Department of Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars

Transcription

1 1 Department of Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars May We Remember The Fallen January 218 GENERAL ORDERS No. 7 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Happy New ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL NOTICES <> SPECIAL NOTICES Congratulation to the following Posts for achieving 1+ in membership for the Newport Memorial Post * 1% * Commander Camille Derosier State Convention Book Advertising: Consult Tele-Communications from Londonberry. NH are soliciting ads for our State Convention book throughout the State of Maine. Any business calling your Post respectively inquiring about the ad solicitation, please inform them that they are the sole company to sell ads. Special Notice from QM Williams: The Department Accountant has informed him to inform all of the Posts in the Department that the IRS have a North East Regional Office and they are doing audits of Veterans Posts within the State of Maine. Inspectors > Effective now, all inspection reports are to be forwarded to newly appointed Inspector John J. Bouchard at the following address: 12 Highland Ave, Fort Kent, me , Tel # , jbgrunt1@gmail.com. Any Deputy Inspector who conducted inspections prior to the passing away of Inspector of Mitchell and forwarded them to him, please notify the office of State Inspector John J. Bouchard. <><><><><><><><><><><><><> 1. January Council of Administration, Voice of Democracy/Patriot s Pen/Teacher of the Banquet: Will be held on January 13, 218 at the Bangor Motor Inn & Suites, 71 Hogan Rd., Bangor, ME, For reservations, call Rates are $7. + tax (King & Double). When making reservations, please make sure that you inform them that you are with the VFW and also that if you want a room on the first floor, that you must inform them of such when making reservations. All Council Members and Chairmen are requested to be in attendance and make their reports at that time. Anyone not able to attend the meeting are to forward a copy of their report to the State Adjutant at least 5 days prior to the meeting for reading at the CoA meeting. NOTE: A written report will be turned in to the Chief of Staff at the CoA meeting irregardless of whether it is ed to the State Adjutant Office. Please make sure that you notify this office that you wish to be excused for the meeting and who will be replacing you at the meeting. >Saturday Committee Meetings will be held at the Bangor Motor Convention Center: **Audit & Finance Cmtee > 8:3 am **Veterans Service Office Cmtee > 9:3 am **State Convention 218 > 1:15 am

2 2. Voice of Democracy/Patriot s Pen/Teacher of the Banquet: Will also be held at the Bangor Motor Inn & Suites. Cost of banquet is $3.. Deadline for banquet ticket purchase is 8 January 218; no tickets will be sold after that date. Please send your check and banquet ticket form to Shirley M. Dumas, 64 Washburn St., B-1, Caribou, ME and make your check payable to Department of Maine, VFW and in the memo block indicate VoD/PP/ToY Banquet Ticket. The flyer is included in these GOs. NOTE: Department will be pay for banquet tickets for each winners in each category. s and/or Posts are responsible for the purchase of banquet tickets for the winners families. 3. April Council of Administration and State Commander-President Testimonial: Information will be out shortly via to all in the Department VFW and Auxiliary as it is being worked out with the Ramada Inn in Bangor due to new management in the Planning office. 4. Members are reminded that their annual membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars is now subscription based and expires on their anniversary date. All officers are encouraged to make every effort to renew the membership of each and every continuous member prior to their expiration. Reports showing members 3, 6, and 9 days from expiration can be obtained by the Post Quartermaster through the Online Membership System (OMS). 5. Post Quartermasters: Now have the option to input a Life Installment Plan for any new Post member wanting to become a Life member! Access to OMS: The number of proxies authorized by Department Quartermasters has now been increased from five (5) to ten (1). Digital Membership Cards: Members now have the ability to download their digital version of their membership card. Depending on whether a member has an I-Phone or Android, they will be able to download and access their digital membership card from the VFW app. This will not replace the physical VFW membership card - we will still be sending out membership cards to all our annual and Life members. This is intended as another option for our members' convenience. When asked to show a VFW membership card, a member can either produce their physical card out of their wallet or display their digital card on their smart phone. V-mail: Go online to to stay in communication with other Posts as well as with National Headquarters. Check in often for important VFW updates and news from national. The VFW Membership Department will be using this avenue for communication more regularly. If you need assistance logging in or your password, contact Leticia Cortez in the Membership Department at , ext Hip Pocket Training: Login and go online to https 6. Buddy Poppy: By the time you read this, VFW and Auxiliary members will have spread out across the landscape distributing the familiar red poppy. Although we emphasize Buddy Poppies on Veterans Day and Memorial Day, it is important to realize that the distribution of Buddy Poppies should be a year-round exercise. Each time a Post participates in an activity where the public will be present, Buddy Poppies should be present as a fundraising tool and simply to recognize our fallen comrades. Where the VFW appears, Buddy Poppies should be a constant reminder that we will never forget those who have perished in the name of liberty. Just as They Gave, Will You? is a year-round thing, so should the distribution of VFW Buddy Poppies. VFW SILVER, GOLD AND DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY POPPIES. The silver, gold and diamond anniversary Buddy Poppies are only for Posts that are currently in their 25th, 5th, 75th or 1th anniversary years. The anniversary poppies are approximately three times as expensive for us to produce, but because of the small quantities we deal in, we don t pass those costs on to the Posts. The bigger issue is that we simply don t have the inventory on hand to fulfill the potential orders that could come in if we open these items up to be ordered by anyone at any time. 2

