Programs - The American Legion Gold Star Post 191

What We Do For Our Veterans and Community

TROUP SUPPORT

If you wish to donate (New Personal Items) for mailing to the troops, please drop off the items at the Post during normal office hours. Also monetary contributes are accepted to help defray the cost of the mailing.

Post Hours are:

Monday – Thursday 10 AM – 11 PM

Friday 10 AM – 1 AM

Saturday 12 Noon till 1 AM

Sunday 1 PM – 10 PM

SCOUTING

The American Legion Gold Star Post 191 supports both the BSA Scouting and the Cub Scouts. These two great American institutions have seen boys (and now girls) from all walks of life and all social backgrounds.

In 2001, Gold Star Post Chartered Boy Scout Troop 1191, prior to that in the previous decade, the Post had chartered a Cub Scout Pack, 1191. Since its inception, the Scouting program has flourished at the Gold Star Post, with well over 20 Eagle Scouts to date earning that rank with 1191. The Post and the grounds are adorned with past Eagle Scout projects.

2019 began as a historic year in scouting at the Gold Star Post, as one of the first girl Troops in Maryland was formed and chartered (Troop 1191G), the original Troop changing its title to Troop 1191B. That year a Venture Crew (intended for older scouts that wish to take a more adventurous path) was formed and chartered (Crew 1191).

The Post continues to send Scouts to Boys State and enlist their help at our ceremonies (Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and Patriots Day) and at Dinner events. The Scouts have assumed the duty of Honorably Retiring unserviceable Flags in 2016 and continue that tradition today.

POST 191 BASEBALL

FACEBOOK PAGE

WEBSITE

FLAG REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

Squadron 191, Son's of The American Legion are Gold Star Post 191's American Flag Replacement Program sponsors. Bring your tattered, torn or faded American Flag to during normal Business hours and receive a 4' x 6' American Flag. You must fill out the form provided with the new American Flag. Information needed includes: Address where flag is flying, Your Name, Address and Telephone number.
Please contact the Post 191 Manager for more information..

ORATORICAL CONTEST

High school students in and around Mount Airy have been invited by Gold Star Post No. 191 of The American Legion to compete in our Annual American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program. In the years leading up to Covid, we had seen a strong presence from our local students from South Carroll, Linganore and Oakdale High Schools as well as some of our home-schooled scholars as well and hope to get back to those spirited contests again!

The subject in the prepared oration portion of the contest must be about some phase of the Constitution of the United States, emphasizing the duties and obligations of a citizen to the United States government. The prepared oration must be the original effort of each contestant and must be 8-10 minutes in length.

The winners of the Post competition will receive scholarships in the amount of: 1st Prize $500, 2nd Prize $400, 3rd Prize $200

In addition to the awards by winners of the subsequent district and state competitions, college scholarships of $25,000, $22,500, and $20,000 will be awarded to the first through third places in the national finals. Each state winner who competes in the first round of the national contest will receive a $2,000 scholarship. Participants in the second round who do not advance to the national final round will receive an additional $2,000 scholarship. The top three youth orators who have won all previous elimination rounds of the contest will vie for top honors in the national contest in April in Indianapolis. The American Legion will pay the expenses of state winners at the national contest.

Our 2017 post winner year continued on to win the county, district and statewide competitions. A video of her presentation at the national finals can be seen here https://www.legion.org/leg.../PLD1D27913E787209F/E6AtvQbA4gc

The local Contest will be held at American Legion Gold Star Post 191, 801 Prospect Rd, Mt Airy, Maryland on Saturday, January 21, 2023 1:30 pm. The application deadline is Jan 13, 2023.

Applications can be picked up at any of our local high schools or can be received by emailing post191rickdye@gmail.com Email completed application to the same address or mail to:

American Legion Gold Star Post 191

Attn: Oratorical

PO Box 24

Mount Airy, MD 21771

For more information contact:

Rick Dye, Post Oratorical Chairman

post191rickdye@gmail.com

(301) 305-2588

For more information and complete rules, visit http://www.legion.org

BOYS STATE

Each summer American Legion holds Boys State. American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for high school students. It is a participatory program where each participant becomes a part of the operation of his local, county and state government. At American Legion Boys State, participants are exposed to the rights and privileges, the duties and the responsibilities of a franchised citizen. The seven-day, on-campus training is objective and practical with city, county and state governments operated by the students elected to the various offices. In Maryland, Boys State is conducted annually and typically begins on Fathers Day and runs through the following Saturday. To be eligible for Boys State, a youth must be a male who has successfully completed their junior year in high school by the beginning of Boys State.

