District 18 of the American Legion Auxiliary will welcome the Department President, Pilar Reyes of Oakland at their dinner meeting on February 21^st at East Pasadena Post 280, 179 N Venido, Pasadena.  Following the dinner at 6:00 p.m., District President DeNyse Laugeson of El Monte will open the meeting at 7:30 p.m.  Reservations for dinner may be made by calling the Post at 626-792-9938.

The District 18 Ritual Team will be on hand to serve as an “honor guard” for the top lady of the Department of California, having been installed at the American Legion Auxiliary Convention in Fresno last June. With her theme M.U.S.I.C. – “Membership United in Service, Ideals and Commitment”, members have been making a lot of music as hüpfburg mit rutsche they work the many programs of the Auxiliary.  Presidents of the fifteen Units in the District will be personally introduced to her and a monetary gift will be presented for her “special project”, the Brain Injury Trauma Center at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center.

Americanism Chairman, Dona Enright of Temple City, reminds Units participating in the annual Americanism Essay Contest that essays must be picked up at local schools by Friday, March 4^h for judging.  The Auxiliary has sponsored this program for many years and involves students in five groups: Group I, 4^th & 5^thgrade, will write on “Veterans – Who are They”, Group II, 6^th & 7^th grade, “What We Need to do to Protect our Environment”, Group III, 8^th & 9^th grade, “What Being a Patriot Means to Me”, Group IV^, 10^th, 11^th & 12^th grade “How Have the Constitutional Amendments Affected my Life” and Group V, Children with Exceptional Needs, “How Can I Be a Better Citizen”. Students in the high school category have an opportunity to win a $2,500 scholarship on the state (Department) level, with prizes in each group on the various levels – Unit, District and Department.