane Caloud of Clutier graciously accepting the office of President along with the Secretary and Treasurer position. Lorraine Vileta will remain as Vice President and Chaplain.

They were installed by Third District President Pat Williams of Gilman. She also presented a certificate to Marcella Nekola of Elberon who had been chosen as the Third District Woman of the Year at the Spring Conference. She is a 12 year member of the Elberon Unit following in the footsteps of her mother and has served the unit as Vice President and Chaplain, likes to take photos of unit activities and the first to volunteer at IVH projects, county meetings and Memorial Day activities. She is also a member of the WFIA Lodge in Clutier, Vining National Cemetery Board, Weiting Theater volunteer in Toledo and a member of St. Patrick’s Church in Tama. She is just the kind of loyal, hardworking member every unit would be so glad to have.

The State Convention will be held at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines July 9-11. The Auxiliary will continue to celebrate their 100th anniversary with a ‘gala’ event dinner and music by the Iowa Veterans band. Dinner reservations are required and you may dress in attire from a favorite era.

The joint meeting of the Tama County Legion and Auxiliary then reconvened to discuss the August county picnic at the Veterans Home and Tama County government Day.

These are the two main and long time projects of the County and it was voted to continue both. Some temperature restrictions will be in place for the food brought in for the picnic and the chicken will be home-fried by the IVH kitchen. It may again have to be canceled due to positive COVID testing. Plans will continue to hold Tama County Government Day (the 65th annual event in 2019 with COVID canceling the field day in 2020 and 2021). It will be held at the Reinig Center on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 with Moe McWhirter and Trudi Scott serving as co-chairs.