Meeting Minutes

5th District ALR Monthly Meeting 1/16/26

Regular Meeting;

American Legion Rider’s 5th District Department of Florida

December 14, 2025; minutes prepared on January 19, 2026

Meeting held at American Legion Post 129, Jacksonville, Florida

5th District ALR Meeting Minutes:  https://sites.google.com/a/alr5thfl.org/american-legion-5th/documents?authuser=0

5th District Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ALR5thDistrictFL/

5th District website:  https://www.al5thdistrictfl.org/

Meeting came to order:   

12:30 pm

POW/MIA flag Placement: 

Sgt-at-Arms:  Jim Steele

Chairman’s Opening of Meeting: 

·         Sue Nist opened with Resolution 288 MIA recognition.

·         Pledge of Allegiance

·         Riders Creed

Opening prayer:   Mark Hinton

Guests/Members in Attendance:

N/A Guests                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Introduction of distinguished guest(s):

Jessica Moore—Department of Florida Legion Commander, Past Western Area Commander

Miguel Garcia – 5th District Legion Commander

Ken White – 5th District Legion 1st Vice

Denny Luke – Past Northern Area Commander, Past 5th District ALR Chair, Department POW/MIA Chair

Sonny Decker—Past Western Area Commander, Department Boys State Chair,1st District ALR Riders Chair

Darian Smith --5th District Squadron Commander

Kathy Church—Missing in America Project State Coordinator

The meeting is being recorded, so please give your name, title and chapter.

Officers Roll Call:

Chair:                                 Sue Nist

Vice Chair:                        Mike Rodgers (Excused)

Secretary:                          Mary Tarnowski

Chaplain:                           Mark Hinton

Sgt at Arms:                      Jim Steele

Finance Officer:           Ella Rae Jansen

Event Coordinator:           Jim Nowak

Safety Officer:                   Paul Elkins

Directors in Attendance

Chapter 9:               Chris Pomeroy

Chapter 37:           Manuel Perez      

Chapter 54            DuWayne Lowe              
Chapter 88:           Joe Dewsnap
Chapter 129:         Michael Smith
Chapter 137          Absent
Chapter 194:         Raymond Lewis
Chapter 197:         Mark Hinton
Chapter 202:         Luis DeJesus

Chapter 250:         David Fogle
Chapter 283:        Ed Johnson
Chapter 316:        Denise Strickland

Chapter 372:         Allane Strode

Chapter 401:         Absent

Representative for Absent Director

 Chapter 137:  Jim Steele, Finance Officer

Finance Report: Report submitted by Ella Rae Jansen, Finance Officer:
Checking Account forward from 9/30/2025.  $5,837.06.  Deposits: October Interest, $0.10, November Interest, $0.12,  5th District Ride $1,664.00.  Total $1,664.22.   Debits: $832.00 (Ck #101) 5th District Legion, $900.13 Fall Conference.  Checking Account Balance as of 11/30/25.   $5,769.15

Motion from the floor to accept Finance report subject to audit by Darrian Smih, 5th Distric Squadron Director and seconded by Ed Johnson, Director 283.

Reading/Approval of Minutes:

Minutes were placed on the tables for review

There were no corrections or additions. 

Motion from the floor to accept minutes as written Mike Smith, Director Chapter 129, and seconded by Ed Johnson, Director Chapter 283.

Chapter Reports: November 2025

CHAPTER 9:        Chris Pomeroy (written report submitted) 

CHAPTER 37:      Manny Perez (Written report submitted)

CHAPTER 54:      Duwayne Lowe (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 88:      Joe Dewsnap (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 129:    Michael Smith (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 137:    Absent (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 194:    Absent (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 197:   Mark Hinton (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 202:    Luis DeJesus (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 250:    David Fogel (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 283:   Ed Johnson (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 316:    Denise Strickland (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 372:    Allane Strode (written report submitted)

CHAPTER 401:   Absent (no written report)

December chapter reports submitted are attached to the minutes as an addendum.

End of Chapter Reports

Department Legion Commander Jessica Moore thanked all the Posts, units and Riders for their hospitality, fellowship and the comradery during her visit. It was a great time.

Commander Miguel Garcia said he was very proud of the 5th District during the Department Commander’s visit. He saw what it was like to be a family and how the district all came together during the week.

Old Business:

Safety Officer Paul Elkins: Please check your tires every time before you ride.  License plate laws have changed in October.  Might as well not even have a frame surround your license plate anymore. You cannot cover any of the letters or numbers in the County, State or the expiration date. Fines range from a ticket offense up to a Class II misdemeanor, $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.  You also cannot have any plexiglass over your plate.

