The main convention hotel, The Kahler Grand, sits in the middle of shining glass and steel buildings that comprise Mayo Clinic facilities. When not involved in business meetings for the League, the Auxiliary or the Devil Dogs, attendees had opportunities to tour the Mayo Clinic, whose facilities include a "subway" of underground corridors, stores and spaces that link hotels and medical buildings for shirtsleeve access during even the coldest winter.

Some conventioneers opted to try their luck at night at Treasure Island Casino while others took a leisurely dinner cruise on the Mississippi River, about an hour away by bus. Or they toured Hormel Foods' Spam Museum in nearby Austin, MN. The plant there is one of two sites that produce more than 40,000 cans an hour of this combat cuisine staple.

On a more somber note, many attended the annual Memorial Service on Thursday, 6 August, to honor fallen Marine Corps Leaguers and active duty Marines.

The week concluded with the Grande Banquet on Friday, 7 August, at the Kahler Grand Hotel. The featured speaker at the Banquet was Lieutenant General Ronald S. Coleman, who will retire at the end of August as the Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

He acknowledged MCL National Commandant Jim Laskey, who was once 1st Sergeant for a newly minted Captain Coleman. "He was one of those men who inspire you and help you along the way. Whatever is good about me in the Marine Corps is because of the great staff NCOs I was fortunate enough to work with."

Lieutenant General Coleman also warmly acknowledged the Marine Color Guard from the local recruitment district. “If I could change places with any of you, I would do so in a heartbeat. You are the world’s finest,” he said, as all Leaguers rose to their feet and applauded the four young Leathernecks.

Turning to the crowd, Lieutenant General Coleman extolled today’s Corps. "Your Marine Corps is in great hands. Today, across the Marine Corps for FY 2009, 99.1 percent of recruits are at least high school graduates. The reason that we are so strong on high school graduates is that it shows those recruits have staying power," a determination to excel.

The General noted that in late 2006, then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered the Corps to grow by two regiments, to a total strength of 202,000 by 2012. Commandant General James C. Conway took this challenge as an opportunity to shape the Corps for the future. Focusing on recruitment and retention, Marine recruiters achieved the goal in just two years -- today's Corps strength stands at about 203,000.

"And we never, ever, lowered the standards," the general stressed. "These are the cream of the crop." Ever present in the minds of the officers and recruiters are the standards of commitment, dedication and sacrifice set by earlier generations of Marines such as those in the audience, Lieutenant General Coleman said.

He encouraged those present to help recruit more fine Marines. "A former Marine is the best recruiter you can get." Those new Marines will be needed, he added, "because we are in a fight for our lives. If we're not fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan, then it will be in Minnesota or Philadelphia."

The evening concluded with the swearing in of officers for the next year and presentation of several awards. The 2010 Convention will be held in Greensboro, NC; at this year’s convention, it was decided the 2011 meeting will be in Boise, ID.