Commandant's Message - August

We had our first summer meeting and the turn out was a little light. The meal count was twenty-two and we need twenty-five to break even. The current officers were installed and one new member was sworn in. We had two new guests. One was a Marine who was not able to stay for the meeting but took an application to join. The other was a corpsman who I invited. He seemed very interested in joining. He was actually the one who sent the first mentioned guest who was not able to stay. The Detachment continues to grow in size but we are always looking for at least a few more.

Tickets for the Marine Ball are available from Ken Olsen and will be available at our next meeting. The cost is twenty-five dollars per ticket. We need everyone to attend and to bring a guest. Tom Cover is moving forward with the sale of the ads for the printed ball program. Each one of us should be able to sell a couple ads. We all have a doctor, dentist, barber or other business person to ask. There will be more information at August meeting or contact Tom Cover.

I think we have located a reasonable source to obtain M-1's for our color guard. I hope that all the information on obtaining them will be available next meeting.

As you should know from the e-mail sent out by Clyde Johnston, we were able to raise the $4.000.00 to upgrade a room at the new VA retirement home. Larry Mineer stood up to make the difference.

I have requested now twice from the membership any suggestions any member may have for a new project for the detachment this year. As of this date, I have heard from no one. It is hard for me to believe with the vast military experience of our members that there are no ideas.

I do hope you all are enjoying this summer and look forward to seeing you all at the August meeting on August 13 at the Abbey Inn.

Pioneer Days Parade

Marines!  Let's have a great showing of the Utah Dixie Detachment Marine Corps League - marching and leading the Pioneer Days Parade in Ivins Saturday 23 July.

All hands in your bvest uniform fall out in front of the fire station at 0830 to plan our march.  The fire station is about 100 or 200 West on the Snow Canyon Parkway.  We have a new Marine Corps League banner ready to display.  Terry Hansen will be there with his Civil War replica drums to give us a good cadence for marching.

Larry Mineer, Color Sergeant

2011 Birthday Ball

The Detachment's Marine Corps Birthday Ball Committee is work-ing tirelessly and relentlessly to put together the most memorable Birthday Celebration our Detachment has ever seen. We have things planned for this evening that you have not seen in the past. Some of these are surprises that I cannot divulge without ruining it for you. For example, we do not have a guest or keynote speaker for the party, but we definitely will have a surprise visitor! You won't want to miss him (or her?).

This does not mean that we don't have honored guests coming to the Ball, because we most certainly do. You and your guests will learn about the Marine Corps Hymn at the Birthday Ball. No, not like you learned in Boot Camp – this is a completely different approach to what you have heard in the past. Oh, the words haven't changed, not by any stretch of the imagination. What will change is how you all think about the Hymn; from that night on you will sing the words with improved vigor and enthusiasm, because we are going to give you a gift that will let you see the Hymn in a whole new light.

Along with the fun ideas and things that we have planned for you, the Ball will of course include all the usual and prescribed pomp and circumstance that you would get no matter which Marine Corps Birthday Ball you were to attend anywhere in the world - like the cutting and serving of the official cake ceremony, presided over and conducted by our Detachment's own Dave Houston and his select team of Marines - posting of the colors by our Detachment's Color Guard - and reading of the Commandant's Birthday Message.

There is a fantastic dinner planned just for you that you won't want to miss. There will be an interesting and informational way by which we determine the order the tables are excused to the buffet line, so be prepared like a good Marine should always be. Hint: It has to do with Marine Corps History.

The evening will culminate with a wonderful dance, so wear comfortable shoes and help us wear out the dance floor before departing at the end of the evening.

And, all this for just $25.00 per person! Why, that's so inexpensive it's almost a crime!

Here is what you need to do right now while you're thinking about this. Get away from your computer and find your calendar. Okay, got it? Now, go to November 10 and make a note on that square: "Marine Corps Birthday Ball, 1800 hrs." Next, sit back down in front of your computer and send an e-mail to: patlisigmac@gmail.com.

In your e-mail let me know that you have committed to coming to the Birthday Ball in November and state how many people you are bringing. Don't be shy; we have room for lots of folks! Don't send me any money, yet, we'll get to that later. For now we just want to start getting a head count which will make negotiating what we pay for your dinners easier and quicker. Yes, November is a ways off, but good Marines don't go into a mission without the full advantage of advanced training/planning. Did you sign up in the Corps and skip Boot Camp? No! That's why your Ball Committee is working hard right now, and we will be working right up through the Ball itself.