3 The Manual of Procedure provides that post relief funds may be used for programs such as Voice of Democracy, Patriot s Pen, Citizenship Education, and Community Service as long as suggestions in the chairmen guidebooks are used as an example of promoting these programs. Posts are further reminded that Section 711 of the Manual of Procedure provides that nonprofit organizations, exempt from taxes under Section 51(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, may assist with the distribution of Buddy Poppies, provided there shall be no division of proceeds. A donation to these groups may be made from the post general fund. Contact information: BuddyPoppy@vfw.org or (816) for any questions or concerns. 7. Section 22 of the National By-Laws, Vacancies and Removal of Elective Officers or Committee Members states, "Any elective Post officer removed by the Department Commander, by reason of failure to pay current dues or by vote of the Post under the provisions of this section, shall not be eligible to serve in any Post office in the same administrative year in which the officer is removed." 8. Commanders: On all levels are reminded that according to Section 15 of the National By-Laws, a member whose dues are unpaid after their anniversary date ceases to be a member in good standing and loses all rights of membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars. They shall not attend meetings or conventions and shall not participate in Post, County Council,, Department or National functions th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration Program: The Commemorative Partner Program is designed for federal, state and local communities, veterans' organizations and other non-governmental organizations to assist a grateful nation in thanking and honoring our Vietnam veterans and their families. As a Commemorative Partner, VFW Posts are encouraged to participate in the Commemoration of the Vietnam War by planning and conducting events and activities that will recognize the Vietnam veterans and their families' service, valor, and sacrifice. Events and activities should be dignified, memorable occasions that show a sensitivity and appreciation for the solemnity of war and the losses suffered by many. Commemorative Partners should communicate how their events will achieve the congressionally-mandated objectives of the program. Events or activities should meet one or more of the following objectives. 1. To thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action, for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans. 2. To highlight the service of the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War and the contributions of Federal agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations that served with, or in support of, the Armed Forces. 3. To pay tribute to the contributions made on the home front by the people of the United States during the Vietnam War. 4. To highlight the advances in technology, science, and medicine related to military research conducted during the Vietnam War. 5. To recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by the allies of the United States during the Vietnam War. For VFW Posts interested in becoming an official Commemorative Partner, they must submit an application and a signed Statement of Understanding. Applications are available at on the Commemorative Partner Program. The approval process is usually less than 3 days. Partners will be kept informed through electronic notifications. Once approved as a Partner, the Commemoration will provide organizations with a starter kit of materials for developing and implementing their programs. If you have any questions regarding the Commemorative Partner Program application process, please direct them to: whs.vnwar5th_cpp@mail.mil. For Vietnam War commemorative items, shop the VFW Store at 3

