I have been speaking with the Executive Boards of both the Department of NJ and the NJ Pack at length and after reviewing all the information coming in about the State of New Jersey concerning what needs to be accomplished prior to us opening back up and all of the uncertainty it holds, I have decided to CANCEL the 2020 Department of NJ Convention.  This obviously includes the NJ Pack Grand Growl that would be held at the same time.

Tony Modzelewski has cancelled the Hotel and all the reservations that went along with the convention so if you made the reservation through the League it has already been done for you.  If you made reservations on your own, please make sure to cancel your room.  If you provided funds to the Department for your room, Tony will be sending out refund checks. 

The Department 50/50 is still going on and we will be doing a Facebook Live drawing on 11 July 2020 as that is the scheduled drawing date.  If your Detachment still has not sold your tickets, please do so and get the monies and stubs to Mike Apricena prior to 1 July 2020 so we can coordinate the drawing.

So, because of this there are some things that must happen at later dates.  I want to give you an outline of what I am planning for both the Department and the Pack.

As stated, the 50/50 will be drawn on 11 July 2020 via Facebook Live.

We will be holding our next Department Meeting on 4 October 2020 at Sea Girt starting at 0830 and going until approximately 1630. For all intents and purposes this will be our Convention, so I ask all Detachments and Districts to send Representatives. The Department will be providing lunch that day.  We will have our normal meeting to include Awards and Recognitions in the AM and after lunch will be holding Nominations, Elections and Installation of Department Officers.  This will be in accordance with the 2020 Emergency Plan for Elections and Installations for Departments as approved by the National Board of Trustees on 1 April 2020.  

We will be holding our next NJ Pack Growl on 17 October 2020 starting at 0830 at the Freehold Elks in Freehold NJ.  This will be an extended Growl so please bring your gear.  We will be holding Initiations of all Pups moving up to Devil Dogs and all Devil Dogs that received Special Dispensation to be initiated to the degree of Pedigree Devil Dogs.  I will be barking with our Mad Dog to go over the details.  All newly Advanced Devil Dogs will have a date of 11 July 2020 as the date of Advancement so they are eligible to move up to PDD if they so choose to in Springfield, Il. in 2021.

As for the Department Marine of the Year and New Jersey Pack Dog of the Year, I am recommending we perform this selection process via email as we did for the Northeast Division Marine of the Year.  As such I will be reaching out to those committee members accordingly.

Semper Fidelis,

Joseph DeAngelo Jr.
Commandant
Department of NJ
Worthy Pack Leader
New Jersey Pack