GENERAL ORDERS NO. 9 March 2015

Transcription

1 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA Mail: Rice Street Station, PO Box 17146, St Paul, MN Phone: Fax: GENERAL ORDERS NO. 9 March The 4 th District Announced a CHANGE to their Meeting Schedule: 4 th District Convention April 25 th at N. St Paul Post 1350 (NOT on April 18 th ) 2. Your Post and Auxiliary Poppy Chairmen have their Department Buddy Poppy Kits. They are also online at All Posts and Auxiliaries should have their program underway. 3. The Department Convention will be held in Plymouth, June 10-14, Room reservations MUST be made through Department Headquarters. Reservation forms are included in this mailing and in the Gopher Oversea r. 4. NOTE: On June 11, 2015 the Annual (2015) Officers Training School (OTI) will be held in conjunction with the 2015 State Convention ( See the enclosed OTI registration Form). District Commanders will have a special OTI session on Wednesday evening, June 10, Post Officers are to be elected in April and installed before the State Convention. Election and Installation can not be held on the same date since it is necessary to have an Installing Officer's Warrant. (Department requirement) The Warrant will be sent to the POST COMMANDER-ELECT upon receipt of the REPORT OF ELECTION OF OFFICERS in Department Headquarters. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO REQUEST A WARRANT. You MUST fill out the Report of Election of Officers and send to Department Headquarters even if you elect the same officers. New Officers will assume office at the time of Installation of Department Officers on June 14, members who have not paid their 2015 dues at the time of Election of Officers are not entitled to be elected to office, to vote at the election or to be at the meeting. Please consider that your elected and appointed Officers should pay their 2016 Dues by September 1, Delegates and Alternates to District Conventions shall be elected at a regular meeting of the Post held not less than 30 days prior to the District Convention. One Delegate and one Alternate for each 15 members and fraction thereof. (Section 222 of the National By-Laws.) Posts are requested to have a Post Representative at the District Convention. 8. Posts wishing to compete in the Department Community Service Recordbook contest must submit their entries and Recordbooks to Department Headquarters on or before April 20 th for judging (Entry form and requirements were in last month s mailing and at Reports are to cover activities between April 1, 2014 and March 31, Post Commanders are reminded to keep their "Post Information Sheets" up to date. Those qualifying for the All State Post Commander contest will be notified as to when to submit their required information. General Orders 1 March 2015

2 -OVER- 10. Posts interested in sponsoring a Jr. Baseball Team in District or Department Tournaments next summer should contact their District Youth Activities Director for Rules and Roster forms. Boys through the age of 16 are eligible to play on the V.F.W. Post sponsored teams. (See Baseball Rules for details.) 11. Mailing Labels will be sent out in March again this year. When you receive them, please support the program. All proceeds go to the VFW Claims Office at the Whipple Building at Fort Snelling. The budget is in excess of $230,000. We need your help. 12. Enclosed is a green Youth Activities form to be completed and returned to your District Youth Activities Chairman by April 15, Membership must be the most important topic in the month of March. All Transmittals received through March 31, 2015 will count for March (if received at National Headquarters on that date). The 2015 Membership goal is 50,000 members. To reach that total each Post would have to increase by three members. If your Post has not set such a goal, we ask that you do so. It has been proven that "door knocking" and seeking out the eligible Veterans, asking them to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is the most proven method of getting new and reinstated members. 14. Pittsburg, Pennsyvania will host the VFW National Convention, July 18-22, Advance registration for the VFW National Convention is $25.00 per Post. (Section 222 of the National By-Laws). Each attending delegate will pay a $10.00 Registration fee. 16. If the Post Commander or Post Quartermaster has a change of address, please notify Department and National Headquarters as soon as possible. 17. Although your Post Election Report requires that you send (electronic or hard copy) to VFW National Headquarters, the Department is also requesting a copy be sent to this office as well. Additionally, you can send your hard copy or list of officers to Department Headquarters and we will transmit it electronically for you. 18. The Department has a list of all the unpaid members for your area. If your Post would like a list of Unpaid Members for your area, please us at: mnvfw@vfwmn.us OFFICIAL: BY ORDER OF: Gary Anderson State Commander Department of Minnesota, VFW James R. Hesselgrave State Adjutant/Quartermaster General Orders 2 March 2015

3 MORE. Full Page Bulletins in THIS General Orders Accurate Completion of Election Reports Now Prevents Information Breakdown in Election Reports: Please carefully review item #17 in the General Orders regarding submission of your Election Reports. Accurate and timely submission of your reports to Department Headquarters is key in assuring your Post will continue to receive all of the important documents such as Warrants and General Orders when you need them. Don t forget to include addresses for General Orders and other updates (a $35 assessment for Hard Copy General Orders will be in effect if a VALID is not supplied). If you have any questions, please contact Department. ALL Department Communications will use ONLY your Roster information as of July 1 st. This includes mailings, General Orders and phone calls. Be sure to provide CURRENT contact information for every Officer of your Post. RECEIVING General Orders: The Monthly General Orders should be received by the Post Commander and/or Quartermaster by either Hard Copy through the U.S. Postal Service or via from melodymnvfw@vfwmn.us. These should be received prior to the 1 st of the month. If they have not been received by the Post s designated General Order contact by the 1 st of the month, please contact Department Headquarters at , so that the situation can be addressed and the General Orders are received. We do not want ANY Post to go without the important information that is included in the monthly General Orders. Remember, you may receive them via OR the Post can receive them hard copy via the United States Postal Service (a $35 assessment is required of the Post for this service). Contact Dept. HQ to be added to the or hard copy lists. Form 990 Data Security Alert Election Report Forms & Nat l Convention Delegate Forms All-State CMDR Points Chart All-State QM Points Chart Timberwolves VFW Ticket Event Donate to the VFW VFW Charitable Assoc. Outdoor Fund Nat l Convention & Housing Materials Officer s Training Schedule 2015 Officer s Training Registration State Convention Schedule Convention Ad Flyer Convention Housing & Banquet Forms Community Service Recordbook Contest Community Service Recordbook Form Poppy Order Form Traveling Safety Report Veterans Data Record VFW Riders Flyer Youth Activity Report Form & Chairs VFW Cribbage Tournament VFW Youth Bowling Tournament VFW Bowling Tournament Flyer VFW Bowling Tournament Form VFW Cornhole Tournament VFW Horseshoee Tournament General Orders 3 March 2015

4 GO TO Department Website at Your Service We are always looking to list items of interest to our Members. If your Post has an event going on that you would like to share with our Membership, please All the details (including a link to your webpage or a copy of the flyer if you do not have a webpage) to our Webpage Manager at melodymnvfw@vfwmn.us Your event information will be posted on the Oversea r Online Articles as well as our Post Events & Help Wanted Page so let us know what you re up to! FIRST DISTRICT District Facebook: SECOND DISTRICT District Website: Post 800: CMDR- Ralph Grundmeyer, th Ave, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085, Sr Vice- Larry Krenz, th Ave SE, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085, Adjutant- Leonard Seidl, st Ave N, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085, FOURTH DISTRICT District Website: SIXTH DISTRICT District Facebook: Post 1112: CMDR- Paul Younie, st St SE #202, Little Falls, 56345, Post 8502: CHANGED Mtg Date 2 nd Wednesday, 7:00 pm ROSTER CORRECTIONS SEVENTH DISTRICT District Facebook: Post 217: Sr. Vice- Joseph Theis, 5200 Oak Grove Parkway, Minneapolis 55443, Jr. Vice- James Dwyer, th Ln N, Brooklyn Center 55430, Post 494: Quartermaster- James Richter, 5046 Emerson Ave W., Minneapolis, MN 55430, Post 4210: Quartermaster- Robert Stirling III, Park Trail, Center City 55012, Service Officer- Marvin Aho, th Ave NE, Forest Lake 55025, EIGHTH DISTRICT District Website: Post CHANGED Mtg Date to 2 nd Tuesday, 6:30 pm NINTH DISTRICT Post 1902: Adjutant/Quartermaster- Robert Young, 333 Houston Ave, Crookston, 56716, General Orders 4 March 2015

5 Hospital & Blood Hastings Veterans Home Donations Needed Please consider helping out where you can 25 Year Old Greenhouse needs repairs or replacing Clothing Donations needed for the Clothing Room For more ways to Contribute, Visit Or Contact Dan Jordan, Hastings Volunteer Services Coord. at or Jim Murtaugh, VFW Hastings VA Liaison at Remember Poppy Card and Poppy Distribution Dates: Display Cards* April 17-26, 2015 (After this date may be sold up to Poppy Day) Buddy Poppy Day May 15-16, 2015 BUDDY POPPY COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Poppy Cards have been ordered. When they arrive at Department, they will be shipped to Posts in the order your request was received. ~Submitted by James E. Rowe, Buddy Poppy Chair It s hard to believe that the Community Service Reporting year is almost over Two months remaining in the year and April will start a new year for reporting Less than 60 days remain in this year s contest for Community Service Record Books all Community Service projects completed during the period April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 should Be included when making your Post/Auxiliary Record Book. Record Books must be received by April 20, General Orders 5 March 2015

6 NATIONAL MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERSHIP Timberwolves Basketball & National Military Service Looking to See Kevin Garnett in Action? Please see the Timberwolves flyer in THIS General Orders VFW Night at the Timberwolves Game Monday, April 13 th at 7:00 pm Tickets are ONLY $10 $5 of each ticket purchased will be donated back to the Minnesota VFW s National Military Service Program! Don t miss this GREAT opportunity to attend a Minnesota Timberwolves game & contribute to NMSpurchase your tickets early for best seating. Membership, Membership, Membership as of January , the Department is at % Commanders there is still time to make 100%. Not do we need more new members, but we also need to retain current members. When you sign up a new member, especially and Iraqi or Afghanistan veteran, take them, as they say under your wing and really show them what the VFW is really about. Get them involved and active within your Post, let them know what your Post does in the community, and I m certain you will retain them. I can t stress this enough, a strong membership is a must for the VFW in order for us to be heard loud and clear in the U.S. Senate and Congress. Reminder to all Post Commanders, if you wish to make ALL-STATE you must also write your representatives a letter involving legislative issues. We have 15 Posts that have conducted a Recruiters Event, filled out and sent the form to Dept. for credit. On this note the Department will be involved with the Twin Cities Auto Show March This event is coming to us with no cost to Department. There is a schedule for members to participate in the event. You can contact your District Commander or the Department office at Remember to Retain, Recruit, and Reinstate!!! ~Submitted by Duane Hermanson, Dept. Sr. Vice & Membership Chair General Orders 6 March 2015