4 1. Post Commanders: Attention of Post Commanders is directed to section 218 of the Manual of Procedure, Duty of Trustees. Trustees Report of Audit must be completed in detail at the close of each quarter, one of which ends December 31, 217. Commanders are reminded that accurate and complete records shall be kept by all persons handling Post funds, including the Club Manager and Bingo Chairman. These records shall be audited by Post Trustees in the same manner as Post Quartermaster and Adjutant records. 11. Recent changes to the VFW National By-Laws, Manual of Procedure and Ritual establish that Robert s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 11 th Edition shall be the parliamentary authority on procedural matters not governed by VFW By-Laws and Manual of Procedure. This edition of Robert s Rules of Order is readily available at local book stores and online retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. 12. Meetings: All Commanders are reminded that if a meeting is cancelled due to inclement weather, they are to immediately notify the Department Representative, the State Adjutant and their respective Posts Commanders. WE do not want anyone to have an accident due to inclement weather. 13. State Commander Special Visit Request: As was announced at the June CoA meeting, any Posts wishing to have the State Commander attend Post functions (This includes any type of functions, i.e., cookouts, awards presentations, etc.) are to contact the State Adjutant Office at least 4 weeks in advance to give time for the invitation to be scheduled for the State Commander. 14. The Home Depot Foundation Community Impact Grant Closed for 217: The Home Depot (HD) Foundation Community Impact Grant is closed for the remainder of 217. The HD Foundation will begin accepting applications for 218 on February 1. Eligible VFW Posts may receive up to $5, to fix up their buildings; however, of course, there is no guarantee of funding. To help you complete the 218 application, the VFW Foundation will provide an updated step-by-step howto-apply guide prepared for your usage. Keep an eye out for updates on The Home Depot (HD) Foundation Community Impact Grant in upcoming issues of the Headquarters Bulletin. Thank You! 15. Dates to Remember: 1 Jan > New s Day 13 Jan > Voice of Democracy, Patriot s Pen & Teacher of the Banquet, Bangor, ME 13 Jan > Council of Administration, Bangor, ME 12 Feb > Lincoln s Birthday 19 Feb > President s Day Candidates for Department High Office : Department Commander > Christopher L. Armstrong > Post 9437 Department Senior Vice Commander > Christopher L. Robison > Post 4527 Department Junior Vice Commander > Michael K. Davis > Post 163 Department Quartermaster > David D. Williams > Post 1641 Department Chaplain > David O. Sivret > Post 9779 Department Judge Advocate > Herman L. Littlefield Jr. > Post 6131 Department Surgeon > Roger A. Felix > Post 9389 Department Surgeon > Roland A. Choate Jr. > Post 887 Department Surgeon > Randolph S. Michaud > Post Candidates for National Council Member, Maine : David D. Williams > Post 1641 Steven J. SanPedro > Post 6859

5 Kevin G. Woodward > Post Andre L. Dumas > Post Meetings for : Any Changes to s meetings, please notify the State Adjutant Office ASAP. D-2 > 2 Jan 1 pm > Burlington Post 165 > Adj Dumas D-4 > 2 Jan 3 pm > Bangor Post 1761 > JVC Robinson D-6 > 21 Jan 1 pm > Belfast Post 318 > Cmdr Farris D-9 > 21 Jan 12 noon _> Jay Post 3335 (Dist VoD/PP banquet) > QM Williams D-11 > 21 Jan 2 pm > York Beach Post 6977 >???? D-7 > 28 Jan 2 pm > Topsham Post 2197 > Cmdr Farris D-8 > 29 Jan 7 pm > Waterville Post 1285 > QM Williams D-1 > 17 Feb 1 pm > Fort Kent Post Caribou Post 9389 > Cmdr Farris D-3 > 18 Feb 2 pm > Calais Post 9779 > Adj Dumas D-1 > 25 Feb 1 pm > Windham Post 1643 > Cmdr Farris 19. Directory Changes: Pg 29 > PSC Francis > Chg address to: 47 Bailey Hill Rd., Poland, ME 4274 > Tel #: (H) ; (C) Pg 52 > Post 9526 > Adj Debes > chg address to: 7 Highland Hts, Winthrop, ME 4364 Pg 57 > Post > Cmdr Derosier > Chg address to: 61 Hurds Corner Rd., Palmyra, ME BY COMMAND OF: Richard A. Farris Richard A. Farris Commander Official: Andre L. Dumas Andre L. Dumas Adjutant 5

