Legion leadership changes
Lou Marzeles
News Editor
Tom Beck, new commander of the Goldendale American Legion, sees veterans and their concerns as covered in one simple, but compelling, phrase.
"We're a band of brothers," he says. "I don't care what branch of the service you were in, what era you served in, peace time or war time, your race, your creed-we've got a bond. At any time, any of us could have laid it all on the line."
Beck took over the Goldendale Legion Aug. 3, and his immediate order of business is to bring the organization into alignment with the clear sense of idealism he expresses. It's evident in how he speaks of the Legion's mission that he holds it accountable to high standards in its role as a means of service to both veterans and the community.
"Frankly, the American Legion kind of had a reputation that it was just a bar," Beck says. "Whether that was deserved or not, that was the reputation. One of the things I first thought about when I transferred here was that I wanted to see that perception change. And slowly but surely, we're working to make that happen."
The Legion is not going to be perceived as just a hang-out, not on Beck's watch. "I did a speech at one of our Legions," he recalls, "and said that we have a bar, but we aren't a bar.
"We need the club in order to have the funds to do the things we need to do; it's an obvious need. You're more than welcome to come and have a drink and a meal there, but we want a core of active folks who get involved in veterans and community service. There are all kinds of activities and events that we put ourselves out there involved in as a public-service organization, as well as a place where a veteran can come and be comfortable."
Beck wants the Legion to be a place where a veteran can feel safe and secure, "and he doesn't have to worry about rowdy drunks and fights on Friday nights," he continues. "We've got rules of conduct and etiquette there. You can go and have a good time, but you have to keep the language clean, and you have to respect one another." At the lunch counter inside the Legion hall, there is a sign confirming Beck's comment: it commands, "No profanity."
"I'm a strong advocate of mutual respect," Beck says. "That's the only way we're going to make this thing grow and keep it alive."
Beck is a former Navy serviceman who was on active duty during the Vietnam era. He considers that his experiences from that time developed a deep sense of respect for anyone who ever wore a military service uniform. He says the Legion today continues to fulfill important support function for veterans, and most people in town, he thinks, just aren't all that aware of what the organization does.
"We do local programs for veterans who are on the skids," he says. "Maybe they need occasional help filling their fuel tank or their utilities. We've got a program that will help them do that. They can't make that their monthly resource, but we can help them alleviate that short-term. The county reimburses us for that. These are things that aren't really well known.
"And we don't just give them money. We actually go to the store with them, they do their shopping, and we pay for it. When they need fuel, we go with them down to the service station and we pay for the fuel. There's accountability here; we don't just give it away. And we don't do it on an ongoing basis, but we don't like to see a fellow veteran down. We're strong advocates of the fact that veterans have paid their price, war-time or peace-time or anything else-anybody who's served their country in that way is deserving. They've all paid the price to allow us all to do what we do."
But the Legion's service goes beyond helping those who served in the military. Beck points out that the organization is also highly involved with the local community in a number of projects. For example, it's active in supporting Boys/Girls State, a summer leadership and citizenship award program for high-school students between their junior and senior years, commonly held separately for boys and girls. During summer, students gather at college campuses around the country and organize themselves into mock cities, electing mock municipal, county, and state legislators and officials. They write and pass bills, vote for their own governor and other state-level officials, hold mock trials-in short, undertake a comprehensive short-term practice of American state and local governance. The program is almost entirely sponsored by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary.
Close in nature is the National Oratorical Contest, in which students must compose speeches on various aspects of Americana and what it means to be an American. These programs reflect on the origins of the American Legion in 1919, when it was formed by charter from the U. S. Congress as a patriotic veterans organization dedicated, as its charter reads, to "mutual helpfulness."
But closer to home is the Goldendale Legion's wealth of health and medical devices, all at the disposal not just of veterans but anyone in the community with need of them.