7 VFW Action Corps February 6, Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Bill Clears Congress: On Monday, the Senate passed H.R. 203, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act, a bill that the VFW strongly supported, by a vote of Having already cleared the House, the bill now heads to the President for his signature. This critical legislation begins to address the crisis of veterans suicide by allowing VA to hire more psychiatrists, collaborate with local non-profit mental health organizations, and expand its successful peer support networks. Still, the VFW feels that more needs to be done. Dropped provisions from the final bill would have improved mental health partnerships between VA and the Reserve Components, and required DOD to review less-than-honorable discharges that may have been associated with undiagnosed PTSD. The VFW will continue to work with Congress on these critically important issues. To read the VFW press release on the SAV Act, click here: Articles/SAV-Act-Clears-Senate/. POW / MIA 7. Three MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced the identification of remains belonging to one airman and two soldiers who had been missing and unaccounted for since World War II and Korea. Returned are: U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. James F. Gatlin, 25, of Jacksonville, Fla. On Dec. 23, 1944, Gatlin was copiloting a B-26C Marauder that was shot down while on a bombing mission near Ahrweiler, Germany. Gatlin and four other crew members were reported killed in action. He was assigned to the 575th Bombardment Squadron, 391st Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force, and was buried with full military honors Jan. 30 in Bushnell, Fla. Army Sgt. Gilberto L. Sanchez, 19, of New Braunfels, Texas. Sanchez was assigned to Medical Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team. His unit was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. On Dec. 1, 1950, remnants of the 31st RCT, known historically as Task Force Faith, began a fighting withdrawal to more defensible positions south of the reservoir. Sanchez was reported as missing in action on Dec. 2. He was buried Jan. 23 with full military honors in San Antonio. Army Cpl. C.G. Bolden, 24, of Van Buren, Ark. Bolden was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on Jan. 5, 1951, and reportedly died in a North Korean POW Camp on April 30, He was buried Jan. 27 with full military honors in Clinton, Ark. ~Submitted by Dr. Jim Tuorila, POW / MIA Chair General Orders 7 March 2015

8 SCOUTING Scouting Entry Deadline is April 1st. Please review the applications before sending them to be sure they have all the needed information. Partner with local Scout groups or Eagle Scouts- they are always looking for Community Service project and activities. Scouting is gearing up for summer camps. This is a great time to help sponsor a local scout for the great outdoor adventures available at scout camps. IS YOUR POST UP TO HOSTING ONE OF THESE GREAT ACTIVITIES? Archery TBD, Farmington Post #7662 (Farmington Post #7662 will Host 2016) Bean bag...may 2, 2015, Alexandria Post #936 (Alexandria Post #936 will Host 2016) Bowling TBD, Mankato Post #950 will host 2015 (Mankato Post #950 will host 2016) **Same Time as 2 nd Annual Youth Scholarship Bowling Tournament Cribbage...March 21, 2015, (11 am) Owatonna Post #3723 Fishing...Open for 2015 and Beyond Golf...Aug. 7-9, 2015, Owatonna Post #3723 (Owatonna Post #3723 will host 2016) VETERANS ACTIVITIES Horseshoes..June 6 th, 2015, Fergus Falls Post #612 (Fergus Falls Post #612 will host 2016) Military Rifle Match...Open for 2015 and Beyond Pistol comp... Open for 2015 and Beyond Trap shooting..open 2015 and beyond NOTE: Contact the Veteran Activities Chairman in your District if you are interested in bidding any of the above events or would like more information on any of the events. ~Submitted by John Anderson, Veterans Activities Chair WB0PIN@COMCAST.NET General Orders 8 March 2015

9 VOICE OF DEMOCRACY/ PATRIOT S PEN Patriot s Pen Winner Takes 31 st Place at National Congratulations to. Isaac Maruyama, an 7th grade student sponsored by VFW Post 1782 and Ladies Auxiliary of White Bear Lake Essay Themes are Announced: Voice of Democracy: My Vision for America Patriot s Pen: What Freedom Means to Me YOUTH ACTIVITIES ~Submitted by Bob Harris, Voice of Democracy Chair It is the time of the year when the districts are completing their hockey play and getting ready for their respective district tournament play with the winner going onto Moorhead for the State Tournament on March 27th to the 29 th. I am looking forward to see all the great teams that will represent the state at this great venue. All the district Youth chairmen should be getting Baseball meetings set up for their districts soon, so please give them your cooperation. Baseball State will be in New Ulm this year on August 6 to the 9 th. Reminder, you only need to send one copy of your roster to the District Youth Chairman, as they will make copies and send to they need to. Make sure you continue to check the department web site as it is being updated soon with the NEW roster form. This will be my last year as the Department Youth chairman, but I am going to stay on as the State Baseball chairman and my intentions are to assist the new Youth Chairman as best I can. I want to thank the Youth chairmen of the Districts for their support for the last 11 years, and to Rod for his friendship and support. 2 nd Annual YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP SINGLES BOWLING TOURNAMENT: March 21-22, and April 11-12, (Same Time as Veterans Activity Bowling Tournament) Mankato Post & Auxiliary #950 BASEBALL: 2015 New Ulm Post #1648 HOCKEY: March 27-29, 2015 DILWORTH Post #1223 *********************************************************************** Contact the Veteran Activities Chairman in your District if you are interested in bidding any of the above events or would like more information on any of the events. ~Submitted by Rick Bugbee, Youth Activities Chair General Orders 9 March 2015

10 DATA Security Alert & Form 990/ 990-N Received from VFW National Headquarters 2/24/15 It was just brought to our attention that there was an unauthorized access into the Form 990 Online and e- Postcard systems. The systems are operated through the Urban Institute. The Urban Institute partnered with the IRS on these systems. Please see below for details and instructions. SECURITY ALERT: Unauthorized parties have gained access to Form 990 Online. If you are a user of this site, we encourage you to change your password immediately. Please go to for details and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. February 24, 2015 To Users of 990 and epostcard (990-N): The Urban Institute s National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) recently discovered that an unauthorized party or parties have accessed the Form 990 Online and e-postcard filing systems for nonprofit organizations. This unauthorized access affected nonprofit users of IRS Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-N (e-postcard). In addition, it affected users of Form 8868 extensions and filings for charitable organizations in Hawaii, Michigan, and New York. We regret to inform you that the username, first and last name, address, IP address, phone number, and password associated with your nonprofit organization were compromised in this incident. Once we discovered the attack, we contacted the IRS and made every effort to secure the systems and user accounts. We are working with law enforcement agencies as they conduct an investigation. In addition, we have retained a leading cybersecurity firm to help us analyze the situation and strengthen security. Currently we believe no information from the filings themselves was compromised. These forms do not contain Social Security numbers, credit card data, or individual tax filer information, so such sensitive information was not available to the hackers. Copies of the 990 returns, including the e-postcard, are public documents that are released by the IRS. If you use the same password for your organization s Form 990 Online and e-postcard that you do for other websites or applications, we strongly encourage you to change it immediately in each of those instances, as well as on these systems. To change your password on the Form 990, Visit To change your password on the e-postcard, Visit To enhance security, all users accessing the Form 990 Online and e-postcard systems are required to change their passwords upon logging in, or were when they logged in most recently. We encourage you to be alert for unusual or suspicious s and use caution when clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown senders. We sincerely apologize for this disruption and any inconvenience this incident may cause you. We have a strong commitment to privacy and data security, and we are continuing to do everything we can to protect against future attacks. Our investigation is ongoing, and we will let you know if it reveals new information that is relevant to your account. If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ at where you can obtain further information. While you can t reply directly to this , you can us at security@form990.org or call if you have more questions. Sincerely, Elizabeth T. Boris Director, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute General Orders 10 March 2015

11 FILING YOUR POST ELECTION REPORT Please note the INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPERLY FILING POST ELECTION REPORTS on the reverse side. Additionally, please note the addendums listed below: Your Post Election Reports WILL NOT be accepted as complete until ALL positions are filled!!! You will now note, that the Offices of Judge Advocate and Surgeon are now appointed positions. Therefore, anyone of your Elected or Appointed Officers can hold one of these offices. (Example A Chaplain can be the Judge Advocate or the Commander could be the Surgeon.) o Only exception is that a Trustee cannot be the Post Adjutant.See Section 218-Officers and Chairmen, Duties, and Obligations. (11) Trustees. Trustees shall not be eligible to serve on committees or as officers whose books, records and accounts are audited by the Trustees In ALL Functional Posts, the REQUIRED Officers would be: Commander, Senior Vice Commander, Quartermaster, three Trustees and Adjutant. NO Post can function without these positions being filled! All of these Officers SHOULD be present at all Post meetings. Thusly, fulfilling the minimum required Quorum of five (5) members. Should your Post have questions on this process, you might consult Section 216 Elected and Appointed Officers; Chairmen and Committees of the VFW National By-Laws and Manual of Procedure. Your Post should also keep in mind, that an INCOMPLETE Post Election Report MAY result in the Suspension of your Post Charter. Should you have any questions or concerns, please call Jim at Department Headquarters: mnvfw@vfwmn.us THANK YOU!!!! General Orders 11 March 2015

12 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPERLY SUBMITTING POST ELECTION REPORTS The Post Election Report is to be completed by the outgoing Post Quartermaster during or immediately following the election meeting. Information you will need to properly file your report: Elected Post officers membership information to include current contact information and membership number Post meeting information to include address, day and time. The day should be shown as First Tuesday, Third Wednesday, as appropriate. If a meeting is held more than once a month, show as First and Third Monday, Every Friday, as appropriate. Time should be shown as 11:00 am, 7:30 pm, as appropriate Post mailing address, Post and website information Post Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) Current Post dues amount Commander s named appointments for Adjutant, Judge Advocate, Surgeon and Service Officer ONLINE ELECTION REPORT Online reporting is the required method of submitting the Post s Election Report. As Post Quartermaster, you will log into and access the Online Membership System (OMS) under Post Quartermaster Tools & Resources, click on Post Election Report ; you are now ready to use the newly enhanced reporting procedure. Follow the step by step process, verify your summary, make any necessary corrections and submit. This is a 5-7 minute process for the average user. Quartermasters who need assistance setting up their OMS account should view the following link to access training materials Department Quartermasters have access to OMS and have the ability to enter Post Election results for a Post. Please utilize this resource if you do not have access to OMS. In addition to the annual Election Report, this system will be utilized to make officer changes during the administrative year. MAIL-IN OR FAXED ELECTION REPORT Although a return, postage paid envelope has been included in this year s mailing, we ask that you make every attempt to use the online reporting method. Do not mail or fax your report if you have utilized the online reporting method. Your report can be submitted by mailing one copy to the Adjutant General in the enclosed envelope or fax to This will be the last year that we will provide a postage paid envelope. NOTIFICATION Changes in Post Officers will also be acknowledged by to the Post s V-mail account. Post Quartermaster s will receive a Post Record Acknowledgement via USPS. This card is used to show the reported change of the Post Commander, Post Quartermaster and/or Post Dues Amount. Only return this card to correct erroneous information. Corrections can also be made by accessing the OMS. National Headquarters will be providing Post and officer information to the Department Headquarters. Questions regarding the Post Election Report can be answered by calling ext General Orders 12 March 2015

