POST 10 GENERALS

Castle District. Also, Oak Orchard-Riverdale Post #28 is one step closer to fielding a team for 2024. An upcoming topic for the Committee is 100th-anniversary activities in 2025.

DEC Resolution 2024-02, Titled: Risk Management Mandates for Delaware Youth Programs, Department Adjutant:

The National Executive Committee of The American Legion, in a regular meeting on October 11-12, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana, adopted Resolution No. 17: Risk Management Mandates for National Youth Programs, hereby attached as an appendix. The American Legion strongly encourages departments such as the Department of Delaware to establish procedures and policies for sexual abuse awareness training and criminal history background check screening, like the national organization for legal adults selected to support and participate in youth programs conducted within the department. All American Legion youth program risk management guidelines, standard operating procedures, rules, and materials must be updated to reflect these mandates and address any extenuating and mitigating circumstances. A legal adult in the State of Delaware is commonly defined as 18 years of age, wherein they can legally work, participate in legal contracts, vote, marry, give sexual consent, and join the military. The Department of Delaware youth program participants can participate at 18 and older if still in high school, which places a legal adult near children under 18. The Department of Delaware has a moral, ethical, and legal responsibility to spare no effort to protect minor children trusted in their care. All legal adults involved in all Delaware American Legion youth programs have been subject to criminal background screening and sexual abuse awareness training except for youth program participants.

Two DEC Resolution 2024-02 drafts were distributed before the DEC meeting. Draft #2 was presented to the DEC for its consideration. The resolution will mandate that the Department of Delaware shall have policies and procedures established effective immediately which mandate sexual abuse awareness training and criminal history background check screenings: all Delaware American Legion youth program risk management guidelines,

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standard operating procedures, rules, and materials be updated to reflect these mandates and address any extenuating and mitigating circumstances; and Delaware American Legion youth program participants 18 years of age or older who fail to complete sexual abuse awareness training and criminal history background check screening will not be permitted to participate in department events hosted by Department of Delaware, The American Legion, Inc. who may have contact with minors.

He trusts the compliance officer will oversee implementation in conjunction with the chairs of the youth program committees. He read the “Resolved” clauses.

RESOLVED, By the Department Executive Committee, Department of Delaware, The American Legion, Inc. in a regular meeting on January 20, 2024, Dover, Delaware, that the Department of Delaware shall have policies and procedures established effective immediately which mandates sexual abuse awareness training and criminal history background check screenings for:

• American Legion Baseball program staff (coaches, managers, and volunteers 18 years of age or older) who have regular contact with players who are minors,

• Coaches, managers, and volunteers 18 years of age or older who have regular contact with minors who are in clubs affiliated with an American Legion post and who are participating in the American Legion Junior Shooting Sports National Tournament,

• Those selected to staff department tournaments of Delaware American Legion Baseball, Delaware American Legion Boys State program, Delaware American Legion National Oratorical Contest, Delaware American Legion Junior Shooting Sports, Trooper Youth Week, and Boy Scouts of America or who are adults and have regular contact with program participants who are minors, and

• All American Legion Youth Program participants 18 years of age or older who participate in any department event hosted by the Department of Delaware, The American Legion, Inc., who have contact with minors; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That all Delaware American Legion youth program risk management guidelines, standard operating procedures, rules, and materials be updated to reflect these mandates and address any extenuating and mitigating circumstances; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That Delaware American Legion youth program participants 18 years of age or older who fail to complete sexual abuse awareness training and criminal history background check screening will not be permitted to participate in department events hosted by the Department of Delaware, The American Legion, Inc. who may have contact with minors; and, be it finally

RESOLVED, That the individual applicant shall pay any expenses or fees for criminal

history background checks.

Motion by Lyman R. Brenner and seconded by Michael A. Havel to adopt resolution 2. Discussion- none. Hearing no objection, the Chair declared the motion adopted by unanimous consent.

DEC Resolution No. 2024-03, Delaware American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program, Department Adjutant:

An increase in the scholarship awards for the Delaware American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program was recommended from the present level of first place $1,250, second place $1,000, and third place $500 to $1,500, $1,250, and $1,000,

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respectively. He read the “Resolved Clauses” in the resolution, which was distributed to the DEC by e-mail on January 14, 2024.

“RESOLVED, By the Department Executive Committee, Department of Delaware, The American Legion, Inc. in a regular meeting on January 20, 2024, Dover, Delaware, that the scholarship awards structure of the Delaware American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program be revised to first place $1,500, second place $1,250, and third place $1,000; and, be it finally

RESOLVED, That the revised scholarship awards structure be effective for the 2024

Delaware American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program.”

Lyman R. Brenner moved, and Salvatore Vaccarino seconded adopting resolution 2024-03. Hearing no objection, the Chair declared the motion adopted by unanimous consent.