6 State Commander Richard A. Farris As we start the New, I hope that all of you had a great Christmas and that you have a great and prosperous New 218 and that all of your wishes come true to form for you and your families. On behalf of me and Nellie, we want to wish you all Happy New. A great congratulation to Newport Post Commander Camille Derosier and its members for having attained 1% in membership; a great job you all. Let us all keep on moving forward and have more Posts become 1% as we have 22 Posts who are at 1 & Under in membership. Please knock on doors, make phone calls and ask these members to pay their dues. Commanders, your help is greatly appreciated in getting Posts to work their membership programs. Chairman SanPedro is doing an outstanding job and let us all support him to make the Department of Maine again a 1% Department. By now, judging has been completed for the Voice of Democracy, Patriot s Pen and Teacher of the and very soon, on 13 January, we will be honoring all of our winners when we all attend the State Banquet at the Bangor Motor Inn and Suites. This year, our National Representative will be the VFW Inspector General William A. Bill Backes, let us make him feel welcomed by having a great representation from throughout the Department and s. As we come upon this time, I would like to remind all of the Posts that nominations of Officers for the will be conducted during the month of March and the final nomination and election of officers will be conducted during the month of April. A reminder that upon the Post election of Officers, election report must be completed via the VFW website and for those Posts who do not have access to a computer, please forward your election report to the State Adjutant and he will file your election report. Please make sure that the information on the election reports is correct as this is the information that is being used for the new directory as published. In speaking with our State Inspector John Bouchard, inspection reports are coming very slow. The deadline for completion of Posts inspection is NLT 31 January 218. As you will all recall, due to the passing away of Inspector Mitchell, I appointed John Bouchard as the Inspector. Please forward the reports to the following: John J. Bouchard, 12 Highland Ave, Fort Kent, ME I thank you for your assistance and diligence in getting them completed. In looking at the Community Activities spreadsheet in the General Orders, I have noticed that we have many Posts who have not reported. As we are all well aware, all of the Posts are doing a tremendous job within their respective communities but are not reporting it to State Chairman Robison. Remember that the communities truly appreciate all of the great work we do and foremost, please insure that you advertise it in your local papers. We must make sure that all of the great work we do is advertised to the general public. In Comradeship Richard A. Farris Richard A. Farris Commander 6 May We Remember the Fallen

7 Deceased Roll Call Department of Maine, VFW David O. Sivret, Chaplain 26 November ~ 25 December 217 May our Comrades Rest in Eternal Peace in Post Eternity? <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 1 Members -at-large 9699 * JAMES, Don C. 152 * MORRISON, Robert J. POTTER, David E * Sprague, Harold * WW II/Korea * LEIGHTON, Carroll W. PARENT, Edward J. Jr * ROWE, Arthur R * JACKSON, Lewis W * RICHARDS, Leo G * HALL, John H. KNOX, Merle B * PRIMORICH, Charles M * BAILEY, Frederick K. HATCH, Philip B. * Vietnam PAQUETTE, Donald STINNETT, George A. * WW II 1529 * GALLANT, Harold E. * WW II MORRILL, Robert A. * WW II NORRIS, Roy V * De BAUGH, Raymond E. GIROUX, Richard P. GOULET, Raynald L. 7

8 8 SENIOR VICE COMMANDER HOSPITAL/VAVS * MAINE VETERANS HOMES AUGUSTA NATIONAL VETERANS & MISSION SUPPORT (NV&MS) VETERANS CEMETERY, CENTRAL Christopher L. Armstrong Hello Comrades, I hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas season with their families! NV&MS: On the NVMS side of the house, things have been going great as far as donations coming in; there has been some confusion as to how the checks are made out. I have had to send a lot of checks back because they are not made out correctly, again they get made out to Department of Maine, VFW and in the memo line put NVMS donation then I can get them reported sooner. Please adhere to this so I can get the reports out in a timely fashion. VAVS: VAVS donations have also been coming in hot and heavy but these checks have been made out to Department of Maine< VFW, not to VAVS as they should be. We need to work on this as we have checks being mailed back and forth in the mail system when they should be coming to me and then recorded for you, please take the time to pass this info on to the people that need to know! Thank You Comrades for all the great things that you do for all Veterans! ************************* JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES (C/A) Christopher L. Robison, Chairman Greetings Comrades! Please make sure that you are reporting to the appropriate Chairman to receive credit. I cannot give credit for anything unless I get it from the correct Chairman. I have been receiving checks for the Commander s Special Project. I am no longer the Chairman for that activity any longer. Please mail CSP checks to Dana Beaulieu, his information is in the Department Directory. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me and I will help in any way I can. Thanks to everyone for their continued diligent Community Activity reporting! I hope that everyone s 218 are off to a great start! See everyone at the Patriot s Pen & Voice of Democracy Banquet in Bangor on the 13th. REPORT! REPORT! REPORT! REPORT! REPORT! ****************************** QUARTERMASTER NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER, MAINE BUDDY POPPY * CHRISTMAS CARDS & LABELS INSURANCE & BONDS David D. Williams, PSC Happy New to one and all! A new year is upon us, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and I hope you all have not broken your resolutions yet. With the New comes our Annual 99 Filings; if your Post operates on a January to December yearly calendar, then your report is due by May 15 to the IRS. Otherwise your Post is on a July to June cycle and they should have been sent in by November15th unless you got an extension. Extensions can be filed by going on line to the IRS and following the instructions and once you have done it, make sure you keep a copy for your records. Any questions, give me a call at and I will try and answer your questions. A reminder that the 2 nd Quarter of the VFW year has ended and with that being said, it s time to do your Quarterly reports. So get together with your Post Trustees and get your Post report done. Everyone can get on the Post Quartermaster for not doing a Quarterly report; however, I believe it is the Trustees responsibility to complete it. However, it is always the QM who is blamed for it when they are not done.