13 POST # BUILDING NAME (IF NOT POST NAME) DISTRICT # DEPARTMENT POST MEETING LOCATION (PHYSICAL ADDRESS) POST ELECTION REPORT POST NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # DATE OF ELECTION: POST DUES AMOUNT Includes National and $ Department Per Capita POST MAILING ADDRESS STREET ADDRESS ADDRESS LINE 2 CITY STATE ZIP CODE CITY STATE ZIP CODE POST ADDRESS POST MEETING DAY/TIME POST WEBSITE POST PHONE # FEDERAL EMPLOYER INDENTIFICATION # (EIN) CHECK ALL THAT APPLY: OWN RENT NO POST HOME CANTEEN/CLUBROOM PROVIDE HALL RENTALS PROVIDE MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS COMMANDER MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE SENIOR VICE COMMANDER MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE QUARTERMASTER MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE CHAPLAIN MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE JUDGE ADVOCATE (APPOINTED) MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE SURGEON (APPOINTED) MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE 1 YEAR TRUSTEE MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE 2 YEAR TRUSTEE MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE 3 YEAR TRUSTEE MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE ADJUTANT (APPOINTED) MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE SERVICE OFFICER (APPOINTED) MEMBERSHIP # NAME STREET ADDRESS or PO BOX # PHONE # ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE General Orders 13 March 2015 VFW FORM POST ELECTION REPORT REV

14 ALL-STATE POST COMMANDER POINT SYSTEM Up to Twenty (20) Department of Minnesota All-State Post Commanders will be selected. Each will receive a special lapel pin, All-State Post Commander's WHITE hat and a $25 check toward State Convention expenses. (The check is issued only if in attendance at the joint awards session of the State Convention.) Judging of the All-State Team of Post Commanders will be based on points earned in the following categories: Membership, Community Activities and Recordbook, Poppies, Voice of Democracy, Meeting Attendance, Past Performance, Legislative, Loyalty Day and Hospital Program. In order to be the ALL-State Captain you must attend the banquet at the State Convention, if the Captain is not present it will go to the next person in line that attended the banquet. MEMBERSHIP Points for reaching 100% Membership based on (go to MEMSTATS' "Prior Year" total are as follows: Bonus Post Size Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Pct for 100%+ ("Prior Year" members) Category I (25-75) Category II ( Category III ( ) Category IV ( ) Category V ( ) Category VI (Over 1000) Retention Points for reaching 100% Retention based on (go to MEMSTATS "Prior Year" totals are as follows: Bonus Post Size Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Pct for 100%+ ("Prior Year" members) Category I (25-75) Category II ( Category III ( ) Category IV ( ) Category V ( ) Category VI (Over 1000) How to determine points from charts above 2014 "Prior Annual" totals can be found on VFW National Web Page ( "Memstats" A Post with 320 " Prior Annual " members for 2014, that reaches 100% (In Membership and/or Retention) by January 31, 2015, will earn 6 points. A Post with 120 Prior Annual " members that reaches 100% In Membership and/or Retention) by November 30, 2014, will earn 8 points. NOTE: Posts with less than 25 Prior Annual members who exceed their 2013 membership total by 200% will receive the points listed for Category I. BONUS PERCENTAGE POINTS (MUST MAKE 100%+) Bonus Percentage Points may be earned by exceeding the prior years membership as follows: Three (3) points will be earned for exceeding "Prior Year" plus the Bonus Percentage from the chart. Example 1-A Post with 62 "Prior Year" members that reaches 127% will earn 9 Bonus Percentage Points (3 points for each 9% over 100%). Example 2-A Post with 530 "Prior Year" members that reaches % will earn 6 Bonus Percentage Points (3 points for each 1.25% over 100%). Example 3-A... Post with 160 "Prior Year" members, that reaches 107% will earn 6 Bonus Percentage points. (3 points for the first 4% over 100% and 3 points for the next 3% because it is greater than one-half of the minimum required percentage of 4%.) PAST PERFORMANCE POINTS - Add five (5) points for exceeding 2013's "Prior Year" membership if 2013 membership exceeded 2012's membership (three years of consecutive membership growth). Add one (1) additional point for each 5 years of consecutive membership growth. For example, a Post with 15 years of consecutive membership growth will earn 3 points. General Orders 14 March

15 OFFICERS TRAINING INSITUTE (OTI) All Commanders will receive five (5) additional points if they attend OTI or attend a Department Sponsored OTI at a District Meeting. You will receive and additional five (5) points if your Post Quartermaster does the same and an additional one (1) point if any other Post Members that attends. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND RECORDBOOKS STATE REPORTING - One (1) point may be earned each month (from April to March) in which a creditable Community Activities Report is received ON TIME, from the Post or Auxiliary. A bonus of three (3) points may be earned if a Post or Auxiliary completes all twelve (12) reports. A Post may earn three (3) points for being credited from Department V.F.W. Headquarters in Americanism, three (3) points for being credited in Safety, and three (3) points for being credited in Youth Activities. VOICE OF DEMOCRACY/PATRIOT S PEN A Post may earn three (3) points by submitting one (1) Voice of Democracy tape and completed entry materials into the District Voice of Democracy competition. A Post may also earn three (3) points by submitting one (1) Patriot s Pen Essay and completed entry materials into the District Patriot s Pen competition. TEACHER OF THE YEAR A Post may earn three (3) points by submitting one (1) complete Teacher of the Year entry into the District Teacher of the Year competition. POPPY PROGRAM Eight (8) points may be earned by ordering poppies in 2015 at least equal to the average purchase over the last 3 years. Two (2) points may be earned for purchasing poppies in excess of last year's purchase. (250 Poppies over) One (1) point may also be earned for entering the District Poppy Display Contest. Ten (10) additional points may be earned for ordering at least ten (10) Buddy Poppies per Post member. LEGISLATIVE Five (5) points may be earned by sending introductory letters to your U.S. Representative, three (3) U.S. Senators, State Representative and State Senator. Send copies of each letter to the Department Headquarters. POST SERVICES Three (3) points may be earned by appointing a Post Service Officer and reporting it on your Election Report HOSPITAL PROGRAM One (1) point will be awarded for submitting five (5) Hospital reports on the Community Service Report form. MEETING ATTENDANCE Three (3) points may be earned for attending the State Fall Conference. Three (3) points may be earned for attending the State Midwinter Conference. Five (5) points may be earned for attending ALL your District Meetings. Post Commanders or Representive MUST attend all scheduled District meetings to be eligible for All-State Honors. (THIS MUST BE DOCUMENTED BY THE SIGN-IN SHEETS PROVIDED AT ABOVE MENTIONED CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS!) NO EXCEPTIONS Absolute requirement to be considered for the All-State Team of Post Commanders. Post Commanders or Representive MUST attend all scheduled District meetings to be eligible for All-State Honors. You will need 100% based on "Prior Year's Membership by April, 2015, Five (5) Hospital Reports, and copy of Proof of Eligibility". A letter will be sent to Post Commanders obtaining 100% based on "Prior Year's membership. *****EACH POST MUST RECRUIT FIVE (5) New/Reinstate members to qualify**** **All Post Attaining 100% will be considered for ALL STATE Honors** General Orders 15 March

16 ALL-STATE POST QUARTERMASTER POINT SYSTEM Up to Twenty (20) Quartermasters will be selected by the Department of Minnesota, V.F.W. and honored along with the All State Team of Post Commanders at the Department Convention. Each honored Quartermaster will receive his/her choice of cap or pin and a check for $25.00 toward his/her Convention expenses. This check will only be awarded if he/she is in attendance at the Joint Session of the Convention. Post Quartermasters must attend at lease two District Meetings. The following points will be tabulated in the judging of the All State Team of Post Quartermasters. You must qualify in all the following categories. POINTS FOR REACHING 100% OF "PRIOR YEAR" MEMBERSHIP IN THE MONTH AND CATEGORY ARE LISTED BELOW: Category SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR I (25-75) II (76-175) III ( ) IV ( ) V ( ) VI ( ) VII (1501 and over) NOTE: To receive the above points, you must make 100% of "Prior Year" membership by the end of the listed months. As a Post Quartermaster, you can access your "Prior Year" total on MEMSTATS ( after September 1, or contact Department Headquarters. General Orders 16 March

17 PERFORMANCE POINTS: New and Reinstates - There will be one point awarded for every New and Reinstated member AFTER Post achieves 100% of "Prior Year" Membership. These points will be awarded from September to April only. Audits - There will be ten (10) points for Post Trustees Report of Audit turned into Department Headquarters within thirty (30) days of the close of the quarter. (This will only apply to the quarters ending in September, December and March.) There will be five points (5) for Audits turned in to Department Headquarters within forty-five (45) days of the close of the quarter. Exceptions will be made to those Posts that are unable to meet deadlines because of special bookkeeping procedures... but will have to be verified by all three Post Trustees and the Post Commander in writing. Meeting Attendance - Three (3) points may be earned for attending the State Fall Conference. Three (3) points may be earned for attending the State Midwinter Conference. Five (5) points may be earned for attending ALL your District Meetings. (Post Quartermasters or Post Representative MUST attend all District meetings to be eligible for ASPQM.) (THIS MUST BE DOCUMENTED BY THE SIGN-IN SHEETS PROVIDED AT ABOVE MENTIONED CONFERENCES, MEETINGS AND PICK-UPS!!!) Additional Points - There will be additional points, maximum of TEN, for overall performance throughout the year. These points are as follows: Three (3) points for paying your Hospital/Campership within 90 days of July 1 st. One (1) point if your Hospital/Campership is paid before December 30 th. Three (3) points if your Quartermaster/officer Bond payment reached or was recorded at Department Headquarters before October 15 th. Four points will be added to your score after the judging of the All State Team of Post Commanders... if YOUR Commander is selected to that Team. Tie-Breakers - All ties will be broken by reviewing your All State Post Quartermaster Questionnaire and your consistency of reporting throughout the preceding year. In April you will receive a letter and questionnaire. This letter will only be sent to those Posts achieving 100% of "Prior Year" Membership!!! 4/14 General Orders 17 March

