Hayfield is gearing up to hold a large First District Convention for the American Legion. The First District of the American Legion is made up of ten counties in Southeastern Minnesota. Three hundred Legion members, Sons of the American Legion and Legion Family Auxiliary will be descending on Hayfield the weekend of May 16-18.

At the last district convention, it was found that there was no town available to host this year's convention.

"Owatonna was supposed to host it but they didn't have enough volunteers. I got together with Delmont Martan, Richard Jensen and Arlen Scharbergh and we decided that a little town like Hayfield could get enough volunteers," said Harlan Buck, a lifetime resident of Hayfield and a member of the American Legion.

Now, Buck is the general chairman along with Alice Jensen of Dexter, a member of the Hayfield Legion Auxiliary. One of the main problems with holding such a large convention in a town like Hayfield is that there are no hotels. The guests that will be attending the convention will be staying in hotels in Kasson and Stewartville. They will have the option of being transported to Hayfield by shuttle buses or driving their own vehicles.

"We took on this challenge to have this large convention here. We have lots of volunteers helping us. May 16 starts with a banquet that will be held at the Oaks Country Club. On the 17th, Trinity Lutheran Church will be serving a luncheon. It really is easier for a small community like ours to get the help compared to a larger town," Buck said.

Since February, President Sandra Fredrickson, Commander David Harrison, Buck, Jensen and other members of the American Legion in Hayfield have been brainstorming and contacting people to help with this large undertaking. Suzanne Leckness is preparing 300 goody bags to be distributed as a greeting to the guests. Saturday the 17th, meetings will be held throughout the day at the convention. The Legion Hall in Hayfield will be serving coffee, rolls and sandwiches to keep convention guests satisfied. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 18 along with a parade that will showcase the new Legion commanding officer for the upcoming year.

Buck is excited about hosting the American Legion's First District Annual Convention. He was in the Korean conflict for two years. He has held every office in the American Legion including commander and has been on national committees out of Indianapolis.