9 Bonds: We still have a few Posts who have not requested their bonds yet. If you re bonded with an outside company, then you are required to send proof of your bond to this office. Poppies: Same thing, if you have not ordered your poppies yet, why not get it done. Some Post wait until the last minute then they get upset when they do not get them for when they need them. Remember that you need to order 5 poppies per member. At least that is the requirement for any awards at the end of the year. Look forward to seeing as many of you that attend the January CoA meeting in Bangor along with the VOD/PP/ToY Banquet on Saturday evening. Ronald Smith does an excellent job with this program and I'm sure this year will be no different. Also safe travels to and from as the weather can get pretty bad this time of the year. NCM,M: VFW Posts and Departments are having success using the Henry VFW Tribute Edition Rifle as a raffle prize and have raised as much as $9, to support their operations and programs. Henry Repeating Arms is offering factory-direct pricing for a limited time. Click here for more information and to download an order form. The VFW Foundation s Post/Auxiliary Community Support Grant opened on September 1. To date, 215 grants have been disbursed totaling $188,419 with $211,581 yet to be awarded. To apply, please visit vfw.org/grants. For additional information contact Jason Couch at JCouch@vfw.org or (816) Contact: VFW Foundation Administrator Richard Potter, RPotter@vfw.org. I d like to see more Post take advantage of opportunities to help their Posts. ****************************** JUDGE ADVOCATE DEPARTMENT SCOUTING WAYS & MEANS ~ CREDENTIALS Michael K. Davis, Chairman Greetings Everyone: My Wife Kathie and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New. I am looking forward to the Departments upcoming Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen Banquet. It always makes me feel good to see how well our youth perform in this competition for a scholarship to help them better themselves and continue their education through college. This month I visited the South Paris Veterans Home for their residents Christmas Party. My wife and I assisted the VFW ladies Auxiliary in this event. The South Paris Veterans Home does an awesome job in this event. Santa Claus took time off from his busy schedule to pass out presents to the residents. A jolly good time was had by all. I have not received any raffle tickets or monies for Ways and Means. Let s work harder and get some money in the bank for this program. All Posts should be participating in this program. Please visit the below web sites for scouting events in your area. Scouting reports are coming in. I have received a couple of reports this month. If you submitted a scouting community activity report and have not seen your Post as being reported in the General Orders, please contact me. I may have missed your report in my s. It s now time to start working with Eagle Scouts and those Scouts that will attain Eagle Scout this year. The application process is time consuming. If Posts and the Scouts wait until the last month to try and get their submission in, they may not be able to get it submitted due to all that is required in the application. If you know of a Scout that has completed his Eagle project and will be awarded Eagle rank, contact me. I have certificates that can be presented to the Scout. Girl Scout Web Page Boy Scout Web Page Scouting reports may be mailed to me at 135 Conant Ave., Auburn ME 421 or fill out the online activity reports and I will receive them. ****************************** 9