18 VFW-MN FUNDRAISER NIGHT WITH THE TIMBERWOLVES WOLVES VS. PELICANS Monday, April 13, 7:00pm Come watch Andrew Wiggins and the rest of the Timberwolves take on the New Orleans Pelicans! $5 from each ticket purchased will be donated back to the National Military Service Program! For additional Color Guard opportunities, please reach out to Heather Boutin at boutin@timberwolves.com or (612) $10 For more information visit timberwolves.com/flyers To purchase tickets contact Matt Terry or terry@timberwolves.com VFW-MN FUNDRAISER NIGHT INFORMATION NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP PHONE (H) (W) TICKETS # of $10 BLUE Seats = $ +$2 s/h TOTAL = $ PAYMENT Checks payable to: Minnesota Timberwolves VISA AMEX MC DISC CARD # EXPIRATION DATE SIGNATURE Please include your Post Name here: MAIL TO: Minnesota Timberwolves Attn: Matt Terry 600 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN FAX TO: SS#8 #1250 General Orders 18 March 2015 This offer is valid up to 7 days prior to the game date. Any orders placed within 7 days of the game date are subject to price increases based on market demand.

19 Donate to the VFW s Future Through Dedicated Funds, Wills and Bequests In an effort to preserve the Programs of the Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars, we have setup a 501-c-3 entity, The Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars Charitable Association (VFW Charitable Association). The VFW Charitable Association is designated to receive donations from Posts and Individuals. In time, these Dedicated Funds will offset the expense of the Department Programs with the annual interest generated from that designated fund. The following Dedicated Funds are available for donations: VOICE OF DEMOCRACY - This fund would offset the Annual Voice of Democracy Promotion and Awards Programs. AMERICANISM & PATRIOTIC - This fund would offset the expense of the Annual Americanism/Patriotic Programs. VETERANS BENEFITS - This fund would aid in the operation of the VFW Claims Service Office and the processing of Veterans Benefits/Entitlements. YOUTH ACTIVITIES - This fund would offset the Annual Youth Activity Programs. These programs would be, but not limited to, Youth Baseball, Youth Hockey, Special Olympics and Scouting. At the present time, the Veterans of Foreign Wars finds itself in a state of declining Membership and diminishing returns --- (financially). To preserve the ideals of this GREAT Organization, we need to "Look to the Future"... To a time when many of us will no longer be able to carry the "VFW Torch". We therefore, need to plan ahead. We as Veterans, family members of Veterans and concerned citizens need to preserve the work, memories and Programs of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. One way of doing this, is through "Gift Giving"... Donating to Programs that will honor Veterans in perpetuity. We are asking that each Post, VFW Member, Family Member or concerned citizen consider an in-kind donation to one of the above-mentioned Dedicated Funds. Another consideration would be to name the VFW Charitable Association in a Will or Bequest. Be assured, that ALL donations will go directly to the Dedicated Funds of your choice and that only the Annual Interest Income will be applied to the Annual Program expense. NO Administrative expenses will be derived from any of the Dedicated Funds. For more information on preserving the future of the Veterans of Foreign Wars can acquired by calling Department Headquarters at , us at mnvfw@vfwmn.us or visit our Web Page at Donations can be sent to: VFW Charitable Association Rice Street Station, P.O St. Paul, Minnesota THANK YOU!!! General Orders 19 March 2015

20 Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars Charitable Association (aka MN VFW Charitable Association) Veterans Service Building 20 W. 12th Street, Room B-5 St. Paul, MN Disabled Veteran Hunting and Fishing Events Camp Ripley, Minnesota YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! Dear Comrades, In 2014, the three Major Veterans Organizations (American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars) took over the planning and control of the Camp Ripley Disabled Hunts. This would include the Fall Disabled Deer Hunt, Spring Disabled Turkey Hunt and the Trolling for the Troops Fishing event. All three (3) events are held at Camp Ripley. Obviously, these Disabled Veteran events come at a cost. All three Veterans Organizations have setup Disabled Veteran Outdoor Funds. In an effort to help the Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars to raise the necessary funds to support their share of the three events, the MN VFW Charitable Association has setup the VFW Disabled Veteran Outdoor Fund. Enclosed, you will find a copy the MN VFW Charitable Association 501-c-3 Exemption letter from the Internal Revenue Service. We are asking Posts, Auxiliaries and Members to help build this Fund to help our Disabled Comrades enjoy the Outdoors and the Sport of Hunting/Fishing. This will be an ongoing Annual project. Currently, the VFW share of the three events exceeds $16,000 a year. Your Post can use Gambling Funds for this Program and it is requested that this Donation be placed in your Post Annual Budget. Donations can be sent to: MN VFW Charitable Association ATTN: Treasurer 20 W. 12th Street, Room B-005 St. Paul, MN Earmark: Disabled Veteran Outdoor Fund THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE VFW TO HELP OUR FELLOW VETERANS ENJOY THE GREAT MINNESOTA OUTDOORS!!! The Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars Charitable Association is a 501-c-3 Non-Profit Corporation under IRS Code Business Phone: Business FAX: mnvfw@vfwmn.us General Orders 20 March 2015

21 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPERLY SUBMITTING POST CONVENTION REGISTRATION, DELEGATES, ALTERNATES AND ATTENDEES NATIONAL BY-LAW - SECTION 222 Delegate strength shall be one for every thirty (30) members or fraction thereof in good standing. Delegates and alternates shall be elected in accordance with the Manual of Procedure. Each Post will pay, in advance, a national convention registration fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) which shall entitle the Post to a packet of convention information and materials and one identified registered delegate for the National Convention. Each additional delegate attending the National Convention will pay a ten dollar ($10) delegate fee. ONLINE Online submission is the most preferred method of submitting the National Convention-Post & Delegate registration fee(s). As Post Quartermaster, you will log into and access the Online Membership System (OMS) under Post Quartermaster Tools & Resources, click on Post & Delegate Registration link. This is a 3-6 minute process for the average user. Please have the membership number available of all delegates, alternates and attendees you are registering. Only the Post Quartermaster, utilizing this system, can register the Post s Delegates online. Members accessing the National Convention website are registered as attendees only. The Post registration fee of $25 must be remitted prior to the convention; Post delegates will not be able to register their credentials unless this fee is paid. MAIL-IN OR FAX Enclosed with this notification is an invoice in the amount of $25. Quartermasters may fill out and return this invoice using the enclosed pre-addressed, postage paid envelope. This form must be signed by the Adjutant or Quartermaster. The Post registration fee of $25 must be remitted prior to the convention; Post delegates will not be able to register their credentials unless this fee is paid. When using the enclosed form you are required to include the membership number, name and address of all delegates, alternates and attendees you are registering. DEFINITIONS Delegate- Member (in good standing) of the Post elected to represent the Post in all business activity at the National Convention. Delegates elected under Section 222 of the National By-Laws and Manual of Procedure shall not be considered instructed and may exercise full authority in the duty performed. Alternate- Member (in good standing) of the Post elected to represent the Post in all business activity at the National Convention in the event the elected delegate cannot attend. Alternates not fulfilling the role as delegate are considered attendees. Attendee- Any member in good standing may register for the National Convention. Registering for the National Convention is another way a member can show support for VFW programs. The $10 registration fee entitles the member to a convention packet which may be picked up at the convention. NOTIFICATION Post Quartermasters will receive letter confirmation that the Post is registered. Delegates, alternates and attendees will receive a confirmation letter. Included in this letter will be a request for emergency contact information. We are asking all to fill-out and bring this form with them to convention; this is voluntary, but recommended. All notification will be sent USPS, 3-5 days after processing. Any change to a delegate s status shall be reported to the Quartermaster General. General Orders 21 March 2015

22 406 West 34th Street, Kansas City, MO National Convention - Post & Delegate Registration Section 222 of the National By-Laws states "Each Post will pay, in advance, a national convention registration fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) which shall entitle the Post to a packet of convention information and materials and one identified registered delegate for the National Convention. Each additional delegate attending the National Convention will pay a ten dollar ($10) delegate fee." Each Post is encouraged to register at least one (1) delegate and one (1) alternate for every thirty (30) members or fraction thereof. Delegates and alternates shall be elected in accordance with the Manual of Procedure. Any member in good standing may register for the National Convention. Registering for the National Convention is another way a member can show support for VFW programs. The ten dollar ($10) registration fee entitles the member to a convention packet which may be picked up at the convention. Please type or print each member's information below and designate as delegate, alternate or attendee. Registration Type Post Registration Fee w/ Delegate O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee O Delegate O Alternate O Attendee CHOOSE ONLY ONE REGISTRATION TYPE PER LINE (Any change to a delegate's status shall be reported to the Quartermaster General) Membership Number Member Name Member Address Amount Packets not picked up at the convention will not be mailed unless a request is received in writing within 60 days of the close of the convention Post Registration Fee with one (1) Delegate Add $10.00 each additional Delegate/Alternate/Attendee Signature of Adjutant or Quartermaster: O CHECK/MONEY ORDER O VISA O MASTER CARD O DISCOVER O AMERICAN EXPRESS INVOICE Due Upon Receipt TOTAL ENCLOSED Post # Card Number: Mail completed form to: Expiration Date: VFW Convention Registration 406 W. 34th St. General Orders Card Holders Name: 22 Kansas City, MO March

