Below are the numbers for one of our four pillars “Children & Youth”. These numbers represent the great work we Legionnaires and the Legion family do. This pillar is one of our why’s, why we belong and for those who don’t belong to this fantastic organization, you are missing out!!
NATIONAL AMERICANISM AND CHILDREN & YOUTH “BY THE NUMBERS” FOR 2021
American Legion Baseball
• For the 2021 season 50,575 youth from 2,975 teams played American Legion Baseball (1,866 senior teams and 1,109 junior teams) representing 49 American Legion departments.
• 1,152 players participated at the eight national regional tournaments, of which 144 went on to play in the American Legion World Series. • Coverage of the American Legion World Series from tv, radio, print, and online resulted in 120 million media impressions worth $5.5 million in ad value.
• 88,982 subscribers to the American Legion Baseball e-newsletter “The Dugout.
• There are 82 American Legion Baseball program alumni enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Junior Shooting Sports
• 686 individual athletes and 88 shooting clubs entered the 2020-2021 postal round competition of The American Legion Junior Shooting Sports National Tournament, despite lingering impact of the coronavirus global pandemic.
Boys State
• 31 Boys State programs reported having conducted a program in 2021 despite the challenge of continued effects of the coronavirus global pandemic; 6,826 Boys State citizens participated.
Scouting and The American Legion
• A total of 2,089 Scouting units were chartered by Legion Family across the nation (American Legion posts chartered 2,048 Scout units; Sons of The American Legion squadrons chartered 28 Scout units; and American Legion Auxiliary units chartered 13 Scout units), involving 38,315 youth and 21,175 adult leaders.
• 2,132 youth were recognized by The American Legion with a certificate issued from the national level for achievements in Scouting programs (1,994 Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout awards; 8 Boy Scouts of America Venturing Summit awards; 7 Boy Scouts of America Sea Scouts Quartermaster awards; and 123 Girl Scouts USA Gold Awards); total number of recognitions increased 260 from the previous year. • 8 Legion Family members were recognized with a Scouting Square Knot Award of The American Legion for their active involvement in The American Legion’s Scouting programs; this is an increase of 4 awards from the previous year.
Youth Cadet Law Enforcement
• 21 American Legion departments have an established American Legion Youth Cadet Law Enforcement program.
Oratorical
• Notwithstanding persistent effects of the coronavirus global pandemic, 48 American Legion department oratorical winners were certified of the 53 departments normally competing; this is an increase of 5 from the previous year.
Youth Education
• $792,521* in fundraising was amassed during National Commander James “Bill” Oxford’s 2021 Legacy Run year (1 October, 2020 – 30 September, 2021).
• 63 students were awarded a total of $482,622 in academic scholarships from the national level.
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report states that 2,377 students from throughout the nation were presented an American Legion School Award Medal.
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report states that a total of 909 American Legion posts participated in annual American Education Week; an increase of 242 from the previous year.
Flag
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report indicates there were 3,931 Flag Day activities in local communities.
• There are 77,838 subscribers to the American Legion Flag Half-Staff Notification Alert service.
Get Out the Vote
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report reflects there were 1,531 Get Out the Vote activities conducted in communities throughout the nation; this is an increase of 42 from the previous year.
Citizenship
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report reflects there were 2,100 citizenship and naturalization activities conducted in local communities throughout the nation; this is an increase of 1,691 from the previous year.
God and Country
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report reflects there were 1,106 posts that participated in the 2021 annual National Day of Prayer; this is an increase of 59 from the previous year.
Four Chaplains Sunday
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report reflects that 1,924 activities were conducted in observance of Four Chaplains Sunday; this is an increase of 261 from the previous year.
Legion Conferences
• A total of 450 Legion family members attended the annual national Combined Americanism Conferences. Conference segments offered on a virtual platform included Oratorical, Junior Shooting Sports, Children & Youth, department chaplains and Scouting, while in-person conference segments were conducted for the Baseball and Boys State programs in Indianapolis during the same period.
Youth Welfare and Safety
• The 2020-2021 Consolidated Post Report reflects that a total of 808 posts held child health and safety activities throughout the nation (an increase of 225 from the previous year), while 1,709 posts conducted Halloween safety activities (an increase of 315 from the previous year).
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation (CWF)
• In 2021 the Child Welfare Foundation Board of Directors awarded $639,328* in 17 grants to 14 non-profit organizations that contribute to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of children and youth.
American Legion Veterans & Children Foundation (VCF) • The American Legion Endowment Fund Corporation, doing business as the Veterans & Children Foundation, contributed $86,630* as funding of the Temporary Financial Assistance program.
Temporary Financial Assistance (TFA)
• 16 minor children of 6 veterans throughout 5 states received $8,035* in non-repayable cash grant assistance from the national Temporary Financial Assistance program to help support those children’s basic needs of shelter, utilities, food, and clothing.
(* Subject to final audit)
