Members of Post 82 attend the Feb. 18, 2019 county commissioners meeting.

The American Legion (AL) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the occasion Shelby Post 82 will have an open house on March 17, 2019 from 2 - 5 p.m.
The open house will feature displays about veterans, AL programs - including baseball, softball, and Boys State - along with history about Post 82.
"We want to not only celebrate the American Legion centennial, but we also want to celebrate the achievements of the organization as well as the contributions that the Legion has made to society and especially to our community," says Martha Bridges, Post 82 Adjutant and resident historian. "We want to showcase our post's and the Auxiliary's history and programs such as Boys State, Girls State, Student Trooper, our oratorical competition, Junior Shooters Sports Program, baseball and girls' softball."
The open house will also include members of the post's Auxiliary Junior program who will make crafts with the youth. The post's Auxiliary group will also have a poppy table that will explain the significance of the poppy.
Post 82 was chartered on June 22, 1922, but the national AL organization traces its roots to March 15-17, 1919, in Paris, France, in the aftermath of World War I. The American Legion was federally chartered on Sept. 16, 1919, and quickly became an influential force at the national, state and local levels, dedicated to service to veterans, strong national defense, youth and patriotism.
On Feb. 18 of this year, the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation declaring 2019 as "The year of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary" in commemoration of the AL's 100th anniversary. The resolution was presented to Post 82 members from Shelby and to members from Kings Mountain's Post 155.
Post 82, named for Warren Hoyle, currently numbers 277 members plus 51 in the affiliated American Legion Auxiliary.
"Post 82 is excited to share both the legacy and the vision of our organization," says Jim Quinlan, Post 82 commander. "We've done a lot of good and intend to keep doing it for a second century."
Post 82 is located at 1628 S. Layfayette St., Shelby. For more information about the Post or the open house, contact Quinlan at 704-419-3136.

By April Hoyle Shauf, Special to Community First Media