When the members of the American Legion's executive committee had to appoint a new commander, they found a candidate with a lot of experience. The new commander of the Post 341 has been commander in the past and has served as the finance officer and oversaw the building of the post. John Chelstrom is once again the commander of the American Legion Post 341.
The former commander stepped down for health reasons, he explained, and the post was filled according to the bylaws. The bylaws give the executive committee the responsibility to make the appointment. Chelstrom has long been a member of the committee, most recently as an executive committeeman.
The committee provides continuity, he explained. All the officers are members of the committee along with three committeemen.
Chelstrom isn't planning any big changes at the Legion. He plans to continue all the events as long as it is economically viable. Events like the weekly trivia game have to pay for themselves, he said.
The Post is home to the Veteran's Cafe which is open to the public. All the events at the post are open to the public, Chelstrom said, with the exception of the monthly membership meeting.
The Cafe serves lunch from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. There are daily meal specials. The bar is open from 11 a.m. to closing Tuesday through Saturday.
Some of the most popular events are the Saturday night dances, he said. Local talent like Rocking Roads Band and Shades of Blue play in the large meeting room. Most of the bands have their own following. Food and beverages are served in the meeting room as well as in the cafe.
On Friday, there is often music in the lounge and an occasional corn hole tournament. Trivia is Wednesday and Karaoke is Thursday.
The events help raise enough money to fund some more serious endeavors. The Post has always had an emergency fund to help veterans in need. Each case is decided individually, Chelstrom said, and care is taken to make sure the need is real. It may be something as simple as filling up a gas tank so a veteran traveling through the area can get home. Or it might mean rounding up volunteers and materials to build a wheelchair ramp.
Post 341 was chartered in 1975 and was first located near the intersection of Highway 40 and 71B. Eventually, it moved into the little rock house near Highway 71 B and Kingsland Road.
Chelstrom was on the executive committee when the house was replaced by the current building which opened in 2013. He remembers helping remove the rocks that covered the outside of the house and discovering a lot of termite damage. It seemed the rock facade might have been the only thing holding up the structure. The rocks were repurposed into a patio behind the new building.
General News on 11/13/2019