By Chris Hoffman, Area 3 Vice Commander

If you are currently or have served as a commander at any level of the American Legion, you are eligible to be a member of the Past Commanders Club.

What is the American Legion Past Commanders Club?

Great question!

The Past Commanders Club’s primary continuing mission is to train and mentor the leadership of the American Legion at ALL levels to ensure that leaders are prepared for and fully understand the duties that they are obligated and charged with performing by being selected and elected to a position of leadership at post, district, area and department levels. It is a great privilege to be chosen by your peers to lead them in contributing to the pillars and programs of the American Legion successfully. It comes with great responsibilities and absolutely no authority as the authority belongs to the membership. A commander is wholly responsible for the effectiveness of the collective efforts of the post and/or district as well as the American Legion.

The secondary area of support from the Past Commanders Club is to support local nursing (LVN) programs through fundraising efforts and presentation of scholarships to those who are pursuing education to become LVN nurses in our communities.

As state President of the American Legion Department of California Past Commanders Club, I urge any and all commanders, past and present, to consider membership in this endeavor. There are outposts throughout the state, please seek one near you as many districts have an outpost that needs your support.

I ask that we all consider that without continuing an effort to mentor and train the future leaders of our organization, we cannot ensure the future of the American Legion. Leaders must be knowledgeable in so many areas. Leadership requires awareness and knowledge of the programs and how they work, protocol and decorum, delegation, leading by example, budgetary concerns, how to properly run a meeting, bylaws and how to write or change them, resolutions and how to write them, reports and when they are due and how to complete them. These are only a few examples of what a commander should know. He/She must also be taking the time and making the effort to mentor and train those who are to follow… the 1st, 2nd vices, adjutants, sergeant-at-arms and so on. Being a commander is more than just running a meeting once or twice a month. They are the face of the organization in and around their community.

So, as I said, we are available to train, to mentor, to assist ANY level of the American Legion leadership to ensure that we have, not just good, but GREAT leaders for the continuing and foreseeable future.

If you do not have an outpost near you, reach out to a member of the PCC and ask about becoming part of the team that is concerned and interested in the leaders of the future. Being a Commander at any level of this organization, is NOT a popularity contest and should NOT be subject to those who chase titles without the knowledge, the best interests and commitment to the success of the organization.

It is an opportunity to get the training necessary and the Past Commanders Club is here to help!

It is my desire that the entire PCC membership can supplement the department training committee by having local outposts provide training and answer training requests as those outposts contain members who have the experience and knowledge to provide more than adequate training. I urge anyone who desires training or mentoring to become a better, more efficient leader that leads for success, to contact a past commander near you or contact me and let’s get going on making the American Legion, Department of California, sustainable by providing the best qualified, trained and knowledge personnel to lead our team into the future.

So, if you are a member of an outpost of the Past Commanders Club, please reach out to your district officers, your area vice commanders and let them know we are an asset to be utilized in the mentoring and training processes that they can provide. Encourage them to become members if they are not already members. We ALL must work together to ensure qualified, knowledgeable and well trained individuals to lead this organization into the future.