Americanism

The American Legion trip is not like the typical 8th-grade trip most Ohio teens experience. We have a smaller group of students and focus on history, Americanism, and respect for the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom.

Day to day highlights of the trip:

Our 2022 Young Leaders have made it safely to their home away from home for the next week.

Today we visited Gettysburg, which included seeing the cyclorama and getting a tour of the Battlefield.

Tomorrow is our most important day…. Arlington National Cemetery. We will make sure to go Live during our wreath laying ceremony!

More to come! Stay tuned!

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Good Morning Legionnaires, ladies, and gentlemen! Our Young Leaders are dressed to impress today as we pay our respects to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

We are also proud that one of our Young Leaders is part of the civil air patrol cadet program, auxiliary of the United States Air Force at his school.

We will have quite a few posts today….. but make sure to tune in to our Facebook Live around 11:15 for our wreath laying ceremony!

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The changing of the Guard and the American Legion Department of Ohio wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Department 1st Vice Commander Brad Teis, Department Auxiliary 1st Vice President Cindy Masowick, 10th Grader- Walker Hill. D7. Post 25 and

10th Grader- Lana McAdams. D3. Post 586.

https://fb.watch/bu34F_5kOc/

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Day #2 is a wrap for our Young Leaders. Today included Arlington National Cemetery, National Basilica, Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum, Iwo Jima Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial.

Make sure to check out our adventures tomorrow!!!

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Day #3 is in the books for our young leaders. Today included the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, National Cathedral, Hazy Center, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Thomas Jefferson Monument, FDR Memorial, and MLK Memorial.

For dinner, we were hosted by American Legion Post 8, and fed by American Legion Post 2 in Washington DC. Both Posts welcomed us with open arms and showed the young leaders the meaning of Legion Family!

Tomorrow is a busy busy day! Stay tuned…our adventure is almost coming to an end!

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Today was the end of Day #4 for our Young Leaders.

Today’s adventures included the National Museum of the Marine Corps, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, The National Museum of the U.S. Army, Air Force Memorial, White House, American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, and for dinner we ended up at The Hard Rock Cafe. Today was a great last day in Washington DC.

Tomorrow morning, we will be stopping at the Flight 93 Memorial on the way home.

For the last time, stay tuned for our adventure’s tomorrow!

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For the final time… Good Morning Legionnaires, ladies, and gentlemen.

Our 2022 Young Leaders are on their way to the Flight 93 Memorial, before our final departure in Columbus.

We will update you more in Stoystown, PA!

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After our reverent visit to the Flight 93 Memorial in Stoystown, PA our 2022 Americanism and Government Trip has come to an end and our Young Leaders have been returned to their parents!

These young leaders really are the future, and they will do great things!

Hope, Emily, Joey, Paul, Kate, Lana, Walker, Jake, Jayla, Regan, William, Reece, Ryleigh, Faith, Carl, Jacob, and Connor…… Thank you for making this trip so much fun and memorable! We appreciate your willingness to hear our “good ideas”, for being so professional and respectful, and for having the best “sound off”.

Good Luck and Thank you!

-Christie White

Americanism and Children & Youth Coordinator

The American Legion Department of Ohio

I would like to take a moment of personal privilege….

I feel like I started to get to know these students before I even met them. Looking at their tests, reading their bios, etc.
Their tests, do not do them justice. Their bios do not do them justice. They are so much more than words on paper. They are smart, so so smart. They are funny, confident, empathetic, caring, and overall amazing individuals. When I say young leaders, I mean that whole heartedly. They are the future, and they WILL make a difference in this world. I promise you that.

My advice for you young leaders…. always be kind, be confident in your response even if your response is wrong (the worst thing that can happen is that someone says no. But every no is a learning opportunity) and believe in yourselves.

Keep an eye on these young leaders, they are going places.

John Glenn once said, “The most important thing we can do is inspire young minds.” So please go inspire the future generations. I know you have inspired me.

Thank you!

Also, thank you to this year’s Chaperones who were; Department 1st Vice Commander Brad Teis, Ed Long, Department Auxiliary 1st Vice President Cindy Masowick, Alternate National Executive Committeeman Steve Masowick, Department Membership Coordinator JD Robinson, Department VHA/VAVS/GFY Coordinator Andrew Klingler, and Department Americanism and Children & Youth Coordinator Christie White.

Students get ‘eye-opening’ trip to D.C., thanks to the Ohio American Legion

Although created by the Ohio American Legion, the Americanism and Government Test program is a joint venture and partnership with the Ohio American Legion Auxiliary, which is a cosponsor of the program.

The Americanism and Government Test program is open to students in grades 10, 11, and 12. Students in grade 9 may take the test for practice only.

The Americanism and Government Test is a fifty (50) question test comprised of True/False, multiple choice, and fill-in the blank.

A three hundred (300) word essay is also part of the Americanism and Government Test and every student taking the test writes on the same essay topic.

