The Callaway American Legion Auxiliary monthly meeting started at 6:30 at the Callaway Legion Hall on Feb. 10, 2025. Our president was not able to make it to the meeting, so our Vice President Cora Belew conducted our meeting. Our Chaplin Joyce Brestel started the meeting with a prayer. We then followed our Vice President with the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the Star Spangled Banner and recited the Auxiliary Preamble.

Cora began the meeting with the secretary reading the minutes of our Jan. 13 meeting. MaryAnn gave the financial report. Jo moved that we except the financial report as presented and Cora seconded this move, and it was approval by all.

On Sunday, Feb. 2, we had a celebration for our Gold Star sister Rose Hirsch. Rose brought a replica of the tank that was named after her brother Robert Booker and another soldier that was named Booker also. She also presented other documents that her family received honoring Robert Booker.

At the celebration we had the 2024 Girls State representative, Adison Bailey, there with her mother. Adison gave a report on her Girls State experience. All in all it was a very nice gathering.

MaryAnn attended the Mid-Year Conference at Norfolk. She reported that the chairpersons that were there gave talks on different subjects. It was a good conference.

The Auxiliary State Department is selling Auxiliary trivia cards. Jo made a motion that we should buy a set of these cards that we could use at our meetings. Joyce seconded this motion, and it was approved.

Joyce is working on this year's prayer book. If you would like to contribute a prayer it needs to be typed, centered, double spaced, 12 point font. It needs to have the person’s name contributing the prayer and the author of the prayer included on the typed page also. Please get these to us by Feb. 19.

Valentines for Veterans went great. We collected 156 valentines. MaryAnn took these to the Grand Island Medical Center. MaryAnn said that there were treats attached and vegetables were also given out. Sixty cards were presented to the veterans at the Grand Island Medical Center and the rest were given to the veterans at the Central Nebraska Veterans Home in Kearney.

We plan to have the Legion Birthday Party next month on Sunday, March 23, at 2:00 at the Legion Hall. It will be a social event with cake and ice cream.

We are judging the Girls State applications and the Americanism Essays at the same time on Feb. 19, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at the Legion Hall. If you want to submit prayers to our Prayer Book you can turn them in at that time, also.

The meeting was concluded with Joyce reading our prayer and Cora closing the meeting.

Sincerely, Eileen Wilson, Secretary