Thank You - Funeral Detail

Thank You for your expression of sympathy:

Bill and members of the Marines, thank you for honoring my beloved husband's passing.

Myrna Beardshear and Family

2011 July Message from the Commandant

Well, summer is here in St. George and the snow birds are gone for a few months. As noted at the June meeting, we will have staff and general meetings in July and August. Things come up on us too fast if we miss those months.

The color guard posted colors at the June chamber meeting. The governor was present at the meeting and he expressed his respect for the Marine Corps and your service. The Color Guard was well received. The Color Guard will post colors again this year at the Bloomington Stake House on July 3. We have not received any requests for the 4th of July at time of this writing.

This is my second month and I appreciate D‟Arcy Grisier and James Haney for stepping up and filling the two vacant positions. The minutes prepared by Jim Haney were in a great format and complete. D‟Arcy Grisier is working hard to learn his duties and he will make an outstanding Chaplin.

My focus this year will be to determine our objectives for the year and find the right people to chair the necessary committees to accomplish the objectives. If anyone has a project that fits into our detachment general goals, you should put it in writing and submit it as soon as possible. I feel there are many things out there that we can do for veterans and the community.

Larry Mineer, our Color Guard leader, would like to have seven or eight more members with uniforms to help with events. He would also like the detachment to obtain at least two M-1s so we don’t have to borrow them each event. I looked on the internet and they cost between $750.00 and $1,700.00. If you know where we may be able to obtain them at a better price, please contact Larry Mineer. We hope in time to have seven M-1s so we can provide a full formal funeral when request by a family of a fallen Marine. I feel each Marine family deserves it and active personal are not always available.

I am looking forward to the highway clean-up on June 25 and hope we have a good showing. Do your best to bring a guest to our next meeting. We still need a few good men and women.

Carl Kulyk, Commandant

2011 Benefit Golf Tournament

Dixie Detachment #1270, St. George, Utah, will hold its annual golf tournament at the SunRiver St. George Golf Course on Saturday, June 4, 2011.

4 Person Scramble (Team Low Net)
$85 per player (includes cart and lunch) [SunRiver residents $60]
8:30 a.m., tee time (shot gun start)
7:30 a.m., if not pre-registered

Contact Larry at Larry@constructionmonitor.com for more details.

Prizes galore:
Closest to the pin on all par 3's
Longest drive for men and for women (different age brackets)
Longest putt per team
Team low net (1st, 2nd, 3rd place)
Hole-in-one or double eagle - $500
And more!!!

All proceeds will benefit Veterans of Washington County Area.  Join us!  We support Devil Pups, Inc. Youth Program, Active Duty Marines and Families, Marine Appreciation Day, Marine Corps Birthday Ball, Nursing Home Marines and Toys for Tots.

Dine to Donate - Tuesday May 17

Tuesday, May 17, from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Please join us for a Dine to Donate night at Applebee's Restaurant, 156 So. River Road in St. George.  Applebee's, always so friendly to veteran groups, has agreed to donate 10% of the proceeds of the meals of those of us who come in with a certificate indicating we are participating in the Devil Pup fund raising project.  Get your certificate from your e-mail or contact Bill Toole at 652-3998.  Hand the certificate to your server and Applebee's will clip it to your bill and tally up the slips at the end of the evening, donating 10% to the Detachment for our Devil Pup project.  

This is not a 10% discount for your dinner; you will pay the regular price and Applebee's will donate 10% of your check to the Devil Pup project.  It should be a fun night - how could it be better?  No work, just food and fun.

Devil Pups, Inc. is a 10 day camp experience for young people, ages 14-17 and is a non-profit organization designed to help boys and girls from all backgrounds gain self-confidence and learn to take responsibility for their actions.  It is separate from the Marine Corps but is held at Camp Pendleton every summer as space allows. California kids are supported by Devil Pups, Inc., a California non-profit organization.  Marine Corps League detachments in states outside of California, including Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon, support their own Devil Pups - and we've even had pups come to this outstanding program from Scotland.  It changes lives and has become a popular program in this area, with as many as 50-60 applicants for only 10-11 slots for our quota in St. George.

For an advance peek at the menu at Applebee's, go to 

http://www.applebees.com/MenuLandingStatic.aspx

Tuesday, May 17, from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.  For those of you who LOVE to party, stay after 9:00 p.m. for Applebee's karaoke fun.