TAL Post 108 – Our History

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – CIRCA 1994: a stamp printed in the United States of America shows American flag, Old Glory, circa 1994

Voices from The American Legion Post 108 in 1994

The Beginning

Around 1936, a handful of World War I veterans began meeting in vacant houses and vacant stores as they prepared to form a family-oriented American Legion Post in the small rural community of Lutz, a few miles north of Tampa on U.S. 41. A charter was granted May 3, 1937, to Lutz Post 108, The American Legion Department of Florida. By agreeing to sponsor the local Boy Scout troop, the post obtained use of the old Scout Hall in Lutz. This was home to both Post 108 and Auxiliary Unit 108 for several years. An early post activity was a boy’s rifle club, which became a member of The National Rifle Association but ultimately ceased operation.

A Place to Call Our Own

Shortly after World War II, Post 108 acquired a couple of lots situated next to the Scout Hall, probably for taxes, according to a 1963 Post Historian. A knocked-down Quonset-type building was purchased from the U.S. Government for about $800. Post members poured a concrete slab, erected the building, and built a pumphouse and restrooms. A small frame house, formerly used by Hillsborough County as a health center, was donated to Post 108 by the owner. It was moved from Sulphur Springs to the Lutz location and set up on posts, all at county expense. It became the home of Auxiliary Unit 108.

At this location, membership reached 109, spurred by the return of World War II veterans. Interest waned, however, and membership dropped to less than half that number. It recovered somewhat to reach 54 members in 1963 when the post reported that it owned property worth about $7000 and was debt-free.

The Storm

June 2, 1976, tornado-like winds hit Lutz, uprooting several trees and toppling one of them across the American Legion building. The Quonset hut was a total loss, but the cottage housing of the Auxiliary remained intact. For the next several months, meeting were held at various places around the community. On one occasion, two fire trucks were moved to the street so that the Legion meeting could be held in the fire house. Rebuilding was discussed, but the $3500 insurance settlement for the old Quonset hut fell woefully short of a contractor’s bid of some $21,000 for an acceptable replacement structure. Membership was dropping, and paying off a mortgage with the traditional spaghetti dinners and fish fries was not a realistic concept.

Moving On

During 1977, meetings were moved north on U.S. 41 to the Land O’Lakes Community Center, with the expressed hope that the increased area of operations would result in increased membership. In January 1978, the name of the post was changed to Lutz-Land O’Lakes Post 108, The American Legion. The cottage in Lutz which had housed the Auxiliary was rented out, but proved to be a maintenance headache. May 23, 1979 the property was sold. Post 108 accepted $1000 down payment and agreed to carry the mortgage for 20 years.

Meetings were still held at the Land O’Lakes Community Center, now a Pasco County Parks facility. An attempt to impose user fees failed, and use of the facility remains free of charge. The resulting low overhead operation enables Post and Auxiliary to award an annual $500 scholarship to a local high school student, to send a representative each year to Boys State and Girls State, and to present a total of 12 School Awards at 6 area schools. Bingo Nights are sponsored at Alex Haley VA Hospital and graves are decorated with the flag of our country at 5 local cemeteries on 3 national holidays. It is a fairly impressive program of service for a small American Legion post.

Steadfast

Membership fell to 36 around 1989, but modest gains for 5 consecutive years have brought it up to 77 by mid-1994. Income from 15 years of mortgage payments has financed all post activities and built an investment reserve of $26,500. This income and growth of the reserve will continue for another 5 years. The post has evolved into a self-endowed institution. An obvious weakness is the simple fact that fund raising has been virtually abandoned, and prudence dictates that it must be renewed in at least small measure well before the mortgage income ceases in 1999. This can be easily done, the future is bright.

Last Words from 1994

There is little sentiment to leave the cost-free public facilities to embark on a building program, although the advantages of a permanent post home are obvious. A natural disaster led to a very comfortable solvency, and the members are reluctant to give it up.