The Chelberg & Battle American Legion Auxiliary Charter was established in 1941 with 41 charter members. In 1942 several Auxiliary Members volunteered as airplane spotters and Red Cross Volunteers. Card parties were held continually to help the Legion maintain their Look Out Posts. All members helped to sell chance books on Bonds. Books were collected to send to those serving during the war. Windo
w displays were made monthly for the National Defense Fund. In 1944 the Auxiliary helped paint the Legion meeting rooms and kitchen in the old police station where the Legion used to meet. They helped to main the Observation Posts at the Legions request. They made and served many dinners for the Legion on Armistice Night and purchased dinnerware piece by piece. Each member would buy a dish, cup n saucer and desert plate each month when they could. In 1945 the Legion requested the Auxiliary to take over the distribution of Poppies, which they did and continue to do today……
In 1946 they helped kick off a new building fund drive held at Pierson auditorium by helping with refreshments. Numerous raffles, dances, and cake sales were held over the years and the money was all turned over to the Legion Building Fund. They helped at all the Legion Block Parties with food booths and working various other booths for the Legion. They worked with the Legion in the Sell a Brick Campaign to raise money for the building fund. In 1955 they purchased two dish trucks, more commonly known as service carts for the Legions to serve large groups. In 1956 the Auxiliary hosted the Legion on its 37th Anniversary with a party. Members dressed up as flappers and sang and acted out the song “Take Back Your Mink”. Several others dressed as bathing beauties in old fashion bathing suites and sang “By The Sea”. In 1957 the Auxiliary started holding annual Legion Birthday parties in the form of covered dish dinners. They made and served all the refreshments including a birthday cake for the benefit of the Legionnaires. In 1965 for the Legions “Burning of the Mortgage” party the Auxiliary members sold 100 raffle tickets for the Legion. They made sandwiches for the afternoon crowd that attended the Legion for the 2PM event. They also made salads, and prepared and helped serve at the dinner buffet that evening. In 1966 they assisted the men in hosting the American Legion County Convention. They decorated and helped with refreshments for over 1200 delegates who attended. They sent items over to our service men and women in Vietnam and donated to the injured Veterans returning. In 1976 they had a joint float with the Legion for the Bicentennial Parade and prepared coved dish dinners for all. They made hors d’oeuvres for the Legion’s summer Cocktail Parties. In 1987 they held a support march for our service men and women in Operation Desert Shield. They tied yellow ribbons around the trees along Main Street and in our latest Desert Storm conflict in Iraq to support the returning of the members in the armed forces. Over the years the Auxiliary purchased or helped purchase many needed items for the Legion building. To name a few, fifty chairs, tables for the bar and ballroom, coffee and tea pots, silverware, dishes, new bell and gavel, and many, many, many sets of curtains and ballroom drapes. It’s not just about money being donated, but the time also. The Auxiliary has been actively helping to support the Legion since it was formed. They’ve helped at all of the flea markets, carnivals and pancake breakfasts the Legion has held. After the Memorial Day parade, they made and served sandwiches and sodas and now serve hotdogs and soda. After the Veterans Day Parade, they serve donuts, coffee and juices. The Auxiliary continues to hands out flags along all parade routes and decorates the hall for many different events. Since the Auxiliary started their charter in 1941, they have donated to the following organizations; USO, Red Cross, March of Dimes, Cancer Care, American Heart Fund, Lung Association, Arthritis Association, TB Association, the American Legion Mountain Camp and have sent high school juniors to Girls State, given out geometry prizes, have held Gold Star Mother dinner and purchased wheelchairs, blood plasma, TV’s, VCR’s, to name a few for the Northport Veterans Hospital. They continue to sponsor Christmas parties and Bingo for the Northport Veterans Hospital. They’ve donated to the World War II, Korean and Vietnam Memorials. They continue to donate and volunteer at the Special Olympics, donate to Little Flower Handicapped Children’s Home, send cases of Girl Scout cookies in Operation Cookie to the men and woman in Iraq and Afghanistan, donate to the Wounded Warrior Project for injured and maimed members of are armed services, donate to The Fisher House near Walter Reed Hospital where Veteran’s families can stay not worry about expenses. Closer to home they continue to sponsor and supported the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and donate to the Chamber of Commerce for the village Christmas lights, the Sag Harbor Ambulance Fund, the Southampton Hospital, the Sag Harbor Food Pantry, the Dominican Sisters, and the East End Hospice as well as donate food baskets to needy families at Easter and treat Sag Harbor’s returning sons and daughters to dinner. Recently they have put together several large packages to send to one of our own, Mr. & Mrs. Reidy’s grandson and his unit in Iraq. This sums up, to the best of our memory, what the Auxiliary has done for the good of the Legion, God and Country.