23 VFW 116th NATIONAL CONVENTION Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania July 18-22, 2015 NATIONAL CONVENTION HOUSING OPEN TO: FROM: SUBJECT: POST ADJUTANT National Convention Office, VFW ROOM RESERVATIONS FOR NATIONAL CONVENTION Reservations for the 116th VFW National Convention open in February. All members of your Post who desire to make room reservations for the convention are directed to use one of the following procedures: 1) Telephone: am 5 pm EST, M-F Domestic and International 2) Fax: (do not mail after faxing) 3) Mail: Visit Pittsburgh Housing 120 Fifth Avenue Ste Pittsburgh, PA housing@visitspittsburgh.com 4) Internet: Visit the VFW website at to access an online registration form. In order to take advantage of the special convention rates, be sure to book your reservation by Friday, June 12, All reservations require a valid credit card or check deposit for guarantee at time of confirming reservations. Reservations received without a valid guarantee will be returned and will not be processed. If you choose to guarantee with a check deposit, please include it with your housing request form and mail to the address provided above. Credit card is the preferred method for guarantee. All check deposits must be in the amount of $ and made payable to: VisitPittsburgh or to your assigned hotel. This housing procedure gives our membership the most efficient and effective method of making and ensuring room reservations in Pittsburgh. The enclosed housing form may be duplicated, as needed. General Orders 23 March 2015

24 116 th VFW National Convention 2015 July 18-22, 2015 Pittsburgh, PA Official Hotel Reservation Form INSTRUCTIONS Reservations can be made in one of the following ways: INTERNET: Visit the VFW web site at TELEPHONE: (412) Domestic and Int l 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, M-F FAX: MAIL: VisitPittsburgh Housing 120 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2800 Pittsburgh, PA housing@visitpittsburgh.com. DEADLINE Reservations must be made by phone, fax, mail or internet by Friday, June 12, Reservations received after this date will be subject to space and rate availability. CONFIRMATIONS VisitPittsburgh Housing will send an confirmation of your reservation. Please review all information for accuracy. If you do not receive a confirmation or have questions, contact VisitPittsburgh Housing by or phone.your hotel will also send an official confirmation by July 4, TAX RATE and REQUESTS All rates are per room and are subject to a combined hotel occupancy and sales tax of 14%. While special requests cannot be guaranteed; hotels will do their best to honor requests. Hotels will assign specific rooms upon check-in, based on availability. ROOM DEPOSIT REQUIRED: Reservations will not be accepted without a deposit. Room Deposits will be accepted in the form of a valid credit card (preferred) with signature authorizing the credit card guarantee to be charged for the deposit. If the charge to the credit card is denied, we reserve the right to release your reservation. Room Deposits will be accepted by check made payable to VisitPittsburgh in the amount of $ unitil until June 12, CANCELLATION POLICY Cancellations after June 12, 2015 will be subject to a $25.00 service fee. One night s room and tax will be forfeited entirely if cancellation occurs within seventy-two (72) hours prior to the attendee arrival date and will be charged by your hotel. GUEST INFORMATION (PLEASE PRINT) FOR BEST AVAILABILITY, AND IMMEDIATE CONFIRMATION, MAKE YOUR RESERVATION VIA INTERNET ( OR BY PHONE AT ( ) Arrival Date Departure Date First Name M.I. Address: Daytime Phone: Company Address Address 2 City/State/Province Zip/Postal Code, Country Fax: Last Name HOTEL SELECTION Each state/department has been assigned a hotel with an allocation of rooms. In the event the allotment has been filled, a room will be reserved at another VFW hotel based on your preference of rates or proximity and availability. If hotel assignment is sold out, which is more important? (check one) Room Rate Location State you reside in: Room Type Requested: One Bed Two Beds (Submit one room request per form. Should additional forms be needed, please make copies.) List all room occupants: Check here if you have special needs and specify below. Special requests: NOTE: All hotels are non-smoking properties. All have designated outdoor smoking areas. DEPOSIT INFORMATION All reservations requests must be accompanied by a credit card guarantee or check for one night s deposit. Forms received without a valid guarantee/deposit will not be processed. Check deposits must be mailed with a completed housing form. Visa American Express Discover MasterCard Card Number Exp. Date Name on Credit Card Address,City, State, Zip Cardholder s Signature* * I hearby authorize the participating hotel to charge a deposit of $ to my credit card on or just after June 12, 2015 and authorize the participating hotel keep one nights room and tax charge if I fail to cancel my reservation 72 hours prior to my arrival date. Check deposit of $175 enclosed and made payable to VisitPittsburgh Housing. Mail check with completed housing General Orders form to: VisitPittsburgh Housing, 120 Fifth 24 Avenue Place, Suite 2800, Pittsburgh, PA Must March be received 2015 no later than June 12, 2015.

25 WYNDHAM GRAND Nevada Pennsylvania Kentucky Kansas Florida Arizona California Colorado Hawaii Idaho Montana WESTIN New Mexico North Dakota Oregon Pacific Areas Utah Washington Wyoming Delaware District of Columbia Europe Maine Maryland Massachusetts New York New Jersey New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont Alabama Mississippi OMNI WILLIAM PENN Connecticut Alaska Iowa South Carolina Arkansas Georgia Louisiana North Carolina Oklahoma Virginia West Virginia DOUBLETREE Missouri Nebraska South Dakota Wisconsin Tennessee Texas MARRIOTT CITY CENTER Illinois Indiana Michigan Ohio Minnesota General Orders 25 March 2015

26 ~31 st Annual~ OFFICER S TRAINING INSTITUTE Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West Plymouth **All OTI Classes will take place on lower level of Hotel** June 10-11, 2015 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Revised WEDNESDAY, June 10 5:00-8:00 PM Early Registration for OTI Viking Lounge 6:00 8:30 PM District Officers Leadership Training Oslo/Stockholm THURSDAY, June 11 7:00AM - 8:00 AM OTI Registration Viking Lounge 8:00 AM 4:00 PM VFW Convention Registration Viking Lounge 8:00 10:00 AM Post & District Officers Training (Leadership & Parliamentary Procedure) Oslo/Stockholm 8:00 10:00 AM Quartermaster & Men s Auxiliary Treasurer Class Elsinore/Helsinki -BREAK- 10:15-12:00 Noon Post & District Officers Training (Membership & Recruiting) Oslo/Stockholm 10:15-12:00 Noon Quartermaster & Men s Auxiliary Treasurer Class - Elsinore/Helsinki -LUNCH- 1:00-2:45 P.M. Post & District Officers Training (Post Programs & Service Officer) Oslo/Stockholm 1:00-2:45 P.M. Quartermaster Review and Test Elsinore/Helsinki -BREAK- 3:00-4:00 P.M. Post Officers Training Oslo/Stockholm Every Member is WELCOME TO ATTEND Training! Trying to decide which Class to Register for? All Post Officers and Men s Auxiliary Officers are asked to attend the Post Officers Training. All Quartermasters, Trustees and Auxiliary Treasurers are asked to attend the Quartermaster Class. Ladies Auxiliary ALOT Classes are planned for Thursday in Conference Room E with registration in the Regency Foyer. General Orders 26 March 2015

27 31st ANNUAL OFFICER S TRAINING SCHOOL TO: POST COMMANDERS, SR. VICE CMDR. AND JR. VICE CMDR. ELECTS, QUARTERMASTERS AND TRUSTEES (DISTRICT Officer s & MEN S AUXILIARY Officers Please use other forms) WHAT: OFFICER S TRAINING SCHOOL WHEN: JUNE 11, 2015 WHERE: Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West 3131 Campus Drive, Plymouth, MN Any Post Member is Welcome to Attend!! TIME: 8:00-4:30 P.M., Thursday, June 11 th Training Sessions all day. QUARTERMASTERS & TRUSTEES WILL HAVE A SEPARATE SCHOOL ALL DAY THURSDAY COST: $75.00 per person by May 20, includes all coffee breaks, lunch, registration and supplies. NEW this year Commanders & Quartermasters will also receive a CD containing OTI Powerpoints, Mauals and More. All meetings and meals will be held at Crowne Plaza Plymouth, MN. ****************************************************************************************************************** Post # District # OFFICER S TRAINING SCHOOL POST REGISTRATION Person Completing this Form Primary Phone # To receive Confirmation of your Post s Registration please provide: Address (or Mailing Address) Enclosed is $ for reservations at $75.00 each for the Officer s Training School June 11, Make checks payable to Department of Minnesota, V.F.W. MAIL FORM TO: Department of Minnesota, V.F.W.; Rice Street Station, PO Box 17146; St Paul, MN Post Members Registering: FIRST NAME LAST NAME TITLE SCHOOL ATTENDING 1 Commander School OR Quartermaster School 2 Commander School OR Quartermaster School 3 Commander School OR Quartermaster School 4 Commander School OR Quartermaster School 5 Commander School OR Quartermaster School REGISTRATION FORM AND REMITTANCE MUST BE RETURNED NO LATER THAN May 20 th, 2015 General Orders 27 March /15

28 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West Plymouth, Minnesota JUNE 10-14, 2015 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE As of 2/24/15 WEDNESDAY, June 10: 5:00 PM 8:00 PM Early Registration for OTI (Viking Lounge) and ALOT (Kiosk) 6:00 8:30 PM District Officers Leadership Training Oslo/Stockholm THURSDAY, June 11: 7:00 AM 9:00 AM OTI Registration (Viking Lounge) and ALOT (Kiosk) 9:00 AM 4:00 PM VFW Convention Registration Viking Lounge 1:00 4:00 PM Auxiliary Registration Regency Foyer OFFICERS TRAINING SCHOOL: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Post & District Officers Training Oslo/Stockholm 8:00 AM 4:00 PM Quartermaster & Men s Auxiliary Treasurer Class Elsinore/Helsinki 9:00 AM 4:00 PM Auxiliary ALOT Training Session 1 Conference E Auxiliary ALOT Breakout Sessions TBD STATE CONVENTION BUSINESS: 5:30 7:00 PM Finance Committee meeting Boardroom 1 5:30 7:00 PM Club Committee meeting Boardroom 2 7:00-8:45 PM Auxiliary Council of Administration Regency Room (See Auxiliary Agenda) 7:30 9:30 PM V.F.W. Council of Administration meeting Scandinavian Ballroom FRIDAY, JUNE 12: PASS OUT RESOLUTIONS 8 AM 4:00 PM VFW Registration Viking Lounge 7:30 AM 4:00 PM Auxiliary Registration Regency Foyer 9:00 AM 11:30 AM V.F.W. and Auxiliary Joint Awards Session Regency Ballroom VFW Program Recognition Awards (Agenda established by Department Headquarters) Naming of All-State Team of Post Commanders Naming of All-State Team of Post Quartermasters 11:45 AM Past State Commanders and Presidents Luncheon Copenhagen 1:30 4:30 PM Opening Auxiliary Convention Regency Ballroom (See Auxiliary Agenda) General Orders 28 March 2015