10 1 SURGEON BLOOD BANK ~ SAFETY ~ DRUG ABUSE AMERICANISM ~ LOYALTY DAY Herman L. Littlefield Jr., Chairman I hope all of you had a great holiday this year. Americanism: On December 1 th, I watched the Wreaths Across America convoy travel down Route 1 through Northport as a representative of the Northport Fire Department, the Northport First Responders and the Northport Memorial VFW Post #6131. It was great to see all the trucks and cars headed to Washington, D.C. Safety, Drug Abuse and Blood: Keep safe when out on the roads this winter. As I write this report 3 days before Christmas, it is snowing in downtown Maine and I plan to stay inside. If you don t have to be out in the elements, don t stay inside where it is warm. When you do venture out, please take it easy and watch the ice. Staying upright in the winter is a goal to strive for. Remember to send your report in. Please donate blood. Donations are needed all the time, but even more so during this time of year. Happy New to you and your family! I can be reached by at herman.littlefield@yahoo.com, phone or cell ****************************** CHAPLAIN David O. Sivret, Father Greeting Comrades: One of the top New 's Resolutions each year is to lose weight! How many of us have that as a resolution in 218? Let me start with a little humor. A woman walked into her bathroom at home. As she did, she saw her husband weighing himself on the bathroom scales, sucking in his stomach. The woman thought to herself, ''He thinks that he will weigh less by sucking in his stomach.'' So, the woman rather sarcastically said to her husband, ''That's not going to help.'' Her husband said, ''Sure it will. It's the only way I can see the numbers.'' There is something special about a brand New. There are fresh opportunities that await us as we go into the year 218 with the help of Almighty God! We know that the past year is history and the coming year is future, so we must look forward with anticipation to the coming year with assurance that God is still in control. The world is still going, as some had predicted that it would end in 212 but we know that God has at least 17 years for this world and the universe if He comes back this year! Why? Because God is still in control! He wants to help us to have the best year of our life, for the best of our years are the rest of our years. A few years ago, my rear view mirror on my truck came off of the windshield and I had to glue it back on in order to see what was behind me. I got to looking at that small mirror and the large windshield that I was gluing it to, and I realized that the designers of that car wanted me to be able to see much more of what was out in front of me, than what was behind me. The rear view mirror is very small in comparison to the windshield that you look through as you drive forward. That tells me that where I am going is much more important than where I have been! The same is true in life. We have a brand new year with endless possibilities and we must make the best of it with the help of God. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Fr David O. Sivret + Pro Deo Et Patria NOTES: Quarterly Chaplain Reports are due NLT March 31 st. This is for and Post Chaplains.. Please get these reports in to me. The form is on our Department Website. Thank You! If there is someone sick in your Post, please let me know so that I can send a card. Please remember to give me their Name and mailing address > Plus Zip code. Comrades, my family would like to Thank all of you for your prayers and cards of condolences at the passing of my brother John. John served in the US Army during Vietnam. ****************************

11 IMMEDIATE PAST STATE COMMANDER MVH TRUSTEE ~ LEGISLATIVE ~ MEMBERHSIP Steven J. SanPedro, PSC Comrades, I hope all of you were able to enjoy the Holiday season with Family and Friends! As we kick off the New, I wish all of you a very prosperous and rewarding 218. For all my Army Comrades out there GO ARMY WE BEAT NAVY That makes two years in a row. Legislation: The NDAA act was passed and overall it is a good but Retirees took some hits. The National Headquarters and all of us at local levels fought this hard but we came up short. Retiree monthly fees, co-pays and medicine went up. This was done to help fund the Survivor Benefits portion of the bill. By no means am I saying we should not fund those benefits but they could have found a better way to do it instead of taking it away from the Retirees. They were promised something but that seems to change every year. There was a Cost of Living Allowance increase of 2% which is not great but it is better than nothing. There are increases in personnel to build our forces, increase on spending for new equipment and more importantly it basically gets rid of sequestration. Membership: The Department is currently sitting at 84.39% with 7442 Members. That is an increase of 2.2% and 193 Members. We need 1376 Members to reach 1%. We have increased our New Members by 21 and decreased our Reinstated Members by 19 from this time last year. We need to refocus on our Reinstated and Continuous Members since that is where we seem to be coming up short on. I am asking every Posts Commander to reach out to those Members that may have left us for one reason or another and ask them to become a Member again. As for our Continuous Members, we can t let them walk away. We have done the work to get them in, now we have to do the work to keep them. It may be a simple call to reach out to them. We are all recruiters and we must Retain, Recruit and Reinstate Members so our Posts and the Department can grow. We have 14 Posts that have completed a Recruiter Event and submitted the proper paperwork to me. Make sure you understand the Membership Program completely by reading it. If you have any questions on Membership please contact me at or me at sanpedro15@roadrunner.com Maine Veterans Homes: All of our Homes just had their Family Christmas parties for the residents. I hope that you were able to attend one in your area. The staff and the volunteers do a great job providing the residents and their family a great experience for all to enjoy. There continues to be many renovation projects going on in the homes and they are all on schedule. As always, all of the Homes are looking for volunteer s maybe you can join the team and help the nurses and staff live up to their motto of caring for those who served! Remember in everything we do MAY WE REMEMBER THE FALLEN ***************************** CHIEF OF STAFF WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA (WAA) ~ VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE MAINE OFFICERS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (MOLD) Kevin G. Woodward, PSC Happy New to everyone: As we enter the New as the calendar says 218 but, we are only half way through the VFW year. We still have a lot of work to do to help Commander Farris and his staff to make this a successful year. As long as we work together and not against each other at all levels, we can accomplish this task! I look forward to seeing many of you in Bangor to recognize our Voice of Democracy/Patriots Pen/Teacher of the winners in a couple of weeks and for the Council of Administration meeting. Wreaths Across America: Another year of work has come to the end with an extremely successful outcome. I want to express my most sincere and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for helping to make 217 a great success! 1,422 participating locations nationwide; several of those right here in Maine nearly 5 truckloads transporting 1,565, Veterans' Remembrance Wreaths throughout the country. A 11

