Auxiliary Officer Installation - July 11 2026
Installation & Award Presentation Speech
Thank you Shirley, for leading today's ceremony. Thank you to our Past Department President, Fran Carlton, for joining us and for your continued support. Thank you Past District 11 President and current District Secretary, Sandy Swafford. Thank you to my husband, Patrick Lozon, whose unwavering support gives me even greater courage and competence to serve. And THANK YOU to EVERY member of this Auxiliary for placing your trust in me to serve as your Unit President.
I am deeply honored and truly humbled by that trust. I accept this office with gratitude, and also with a profound sense of responsibility to build upon the remarkable legacy that has made Unit 271 the exceptional organization it is today.
Before we look forward, it is important that we recognize those whose leadershp has brought us here.
I want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our Past President, Sharon Hammber, whose four years of dedicated leadership strengthened this unit in countless ways. Sharon, Thank you for your commitment, your steady guidance, and your service. We are grateful that your leadershp continues as our Vice President.
I would also like to recognize all our Past Presidents. Each of you has left your own chapter in the story of this unit. Because of your service, we stand on a strong foundation today.
TO every member of our leadership team, thank you for answering the call to serve. Your time, your talents and your dedication embody our motto: Service, Not Self.
As my first privilege as President, it is my honor to recognize someone whose life has become the very definition of those words.
Today marks a truly historic moment for Unit 271. Today we establish a new tradition, one that will endure for generations. A tradition that honors the highest ideals of the American Legion Auxiliary and celebrates the very heart of our mission: Service, Not Self.
When we asked ourselves what this award should represent, the answer became unmistakably clear.
It should bear the name of someone whose life has become the standard by which service is measured.
It is my great privilege to announce that, from this day fordward, this honor will be forever known as The Carol McAteer Service, Not Self Award.
This beautiful idea began with our Chaplain, Lynn Williams. Lynn recognized what so many of us have long known, that Carol's extraordinary impact on this unit deserved to be remembered permanently.
From the very beginning, we agreed on one thing: Carol could not know.
Now, anyone who knows Carol also knows that keeping a secret from her is nearly impossible. She notices everything.
But judging by the look on your face... I believe we finally succeeded.
This award will become the highest and most selective honor our unit can bestow.
It will not automatically be presented each year. Instead, it will be reserved for those rare occasions when a lifetime of dedication truly reflects the extraordinary standard established by the woman whose name it carries, Carol McAteer.
Because this surprise had to remain a surprise, we quietly pieced together Carol's remarkable history of service without ever asking her directly. Her service record extends back before our digital records hold, at the unit, department, and national level.
What emerged was nothing short of extraordinary.
Carol's journey began in New York, where she first joined the American Legion Auxiliary, inspired by a deep love for our military, our veterans and our nation.
Whens he transferred her membership to Florida, she brought that same spirit of service with her and for years she has become the heart, the strenght, and quite simply, the glue of Unit 271.
Carol, you have never sought recognition. You simply stepped forward whenever your unit needed you.
Your record of service speaks for itself:
Secretary from 2010-2011
President for four consecutive terms from 2012-2016
Secretary from 2017-2018
Chaplain from 2018-2021
Secretary once more from 2021-2026
And today, continuing your service as our Sergeant-at-Arms and, perhaps even more importantly, as a mentor to every one of us.
Through every transition, every challenge, and every new beginning, you have been the steady hand that kept this unit moving forward.
You have shown us that true leadership is not about titles.
It is about showing up. It is about lifting others. It is about serving faithfully, quietly, and consistently, even when no one is watching.
Your legacy is measured not only in the offices you have held, but in the lives you have touched, the leaders you have mentored, the veterans you have served, and the example you have set for all who will follow.
Because of you, this unit is stronger, our communit is better, our veterans know they are remembered.
Carol, your example has set the standard that will inspire Auxiliary members for generations to come.
It is now my pleasure to invite someone who knows that legacy well. Shirley Rearick, please come forward and share a few personal reflections. Carol, please join us at the front.
Shirley:
"It is my absolute privilege and greatest honor to present the very first Carol McAteer Service, Not Self Award to the woman whose lifetime of service inspired it, Carol McAteer. Carol, please accept this award as a lasting expression of our deepest gratitude, admiration, and love."
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