Legionville activities vary from summer activities, such as games in the sand, to life lessons, such as camping skills, first aid, safety training and swimming. Photos: MN American Legion
American Legion grows its Legionville and Oratorical Scholarship programs.
American Legion Woodbury Post 501 has been working with local schools to recruit students to two of its newest programs: Legionville Educational Center Summer Camp and the Oratorical Scholarship Program.
Post commander Bob Dolan is passionate about providing new opportunities for young people in the community. “It’s something we’ve focused on for quite a while with the high school level students but never really got into middle and elementary aged kids until this year,” he says. “I wanted to start providing these opportunities to the younger kids, too.”
Legionville Educational Center Summer Camp is located in Brainerd and has been run by the Minnesota American Legion since 1956. The camp is focused on camping skills, first aid, safety training and swimming. Woodbury Post 501 first sponsored a camper last summer, and Dolan received great feedback from the camper’s parent. “She said he had a phenomenal time, he learned a lot and that he was especially excited about learning CPR. It was really important to him to learn this skill,” Dolan says. “He had a life experience that motivated him to learn the things they teach kids in Legionville.”
Spending time at Legionville is a great way for students to enjoy summertime activities while learning life skills, which can add value and purpose to their lives now and in the future. This summer, Post 501 hopes to sponsor two campers.
The American Legion Oratorical Scholarship has been around for more than 80 years. This constitutional speech contest is a way to both develop a deeper understanding of the Constitution of the United States and earn scholarship money in the process. “The oratorical contest is a fairly intense competition because the individuals have to present a five-minute speech on a topic, which they get on the spot, on the Constitution. So they need to be able to speak extemporaneously,” Dolan says.
Post 501 is working with several area schools, including East Ridge High School, Math and Science Academy, Middleton Elementary, Saint Ambrose Catholic School, Woodbury High School (WHS), homeschool groups and the WHS Air Force ROTC Junior Cadets, to gauge interest in the Oratorical Scholarship Program. Dolan thinks that, with a couple of years’ momentum in the program, a student from Woodbury could make it to the next levels of competition, which goes from local to district levels to state and national competitions. “I’d like to have at least three to four individuals [compete]. That way, we have a first, second, third place that we can move up the line to the district competition. We’re leaning on some of the expertise of the district to walk us through the process,” Dolan says.
“Within the American Legion, youth programs are one of the pillars. We view youth programs as probably the backbone of the American Legion because it’s going to be these young men and women who grow up and may get involved in the military, government and politics,” Dolan says. “Some of this information and experiences would be important to them.
“I like working with young kids. It makes my heart happy to see young men and women like this who are smart and have a focus in life,” he says.
To express your interest, or to share resources to help Post 501 reach more youth, email Bob Dolan at woodburypost501@gmail.com. Find more information at americanlegionpost501.org.