29 1:00 2:00 PM COMMITTEE MEETING ASSIGNMENTS 1. National Security/Foreign Affairs/POW Conference D 2. By-Laws/Ritual/Rules -Conference B 3. General Resolutions/Extension-Membership Conference C 4. Finance/Internal Affairs/Clubs Boardroom 2 5. Legislative/Veterans Service/Employment Conference E 2:30 4:30 PM Gambling Meeting Scandinavian Ballroom 7:00 8:30 PM Memorial Service Regency Room Guest Speaker TBD SATURDAY, JUNE 13: 7:30 AM 3:00 PM VFW Registration Viking Lounge 7:30 AM 3:00 PM Auxiliary Registration Regency Foyer 8:30 AM 4:00 PM Auxiliary Convention Session Regency Room (See Auxiliary Agenda) 9:00 AM 3:00 PM Open Convention Scandinavian Ballroom Roll Call of Officers Rules Committee Committee Reports Nomination of Officers 9:00 AM 11:30 AM Men s Auxiliary Convention Meeting Conference C 12:00 Noon Recess 1:15 PM - 3:15 PM Caucuses Dist 1: Conference E, Dist 2: Conference C, Dist 3: Boardroom 2, Dist 4: Boardroom 1, Dist 5: Conference F, Dist 6: Conference D, Dist 7: Scandinavian, Dist 8: Conference G, Dist 9: Conference B 5:30 6:40 PM Social Kiosk 7:00 PM Banquet Regency Room Guest Speaker TBA Master of Ceremony TBA Sunday, June 14: 7:30 AM 9:30 AM VFW Registration Viking Lounge 9:00 AM 11:30 AM Reconvene Convention Scandinavian Ballroom Roll Call of Officers Committee Reports Election of Officers 8:30 11:30 PM Auxiliary Convention Session Regency Room (See Auxiliary Agenda) 12:00 1:30 PM Joint Installation of Officers Regency Ballroom 1:00 2:00 PM Council of Administration Meeting to Follow Installation (New Members) Scandinavian Ballroom 1:45 PM Auxiliary Brief C of A Meeting Regency Room General Orders 29 March 2015

30 DEPARTMENT CONVENTION BOOK June 11-14, 2015 Plymouth ADVERTISING RATES FOR V.F.W. STATE, DISTRICT, AND POSTS FOR THE CONVENTION BOOK. PAGE SIZE RATES FULL PAGE (8 X 11 ) $ HALF PAGE * $ QUARTER PAGE * $ ***IMPORTANT NOTE*** ALL ADDS MUST BE SCANNER/CAMERA READY. IF THEY ARE NOT YOU WILL BE REQUIERED TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $10. IF YOU DO NOT, YOUR AD WILL GO IN AS WE RECEIVED IT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,PLEASE CALL DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS AT MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Department of MN, VFW AND MAIL TO: Dept of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars Rice Street Station PO Box St Paul, MN DEADLINE DATE FOR BOOKLET: May 15th, 2015 *Please See Reverse Side for Ad Layout and tips! General Orders 30 March 2015

31 Half Page Ad 8 x 5 1/8 Things you should think about while making an ad!! Does my Ad look good in a Gray Scale? -Light colors such as red and yellow do not look good in a gray scale. Are the quality of my ad pictures good? -The higher quality of picture you have the better we can make your ad look. Is my add layout correct? -A full page is just that: a full page. -For a Half page layout look to the top of this page and a Quarter page is to the right. Is my Ad formatted correctly? -We accept Word, Publisher, JPEG and Tiff. How can I guarantee the best Quality for my ad? -Send it to us electronically either in a CD or . -If you send it in hard copy, print your ad in the highest quality setting your printer can go and have it print in a gray scale NOT color. Also try not to fold your ad. -It is always advisable to send us originals not Quarter Page Ad 3 3/4 x 5 1/8 copies. General Orders Any questions please call March 2015

32 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA STATE CONVENTION HOUSING RESERVATIONS Plymouth, Minnesota June 11-14, 2015 (OTI June 11 th & Convention June 11 th 14 th ) In order to be processed, all information must be complete. Each room must have a name and type. Housing requests will be handled as received. Name (Please PRINT in Boxes) Address City State MN Zip Phone Post # District # Room Nightly Rate (Not including Tax): Single (1 Bed)- $89 Double (2 Beds)- $89 Sharing with: Arrival Date and Time Departure Date and Time Requests/Needs: Credit Card Information: (Reservation will not be made without a guarantee) Type of card: Number: Name on Card: Expiration Date: Or Check # for one (1) night made out to the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West NOTE: You may include an address for receipt confirmation from Department Headquarters or call Department 2-3 weeks after mailing your reservation. Yes-I would like to receive an from Department confirming my Reservations have been Received address: Mail Reservations To: Department of Minnesota, VFW Rice Street Station PO Box St. Paul, MN (We will not have confirmation numbers available until late May, but will be able to confirm that your reservation has been received by the Department Office and you have a room) **DEADLINE DATE: May 15, 2015** Rev. 1/26/15 OR Contact Melody With Questions: melodymnvfw@vfwmn.us General Orders 32 March 2015

33 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT CONVENTION BANQUET SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015 PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA The Annual Department Convention Banquet will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth on Saturday, June 13, This event is open to all members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary. BANQUET: Social Hour 6:00 P.M. Officers Line-up 6:45 P.M. Dinner 7:00 P.M. MENU: TICKETS: TBD $27.00 per person Seating for 250 persons. Ten to a Banquet table. ORDERS MUST BE IN WRITING WITH CHECK ENCLOSED. If we need to split your party, we will try to do it equally. Please note if you need handicapable arrangements or have specific dietary needs. Fill out form below and return to: Dept. of MN V.F.W. Rice Street Station PO Box St Paul, MN MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Dept. of MN Veterans of Foreign Wars Ticket orders will be stamped with date of receipt and filled in that order. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. Tickets will bear a table number and orders will be filled as received. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP POST AND AUXILIARY DELEGATES TOGETHER IS TO ORDER THE TICKETS AT THE SAME TIME. Tickets will not be mailed out. You may pick up tickets during Registration Hours. PLEASE ORDER EARLY!!! ******************************************************************************************************************* BANQUET RESERVATION Saturday, June 13, :00 P.M. PLEASE RESERVE TICKETS FOR THE ANNUAL DEPARTMENT CONVENTION BANQUET. Enclosed is $ made out to Dept. MN-VFW to cover the cost of $27.00 per person. TICKETS ARE BEING RESEVRED BY: ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIP: PHONE # POST/AUXILIARY # DISTRICT # **Deadline to Order: May 20, 2015** General Orders 33 March 2015

34 VFW COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES RECORD BOOK CONTEST Post will compete with other Posts of similar size. Divisions for competition are as follows: DIVISION I - Posts with less than 250 members DIVISION III - Posts with 751 or more members DIVISION II - Posts with 251 to 750 members Division will be determined by the total members reported by National Headquarters from the prior year on June 30, Community Activities record books are permanent records of one year s community service work. After the contests they may be put to practical use in promoting membership, proof of charity expenditures, and display to the community. CONTEST GUIDELINES 1. Record books should contain community service projects that are completed during the period April 1 through the following March BOOK SIZE: Should be no larger 12 by 16 inches nor more than three inches thick. Make two or more volumes if thicker than three inches. Number each volume, e.g., Volume I; Volume II, etc. 3. FASTENER and COVER: If books have metal posts, steel is preferable to brass or aluminum. If covers have decal s, place self-adhesive clear plastic over the decal s so they will not be damaged during shipping and handling. Please use superior quality page dividers and index tabbing; the extensive handling that the record books experience must be considered. 4. CLIPPINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: Show dates and captions. Include supporting information. 5. ACCOUNTING OF EXPENSES: In a brief statement show how money was spent for each category (one to two pages at the most for each category), 6. ARRANGEMENT OF BOOK: Enter each project by category. (Chronological or month by month listing makes your entry more difficult for the judges to evaluate.) 7. ENTRY FORM: Complete and fasten inside front cover of volume one. 8. MAIL OR SHIP RECORD BOOK ENTRY FOR THE DEPARTMENT CONTEST to Department Headquarters. PREPARING A RECORD BOOK Posts and Auxiliaries carry on many projects which are of public service. The best way to tell the story of your Post and Auxiliary s work in the community is through a Community Activity record book that contains evidence of the many projects and programs your Post and Auxiliary perform. From the respective sections of the Community Service Recordbook, the following programs will be judged: Americanism, Youth Activities and Safety. There will NO LONGER be separate Recordbook Contests for Americanism, Youth Activities and Safety. The contents of your record book should be so arranged and in such detail that it tells the story of each project, clearly and completely, to those who may read and judge it. Posts and Auxiliaries should combine their community activity programs into one book or one set of books. The Post and its Auxiliary are judged as a unit. Creditable community service projects will usually fit into one or more of the categories that are listed in the Community Activities guide booklet. Select and list each project in only ONE category. DO NOT duplicate. Remember, compile your book so the judges can easily read and evaluate the facts. Do not assume the judges are familiar with your Post or area. In other words, make your record book as complete as possible for it must tell the story of your community service. Attach all entries in the book securely, Make bindings strong and yet flexible so the books may be opened easily and fully. Index or summarize the activities and projects that are included in the book. The index or summary should be placed in front of the record book or at the front of each category or section. Apply titles or captions to photos, and datelines to newspaper clippings. General Orders 34 March 2015

