Wisconsin Unit 185 member Terry Giles joined the American Legion Auxiliary in March 2021. Her husband has been a member of The American Legion post for years, but Giles had a lot going on with work, kids, and volunteering at her church. The ALA simply wasn’t her focus. When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, she felt for the Gold Star Mothers and wanted to be part of an organization supporting our veterans, military, and their families, so she joined the Auxiliary. 

In May 2021 — shortly after joining the ALA — she agreed to be the poppy chair and chaplain for her unit. 
 
Can you share what your ALA membership means to you?
It means I am honoring the service of somebody I love. [My membership] just shows that I honor and respect them.
 
What would you say to seasoned unit members who haven’t stepped into leadership roles yet within the ALA? 
You’re not expected to know everything. You don’t have to do what the last person did in that position. You can create whatever your own interests are. You don’t have to fill somebody else’s shoes. Many think, I can’t do as much as she did; I don’t have that many ideas, etc. If you can manage a budget for a house, you can be the treasurer for the unit. If you’ve been a secretary at a school or church, you can be secretary of the unit.
 
What advice do you have for new members about becoming an active member in the ALA? 
Do what you like. I’m a scrapbooker. I make posters for the display case outside our Legion and Auxiliary hall about Be the One or different things using my scrapbooking skills. I am doing what I like to do. 
 
Through my church, I know a woman who is a member of the Auxiliary. I was the poppy chair and knew she had helped with the Poppy Poster Contest. I asked her if she would take over the Poppy Poster Contest that we hadn’t done for years, and she is still doing it. I told her if she does this, that would be the only thing she has to do. I’m not going to ask her to get involved in a bunch of other programs — I am satisfied with what she is able to give.
 
You don’t have to do everything. There are so many opportunities offered through the Auxiliary. We have 80 members in our unit — only about 10 show up to meetings and are active. Of the 10, half are not interested in leadership roles, but they are willing to assist with fundraisers by donating time and talents where they can. Ten people can’t do every single program, so we try to find out what members like to do, what skills they have, what their interests are, and then try to match those to one of the Auxiliary programs. If they get involved with just one thing that means something to them, they are likely to get more involved over time. 
 
Expecting too much from members who have a busy life outside the Auxiliary isn’t the way to get them involved. Let them evolve over time. By doing one thing, they may find something else the Auxiliary has to offer that interests them and they will get more involved — if not, count your blessings for what they are contributing to the Auxiliary and let it go.
 
Top 11 attributes of a great nonprofit leader:
1. Changemaker
2.   Self-awareness
3.   Agility
4.   Empathy
5.   Trust
6.   Dedication
7.   Persistence
8.   Member focused
9.   Financial literacy
10. Enthusiasm
11. Efficient communicator

Source: University of San Diego Professional and Continuing Education