We are aware of at least one earlier attempt to start an enlisted association in the State of Minnesota.  This attempt did fail.
In May 1969, a group of enlisted individuals were invited to Mitchell, South Dakota, to attend an Enlisted Association Convention.  At that time we knew nothing about the Enlisted Association of South Dakota.  The group returned from Mitchell, SD, got a number of enlisted people together, Army and Air Guard, who they felt might be receptive to an organization of this type.  In November 1969, we created the By-Laws.  The organization was to be known as the Minnesota National Guard Enlisted Association (MNGEA).  As a body, the association would support legislation at any level of government that could benefit the National Guard.  The By-Laws were approved at a meeting of thirty-five individuals.  At the same meeting, officers were appointed, not elected, to serve until a general membership meeting and election could be held. 

The officers appointed were:
Co-Chairmen…………..Willis A. Steingraber and Wayne B. Levorson
Secretary……………… Joseph J. Sadowski
Assistant Sec………….. Richard K. O’Brien
Treasurer………………..Vernon A. Falk

The first “General Membership” meeting was held on 31 October 1970 in Minneapolis, MN.  The first officers of the Minnesota National Guard Enlisted Association were elected at that meeting and they were:
President……………….. Richard K. O’Brien
Vice President………….. Wayne B. Levorson
Treasurer………………….Vernon A. Falk

Committee Members at Large (4)
Noe B. Bibeau
Jerome A. Blazevic
Nick LaManna
Kenneth P. Musolf

ANG Base Representatives (4)
Duluth….Jerome T. Roleau and G.P. Van Reese
Minneapolis……..Howard K. Norman and J.P. VanGuilder

ARNG Battalion Representatives……George W. Dean and Bernard R. Gospodor.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of each chapter and this Association shall be:

1.  To perpetuate the National Guard;
2. To hold all personnel of the Nation in close proximity with each other, promote and maintain adequate national security;
3. To promote and foster a legislative program for the betterment of and to advance the status, welfare and professionalism of all members of the National Guard;
4. To support each Chapter, the Minnesota National Guard Enlisted Association and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS); and
5. Not to be a profit making organization.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION

The MNGEA was one of the original charter states of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS).  On 25 September 1972, Minnesota and twenty-two other states met in Sioux Falls, SD to receive their charter to EANGUS.  This was the first such meeting on a national level and the First Annual Conference of EANGUS.  It was also the very first step that the enlisted person of the National Guard took towards organization on national level to promote the status and welfare of all enlisted persons.

RE-ORGANIZATIONS

At the “Fifth Annual Conference” of the MNGEA, on 10-11 May 1974 in Montevideo, MN, By-Laws for re-organization were presented and approved by the members present.  Each ARNG Battalion and ANG Base would become a Chapter in MNGEA.  Each Chapter would elect its own officers and share in a membership dues distribution as directed by MNGEA.  Each Chapter would be represented by one member on the Executive Council of the MNGEA.

At the “Twelfth Annual Conference” of the MNGEA on 1-3 May 1981 in Saint Cloud, MN, By-Laws for another re-organization were presented and approved by the members present.  Each individual unit of the ARNG or ANG was given the option of organization of its own chapter.  They could elect their own officers and have their own Chapter representative on the MNGEA Board.  The membership year was changed to a fiscal year along with a respective membership drive campaign each year.  This meant that from the Annual Conference each year until the last day of September, membership dues to MNGEA were discounted.  Then from 1 October until the last day of February they were full price, at which time the memberships would close until Annual Conference time, when the Annual Membership Drive would be kicked off once again.

At the “Fortieth Annual Conference”, held in Duluth, MN, the membership year was changed to a Calendar Year.  This brought us in line with the EANGUS membership year. 

Today the MNGEA Executive Board Consists of a President, two Vice Presidents, Treasurer and 16 Area Director Representing the two Air Wings and 14 Army Battalions. The four Executive Officers serve 2-year terms and the Area Directors serve a 1-Year term.

PAST PRESIDENTS OF MNGEA