YOUTH BROUGHT CHEERS , :
Col. Carle Abrams Describes
Birth of Vets Organization
Col. Carle Abrams of Salem, now with the Abrams & Skinner
Insurance firm, is a charter member of the American Legion. He
was a member of the first servicemen's caucus which met in Paris
on March 21-22, 1919, for the purpose of forming a veterans'
organization.
Gen. Pershing was largely re
sponsible for the holding of that
caucus, Abrams said. The gen
eral cooperated to the full ex
tent in seeing that delegates to
the caucus were sent from every
service group then stationed in
Europe.
"There were about 700 in that
original meeting," Abrams re
calls. "We met in the old Circle
Theatre in Paris."
Abrams remembers vividly
the ordeal of choosing a name
for the veterans organization
they were about to form. A
committee on names was ap
pointed, and after several hours
deliberation presented several
suggested names to the general
assembly.
"None of them seemed to
click," said Abrams, "so several
of the boys began suggesting
names from the floor."
About 15 or 20 names had
been suggested, with nothing
but frowns as response.
Finally, Abrams recalls, a
young fellow stood up and said,
"Why not call it the American
Legion?"
A hush fell about the auditor
ium. Suddenly the whole place
broke out into applause. The ap
plause rose from hand-clapping
to roars of approval, and when
the whole delegation stood on
their feet, there was no doubt in
anyone's mind "American Le
gion" was it.
A temporary constitution and
by-laws were set up,, and the
first national convention of the
American Legion scheduled for
St. Louis in September, 1919.
At that convention, the name
was affirmed and the permanent
constitution set up. Since then,
there has been no amendments
whatsoever to that original con
stitution, except for the clause
which allowed World War II
veterans to become members of
the Legion.; That amendment
was drawn up in Capital Post
No. 9 in Salem.
Local posts immediately
sprang up throughout the na
tion. Capital post was one of
the first. - y
Col. Abrams, incidentally, is
(till an active Legionnaire.
Here Is Procedure
In Legion Legislation
The department of Oregon,
American Legion, follows this
procedure in considering reso
lutions at a state convention:
First, resolutions are brought
in from various posts through
out the state. They are submit
ted to the department's resolu
tions committee, which sorts out
and combines the ones it consid
ers most feasible, and in turn
submits them to the general as
sembly. Legion members vote on whe
ther to pass or kill a bill at the
general assembly.
If the bill is passed, and if it
is of national significance to the
American Legion, it is taken to
the National convention, where
it starts over in a resolutions
committee again.
Anyone Cad Register
The host commission of the
31st annual American Legion
convention reminds all citizens
of Salem and vicinity that they
are eligible to register for the
Legion convention and attend
nearly all of the events and ses
sions. Registration booth is at
convention headquarters, locat
ed in a tent on the courthouse
lawn.
Perry Brown is current na
tional commander of the Ameri
" iff ""iiywri
Col. Carle Abrams
Discussion Due
On Disable Aid
Among the most important
items of business to come before
the 31st annual convention of
the Oregon department of the
American Legion will be the
matter involving financial aid
for disabled persons.
Aiding the disabled is nothing
new for Legionnaires; the Le
gion has been giving a helping
hand for years.
So far, the project has been
financed through bank interest
gained on a fund deposited for
that purpose. But with interest
rates dropping and the list of
disabled persons growing, the
Legion must find new means of
financing the program if it is
to continue.
Seventeen posts in Oregon
have considered this problem
in their local meetings serious
enough to bring with them re
solutions regarding it to the
state convention this week.
The matter will be thrashed
over in the resolutions commit
tee meetings, and then in a gen
eral meeting. If a decision as to
how to raise the money is reach
ed, and if a bill calling for an
act to raise the funds is passed,
that bill will then go to the na
tional convention for consider
ation there. .
The most popular suggestion
is to increase each Legion mem
ber's dues by 25c, and earmark
that additional amount for re
habilitation only.
Steve Chadwick of Seattle,
former national commander,
and an ardent booster of' the
plan, will be here for the state
convention to explain the work
ings of the proposed bill.
ISIS
XT i
Convention Vice-Chairnun
One -of the many work
horses who tolled to make
this week's state American Le
gion convention the sensa
tional affair it is is Carl D.