12 wonderful gesture to show the love and respect to our active duty military; Veterans and their families. Thank you! Your hard work, dedication to the program and continued support of the Wreaths Across America mission is the reason for the success. It certainly could not have been done without all of you. VSO: The VSO continues to perform in the most Outstanding manner and assisting Veterans whenever asked whether it be walking in the office and/or calling them. Post Commanders are asked that if they have any Comrades who need assistance to file any claims to contact the VSO office and they will be happy to assist them. We continue to receive favorable comments from VFW members in regards to the work that the VSO office does for our Veterans, but you must remember that the final decision on any case for Veterans is the VA, not the VSO office. Both James and JoAnn are true professionals and very conscientious and courteous which makes ones visit to the office very pleasant. Congratulations to James for achieving a perfect grade of 11% on the NVS Advanced Skill Level training test from the November training held in Annapolis. MD. 12 ****************************** COMMANDERS SPECIAL PROJECT (CSP) Dana W. Beaulieu, Chairman Hello Comrades: I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New. The donations this month were good, keep up the good work. Please remember the vision of the Travis Mills Foundation : It is creating a fully accessible retreat for combat injured Veterans and their families. SO keep the donations coming and see you at the January Council of Administration meeting and Voice of Democracy, Patriot s Pen and Teacher of the banquet. Six Posts have donated this month as is identified in the monthly GOs Community activities spreadsheet. **************************** INSPECTOR/POW-MIA John J. Bouchard, Chairman Inspector: Hope everyone had a good Christmas and a Happy New. As we get into the New, we have to get together and those inspections completed in time as time is running out. Let us all work together as a team before January 31 st. Since having been appointed as your new Inspector, I have received very few inspection reports as will show on the C/A spreadsheet. Remember; please do not send them in to Past Inspector Darald M. Mitchell. Will see you all in Bangor at the VoD/PP/TY banquet and Council of administration meeting. POW/MIA: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced the identification of remains of Missing in Action (MIA) since World War II, Korea and Vietnam and is returning home with full military honors. Returning home for full military honors is: >Army Sgt Kermit J. Lejeune, Church Point, LA >Army Pfc. Albert E. Atkins, Belvidere, NJ >Navy Mess Attendant 2 nd Class Archie Callahan Jr. >Navy Storekeeper 1 st Class John W. Craig >Navy Seaman 1 st Class James C. Solomon >Army Air Forces 2 nd Lt Robert R. Keown >Army Sgt 1 st Class Milton M. Beed >Marine Corps Pvt Archie W. Newell, Aberdeen SD >Marine Corps Pfc. Lyle E. Charpilloz >Marine Corps Pvt. Emil F. Regucci >Army Pvt Shirley E. Bailey, Charleston, WV >Marine Corps Reserve 1 st Sgt David H. Quinn >Marine Corps Pfc. Donald R. Tolson, Bakersfield CA >Army Air Forces 1 st Lt Robert L. Mains, Rochester, NY >Navy Radioman 3 rd Class Howard W. Bean, Everett MA >Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. San J. Kourkos, Independence, KC >Navy Fireman 1 st Class Samuel W. Crowder, Louisville KY >Navy Reserve Aviation Radioman 2 nd Class Albert P. Rybarczyk, St. Joseph, MI >Marine Corps Reserve Pfc. Albert Strange, Mammoth Cave, KY >Navy Seaman 2 nd Class George J. Wilcox Jr., Byram, MS

