VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DEPARTMENT OF IOWA

Transcription

1 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DEPARTMENT OF IOWA FEBRUARY 2015 GENERAL ORDERS No. 8 ************************************************************************************* 1. GENERAL ORDERS: Are to be read at the Post Meeting and posted in your Post. 2. MEMBERSHIP: CONGRATULATIONS to the following Posts for obtaining 100% or better before February 1, 2015: 1 st District- Post nd District- Post 8865, 8883, 8884, 9664, & th District- Post 738 & th District- Post th District- Post 941, 6256, 8998, 9731, & th District- Post 580, 4704 & th District- Post th District- Post 642, 4512 & Remember that your retention needs to be 85% this year to receive awards. The Department is at 93% as of Feb. 2, We are in 2 nd place in the Big Ten and 10 th place out of 53 Departments in membership. We are off to a great start compared to last year. At this time last year we were at 90.68%. I believe this is the year we make 100% so let s roll up our sleeves and get busy on our recruiting efforts and do not forget the new members you signed up last year and get them to renew their membership. Give them a call and invite them to your next meeting, let them know you still support them and care about them. Use the unpaid lists that were sent out to get members back into the VFW. If you need a copy of this list let us know and we will get it to you. 3. REMOVAL OF UNPAID POST OFFICERS: Post Officers whose membership dues expired will now be removed from office and cannot hold an elected position until the following year. Please send a new Election Report with the new officers information to Headquarters ASAP. District Commanders were told at the Mid-Winter Council of Administration who the officers removed were as well as an to the Post. Remember with the subscription dues process, not every member s dues expire on Dec. 31, Post Quartermasters need to check the unpaid list regularly to ensure Post Officers dues are paid on time. 4. NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS: Department Headquarters is still receiving old membership applications. Those applications are obsolete and should be destroyed and the new ones used. New applications can be ordered from the membership Department at membership@vfw.org or Page 1 of 5

2 5 IOWA NATIONAL COUNCILMAN: The office of Iowa s National Councilman will begin a new term at the 2015 State Convention in Bettendorf. The Councilman elected will serve a four year term. If you are interested in running for the office of National Councilman, the Department will place an ad in the Iowa Voice announcing your candidacy BIENNIAL REPORT: This year Posts must file a biennial report with the Iowa Secretary of State s office. A post card with the Corporation number and Pin Number, along with instructions you will need to file the report, will be sent to the registered agent of the Post. If the report is not filed by April 1, 2015 the Post could be administratively dissolved and lose their Non-Profit status. Please ensure your registered agent is current. 7. IOWA VOICE MAILING: The November issue was the last FREE mailing of the Iowa Voice for VFW and Auxiliaries. In order to cut postage costs, the Department is asking that the Iowa Voice be sent by . Please send us your information if you would like to receive the Voice by . Those who wish to continue receiving a paper copy there is a cost of $5.00 per year. Please fill out coupon inside the November issue and send it, along with your payment, to VFW Iowa Headquarters, 3601 Beaver Ave., Des Moines, IA The Iowa Voice can also be found on the Department website at 8. DEADLINE FOR IOWA VOICE ARTICLES: The deadline for placing articles in the next issue of the Iowa Voice is Feb. 28, Department officers, don t forget to send in your article for the Voice. If sending a photo, please it to iowavfwvoice@aol.com in jpeg format. Please indicate who is in the photo and the event it was taken at STATE CONVENTION: The 94 th Annual Iowa State Convention will be June 4 thru June 7, 2015 at the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel, 1800 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf, Iowa Please call or go online at bettendorf.isleofcapricasinos.com/ivfw604.html to reserve your room. Be sure to mention you are with group code IVFW604 (VFW State Convention). The single room rates are $119. The cutoff date for this rate is May 5, If you are on the VFW Council let me know which room to book for you, King or Double Queen. 10. STATE FAIR BOOTH DONATIONS: The Department is in need of donations for the Fair Booth. Individuals, Posts, or Auxiliaries willing to donate, please send your checks to Department of Iowa, Attn: Jerry Black, QM, 3601 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA Any donation will be greatly appreciated and help to defer the cost of the booth. 11. SCOUT OF THE YEAR: The Department Scout of the Year Chairman is Stuart Juarez, 1125 Frazier Ave, Des Moines, IA The deadline for Scout of the Year award is as follows: Entry to Post- March 1, 2015 Entry to Dept. April 2, 2015 Entry to Nat l May 1, 2015 Page 2 of 5

