Pillar III AMERICANISM

American Legion Post #48
P. O. Box 323
820 South Alamama Street
Chesnee, SC 29323

Pillar III: AMERICANISM

    For those looking to make differences in their local communities, The American Legion is a great place to start. From Legion Baseball to Boys State/Boys Nation to Legion Riders, there are plenty of opportunities to make your mark.

    Take, for example, the experience of Pat Unger, commander of Tyler Cates American Legion Post 281 in Mount Juliet, Tenn. Unger's vision of creating a Legion Baseball team came true in 2012.

    Post 281 Legionnaires provided support by providing uniforms, attending games, serving refreshments and meeting players' transportation needs to and from games.

    "The enthusiasm and camaraderie among the Legion members and players has been one of the most rewarding experiences for everyone," Unger says. "The experience of going to a baseball game and knowing that The American Legion is a driving force behind the teams is both gratifying and satisfying.
"American Legion Baseball is truly a rewarding and fun endeavor for any American Legion post to be involved with."

    Legion posts and volunteers like Unger coordinate each season, culminating with the Legion World Series in Shelby, N.C., watched by millions on ESPN3. Nationwide, more than 100,000 young athletes compete for nearly 5,000 American Legion Baseball teams each year.
www.legion.org/baseball

BOYS STATE/BOYS NATION
    Young men throughout the country learn firsthand how government works during American Legion Boys State and American Legion Boys Nation. From each Boys State program, two delegates are selected to attend Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., where they form a mock federal Senate and meet with top officials in the nation's capital.
www.legion.org/boysnation

JUNIOR SHOOTING SPORTS
    American Legion youth air-rifle teams compete throughout the country for a possible berth in the National Junior Shooting Sports championships at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., each year.
www.legion.org/shooting

ORATORICAL COMPETITION
    The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program gives thousands of young people the opportunity to hone their speaking skills and learn about the U.S. Constitution. Competitions at the lo-cal and state levels lead up to the National American Legion High School Oratorical Contest in Indianapolis, where top finishers are awarded more than $138,000 in scholarships.
www.legion.org/oratorical

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
    American Legion posts nationwide sponsor more than 2,500 Scouting units and provide thousands of dollars in scholarships. The Legion offers a national scholar-ship for Eagle Scout of the Year, and the Square Knot Award for Legionnaires who work for the Scouting pro-grams in their communities.
www.legion.org/scouting

EDUCATION ASSISTANCE
    At the national, state and local levels, The American Legion provides access to dozens of scholarships and education programs. For more information about Legion-affiliated scholarships and application materials, visit
www.legion.org/scholarships

LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP
    Opportunities to attend college should not be out of reach for children left behind because a parent died on active duty. This is why The American Legion established The American Legion Legacy Scholar-ship, which provides funds for the children of military personnel who lost their lives on duty after 9/11.
www.legion.org/scholarships/legacy

LEGION RIDERS
    The Legion Riders, with more than 1,200 chapters, have raised more than $3.3 million for the Legacy Scholar-ship Fund, making them the single biggest contributors. The Riders also perform a number of services for Legion-supported causes and provide support at military funerals.
www.legion.org/riders

U.S. FLAG PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
    The American Legion is the nation's leading supporter of a constitutional amendment to protect the U.S. flag from desecration. Since a 5-4 Supreme Court decision in 1989 defined flag burning as free speech, The American Legion has lobbied alongside members of Congress, the Citizens Flag Alliance and the majority of the American people to return to the states the right to enact flag-protection laws. The Legion is also the nation's foremost authority on the proper disposal of unserviceable U.S. flags.
www.legion.org/flag

ROTC
    The American Legion is actively involved in the sup-port, organization and coordination of high school Junior ROTC and college ROTC programs throughout the country.
www.legion.org/rotc

VOTER PARTICIPATION
    American Legion posts serve as polling places, political debate venues and forums during campaigns. The Legion is a nonpartisan organization but takes an active role in the political process.
www.legion.org/vote

DID YOU KNOW?
Major League stars Josh Hamilton, Cliff Lee, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira and Justin Vertander all played American Legion Baseball.