Maryland Boys State 2019 was held Sunday June 16th thru Saturday June 22nd at McDaniel College, Westminster, Maryland.

Unfortunately, Maryland Boys State 2020 has been cancelled.

For more information go HERE and check back for updates on this website and our newletter.

Goldstar Post 191 Academic Scholarships

Both the American Legion AND the Sons of the American Legion offer Academic Scholarships. Details are as follows:

GOLD STAR POST 191 LEGION SCHOLARSHIP

SEVEN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPSSeven $1,500 academic scholarships are annually offered by the Post. The first four are for students in high school who are going on to higher education. The next three scholarship are for high school graduates who are full-time undergraduate students at an accredited college, university or technical school. The Post awards these memorial scholarship grants each year to reward outstanding performance and help local youth further their education beyond high school. The scholarships are given in honor of Legionnaires who demonstrated exceptional citizenship and service to the community.

Jack Weidman Memorial Scholarship $1,500
Elvin Helsel Memorial Scholarship $1,500
Charles Etzler Memorial Scholarship $1,500
Sam Jewell Memorial Scholarship $1,500
Art Brett Memorial Scholarship $1,500
Charles Norwood Memorial Scholarship $1,500
Arnie Ogren Memorial Scholarship $1,500

Click HERE for Legion Application (not SAL) (Updated Yearly when available)

American Legion membership is open to all veterans who served honorably or are still serving honorably.

SQUADRON 191 SAL SCHOLARSHIP

FIVE ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Rob Watkins Memorial Scholarship $1,000
Ronnie Reese Jr. Memorial Scholarship $1,000
Post Everlasting Memorial Scholarship $1,000
Robert "Bobbie" Lowman High School Community Service Grant $1,000
Established in Memory of Team Henley - Scholarship $1,000

Five $1,000 academic scholarships are annually offered by the Sons of the American Legion Gold Star Squadron 191. These scholarships are typically funded by the Annual Scholarship Draw Down (April 22nd for 2023).

The 2023 SAL 191 Scholarship Application is due (postmarked) no later than April 1, 2023.

Click HERE for the SAL Application (Updated Yearly)

MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY

Every Memorial Day, the American Legion Gold Star Post 191 holds a ceremony at Pine Grove Cemetery in Mount Airy, Maryland. All in the community are welcome to attend. You can see photos of past ceremony's in our photo gallery on this site.

LORIEN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY MEETING WITH VETS

One project we enjoy and are so proud to be a part of, is the honoring of our Veterans at area Nursing Homes, presently Lorien. For the past several weeks, when families and volunteers have been unable to visit in person, our Chaplain has been working with the staff at Lorien to call in using FaceTime to visit with, encourage and pray with several veterans, each week. We intend to extend this practice to other area Homes, beginning with Pleasantville Nursing Home in Mt. Airy. Residents at our area homes are having a particularly difficult time during the COVID-19 crisis. They were unable to leave their rooms for several weeks, visiting families via Skipe and FaceTime only. Restrictions were eased a bit, in that face to face visits through closed windows using FaceTime was allowed and now, residents are able to meet a family member outside in the courtyard using masks and social distancing requirements. Their other activities have all been seriously curtailed and are allowed a 15 minute period in the courtyard, one at a time with a staff member. All of the necessary restrictions add up and have impacted residents in different ways from physical inactivity to serious depression. Please remember in your prayers all residents of our Nursing Facilities and the staffs, who work extremely hard to contain and lessen the spread of COVID-19.

Navy veteran Herman Michelitch 100th Birthday at Lorien.
Friday Sept 4th 2020 Happy Birthday from gold Star Post 191.

LORIEN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY CHRISTMAS PACKAGES FOR VETS

Each Christmas, the Sons of the American Legion Gold Star Squadron 191 prepare and deliver Christmas “Care Packages” for the veterans at Lorien. These packages contain items ranging from cookies, to shirts to even blankets. This year may present some challenges for us due to safety concerns, but we are determined to assure our veteran’s at Lorien will not be forgotten during the Christmas season.

VETERANS DAY PROGRAM

ANNUAL CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY

The Children's Christmas Party and Santa Meet and Greet at the post has always been a popular event each December. After the 2020 cancellation, we are slowly moving to bring things back to normal for this community favorite.