OXFORD – Last Thursday, the Oxford American Legion Post 376 hosted state dignitaries on a tour of Chenango County’s 11 Legion posts. They also visited the Raymond Corporation, the Greene War Memorial and the Oxford Veterans’ Home before convening for a testimonial dinner.

“It’s important for people to know we aren’t just a bunch of old vets swaping war stories,” said Oxford Post Commander Frederick Baker during dinner. “We honor the vets, make sure returning soldiers have jobs and homes, but we are also very involved in community support and sponsorship projects to help better the lives of the people we serve.”

As an example, Baker described the Legion’s sponsorship of the leadership camp, Boys State. New York State Boys State is held annually at SUNY Morrisville in the last week of June with approximately 2,800 attending youths from all over the state. The camp is usually comprised of a well-rounded group of individuals. “We want more than just the Einsteins,” said Baker. The leadership camp serves as a stepping stone for all sorts of young adults, and is just one of many examples of how the Legion is involved in serving the community.

The three visiting state Legion dignitaries addressed the Oxford post following the testimonial dinner.

Sons of the American Legion Detachment of New York State Commander John J. Knapp was the first to speak: “One of my goals is to see the growth of the organization; without a strong organization we cannot give as much back to the community,” he said. Knapp’s goal as detachment commander has been to raise money for the Child Welfare Foundation. Since its genesis in 1954, the foundation has raised $11 million for different nonprofit projects designed to benefit American children, an example being the 2010, $25,000 sponsorship of a Child Abuse Prevention program. “If we can raise just $7,000 this year for the Child Welfare Foundation, well my wife has promised to do something I can’t even talk about,” he said.