SENECA AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY

Ten members were present for the Oct. 20 meeting of the Seneca American Legion Auxiliary at the Seneca Fire Station. Joe Newman, commander of the Seneca American Legion, and Russ Tendall demonstrated the way to fold the American Flag and the meaning of the 13 folds of a flag, which then is presented to a family at a funeral of a veteran.

Five members went to Veterans Point, La Salle Lake, to fish and picnic with the veterans from the La Salle Veterans Home. Several members attended the Oct. 3 10th anniversary celebration of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Members helped with the blood drive at the fire station Oct. 8, where 53 units of blood were collected.

The annual chili supper will be Saturday, Feb. 27, so as not to conflict with the basketball game between Seneca and Marseilles in Marseilles Saturday, Feb. 20. Students at Seneca High School should start working on ALA scholarship applications due Monday, March 15. The unit also has a $250 scholarship for a graduating senior. The 2010 Americanism Essay Contest theme this year is "Safeguarding of our Liberties." The purpose of this essay contest is to aid the schools of Illinois in the teaching of Americanism and good citizenship.

The Illinois Veterans" Home in La Salle will host a Veterans" Day program at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Huntington Hall. The public is invited. Refreshments and music will follow the ceremony.

Members will get together under the supervision of Jackie Brewster to bake cookies Thursday, Dec. 3, for the Christmas party in La Salle Friday, Dec. 5. Members will work the gift shop at the La Salle facility Friday, Dec. 4. A motion was passed to purchase a bolt of quilt backing for the Comfort Quilters, who sent 30 quilts to wounded warriors. There will be a special program from 1 to 4 p.m. at Fox Valley Lutheran Church Sunday, Nov. 8, with displays of items made for the Wounded Warriors Program. Members will attend the Gift for Yanks at the La Salle Home at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14.

The Seneca ALA will host the Christmas party at 6 p.m. at the Marseilles Legion Post. The Marseilles unit will be in charge of dessert. The Seneca ALA will send invitations to the Seneca American Legion, the Marseilles American Legion and Auxiliary and the Marseilles Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Volunteers are needed at the La Salle facility once or twice a month as barbershop escorts. The hours are usually 9 a.m. until noon. If you can push regular or large wheelchairs, chat with the veterans, make the experience a pleasant one, then return the veteran to his area or room, this could be a job for you. Volunteers are also needed to take veterans outdoors on a nice day and visit or walk residents around indoors during inclement weather. Call Miriam Bickett at 815-223-0303, ext. 259, at La Salle Veterans Home, 1015 O'Conor Ave., La Salle, IL 61301.