

Veterans Appreciation and Prayer Vigil - May 3 - State Capitol, North side front steps @ 3:00 PM
There will be guest speakers, bagpipes and a Christian band to honor our many veterans here in Nebraska. This includes ALL of the veterans, not just the present vets. We are here to say Thank You to all in Nebraska who have served our country in all wars and times. We will be praying for our Vets, Leaders and for the upcoming elections. There will be a reading of the names of the “Fallen Nebraska heroes”. There will also be a special moment for the Vietnam Vets in attendance. There will be “Free” parking available in the Capital Garage. Entrance is 1 Block (west) before the Capital on “K” St. This is directly across from the First Baptist Church Lincoln, who has allowed us to use this for this ceremony. There will be a dessert bar at the First Baptist Church at the conclusion of the ceremony. This is a fund raiser for the Youth in the church for a mission’s trip. Bike Blessings will also be available during this gathering in the garage parking area. In case of rain the ceremony will be held inside the First Baptist Church of Lincoln. Parking is still in the garage.
Job Opening at State Headquarters: Activities Director The Nebraska American Legion is accepting applications for an individual interested in working as an administrator for youth educational and sports programs as Activities Director. This is a full-time staff position at Department Headquarters in Lincoln, NE. The successful applicant must be either a current member of The American Legion or a veteran eligible for membership Interest in and a knowledge of The American Legion and its programs is necessary. We are willing to train an applicant who possesses a positive attitude and desire for organizational employment. Hands-on information technology (IT) experience is a plus. Upon completion of training, the person hired will be eligible for consideration as the Department Assistant Adjutant. For more information and application, contact Department Adjutant Burdette Burkhart, PO Box 5205, Lincoln, NE 68505-0205; phone (402) 464-6338 or email nebraska@legion.org. A resume is strongly suggested.

National Oratorical Finals, Indianapolis, IN: April 5/6 Sean Badeer competed in the first round of The American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest held at the University Place Conference Center & Hotel on the campus of Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) on April 5th & 6th, earning $1,500 in scholarship money for his efforts. He competed against other Department (State) Champions from Kansas, Vermont, Arizona and Nevada with Brook Conner (Vermont) emerging as the first round winner. Sean did an outstanding job of representing the Department of Nebraska and plans on attending college to pursue a career in Construction Science. He is a home schooled student from Hickman and is coached by his mother, Deb Badeer. Visit the Picture page to see photos.

Washington DC Meetings: Members of The American Legion, Department of Nebraska, joined other Legionnaires from across the country for committee meetings and discussions with elected officials. National Executive Committeeman Mike Landkamer led the Nebraska delegation that included Alternate National Executive Committeeman Doug Boldt, Department Commander Ron Ingram, Department Service Officer Steve Burger, Past Department Commanders Mike Helm, Rich Baxter and Jerry Landkamer, Carroll Mollman, Veterans County Service Officer Linda Baumgartner, Department Finance Officer Rich Vasina, Department Adjutant Burdette Burkhart, Department Assistant Adjutant Jody Moeller, and Department Americanism Committee member Ken Schmid.

Papillion Post 32 NY Strip Steak Fry - April 26/May 24 (4th Sat ea month) Papillion Post 32 is hosting a New York Strip Steak Fry on Saturday, April 26 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. The $12 cost for the meal includes a 12oz. NY Strip steak, baked potato, vegetables, roll and dinner salad. Raffle tickets will also be sold with all proceeds going to American Legion Baseball, Boys State and Papillion-LaVista South ROTC. Tickets are available at the club. Flyer is available HERE


GOLF Fundraiser: The SAL Detachment is hosting a golf outing during the Department Convention in Kearney. It will be held on June 28 starting at 1:00 PM at the Meadowlark Hills Golf Course in Kearney. All funds raised are going towards repair of the Scottsbluff Veterans Home pond. Limit is 32 golfers and cost is $50 each. RSVP Frank Vail (402) 250-3581 or Danny Smith (402) 331-3141. See flyer HERE.

Time and Place - Dates you need to know! Please visit the Time and Place page to get the dates of 2008 District Junior Law Cadet selections, District Boys and Girls State Orientations, District Oratorical Contests and convention dates and times. The information will be updated as information is made available from the Districts.

IRS Warns of online scam targeting non-profits The IRS warned that a current version of a scam e-mail which falsely claims to come from the IRS appears to be directed toward certain tax-exempt organizations. The IRS reiterates that it will never send unsolicited, tax account related e-mails to taxpayers. Full Story here.

