Membership Resources for 2026-2027
Department and District Officers,
As we begin the 2026–2027 membership year, I am pleased to share two resources developed to support our Department, Districts, Posts, and Membership Directors and Legionnaires throughout Minnesota: You Matter: The Strategic Membership Plan and You Matter: The Membership Director's Playbook.
The two documents are designed to work together:
The Strategic Membership Plan — Where are we going?
This provides the direction for our membership year, with an emphasis on strengthening relationships, improving retention, welcoming the next generation of Legionnaires, strengthening our Posts, and building a sustainable future for The American Legion in Minnesota.
The Membership Director's Playbook — How do we get there?
This is the practical companion to the plan. It provides Membership Directors and Post leaders with ideas, tools, and strategies they can put to work in their own communities.
While these are longer documents, don't let the number of pages discourage you. They were intentionally written to be easy to read and, more importantly, easy to use. There is no expectation that anyone read them from cover to cover in one sitting. Read a section at a time, return to them throughout the year, and use the portions that are most helpful to you and your Post. Think of them as resources to work with throughout the membership year rather than books that need to be finished.
At the heart of both documents is a simple belief: membership is about people before numbers. When Legionnaires know they matter, when veterans know they are welcome, and when our Posts provide meaningful opportunities to serve, membership becomes the result of a healthy organization rather than simply a number we are trying to achieve.
I encourage each of you to review these resources and, most importantly, please pass them along to the Posts and Legionnaires in your respective Districts and areas. These documents were created to be used, shared, discussed, and adapted to meet the needs of every Post.
I would also encourage every District and Post that maintains a website to make these documents available there. By placing them on your District or Post website, Legionnaires can easily access the resources when they need them throughout the year, and we can help ensure that the information reaches beyond those who receive this email. The more accessible we make these tools, the more likely they are to be used.
Your Charge
Share these resources with the Posts you serve, encourage their leaders to use them, and begin one conversation about what we can do differently this year to help every Legionnaire know they matter.
My Commitment
I am committed to supporting you throughout this membership year with practical resources, communication, training, and assistance whenever needed. I will continue listening to your ideas, learning from what is working across Minnesota, and sharing those successes so that we can grow stronger together.
Because when Legionnaires and veterans know they matter, The American Legion grows stronger.
For God and Country,
James Olson
Department Membership Director
The American Legion, Department of Minnesota
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