Future of Legion Hall still up in the air

How many times have residents of Tea driven past the brick building located on Main Street and not given it much thought? Now the building is gaining a little more attention since the bar closed its doors.

“Due to economic hardship, due to Covid-19 the Legion is closed while we explore our financial options,” said Tony Becker.

Much like many other businesses, the group who normally has patrons in the bar and renters in the hall, struggled during the pandemic.

At their regularly scheduled July monthly meeting the eleven members in attendance discussed their options for moving forward. While no decision has been reached yet, the group wants the public to know that they appreciate their patience and understanding as the Legion works through this difficult matter.

During the meeting the members also discussed other business as well. Some of the other business included updating their bylaws and constitution. Once the bylaws and constitution are updated Post 266 will send those to the State Legion in Watertown, South Dakota. Along with bylaws and constitution the group also brought up events taking place in the surrounding areas.

The first event to take place is the traveling Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Sioux Falls. The group running this event was looking for assistance with a color guard. The event will be taking place July 26th and 27th.

Another event coming up in September is the Sioux Falls Stand Down Event. This event is meant to help homeless veterans. More information will be released closer to the event.

Another highlight brought up during the meeting was the positive feedback received from other towns during the Legion baseball game. Post 266 provided a color guard during the Legion baseball game. Many of the opposing teams do not have a color guard for their games. The teams were appreciative and impressed by the dedication of the Legion members to the baseball team by providing a color guard for the game.

While the fate of the building on Main Street is still undecided, the Legion Post of Tea is still strong and willing to provide the community with a positive group for veterans to join.

The Post is always looking for new members. If you have served in the military, you are able to join. The group wants to continue to grow and thrive in the community.

The Post wants to continue to provide the baseball teams with color guards and host events for the community in the future.

While the Post remains strong the fate of the building is still undecided. The next time you drive by the big brick building on Main Street remember there is always more to the story. Legion members encourage the public to please offer patience and understanding as the Legion Post works through their financial and many other decisions in the next few months.