3 12. VOICE OF DEMOCRACY: The Department winner was Emma Skahill from Earlham, Iowa. Emma was the 5 th District winner and was sponsored by Post PATRIOTS PEN: The Department winner was Sibani Ram from Dubuque, Iowa. Sibani was the 9 th District winner and was sponsored by 9663 Dubuque. 14. TEACHER OF THE YEAR: K-5 th Grade Lisa Zylstra, Jefferson Intermediate School, Nominated by Post 5242 Pella. 6 th 8 th Grade - Brian Lawrence, Clayton Ridge Middle School, Nominated by Post Guttenberg. 9 th 12 th Grade - Todd Jacobson, Creston Senior High School, Nominated by Post 1797 Creston. 15. RESOLUTIONS: Posts desiring to submit resolutions for consideration by their District prior to the convening of the State Convention, must present said resolution to their District in time for their Spring meeting, and upon approval by the Districts, copies of the resolution must reach State Headquarters in time to be prepared for the State Convention. 16. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES REPORT: Send all Community Activity Reports to Chairman, Danny L. White, 1309 SE University Ave., #207, Waukee, Iowa 50263, PH# , or iavfwcars@gmail.com. Please use the new form when reporting your Post activities. 17. INSPECTIONS: District Commanders your attention is directed to Section 517 of the Manual of Procedure, which states that each Post shall be inspected at least once during the year. Please make sure all the Posts in your District are inspected and report them in a timely manner rather that accumulating reports for 100% mailing. Please send completed Reports to State Inspector Danny White, 1309 S.E. University Ave., #207, Waukee, IA Please send white copy only. 18. QUARTERMASTER BOND: The application for the Quartermaster and Men s Auxiliary Treasurer Surety Bond is attached please fill out and send to Headquarters. After Sept. 1, 2014 the cost of the bond increased to $10 per $1000. All bonds that have not been renewed have expired as of September 1, Send in your Quartermaster Bond IMMEDIATELY. If you are not Bonding with the Department fill out the name of your agent, amount of Bond and Expiration date and send in. Posts that are not bonded as of the date of these General Orders are: District 1: Post 3508, Men s Aux District 3: Post 1886 District 4: Post 8882, Men s Aux District 10: Post 4824 Page 3 of 5

4 19. POST ASSESSMENT: The Post Assessment for will be $1.00 per member based on last year s Membership total. If your Post achieved 100% in membership by Awards Day, May 10, 2014, your Post does not have to pay the Post assessment. This will be shown on the Status Report block as 100%. Post assessments were due October 15, Posts that have not paid their Post assessments as of the date of these General Orders are: District 1: Post 3949 District 2: Post 8884 District 3: ALL PAID District 4: Post 526, 2308, 3932, 8882 District 5: ALL PAID District 6: Post 2642 District 7: ALL PAID District 8: Post 1973 & 4704 District 9: ALL PAID District 10: Post th NATIONAL CONVENTION: The Veterans of Foreign Wars 116 th National Convention will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 18-22, VFW NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE: The annual VFW National Legislative/Community Service Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., March 1-5, GENERAL ORDERS General Orders will be sent via . Please send your address to Department Headquarters at vfwiowa@qwestoffice.net if you have not done so and wish to receive them. Post Commanders and Quartermasters please ensure we have your address on file. If you do not have , please contact your District Commander for a printed copy. Department Headquarters no longer snail mails General Orders as of July 1, PARTNERS IN PATRIOTISM PROGRAM: This program benefits both Post and Department. You can sign up to donate a minimum of $10, or more, once a year and the entire proceeds come back to the Department. I have attached a form for your use. Post Commanders please hand this form out at your Post meeting. If every member in the Department of Iowa gave just $10 a year to this program, we would have over $180,000 to help veterans and their families and the Department would be able to do away with the Post assessments. 24. NATIONAL MILITARY SERVICES (NMS): For questions or concerns about connecting with Iowa Military Units, Adopt A Unit, Uplink Phone Calling, Unmet Needs (soldier/military assistance), Post Donor Cards, and MAP Grants for your Post/Auxiliary, contact NMS Chairman Pat Stark at vfw.patstark@gmail.com or Please consider making a donation to NMS today. Regarding Operation Uplink, contact Uplink Chairman Pat Stark if you request a phone card for a hospitalized veteran who is in any hospital or nursing home other than one of the VAMF s. 25. BUDDY POPPIES: Place your orders EARLY, AT LEAST 90 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR DISTRIBUTION DATE. Every Post should be able to receive donations for at least 500 Poppies, to qualify for All State Award your Post must purchase 1,000 poppies. Many Posts are not sending their orders in early enough to receive them prior to their scheduled date. GET THEM IN AT LEAST 90 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR DISTRIBUTION DATE. Page 4 of 5

5 26. POST DUES RESERVE FUND: Attention is directed to section 218, Manual of Procedure, which mandates Post Quartermasters to maintain a dues reserve fund to which shall be credited not less than one-half of the Post s part of the current year s ( ) dues paid by each member prior to July 1, including Life Membership per capita taxes received from National on account of Life Members. Post Quartermaster shall not disburse nor shall an obligation be incurred against this fund until after July 1, at which time it shall be transferred to the Post s General Fund and be available for expenditure. 27. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Council of Administration Meeting, March 21, 2015 at the Department Headquarters, 3601 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA at 0900 hrs. *** NEW Department of Iowa 94 th Annual State Convention will be June 4-7, 2015 at the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf, 1800 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf, Iowa th Annual National Convention will be July 18 22, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Fall Pow-Wow will be October 2-4, 2015 at the Meskwaki Bingo & Casino Hotel th St., Tama, Iowa Big Ten Conference will be Oct , 2015 at the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf, 1800 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf, Iowa Department of Iowa 95 th Annual State Convention will be June 2-5, 2016 at the Grand Harbor Resort Hotel, 350 Bell St., Dubuque, IA OFFICIAL: Jerry Black State Adjutant-Quartermaster VFW Department of Iowa CP/jb By Order of: Christian J. Popp Department Commander VFW Department of Iowa Page 5 of 5