The essay is utilized in the various judging levels of this program as a Tie-breaker.

The essay topic is selected/written each year by members of the Department Americanism Committee and Department Americanism Director.

A feature of the Americanism and Government Test is that the students themselves do not advance in the competition, the student’s test paper does.

The Americanism and Government test is NOT designed to have one student compete against another. It is designed to test an individual student’s knowledge of the following:

The United States Flag
 The Declaration of Independence
 The United States Constitution
 State government in Ohio
 County government in Ohio

City government in Ohio
 Township government in Ohio
 Village government in Ohio
 School District government in Ohio

The 50 questions of the Americanism and Government Test are written in such a manner to be current and topical to events, studies, and information being presented in Ohio high schools and events happening in the state of Ohio and the nation.

On average, over 65,000 students participate in the Test program annually.

Through a number of judging levels in the state of Ohio to select Post, County, and District winners, the initial field of 65,000 students is narrowed to 84 district winners, whose winning test papers are submitted to a State Judging Committee for this program.
From the field of 84 District winners, the State Judging Committee selects 18 winners in the following categories:

• Grade 12 (Seniors): Six (6) State winners/three (3) men and three (3) women
• Grade 11 (Juniors): Six (6) State winners/three (3) men and three (3) women
• Grade 10 (Sophomores): Six (6) State winners/three (3) men and three (3) women

The State Award from the Ohio American Legion for the 18 State winners is a five (5) day, all expenses paid trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. under the direction of the Department Americanism Director, accompanied by representatives of the Ohio American Legion and Ohio American Legion Auxiliary.

A highlight of the trip is a Wreath Laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Ohio American Legion and Ohio American Legion Auxiliary have had the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns every year since 1936.

An objective of the Ohio American Legion through the Americanism and Government test program is that if by taking the test a young person is inspired to learn more about government, the United States, and to appreciate the freedoms enjoyed by the nation’s citizens, the effort put forth by the Ohio American Legion and the Ohio American Legion Auxiliary is worth the expense.

The Americanism and Government Test program is unique to the national America Legion organization as only two other states, Indiana and Wisconsin, have versions of the program, which both adopted/adapted from the Ohio American Legion, but neither program is the size or scope of the Ohio program.

Through the Buckeye Boys State objectives of “learning by doing” young men attending the Buckeye Boys State program will learn more about city, county, and state government in eight days than they would in an entire semester of high school.

Conducted annually in mid-June, the American Legion Buckeye Boys State program is conducted on the campus of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio and is open to young men who have completed their junior year of high school prior to the start of Boys State and will be Seniors in the fall.

The American Legion Buckeye Boys State program is the largest Boys State program in the nation with an annual attendence of over 1,200 of the top high school juniors in the state of Ohio representing 600+ high schools in the state and the home schooled community.

The American Legion Buckeye Boys State program is regarded within the national American Legion organization, and in education circles, as the #1 Boys State program in the entire nation.

The Sons of The American Legion, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the agencies/departments of Ohio government are partners in the American Legion Buckeye Boys State program.

For a complete overview of the American Legion Buckeye Boys State program and detailed information on every aspect of Buckeye Boys State, click on the link provided: www.ohiobuckeyeboysstate.com

The Ohio American Legion Auxiliary conducts a similar program for young ladies called the American Legion Buckeye Girls State and is conducted at Mount Union University in Alliance, Ohio. www.buckeyegirlsstate.org

The educator honored at the 2022 Department Convention was Heath Bennett. This educator has spanned twenty nine years as a teacher and the impact he has made upon the students he teaches has been tremendous. Mr. Bennett is not only an educator, he is also a Coach. He is an exceptionally dedicated educator at Logan Elm Local School District, who takes his job as a role model and life coach seriously. The Logan Elm Local School District Superintendent has said, “I consider Heath Bennett an outstanding educator. Everything he has done from his academic interest, to his countless hours working with students on classroom activities, he has done for the single purpose of teaching young people”.

-Sponsored by Post 134 in District 7, the 2022 American Legion Department of Ohio Educator of the Year.

The American Legion Department of Ohio and the Posts of Ohio provide schools, institutions, civic, and youth groups with information and flags for ceremonial, educational, and display purposes.

The Posts of Ohio conduct many presentations throughout the state on the proper folding, care, and display of the United States Flag.

The Posts of Ohio also conduct proper flag retirement ceremonies for United States flags that are no longer flyable and conduct graveside flag ceremonies for the funerals of deceased veterans.

A number of assets regarding United States flag education and United States flag etiquette are available upon request by contacting the Americanism Director.

20 young men are selected at Buckeye Boys State, 20 young women at Buckeye Girls State, and 10 sons and daughters of Highway Patrol officers attend a mini-course in Law-Enforcement, taught by Patrol officers, which culminates in a Graduation Ceremony attended by Patrol, Legion, and Auxiliary officials.