47th annual SAL convention

Minneapolis shares its Twin City recognition with St. Paul, the two separated only by the Mississippi River. The city is filled with parks, lakes and cultural districts, and in late August it will be a destination for hundreds of Sons of The American Legion (SAL) members who will be attending the SAL’s 47th annual National Convention.

Minneapolis is also the site of The American Legion’s first national convention 100 years ago, and this year will kick off the Legion’s 15-month Centennial Celebration with special events, exhibits and more.

The Sons convention gets underway on Friday, Aug. 25, with committee meetings and the pre-convention National Executive Committee meeting. SAL National Commander Danny Smith will call the convention to order inside the Minneapolis Convention Center. Once underway, the general session will continue throughout the afternoon on Friday, then start up again early on Saturday, Aug. 25, and Sunday, Aug. 26. See the agenda at www.legion.org/convention/resources.

Throughout the convention, SAL officers and chairmen will provide end-of-year reports, and special guests will address convention attendees. On Sunday, convention delegates will elect the organization’s 2018-2019 national officers, including the SAL national commander.

American Legion Family members are encouraged to attend the annual Patriotic Memorial Service on Sunday. This year’s memorial service will take place on Level One in the Minneapolis Convention Center at 11 a.m.

SAL’s National Convention will conclude on Sunday afternoon prior to the American Legion National Convention Parade in downtown Minneapolis. The parade route and more is online at www.legion.org/convention.

Delegates and guests to the convention are registered in advance through their respective detachments. Representatives of each detachment can pick up credentials at the SAL convention office inside the convention center beginning Thursday, Aug. 24.

No specific dress code is required during the convention, however, there are some guidelines. Delegates who expect to be on stage to receive an award are expected to wear a coat and tie. Otherwise, slacks and a dress shirt look nice when dignitaries and special guests pay a visit. Shorts, T-shirts and flip flops are discouraged.

Nearly all official convention hotels are located in downtown Minneapolis within a few blocks of the convention center. For family members not attending convention meetings, there are many opportunities to sightsee, shop, dine and much more. For example, the Minnesota Twins baseball game against the Oakland A’s at Target Field on Saturday, Aug. 25, has been designated American Legion Family Night. The game starts at 6:10 p.m. with the first pitch being thrown by American Legion National Commander Denise H. Rohan.  A limited number of specially-priced tickets are available to Legion Family members on a first-come, first-served basis. To order tickets, call (800) 338-9467 and hit the number 0 to speak to an attendant. Reference this special American Legion promotion.

The American Legion has arranged for full-day and partial-day sightseeing tours, however the town has many parks and cultural districts that are appropriate for self-guided walking tours. Additionally, restaurants, brew pubs, and specialty shops dot the downtown landscape.

Other tourist attractions include the University of Minnesota, casinos and Mall of America, which is the fifth largest mall in North America.

The National Convention Exhibit Hall inside the convention center is a popular destination and will be open from Friday, Aug. 24 to Tuesday, Aug. 28.

For information about national convention, schedules and more, visit www.legion.org/convention.