1. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
Goals
A Goal without a plan is just a
Wish
Discussions
Discussions are always better than arguments,
Because an argument is to
Find out who is right and a discussion
Is to find out what is right.

2. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
One
Don’t expect what you don’t inspect
Meeting Minutes
Tax Forms
Finance Reports
Membership Activities
Programs
Two
Build Relationships
Know your Post Officers
Add value when you visit
Communicate Regularly
Respond Immediately
Catch the Post Officers doing something positive
Don’t expect what you don’t inspect. Review meeting minutes, tax forms, finance reports, membership activities and programs from each post within the district. If you’re not assessing the posts (in your district), or providing guidance to the posts, don’t expect anything other than what they do.”
Build relationships with the Post. Know who the post officers are, add value when you visit, communicate regularly and reinforce what the post is doing well.

3. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
Three
Cast a District Vision
Set realistic goals
Know your timeline
Understand the individual Post priorities
Outline your priorities
Align the vision
Four
Plan, Evaluate and Plan Again
Document your 5 year plan
Communicate the Plan
Execute on the Plan
Re-adjust the plan when needed
Measure, report and reward success
Cast a district vision. Set realistic goals for each post, understand the individual posts priorities and align you priorities with theirs
Plan, evaluate and plan again. Communicate and execute the departments five year strategic membership plan.

4. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
Five
Share Information
Jr Vice Commanders should report on Post activities
Steal Ideas shamelessly and share with other Posts
Establish chains and only pass on information only after you comment
Update and use CallingPost.org
Bad news does not get better with age
Six
Participate in Community Events
Schedule time to attend important community events
Allow the Post Commander to identify your role at the event
Praise the Post in front of the Community
Be available for Media
Make a photo op with the Post
Share information. If it’s a good idea for one post, it’s probably a good idea for multiple posts.
Callingpost.org is a six cent per minute phone calling software that instantly creates a digital voice-file of
your message, and automatically places all calls at once.
A message can be up to 70 seconds in length and can be recorded by phone or on the web.
Participate in community events. Make time to attend important events, have the post commander identify role at event, and praise the post in front of the community.

5. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
Seven
Train
Constantly update and train the District Officers
Identify Post weaknesses and provide training in that area by District SME’s
Recognize potential and create opportunities for up and coming Legionnaires
Engage State Officers to assist
Teach the History of the American Legion
Eight
Remove Barriers
Listen and understand the problems
Allow the Post to come up with solutions
Provide the Post with your solution
Act on the solution
Follow up to see if the issue was resolved
Train, educate. Update and train district officer, identify post weaknesses and provide training in that area, recognize potential leaders, and teach the history of The American Legion.
Remove barriers. Listen to what’s causing posts from meeting their vision, allow post to come up with solutions, provide the post with your solution, and follow up to see if the issue was resolved. When help solve problems at the post level, you’ve created confidence in post leadership.

6. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
Nine
Program Implementation
Know your deadlines
Select Committee Chairs based on skillsets and motivation
Assist the Posts to select programs based on their capabilities
Engage State Officers to assist
Recognize Posts and members for their participation
Ten
Membership Engagement
Have professional meetings
Become fluent on why veterans should be members
Create opportunities for family events
Recruit family
Program implementation. Select program committee chairs based on skillsets and motivation. Not only do we have to recruit new members, we have to recruit leaders. The district is on the front line to do that because we are the ones that are moving the bar for the state level. Help posts build their infrastructure, and recognize posts and members for their program participation. If you recognize what they do for children and youth with programs, they will continue to do it.
Membership engagement. Become fluent on why veterans should become members, revitalize yearly, ensure posts are using mylegion.org, help posts secure recruiting materials and membership applications, recognize new members and have fun. Being a district commander is the most difficult, but the most rewarding job and you have to have fun doing it.

7. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
Ten continued
Membership Engagement
Retain
Look for a cadence of contact with members at each Post
Provide Service Officer Support
Revitalize every year
Ensure each Post can use mylegion.org
Recruit
Help each Post secure recruiting material and applications
Recognize new members during your visit
Provide data on veterans in the area
Go early to the town or county and try to recruit a member for the Post
Have fun

8. District Commander 10 Point Success Guide
Thank You