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R Capital Joumal, Salem, Oregon, Tuesday, "August 2, 1949
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They'll Run the Big Show Leaders of the 31st annual Ore
gon American Legion convention, which meets in Salem all
this week, are pictured above. Top left, is B. E. (Kelly)
Owens of Salem, department commander, who will preside
over all business sessions of the American Legion, as well
as all joint sessions between the Legion and auxiliary; top
right, Dr. M. E. Cooper of Klamath Falls, grand chef de gare
of 40 et 8, who will preside over all sessions of the 40 et 8;
bottom left, John C. Kerrick, general chairman of the conl
vention, who has headed all the preparation and planning
for the big event; bottom right, Onas S. Olson, executive
secretary and registrar for the convention, upon whose shoul
ders lies the huge task of registering all delegates.
opeau luursuay governor
Douglas McKay (top) and Sa
lem Mayor Robert L. Elfstrom
(bottom) will both appear in
Thursday morning's Joint ses
sion of the American Legion
convention in the: Elsinore
theater. McKay will give one
of the addresses of the morn
ing, and Elfstrom will offer
the official welcome to the
Legionnaires from the city of
Salem.
Club Open All Day
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
will all be served at the Capital
Post No. 9 headquarters at 2650
South Commercial street during
convention week. Breakfasts
are available from 6:30 to 10
a.m., luncheon from 11:30 a.m
to 2:00 p.m. and dinner from
6:00 to 12:00 p.m. The club will
remain open until 2:00 a.m. for
a la carte service.
Legion Offers
Public Service
The American Legion asks
for few favors, and performs
many of them.
Permanent projects sponsored
by the Legion and designed to
help others are numerous and
effective.
The huge Legion junior base
ball setup, which is familiar to
nearly everyone, is one of the
leading factors today in curbing
juvenile delinquency, as well as
laying the foundation for the
future career of many big league
ball players.
The boys' state, held in Ore
gon and OSC each summer, is a
project of the American Legion
Essay contests for boys and
girls are sponsored by Legion
posts throughout the country
and medals given to winning
penmen.
Another youth project is the
oratorical contests, conducted
with cooperation of public and
private schools, with a $2,000
college scholarship to the nat
ional champion.
Public service to all is given
by the Legion in its anti-sub-
versive activities commission
Capt. William B. Browne of
Portland, who aided in fighting
Nazi propaganda in Germany
during the war, is still active in
this field of work, and will head
a seminar on communism at 8
o'clock Thursday night In the
Chamber of Commerce. The
seminar will be limited to
Legion members only.
The Legion committees on
Americanism aid new citizens to
become better acquainted with
the governmental an economic
conditions in the United States.
Newcomers are also welcomed
into communities by similar
committees In each Legion post.
Taking care of disabled per
sons is another Legion project
which no one will deny is
worthwhile. One of the major
items of business confronting
the 31st annual state convention
in Salem this week is the con
sideration of raising additional
funds to care for the disabled,
Swedish railway equipment
factories can now make 2.650
freight cars a year.
Salem s Oldest Post
Outstanding in Nation
A meeting of a handful of Salem World War veterans on April
15, 1919, grew into the creation and development of Capital
Post No. 9, now second largest Legion post in Oregon with a
membership of nearly 1,700.
Ben W. Olcott, then governor of Oregon, presided over the
initial meeting. The post re-8
ceived its actual charter on July
28, 1919, with an original mem
bership of 16.
Since that time, Capital Post
has never stopped expanding,
except for a temporary slump
during the depression. Even yet
applications for new member
ships continue to pour in at
Capital Post's fabulous club
house at 2650 South Commer
cial street.
From the very beginning,
Capital Post has been active in
civic affairs for the good of the
city, state and nation in general.
Memorials Placed .
Among the very first projects
completed by Capital Post was
the placing of two memorial
stones on the Marion county
courthouse lawn. The local Le
gion post was also instrumental
in helping acquire the "Over the
Top" statue.
In its first 10 years of ex-
tstance, Capital Post organized
its famous drum corps which
went on to win national honors.
On through the years, Capital
Post distinguished itself through
a long list of accomplishments
that came about only through
the hard work of its members.
It was Capital Post No. 9 that
actually originated the bill that
allowed World War II veterans
to join the American Legion
Capital Post drew up the resolu
tion, -took it to the state con
vention, and from there it went
to the national convention
where it passed and immediate
ly drew young members into the
Legion by the thousands.
Home One of Finest
The American Legion club on
South Commercial, one of the
finest dining spots in the city
and one- of the finest Legion
clubhouses on the coast, was
purchased by Capital Post dur
ing the last two years.
Charles H. Huggins is present
commander of Capital Post.
Past commanders, in the or
der of their terms of office, are
Robin D. Day, W. Carlton
Smith, B. F. Pound, Joe Minton,
George Griffith, Carl D. Gabri
elson, Clifford Brown, Vic Mc
Kenzie, Lyle Dunsmoore, H. G.
Maison, Douglas McKay, A. C.
Bishop, O. E. Palmateer, E. M.
Page, Irl S. McSherry, Allan
Carson, Claude McKinney, Ver
den E. Hockett, King S. Bartlett,
George Averett, Glen Porter,
Brazier Small, A. M. Johnson,
Ray J. Stumbo, Fred Gahlsdorf,
Ira Pilcher, John Olson, B. E,
Owens, I. N. Bacon, Rex Kim
mell, and Lawrence Osterman.
Ralph Reed Receives
Master Mason Degree
Independence The master
Mason degree was conferred on
Ralph Reed at a regular meet
ing of Lyon lodge No. 29, AF
& AM, at the Masonic hall.
Rex Gildow and Edward Harns
berger conferred the degree with
the assistance of a degree team.
Lloyd Hughes gave the lecture
and charge.
The meeting was presided
over by Edward Dunckel, mas
ter of the lodge. This, will be
the last meeting until fall, as
the lodge is taking the usual
summer vacation.
Silverton Cannery
Will Handle Prunes
Silverton Clyde McKillop,
field supervisor for the Kolstad
canneries of Silverton, is an
nouncing that a prune pack will
be put up this fall, the first in
several years.
Prune contracts have been
signed with orchardists in the
Seotts Mills and Silverton sec
tions.
The local plant is opening this
week on bean packs.
Our Plant
OPEN
FOR INSPECTION
DAILY
Between 8 A.M. and 3:30 P.M.
VALLEY PACKING CO.
JUST NORTH OF
THE UNDERPASS
Phone 3-4158
III "ift i II
1 JfE!
ill mm jfk Stop in .
II ALflJl We'll Be Glad
. mmbbb To Help You '
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