35 The entry form provides vital information to the Department judges concerning the number of members in your Post; the number of projects you have completed; the number of people who have benefited; the amount of money and time that has been spent (both Post and Auxiliary) and the size of your community. Top winners in Department judging are those Posts and Auxiliaries who have performed, recorded, and entered evidence of their community activities. COMMUNITY ACTIVITY RECORD BOOKS ARE DUE IN DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS BY APRIL 20, 2015 WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW and WHY are very important words in telling any story. By answering these questions you will help yourself in preparing an award winning record book. Consistent winners start early in gathering data to place in the record book. They maintain a file of newspaper clippings, pictures, photo copies, etc. If you live in an area where it is difficult to obtain newspaper articles of your Post or Auxiliary s community activities, keep a camera handy. ONE PICTURE CAN REPLACE A LOT OF WORDS. Record books are judged solely on the contents of the community service projects that are reported. It is not necessary to prepare an expensive or costly book. Record books are judged by their contents and not by their cover. EVALUATING A RECORDBOOK Listed on the check sheets are the principal categories which are found in the Community Activity Guide booklet. Each category is further subdivided into additional subheadings. Each record book is evaluated thoroughly. A detailed study is made of the entries therein. Each creditable activity or project is recorded and scored. Points are given for each acceptable project that is reported. Several factors determine the point value that is awarded each project. They include (1) the extent to which the project is developed; (2) the effort, time and funds that have been expended; (3) the completeness or detail in which the project has been described and (4) the number of non-affiliated persons who have benefited by the project. When all of the projects have been evaluated and recorded on the check sheet, the points are then totaled to establish the final rating of the record book. Sometimes entries are reexamined several times to make certain they have been properly evaluated. CATEGORIES FOR RECORDING PROJECTS The Community Activities Program is divided into SIX general categories: (1) AMERICANISM & COOPERATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS; (2) SAFETY; (3) AID TO OTHERS; (4) SCHOOL AND CHURCH ASSISTANCE; (5) YOUTH AND VOICE OF DEMOCRACY; 6) HOSPITAL/BLOOD. Your Community Service Recordbook SHOULD be put together in this order. When making up a record book it is advisable to group your projects and programs into one of the above categories. If a project qualifies for more than one category, select and list it under one category. It will be given credit, regardless of whether it is listed under the proper category. For example: Lite-a-Bike could be listed under categories one (Safety) or five (Youth and Voice of Democracy). Do not duplicate your efforts by placing them in each of the categories. Remember, when compiling your community service record book you are telling a story of your work to judges who generally are not familiar with your efforts or community. The easier it is for the judges to read the facts, the easier it is for them to evaluate your work. Remember, also if you enter your record book in other competitions, the judges will be less likely to know about the VFW Community Activities Program. Just like composing a good letter, let your record book present the story so there will be no misunderstanding. There will be two Posts in our Department that will be selected as one of the National Outstanding Community Service Posts. The award includes a plaque inscribed with the name of the VFW Post and it s Ladies Auxiliary (if applicable), a $600 stipend to cover part of the Post Commander s expenses to the National Convention and publication of the Post s name in the Convention program booklet. 5/8/14 General Orders 35 March 2015

36 Community Activities Record Book Entry Form DEADLINE TO SUBMIT RECORD BOOK: APRIL 20, This form must be filled in and attached to the inside cover of the Community Activities Record Book that your Post enters in the Department Community Activities Record Book Contest. 2. Be sure to provide the name, address and zip code of the person to whom the Record Book should be returned following the judging. (We prefer to use United Parcel Service, so please provide a mailing address that is not a Post Office Box. Prompt delivery is more certain when made to a street address.) 3. This form must be signed by the Post Commander. Send your entry: By United States Postal Service By UPS Department of MN, VFW Department of MN, VFW Rice Street Station, PO Box W 12th St. St. Paul, MN St. Paul, MN Post No. City State Total Projects Total Hours Total Funds Since 4/1/14 (Volunteered) Used/Donated Total Post Total Auxiliary City Members as of 6/30/14 Members as of 6/30/14 Population COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES CHAIRMEN: Post (name of Chairman) Auxiliary (name of Chairman) JUDGES, NOTE THE FOLLOWING LEADING PROJECTS: Category 1: (Amer. & Coop) Page, Category 2: (Safety) Page, Category 3: (Aid to Others) Page, Category 4: (School/Church) Page, Category 5: (VOD & Youth) Page, Category 6: (Hospital/Blood) Page, Return Record Book to: (for United Parcel Service delivery, if possible) Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Signature -Post Commander: Post Commander's Name (print) : Address: City: State: Zip: General Orders 36 March 2015

37 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA NEW POPPY ORDER FORM As of 1/2015 Date POST/AUXILIARY LOCATION NO. DISTRICT Poppy Department Department of Minnesota, V.F.W. Rice Street Station, P.O. Box St. Paul, MN **Effective January 1, 2015 Buddy Poppies (Assembled), Buddy Poppy Parts and Poppy Coin Canister prices will increase. To receive them at the listed price below have your order form postmarked no later then January 1, 2015** Please place our order for the following: Buddy Poppies $ per 1,000. $ Buddy Poppy $ per 5,000*.. $ *Poppy Parts will only ship in quantities of 5,000 and WILL NOT be broken up Poppy cards, $1.00 each (For re-sale to merchants).... $ Poppy coin $1.15 each.. $ Poppy promotion $.30 each $ Poppy promotion $.30 each.... $ "Buddy Poppy" MEMORIAL $4.50 each.... $ Story of the "Buddy $6.50 sold only in pkg of $ TOTAL AMOUNT OF ORDER $ Ship the above to: Title Address: (Street No., Rte.No., etc. **NO PO BOX**) (Town and State) (Zip) PLEASE NOTE: Poppy orders are shipped via UPS. To avoid delay, please give a street address or route number. U.P.S. CANNOT DELIVER TO A POST OFFICE BOX. Signed **Important information to fill out on the back. IF you do not complete this information, your order will not be shipped until January 1 st ** Title FOR DEPARTMENT USE ONLY: Date received Date recorded Date shipped Partial shipment Order completed Date Paid/Invoiced Revised December 24, 2014 General Orders 37 March 2015

38 IMPORTANT None of this Material will be included with your order unless requested PLEASE INDICATE HOW MANY, IF ANY, YOU NEED OF THE ITEMS LISTED BELOW. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL. REQUEST ALL YOU NEED, BUT NO MORE THAN YOU WILL USE. POPPY DEPARTMENT Department of Minnesota, V.F.W. Please include the following with our Poppies: QUANTITY ITEM Arm bands "Help for the promotion worker". Hints on how to do a more effective job of promoting Poppies. Pledge cards. Receipt books will be furnished automatically at no additional cost with each order of 25 easel-back cards. This receipt can be used by the merchant as proof of a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION. Please Fill out the below information. **If you do not fill it out your shipment will be filled after January 1st** When do you need your orders (Circle one) A-Immediately (Ships same day UPS *NO PO BOX*) B-Within in a Month or write in a date below C- After January 1 st (Will ship first in first out) Preferred Delivery method (Circle One 1-Ship via UPS (*NO PO BOX*) 2-Pickup Directly at Department Headquarters **Poppy Cards may be shipped separately** Revised December 24, 2014 General Orders 38 March 2015

39 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA TRAVELING SAFETY TROPHY I. District Commanders and Post Commanders please pass this along to your Safety Chairperson. II. The following requirements for participation in and winning of the Department of Minnesota Traveling Safety Trophy for are as follows: A. To be eligible, your Post or Auxiliary must enter a Community Service Recordbook. 1. The first page of the Community Service Recordbook must show Post name, Post number and location of Post or Auxiliary. This form will be sent to all Posts/Auxiliaries by the State Community Service Chairman via the General Orders. 2. Your Community Service Recordbook (Category 2 - Safety) will be judged on the number of Safety Projects completed as well as the quality of the project. Document your projects with newspaper articles, pictures and other verifications. 3. The six basic Safety Programs are: Pedestrian Safety; Drug Awareness; Recreational Safety; Highway Safety; Home/Fire Safety; Recognition/Other. You do not have to complete all six (6) programs to qualify for this award. 4. Is your Recordbook presented in chronological order or in a manner easily understandable? It is to your advantage to write up each project as completely as possible. 5. How did the Community benefit from the Safety projects sponsored or offered by your Post or Auxiliary? Was this apparent in your Recordbook? B. Entries must be in the Department Office by April 20, 2015 so that the entries may be judged and the Trophy engraved by Convention time. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS! AWARDS FIRST PLACE SECOND PLACE THIRD PLACE $ TRAVELING TROPHY $ CERTIFICATE $ CERTIFICATE - OVER - General Orders 39 March 2015

40 V.F.W DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA SAFETY REPORT Post/Auxiliary # District Location Post/Auxiliary Membership Chairman's Name Reporting Period from to The following Safety Categories have been completed: 1. Highway Safety AAA Driver Improvement Program 55 Alive/Mature Driving AARP National Safety Council Youth Driver Education Classes Buddy System 2. Drug Awareness Contact and Supply your local Police Department Social Services and Schools Support Drug, Treatment - self-help Groups Assist Established Programs 3. Recreational Safety Hunter Safety, Boating Safety, Snowmobile Safety, Play Ground Safety 4. Pedestrian Safety Lite-A-Bike, Bicycle Safety, Lite-a-Bike 5. Home / Fire Safety (work with local Police & Fire Department) Home Security Classes Fire Prevention Classes Domestic Abuse Home Crime Prevention 6. Recognition (All citations are available from National Headquarters) Life Saving Award Police Citations Sheriff Citation Paramedic Citation Citizen Citation Firefighter Citation Completion of all six categories are not required. Pick one or two and do a good job. Community Service Recordbooks are required for the top 5 winners. Who, What, When, Where, How and Why - Involve the Community. If classes or Seminars are held, a list of names of the people taking classes must be included. List your local media for news releases: Newspapers Radio & TV Stations Don Nix, Chairman Safety Program Department of Minnesota, VFW DEADLINE: April 20, 2015 THIS FORM SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CATEGORY 2 - SAFETY SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICE RECORDBOOK General Orders 40 March 2015

41 VETERAN S DATA RECORD (Please Print) Full Name Today s Date Home Address (Street) (City) (State) (Zip) Date of Birth Place of Birth (City) (County) (State) Spouse s Full Name Birth Date Place Present Marriage (Date) (City) (County) (State) Location of Marriage Certificate Children s N ames Previous Marriages (Names, Dates and Places) Date of Enlistment Date of Discharge Type of Discharge Place Place Recorded at (City) (County) (State) Branch of Service Social Security # Serial # VA Claim Number Receiving Compensation $ Pension $ Veteran s Records Maintained at Personal Records located at (Home Bank_ Lock Box Number) Will Date Located at Government Life Insurance Policy # Amount $ Commercial Life Insurance Policy # Amoung $ Bank Accounts Bank Number Mortgage Bank or Loan Company Miscellaneous YOU HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO CERTAIN BETERANS BENEFITS! This form will make it easier for your family to file for benefits in case of emergency. Retain a copy of this form in a place readily accessible. General Orders 41 March 2015