"We have a whole room of hospital equipment over there," Beck says, "and that's not just for veterans; it's for anyone. We have toilet risers, crutches, shower seats, wheelchairs, canes-you name it. Anyone who has that need, who's had a hospital issue or a doctor issue and they need that, instead of having to go rent it or buy it, they can come down to the Legion, they sign it out and take it and use it for as long as they need it, and then they bring it back." Beck says the Legion hopes people will continue to donate such equipment for this program; all of the current equipment, he points out, was donated. "And anyone in the community can take advantage of that program," he continues. "We're not only a veterans' organization; we're a community service organization."
Asked if he's worried about a trend in some parts of the country toward less involvement with American Legion posts by younger veterans, Beck is unconcerned about that happening here. "We're starting to recruit younger folks into our organization," he maintains. "If you give them something to do and you make them feel welcome when they come, they'll come. Obviously younger people have more exciting lifestyles than older folks, but we try to include them."
Beck says that one way the Legion entices younger veterans is simply to pay their dues. "We're trying to provide an incentive for when they get out of the service, so they can become active members of the Legion, so we pay their dues," he says. "When they come home on leave, they have someplace to go. If we can get them active, they'll become more involved with veterans' issues and want to join a post-especially a post that active in veterans' issues and isn't just a bar.
"Without the younger folks, we're going to die," Beck acknowledges. "It's got to include younger folks. We are all a band of brothers."
Home economics still in style at 4-H
Four-H members showed their finest work at the Foods Day and Clothing Day activities during the past two weeks. Exhibits will be on display at the 4-H building at the Klickitat County Fair, Aug. 20-23.
Jackie Miller won blue for her table setting and Foods of the Pacific Northwest. Faith Simmons received the Judge's Choice Award and was awarded blue ribbons in the junior division for her table setting and My Favorite Foods entry.
Alyssa Simmons was also a double blue ribbon winner in table setting and My Favorite Foods. Also participating were primary members, Tori Tallman and Brandi Vance who were presented participation ribbons.
Tallman, Vance, Faith and Alyssa Simmons were also involved in the clothing competition. Tallman modeled a colorful blue dress and Brandi Vance showed off her dance outfit in the My Favorite Outfit category.
Faith and Alyssa Simmons incorporated their dog projects into the favorite outfit, with the dogs doing their part in modeling Native American and first responder outfits. The girls received blue ribbons and were also blue ribbon winners in the recycled or under $15 category.
Intermediate clothing exhibitors, Kylie Woolery and Cassidy Boyce each earned blue ribbons for recycled outfits and favorite outfit. Woolery also earned a blue ribbon for Creative Consumer of Fashion, with Boyce receiving a red ribbon. Woolery, Boyce and Faith Simmons were given red ribbons for clothing judging while Alyssa Simmons led the way in the junior division with a blue ribbon. Vance received a participation ribbon for judging and Tallman was recipient of the Judges's Choice Award.
Roberta Hoctor judged the clothing and fashion revue. The foods judging contest will be held during fair.
Maryhill announces new curator of art
Maryhill Museum of Art today announced the appointment of Steve Grafe to curator of art. Grafe comes to the museum from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, where he has served as curator of American Indian Art since January 2004. He assumes his post at Maryhill on Sept. 1.
"We are thrilled that Steve has accepted the position. His extensive knowledge of native arts and the Columbia River Plateau dovetails nicely into Maryhill's collection and local history," says Colleen Schafroth, the museum's executive director.
During the course of his career, Grafe has served as Acting Curator of Native Heritage at the High Desert Museum in Bend, as Visual Resources Librarian at the Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland, and cared for collections at Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park and at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. From 2001 to 2003, he was Chief Curator at the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles.
In addition, he is a respected scholar, serving as a consulting curator for the traveling exhibit which complemented the PBS series "Craft in America." He is also author of several books.
"Maryhill is a unique and wonderful institution," says Grafe. "Several of the museum's core collections represent subjects that are particularly important to me and I am enthusiastic about the prospect of developing exhibits and educational opportunities related to both regional and international art."
On a personal note, Grafe adds, "My family and I are thrilled to be returning to the Pacific Northwest. My extended family and many friends are here, and the Columbia River Plateau has been my primary area of research interest for almost 20 years."
Grafe replaces Lee Musgrave, who retired at the end of July after 14 years as Maryhill's curator of exhibits. |
