Looking for simple ways to spice things up or engage with your American Legion members and patrons? Sometimes it's the little things that add the extra fun and humor. Here are a few ideas to try. (Warning, some are simpler than others...)
Veteran Photo Shoot
Pick a date and time, get or create a backdrop, invite Legionnaires to have their photo taken (even better if they dress in uniform.) Have the photos professionally printed and put into a nice book to keep at your post. Update it annually with new members!
Cardboard Snow Bird (Just for fun)
Do you have any officers or members who head South for the cold winter months? Have a little fun with it! Find or create a life-sized, cardboard person and tape a photo of the snow birds face on it, add a fun t-shirt, hat, or article of clothing. Have your patrons take pictures with it and post them on social media, also be sure to send them to the snow bird(s.) - See example below.
Example Snow Bird - Tom is a Navy Veteran :) Make a Legion Calendar
Find 12 members who are willing to participate. Choose a date and time to take fun or serious photos (whichever you prefer.) Ask the participants if they have any photos from the service as well.
Take orders from members to find out how many to print. Create & print your calendar (you can use Vista Print, Shutterfly, or other services if you need a template!) See example cover below from another Post.
Distribute your calendars to those who ordered and enjoy! Donate any funds raised after expenses.
Legion Swap
Reach out to another Legion in your area and plan a swap! Simply rent a bus, van, etc. Charge a fee for participants to cover the cost of the rental. Pick up at one Legion and drop off at the other and vice versa. Be sure to have games, raffles, food, etc. ready for your guests and have a good time with it. Take plenty of pictures and send them back to their Legion in a few hours. (Pro Tip: Plan this when you're already having large raffles to sell more tickets to new faces. Also, be sure to bring flyers for your upcoming rides, bingos, etc. Legions support each other!)
Pajama Party Have a breakfast Pajama Party, complete with a Bloody Mary Bar! This one is super simple, ask volunteers to cook OR trade off every year having one entity cook for the others (example: SAL cooks for Auxiliary) Make sure the cookers also wear their PJ's.
Charter a Fishing Boat Engage with a larger fishing charter near to you and negotiate pricing and max number of attendees for a fishing tour. Ask members and patrons to sign up, make sure they pay in advance to ensure you don't lose any spots. Take a bus or van to the location the day of, go fish and return to the Post to swap fish stories!
Play Family Feud or other Game Shows Yep, pretty straight forward. Just make sure you have the right host to make it extra fun. Fun Tip: Try staging the dating game, just for laughs.
Dunk Tank Host an outdoor event, cook-off, etc. at your Legion during warmer weather. Rent a dunk tank, charge $1.00 per throw (or what makes sense for you) and Dunk Away! Advertise well in advance in a fun way if possible (See example below)
Have a Corn Feed Check with local area farmers, they are usually very willing to donate a few sacks of corn! All you need is volunteers to shuck it, a large pot to cook it, and lots of butter to dunk it. Have an All You Can Eat event, or $2.00 an ear.
Prom Night Party This takes a bit of planning and decorations, but it's pretty straight forward. Host a Prom night for your members and patrons. Sell tickets prior to the event and have food catered, or cooked by volunteers. Get a DJ and you're all set.
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