POST FALLS — At least 200 American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary members from across the Gem State will gather in Post Falls for the 106th Department of Idaho Convention beginning Thursday.

The convention will be held at the Post Falls American Legion with American Legion Auxiliary events at Red Lion Hotel Templin's on the River. This is the first time in over 15 years the annual convention, which rotates locations each year, will be held in the River City.

"We attended a few of the conventions at smaller posts, and we thought, because of the size of our post and our membership, we felt a calling to do this," Post Falls American Legion Post 143 Commander Tim Shaw said Wednesday. "It's a difficult task, but this post is postured to do it best, and we will do it best. We're very proud of what we have here and we're going to show that off."

With nearly 800 members, Post 143 is the largest American Legion in Idaho comprising 10% of the state's membership.

"This post is the top dog in the state," Shaw said.

Shaw said the convention serves as an update for members to understand the local, state and national direction of the American Legion. It's important it be properly run in a good location, he said.

"We are so proud of this place," Shaw said. "We're proud of what we've accomplished and where we're headed with this post."

He said veteran and fraternal organizations such as the American Legion and the Elks are losing members from age.

"We're trying to get younger," he said. "We're getting younger people on the board, we're really making an effort to do that."

The four-day convention will include committee meetings, reports, elections and social hours.

American Legion Department of Idaho Area A Vice-Commander Dee Sasse, a 22-year U.S. Coast Guard veteran, longtime Rathdrum American Legion Post 154 member and Post Falls resident, is a candidate for department commander, which is the top American Legion position in Idaho. While a female served in this role just a few years ago, it is not an office often held by a woman.

"I've been working toward it for quite a few years," Sasse said. "It's going to be a new challenge."

A few of Sasse's goals for the Idaho American Legion include improving communication with all posts in the state; bringing technology to the posts so they have better knowledge of what leadership is doing; and creating a training program for the posts to help them at all leadership levels.

She said she is looking forward to representing Idaho at the national level and helping local veterans as well as veterans throughout the state. She said she learned a lot about the needs of different Idaho communities while campaigning this spring.

"One of my big things I campaigned on was communication with every post in the entire state," Sasse said. "We're going to work really hard on communicating with them and helping them with whatever they need.

    Sasse