Sue Nist thanked all the members who escorted and presented the wreathes to JNC.  100% of the cemetery was covered again, with Mark Hinton, Denny Luke and Rick Knight (283) presenting wreaths.

Fall conference was a blast. Sue thanked everyone who came and helped us for those three days. The district took both trophies for Merry-Go-Round and Round Robin. Because of this, the Hospitality Suite was paid for by the Department of Florida. It is a lot of work and a lot of help is needed with everything. We lost the Merry-Go-Round trophy to District 15.

Special thanks to Richard Jordon, chef at 129 who provided dinners for Friday and Saturday nights at Fall Conference.

Sue mentioned that if you are thinking of stepping up and taking an officer position, you should go to Summit and take the classes and learn about all the officer positions in the Riders. There is also leadership and lots of other topics discussed at Summit. This is just for Riders so Riders should attend. It is being held in Daytona Beach, only a 90-minute ride from Jacksonville.

Verna Luke suggested if when help is needed for an event, such as help with the hospitality room, a notice be placed on the website for all members to see.

Cheryl Altman, Event coordinator for Challenge 22.  This is a 5th District event.  She is looking for a new event coordinator for 2026 – 2027.  This is a position that will need to be voted on. It is scheduled for March 21st, not March 28th, 2026.  She still needs a representative from chapter groups except 9, 129, and 316. To make this a great 5th district event, we need a representative from all chapters. She is in the process of making a FaceBook page to improve the communication between representatives for this event.  She will come and talk about this event to your riders meeting if you ask her to. She has 32 raffle baskets already complete but still needs contributions of liquor, gift cards and something for guy baskets such as tools, car wash certificates etc. to add to partial baskets. She is working on a surprise but still needs $200 to complete this. If anyone knows of someone or a business that would like to be a sponsor for this event, please contact Cheryl. Ed Johnson Chapter 283 stated that he will give the $200 that is needed to finish the surprise.

Sue asked all Directors to look for an email from her. There will be a luncheon at Town Center in January.

New Business:

Darian Smith mentioned that at Fall Conference he made a motion on the floor for Department to proceed and he is looking to do petitions. We have lost riders and friends of ours and the persons who killed them have no responsibility at all for them. We Riders in 5th District lost an important person to us last year. The guy who killed him and injured his wife laughed in court. This is a problem. Smith made motion to Department to go and explore getting petitions signed to have higher consequences for these cars that are hitting and killing our riders. He needs help from the 5th District to get these petitions signed to help get this resolution passed. He would like to see a mandatory 2-year jail sentence. To get this, we need petitions to get their votes.

Sue mentioned that this issue is also being discussed in Department of Florida ALR by Jim Wineland, Scooby and others working on this issue, so it is not just 5th District. Darian is asking for volunteers to help with the group that is going to coordinate all of this with the Department of Florida. Everything needs to go through the Department of Florida

Sue received from Beverly a report at Fall Conference. These are for all 5th Districts ALR chapters. There are certain things that are to be provided to Department of Florida every year. You need to provide a start up letter for your chapter. If you don’t have one you can go to the website and print one. You need to be providing the letter confirming the chapter from your Post Commander.  SOP acknowledgement form. There is a new SOP form from the Department of Florida. There is an acknowledgment letter from the Department of Florida on the website. Please go to the website and get the forms that are needed by Department of Florida. There is also a SOP acknowledgment form.

Your Standing Rules should be reviewed every three years. If you haven’t done it in the last three years, you need to update your Standing Rules.  If you have no changes you need to submit them to Department so they have them on file. If you don/t remember when the Standing Rules were submitted, please see me.  I have some dates. Every chapter needs to be in compliance with this document for Department of Florida

Verna Luke asked if there was any discussion on what was discussed at Fall Conference on miles & hours, Sue reported that it was discussed and the decision made that if you are with a group and it is a Rider or Legion event and you are wearing your legion or rider vest / shirt, you can claim the hours and miles regardless of how you got there and regardless of what you are doing.

New Business/Good of the Order

Kathy Church:  If you need a wooden urn for a Veteran or a Veteran’s family or need an American flag for a funeral, please contact her at Post 137. They have extras at no charge.

Sue reports that several groups have been going to schools. D5 ALR goal this year is that chapters engage with the elementary, middle or high schools near their post. Get out there, teach them how to fold flags, go on Veteran’s Day. Chapter 129 delivered bikes to an elementary school. Chapter 9 visited a school and taught them how to fold the American flag.  Please remember to get involved with the school around your post.

Next ALR District Meeting: February 8, 2026 @ Post 250

Closing Prayer: Mark Hinton

Meeting Closed at:  1:30 pm