Gabrielson, vice-chairman of
the local convention committee.
IH
HK7 J
Post Nine First
Wilh Amendenl
The constitutional amend
ment which provides that World
War II veterans are eligible to
become members of the Ameri
can Legion got its start in Sa
lem, at Capital Post No. 9.
Rex Kimmel, who has been a
leading figure in local Legion
circles for years, was appointed
post chairman of a resolutions
committee to draw up such a
bill.
The bill drew an "okeh" in
the local post, and was sent to
the state convention in Portland
in 1945. The department of
Oregon also passed the amend
ment, and in turn it was refer
red to the national meeting for
consideration.
There were other states sub
mitting such an amendment, but
since the department of Oregon
convention was the first state
convention held in 1945, it was
actually the Oregon resolution
that was adopted.
The national group approved
the amendment, and from there
it was turned over to the con
gress of the United States for
final consideration and voting.
The American Legion is char
tered by congress.
Only 3 Oregon Cities
Have Over One Post
Salem, with three American
Legion posts, is one of three
cities in Oregon having more
than a single post. The three
posts in Salem are Capital Post
No. 9; Salem Post 136, compris
ed of World War II vets only;
and Pioneer Post No. 149, an all
women's group.
Of the 170 Legion posts in
Oregon, 26 are located in Port
land, one of them an all-wom-2n's
post.
The only other city outside
Salem and Portland with more
than one post is Eugene. Both a
men's and a women's post are
located there.
1" Lift-. J
Way 3
A cool breeze on the lake . . . solitude R y .,.lSj I
... the rippling sound of waves .. . I
then homeward bound at twilight 1 1 1 I
to a cool, refreshing glass of 1:1 ; ti I I
light Olympia. These are among the H ; m I
good things of life. l-j . tffk ( I
AtVMPlA
" "Itm the Water" 1
Bffr, th l!ht Kimtmntt Sirtragi ef Million if TrnftrM PnfU 1
OIVMMA MIWIHO COMFAMV, OlYMMA, WASHIHOTON, W. A. 1
Capita Journal, Salem, Orefjon, Tuesday, August 2, 191!) 7
if
Local 40 et 8 Boss Brazier
Small, Salem attorney, who is
chef de gare of Salem voiture
153 of the 40 et 8, honor and
fun-making division of the
American Legion..
Portlander Holds
National Presidency
An Oregonian is serving as
national president of the Le
gion auxiliary. She is Mrs. Hu
bert A. (Laura) Goode of Port
land.
Mrs. Goode began her climb
up the Legion ladder when she
was elected department vice-
president at the state convention
in Salem in 1939.
She will . be in Salem again
this week for the 31st annual
state Legion convention.
Welcome Legionnaires
While you are in Salem drop in to the Douglas
McKay Chevrolet Co. and see the most modern
equipped shop in the Pacific Northwest.
Douglas McKay Chevrolet Co.
510 North Commercial Phone 3-3175
In Post No. 149
Salem's newest American Le
gion post, No. 149, has been in
existance only since March,
1946. But the work behind its
formation began several months
prior to that.
Velma McNamara and Mrs.
Harriett Belcher started the
movement when they applied
for membership in Capital Post
No. 9. At that time, they learned
that only 15 persons were need
ed to organize a new post.
So the two ladies thought of
the possibilities of forming a
post solely for women, and the
more they deliberated on the
idea, the more determined they
were to go ahead with it.
Selective service headquar
ters in Salem was contacted, and
a list of names of women veter
ans in this area was obtained.
Through the writing of let
ters, phone calls and much per
sonal contact, these women were
gradually rounded up and join
ed together in a temporary or
ganization. They then applied for a char
ter, and their post was duly or
ganized with 44 members, all
women.
Officers in the post are Mrs.
Belcher, commander; Susan Fa
herty, first vice - commander;
Mrs. Sylvia Kraps, second vice
commander; Mrs. Elizabeth
Skinner, adjutant; Alberta
Shoemake, chaplain; Evelyn
Schrader, finance officer; Mrs.
Elen Sprenzel, historian.
can Legion.