was elected temporary chairman and C. C. Kingdon temporary secretary. The organization at first declined to affiliate with the newly organizing American Legion, awaiting further information as to its aims and purposes.
These points were finally cleared, and after a series of meetings the body applied for a charter in the new organization, and was granted a temporary charter dated July 18, 1919, containing the names of fifty members. The national organization issued its permanent charter to the post dated August 1, 1920, and the Illinois State Department of the Legion sent its permanent charter dated August 10, 1920.
Lawrence W. Callahan was the first regularly elected commander, succeeded by W. R. Winters. The post annually holds a Community-Legion banquet in March which has been attended by notable speakers and citizens. The centennial year dinner will be the 27th annual. Present officers include Chesney G. Ewing, Commander, Dale S. Robinson, Adjutant and Loren Ludwig, Finance Officer. The post owns its clubrooms at 25 East Front Street.
THE AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY to El Paso Post No. 59 was chartered by the department of Illinois on August 22, 1922 and by the national organization September 1, 1922. The organization has been formed that spring on a temporary basis with Mrs. Katherine Bosworth acting as chairman. This organization has annually served the banquets above mentioned and has interested itself in veterans’ affairs in general. Present officers include Mrs. C. E. Barney, President; Miss Marilyn Robinson, Vice- President; Mrs. Clift Wikenhauser, second Vice-President and Mrs. Clement Tipler, Treasurer.
KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL. The El Paso Club held its first meeting at the Clifton Hotel on April 13, 1936. In the charter night meeting of May 5, nearly 300 attended the banquet held in the high school. The first officers were, Dr. C. E. Cryer, President; Clyde L. Tegard, Vice President; C. C. Kingdon, Treasurer and R. A. Burster, Secretary. The original board of directors included H. F. Boyd, F. L. Tarman, Horace Baker, C. M. Rice, J. A. Kammerer, P. H. Andrews and C. E. McDaniel. There were thirty-five charter members.
Present officers of the El Paso Kiwanis Club includes C. W. Mahaffey, President; William F. Kitchell, Vice-President and Dr. D. H. Pope, Secretary-Treasurer.
EL PASO POST No. 6026, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS was chartered under date of June 4, 1946, with eighty charter members. A meeting was held in the City Hall on February 1, 1946, under the auspices of the national headquarters, to which all local veterans having overseas service were invited. The group decided to organize a post, and elected William L. Hynes their first Commander. Richard Dunmire was named Senior Vice Commander, Perry Hunt, Quartermaster and George Edwards, Adjutant. The 1953 officers include John Jones, Commander; Clarence Schlink, Senior Vice Commander, Charles
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