History Page 3

History continued - Page 3

Early in its career Green Mountain Post recognized the importance of having the invaluable aid and help of a Women’s

Auxiliary and requested interested eligible women to form such an organization, and gave them all necessary aid and

support in doing so.

The writer wishes to stress that this was an activity that has never been regretted and the Women’s Auxiliary through

the course of years has proved themselves to be of inestimable value and aid to the Legion in all its activities.

The year of 1923 was a memorable one in the Legion history. In that year the Mid-Winter Conference of the Department

was held at St. Albans and Green Mountain Post was awarded the Department Cup for attaining the largest quota of its

membership up to and including the date of the conference. During the conference Green Mountain Post and the City of

St. Albans was singularly honored by the presence of the National Commander, John D. Quinn of California. An

outstanding feature in the entertaining of the National Commander, from his point of view, considering that he was a

Californian, was the trip upon which he was escorted to St. Albans Bay and had his first experience in ice-skating.

Green Mountain Post always sends a large delegation to the Department Conventions. A prominent part in the affairs of

the Department has always been recognized as an outstanding and distinguished delegation. As one result of its part in

these Department Conventions the Seventh Annual Department Convention was held in St. Albans in the year 1924. The

convention was a success in every way and at the time Green Mountain Post had the distinction of inaugurating the first

convention parade. There were no organized Drum Corps in those days nor uniformed organization; however, all Posts

vied with each other in attempting to don some sort of an impromptu uniform to give color to the parade. From that

time on while it is no part of the history of the Post, it might be stated in passing, that Legion convention parades have

grown and blossomed out into a spectacle that is truly something to behold.

Some years ago, while it was really not capable of financially doing so, Green Mountain Post sponsored and financed

what was at that time known as the St. Albans Brigade Band and if it had not been for the invaluable aid and help given

to this organization by the Legion, this band which had a long and distinguished record in the State of Vermont, would

have had to close up its affairs and go out of existence.

One of the first sponsors of the St. Albans School Boys’ Band and most generous contributors to its success was Green

Mountain Post No. 1 of the The American Legion. In fact the very colorful uniforms which they now wear at their formal

appearances were in a large part paid for from funds provided by Green Mountain Post.

Green Mountain Post has always interested itself in boys’ activities, including the Legion Junior Baseball Program. The

sponsor of these activities over all its period of interest has been Edward J. Bowler, an active and prominent member of

the Post and who at the present time is Department Vice-Commander, Department of Vermont.

Green Mountain Post has always stood ready and willing to carry out their sad part in the funeral exercises and burial of

veterans of all wars and has undertaken and accomplished the task of seeing that the veterans of all wars have proper

war memorials placed at their graves and has for a good many years taken over the task of placing flags at these graves

on Memorial Day.

During the year of 1931 the Post after a general discussion decided to see if it was advisable to entertain another

Department Convention at St. Albans. A committee was appointed to interview the local Chamber of Commerce to see

if they were in accord with the idea. They were entirely in accord with the idea and very generously donated the sum of

five hundred dollars, to give the Post an initial fund which was necessary that they have before they extended the

invitation to the Department Convention. The Department Convention accepted the invitation of the Post to hold its

Fourteenth Annual Department Convention in the City of St. Albans; this being the second time that Green Mountain

Post was to entertain the Department Convention.

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