Welcome aboard!

Some community activities include:  Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Eagle Scout Program, Miracle League of Franklin County, Detachment Color/Honor Guard, Wounded Warrior Project at Camp Lejeune, Fisher House at Camp Lejeune, USO Raleigh, NC Marines in distress (after verification), Wake Forest monthly Flag Raising for a deceased Veteran, Host Bingo event at the VA Hospital in Durham NC, and an annual Marine Corps Birthday dinner.

Please join us for dinner at our monthly meetings (a nominal cost for dinner).

To join, contact the paymaster to pay your annual dues ($32 in 2025) and the Det 1257 application form (do not join from the National or Department (State) sites, due to delays) that can be mailed to the Det or given to the pay master at a meeting.

Attire at the meetings is casual; at the meetings,  we wear our covers (hats) indoors for formality.  We salute during the pledge of allegiance (if uncovered, place your hand over your heart), and certain other times.  Uncover during prayer and dinner.  We close with the Marines Hymn.

Once you join, uniform items include:

1. The red Marine Corps League cover (garrison style) with gold Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, available from the Paymaster, and the detachment tab sewn onto the left side (see uniform guidelines).  This is the only required uniform item for meetings.  Or, to optionally embroider the detachment, three options are:
   1. • Gayle Dilday, a friend of the Det and MCL supporter.
        (see Bill Brown, Brian Rush, Frank Williams, or Shawn Potwin for contact information).  Gayle knows MCL requirements and is extremely reasonable in pricing; she embroiders, sews on patches, replaces buttons. Lives southeast of Raleigh; after contacting Gayle, you can ship items to her address (to you, Care Of Gayle Dilday), and retrieve them once complete. Bundling your order with other members is helpful. No rush jobs; give her time to work.
      • “Stitched by Tempa” (https://www.instagram.com/stitchedbytempa/), who has a desk inside the “Southern Suds and Gifts” boutique, at 213 S. White Street, Wake Forest (downtown).  Tempa has given deep discounts to detachment members previously.  Her machinery is offsite, so she needs a day or so turnaround.  You’ll need to tell her exactly what you need done, she doesn’t know our regulations.
      • “Carolina Clover”, by Tamara Hayes, who has a booth in The Cotton Company, 306 S. White Street, Wake Forest.  Tamara has given a slight discount for detachment members, and stiches onsite (can often stitch over the course of an hour).  You’ll need to tell her exactly what you need done, she doesn’t know our regulations.
2. Optional is the detachment shirt (black or red polo-style) with embroidered name, for sale from the Adjutant.  Note: wash in cold water, tumble dry low or hang dry, as the embroidery may shrink otherwise.
3. Optional for more formal occasions is the red Marine Corps League blazer (officially called the “Casual Red Blazer Uniform”), which is the preferred for the Marine Corps Birthday and representing the Det at Toys for Tots collections, or as announced.  Contact a member for where to purchase the jacket, buttons, and MCL crest in particular, or see our more detailed information (including vendors for where to purchase them) HERE.

 

If (if) you would like additional reading about uniforms, see the Det 1257 Uniform Guidelines.  Includes setup of cover, detachment shirts, ceremonies and events.  But don’t stress over this, you showing up is the most important part.  It is there if you want more information.

COMING SOON:  We are planning a new scholarship award for Marines, FMF Corpsman, FMF Chaplains, Associate and Auxiliary MCL Members, their children, or grandchildren.