2008 Nebraska American Legion Mid-year Conference, Grand Island
High School Oratorical Contest 2008 State Champion Sean Badeer Hickman, NE	Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Jeffery Shelton Nebraska Highway Patrol	Firefighter/EMS of the Year Robert Miers Seward VFD/RS

Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) The Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) was formed in 1966, with two primary goals: to provide Legion families with low cost insurance protection and to provide a source of revenue to participating Departments. For every policy you purchase, a portion of your premium is allocated to The American Legion, Department of Nebraska! The Trust has been so successful in its more than 40 years that today some 2 million Legionnaires in 48 participating Departments are enrolled in this unique program. Also, during this time, over $400 million in claims benefits have been paid to Legionnaires and their families and over $40 million in allocations have been paid to participating Legion Departments. Since its creation, AGIA has developed each of the insurance programs by working closely with the Trust to negotiate the most comprehensive coverage at the lowest possible cost; to assist in presenting the programs for Trust approval; to work with the insurance companies to develop the best quality enrollment materials; and to ensure access to superior customer service. AGIA is proud to serve over 2 million Legion families from coast to coast. The first Trust insurance plan to be offered was the Hospital Income Protection Plan, a program designed to pay fixed dollar amounts for periods of hospital confinement. Over the years, other insurance coverage offered has included Disability Income, Cancer Care Expense, Travel Accident, Long Term Care, Medicare Supplement, Surgical Benefits, Medical, Dental, Accidental Death, Auto and Homeowners Insurance. Click here to visit TheLIT.com

ATTENTION POSTS: New Law Threatens Tax Exempt Status Beginning in 2008, small tax-exempt organizations that previously were not required to file returns may be required to file an annual electronic notice, Form 99-N, Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations not required to file Form 990 or 990-EZ. This filing requirement applies to tax periods beginning after December 31, 2006. *Organizations that do not file the notice will lose their tax-exempt status.* With the enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA), small tax-exempt organizations (gross receipts of $25,999 or less) will now be required to file electronically Form 990-N, also known as the e-Postcard, with the IRS annually. The PPA requires the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of any organization that fails to meet its annual filing requirement for three consecutive years. For additional information, subscribe to Exempt Organization's EO Update, a regular email newsletter that highlights new information posted on the Charities pages of irs.gov.

Nebraska Student earns $20,000 College Scholarship
Brandon Timm of Neligh, Nebraska was one of ten outstanding high school students nationally who emerged from a field of nearly 100 applicants as recipients of a $20,000 Samsung-American Legion Scholarship. His selection was announced by The American Legion National Committee on Education with participation from the Samsung Corporation. The committee awarded the scholarships on the basis of academic record, involvement in school and community activities and financial need. Eligibility for scholarshps requires students to be direct descendants of U.S. wartime veterans. All had grandfathers who served either in World War II, the Korean War, or both. The Samsung Group, an international electronics company, endowed a scholarship fund of $5 million to be administered by The American Legion, to show appreciation to U.S. veterans who came to the aid of Korea during its struggle against communist forces during the Korean War. *Congratulations Brandon!*

Nebraska Baseball Player named 2007 American Legion National Player of the Year
Blaine Drozd of Genoa has been selected as the 2007 George W. Rulon American Legion National Player of the Year. The selection is made on the basis of integrity, mental attitude, cooperation, citizenship, sportsmanship, scholastic aptitude, and general good conduct. After being selected as the 2007 Department of Nebraska Baseball Player of the Year, Blaine was then awarded the Central Plains Region Player of the Year and will receive a $1000 scholarship. As the George W. Rulon American Legion National Player of the Year, he receives another $2000 scholarship. Blaine will also receive an expense paid trip to the 2008 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction in Cooperstown, New York in June 2008 and an expense paid trip to the 2008 American Legion National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona in August 2008 to receive his award. *Blaine is only the 2nd player from Nebraska to receive this award since 1949 and the first since Kenneth J. Fila of Omaha was selected in 1965 (award history).* Congratulations Blaine! George W. Rulon served The American Legion organization for 25 years (1961-1986) as the National Baseball Program Coordinator. Gatorade has sponsored the Regional and the Player of the Year scholarships for the past 22 years.





Copyright 2007 - The American Legion, Department of Nebraska