42 THINGS TO DO WHEN A VETERAN DIES 1. Contact the Funeral Director of your choice to arrange for interment. If the burial is at Fort Snelling Cemetery, request a Military Funeral and Honor Guard from the National Cemetery or local Post. 2. Contact the Pastor of your Church to arrange for the services you desire. 3. Bring to the Funeral Director, a copy of the Veteran s discharge, separation notice or DD-214; VA Claim Number, if known; and Veteran s Social Security number. 4. The Funeral Director will apply for any burial entitlement from the Department of Veterans Affairs toward burial expenses and also the allowance from Social Security burial. 5. The Funeral Director will apply for the Flag to drape the casket. 6. If the Veteran is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Post Commander should be contacted for the Ritual Service; firing squad, if any; and casket bearers, if needed. 7. If the Veteran had GI Insurance, contact the County Veterans Service Officer for assistance in completing the forms. If it is commercial insurance, contact an agent of the company that insured the Veteran. 8. Spouse should contact the Social Security Office to file for benefits that may be available for self and for children. 9. The County Veterans Service Officer will assist the spouse and children in obtaining any benefits to which they may be entitled such as, survivors death benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and headstone if burial is in a private cemetery. Bring to the County Veterans Service Officer the following information when applying for benefits: A) Copy of the deceased Veterans Service Record (discharge). B) The Department of Veterans Affairs Claim Number, if there is one. C) Social Security numbers of the deceased Veteran, spouse and dependent children. D) GI Insurance policies, if any. E) Copies of marriage, birth certificates of children and if any prior marriages existed, the information regarding when, where and how dissolved. (death or divorce). F) Copy of death certificate of Veteran. If the claimant resides in the Twin City area, it may be more convenient to come to the : VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS CLAIMS OFFICE Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building Room G900 1 Federal Drive St Paul, MN Phone: Fax: General Orders 42 March 2015

43 V.F.W RIDERS The Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Minnesota Minnesota Invites ALL VFW Members, VFW Ladies Auxiliary, VFW Men s Auxiliary, TO BE PART OF: VFW RIDERS GROUP VFW Riders, Over the past couple of years, there have been numerous questions about starting a VFW Riders Group in Minnesota. As some of you know, some other states have organized Groups. Minnesota, on the other hand, chose to wait until the National VFW recognized the VFW Riders at the National level. We also waited to for some established rules and VFW Rider logo. During the 111 th National Convention in Indianapolis, all of the above was attained. Now, where to we go from here (Applications and Guidelines are available online at A. We need to create interest in the VFW Riders Group and a Database. B. We need to entities and establish guidelines. C. We need to organize a number of Rides for VFW Riders (some of these have been in place for a number of years). D. We need to raise funds for VFW Organized Charities (like National Military Services). CONTACT: (Please provide Name, Address, Phone Number and address and state that you are interested in the VFW RIDERS GROUP ) Department of Minnesota, VFW c/o Randy Eberling, State Chairman Rice Street Station PO Box Saint Paul, MN mnvfw@vfwmn.us Phone: General Orders 43 March 2015

44 YOUTH ACTIVITIES REPORT FORM PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING FORM AND SEND TO YOUR DISTRICT YOUTH ACTIVITIES CHAIRMAN (SEE LIST ON THE BACK) POST NAME NO. DISTRICT TIME # OF YOUTH # OF MEMBERS APPROXIMATE TYPE OF ACTIVITY INVOLVED INVOLVED INVOLVED COST TO POST BASEBALL HOCKEY BAND SONS OF VETS JR. BOWLING TEEN DANCES SCOUTS FOOTBALL FIREARMS SAFETY CHRISTMAS PARTIES EASTER EGG HUNT SPECIAL OLYMPICS YOUTH ESSAY GIFTED SOFTBALL OTHERS: SEND COMPLETED REPORT TO YOUR DISTRICT YOUTH ACTIVITIES CHAIRMAN by April 15 th If your Post intends to participate in the Scrapbook contest, SEND A COPY of this report with the scrapbook. You can find the necessary information in your Post Community Service records and Quartermaster books. PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM even if you haven t done anything.which I find hard to believe!!! Then, WRITE NONE ACROSS THE BLANK REPORT. 5/8/14 General Orders 44 March 2015

45 Roster - Youth Activities District Title First Middle Last Name Address 1 City State Zip Phone Number Post State Youth Activities Richard L Bugbee 2825 Lakeview Dr Fergus Falls MN State Hockey Rodney L Berg 1214 Foothill Ct Fergus Falls MN Youth Activities Steven C Kahnke 609 2nd Ave NW Waseca MN Hockey Steven C Kahnke 609 2nd Ave NW Waseca MN Youth Activities Wilbert E Burdorf 1121 N Franklin St New Ulm MN Hockey Wilbert E Burdorf 1121 N Franklin St New Ulm MN Youth Activities Ricky J Gagnon 706 Southbend Ave Marshall MN Hockey Ricky J Gagnon 706 Southbend Ave Marshall MN Youth Activities Lee W Bojarski 2021 Eva Ln South Saint Paul MN Hockey Lee W Bojarski 2021 Eva Ln South Saint Paul MN General Orders 45 March Youth Activities John Loch 1903 Red Oak Dr NE Alexandria MN Hockey John Loch 1903 Red Oak Dr NE Alexandria MN Youth Activities Eugene H Gardner Karston Cove NE Albertville MN Hockey Eugene H Gardner Karston Cove NE Albertville MN Youth Activities Gerald E Wegscheid 4524 Fillmore St NE Columbia Heights MN Hockey James R Hesselgrave th Ave NW Ramsey MN Youth Activities Jerry L Sanborn 1958 E 25th St Hibbing MN Youth Activities Richard L Bugbee 2825 Lakeview Dr Fergus Falls MN Hockey Louis S Karsnia th Ave Underwood MN Wednesday, January 07, 2015 Page 1 of 1

46 ANNUAL VFW STATE CRIBBAGE TOURNAMENT OWATONNA, MN 21 March, 2015 Starting time 11:00 AM Entry Fee $10.00 Entry Name: COME AND JOIN THE FUN AND COMRADERIE WITH YOUR VFW COMRADES. MUST BE A PAID-UP MEMBER OF THE POST OR AUXILIARY (MENS OR WOMENS). PLEASE CALL MIKE MEYER TO SIGN UP OR SEND THIS REGISTRATION TO 527 GLENDALE ST, OWATONNA, MN CELL: (507) General Orders 46 March 2015

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49 WE ASK THAT ALL HOLDERS OF RESERVATIONS SEND IN THEIR ENTRY BLANK AND ENTRY FEE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. FOR RESERVATIONS CONTACT: Dave Obie Oberlie 200 Crystal Circle, Mankato, MN Post: Cell: Home: RESERVATIONS WILL NOT BE OFFICIAL UNTIL YOU RECEIVE CONFIRMATION BY MAIL Your Hosts: VFW Post 950 and Auxiliary in Mankato, MN RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE 2015 STATE V.F.W. BOWLING TOURNAMENT 5. The ten pin provision of U.S.B.C. Rule 319A will not apply. U.S.B.C. Rule 319B will apply. 6. Handicap shall be 90% based on 200 scratch with no limit. 1. Only V.F.W. and Auxiliary members or sons or daughters of members are eligible. Please indicate on entry form as to who is the son or daughter of a member. It is not necessary that all members of a team belong to the same Post or Auxiliary. Cards will be checked and must be current. 7. It shall be each bowlers responsibility to verify the accuracy of his or her average, whether originally submitted by the bowler, his or her team captain or others. Failure to use proper average or to make a correction prior to completion of the first game of a series shall disqualify score if the submitted average is lower than the actual average, or any prize winnings shall be based on submitted average if it is higher. 2. U.S.B.C. and non-u.s.b.c. may participate in the moral support tournaments with high score protection automatically extended to U.S.B.C. members. Eligible non-u.s.b.c. members may qualify for high score protections, at their option, by paying a fee in advance for which the USBC will issue an unattached membership card. 8. Violation of tournament rules may constitute forfeiture of entry fee and prize money. 3. Individuals are allowed to bowl doubles and singles only once. Individuals may bowl more than once in the team event, providing there are at least 3 new members. Entrants first appearance in each event will count towards their all events total. (Rule 315) 9. No prize winnings need to be reported in this tournament 10. To bowl either singles or doubles, bowlers must bowl both. 11. Teams making line up changes must do so one hour prior to bowling. Score sheet corrections must be reported within 24 hours of completing shift. 12. Anyone showing up late for a shift after it has been started, up to the fifth frame, shall not be allowed to make up those frames missed. Bowlers score will start in the frame being bowled when they arrive. 4. (a) Entrants must use their highest U.S.B.C. sanctioned average from last season, based on 21 games or more. (b) Entrants not having a qualified average from last season must use their highest U.S.B.C. sanctioned average from based on 21 games or more bowled prior to February 1, (c) Entrants who do not qualify with the above requirements must bowl scratch and will receive no handicap. (d) The average adjustment requirements of U.S.B.C. Rule 319E will apply to all participants. WEEKENDS: March & 28-29, April & (Alternate Date April if needed) General Orders 49 March 2015 SHIFT SCHEDULE ALL SHIFTS WILL BE MIXED WITH DOUBLES & SINGLES & TEAM EVENTS, AT TOURNAMENTS DIRECTORS DISCRETION. SATURDAY: 11 a.m. (S/D), 1:20 p.m. (S/D, Team), 4:25 p.m. (Team) SUNDAY: 11 a.m. (S/D, Team), 1:20 p.m. (Team)

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52 VFW Contact: Jim Cox Cell # Post # th Annual VFW and Auxiliary State Cornhole Tournament Held at Alexandria Post 936 Plan to stay around for the weekend as we will also be celebrating our Post s 80 th Anniversary! Saturday May 2 nd, 2015 Warm-Ups 10 am Begins 11 am-? Entry Fee $20 Per Team 100% Payback Double Elimination 2 Player Teams WE ASK THAT ALL HOLDERS OF RESERVATIONS SEND IN THEIR ENTRY BLANK AND FEES AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. RESERVATIONS ARE NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL YOU RECEIVE CONFIRMATION THROUGH YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. YOU WILL BE SIGNED UP AS RECEIVED BY MAIL. ALL PARTIES THAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE PUT ON THE ROSTER WILL HAVE THEIR FUNDS PROMPTLY RETURNED TO THEM VIA THE MAIL. Your Hosts: VFW and Auxiliary Post 936, rd Ave., E, Alexandria, MN Please remove bottom portion and mail it with your fees. Thank You! Player s Names Contact Info General Orders 52 March 2015

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54 General Orders 54 March 2015