13 Please make your monthly reports to me either thru the Maine VFW website and/or USPS. Many Posts have hosted their POW/MIA program, having a Table for One within their respective Posts and/or flying the POW/MIA flags at either their Post or town Memorial Park. We must never forget our POW/MIAs and especially their families. Keep reporting monthly. 13 ***************************** HISTORIAN Amy H. Meuchel Merry Christmas and a Happy New! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for the articles ed or mailed to me. Keep them coming. The Commanders Book is coming along great. I cannot wait to present it to him of everything the Posts have done. Also feel free to me any links from local papers. ****************************** HOMELESS VETERANS Charles J. McGillicuddy, Chairman Homeless Veterans Committee: Funds are coming in from the Posts for the Homeless Veterans Fund. Recently checks have come in from Post 2197, Topsham; Post 3335, Jay, and Post 7738, Bath. This is great! Charity begins at home, or, in this case, at the individual Posts. Caring for our Comrades in arms is our solemn obligation. The Point in Time Survey for Maine s Homeless is planned for the end of January 218. Those wanting to volunteer should contact Rob Liscord at rliscord@preblestreet.org or at (27) The Survey will take place on Tuesday, January 23, 218. Additional efforts may be made on the 24 th, 25 th, and 26 th. The key to an accurate count is having plenty of volunteers. The count for the shelters is done by their staff, but the unsheltered Homeless are counted by the volunteers who can locate them. They may be in the woods or under a bridge and they may be hard to find but they are out there. The count last year in Maine was 1,188 Homeless people with over 1, staying in shelters and 18 not in shelters. This included 76 Veterans, or, it should be said 76 were identified as Veterans, as some additional Homeless persons who are Veterans may not have been correctly identified. Volunteer now so that you can be properly oriented to the program and please include your efforts in your post activity report. Last year s survey showed an increase in Homeless Veterans for the entire nation for the first time in 7 years. There is also a big increase in the number of Homeless female Veterans nationally. There has been a recent flap about some of the VA funding as the VA Secretary had announced that the funding for Homeless Veterans might be shifted around. This got reported as the elimination of the program which was not the intention at all. The funding continues for now, and some regional adjustments might be made in another 6 months. The Betsy Ann Ross House of Hope is now open in Augusta. Several Homeless female Veterans have been housed and applications are being processed. This Chairman attended the Military Veteran Symposium on Suicide Prevention held on the 12 th of December in Portland. Out of 55 Veteran suicides in Maine, only 5 were connected to the VA for medical and other services. So, if you encounter a Veteran in need, check to see if they are connected to the VA and if not, help them to make that connection. People commit suicide because they feel hopeless and don t know how to get help. So, don t hesitate to ask, Do you feel like ending it all? What is the likelihood that you will die of suicide anytime soon? These can be difficult questions to ask, but give it some thought now; you might be able to save a life later on. The number for the Veterans Crisis Helpline is Maine Veterans Coordinating Committee: Senator King is supporting the Veteran Justice Program that requires the VA to hire 5 new Veteran Outreach Specialists. Maine only has one Outreach worker, Anne Archibald, who works with veterans in the Maine justice system. I am available at vfwmcgill@msn.com.

14 14 ****************************** NATIONAL HOME Charles A. Warden, Chairman Praying everyone had a very Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New and let us all remember the National Home for Children this up coming year. Want to thank Post 1761 for their donation of $1 to the National Home and would like to see other Posts donate and s also. Want to know how the Home helps? (1) Housing (2) Education (3) Daycare (4) Basic Needs (5) Recreation (6) Case Management (7) Military and Veteran Family Helpline As you all well know, all the above costs money and we as the Department of Maine VFW can help with our donations. What say Veterans are we ready to help?? Thank you and God Bless. ****************************** VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE Cornelius J. Ware, SO Happy New : As we enter 218; the VFW VSO staff would like to say Thank you for helping to make 217 a success for us. We look forward to continue our mission of providing our Veterans and their families with the best service possible. Upcoming NVS Service Officer Training: The Annual Proficiency Training Conference will take place May 6-9, 218 at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, PA. This training is mandatory for all VFWaccredited Department Service Officers. The office will be closed during this period as DSO Ware and ADSO Bolduc are required to attend. Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) Docket Update: As of December 13, 217, the BVA median docket date is May 214. This means that the average docket date of cases being worked at the BVA is May 214. Although a Veteran s BVA docket date may be earlier than the median docket date, this does not necessarily mean that the Veteran s case is next to be decided by the BVA Law Judge. Due to many circumstances such as remands and cases that are advanced on the docket, a case earlier than the median docket date may still have several months before it is decided. If you have a case under appeal and you have any questions, please contact the VFW Service office at (27) Post Service Officer Training and Outreach: Just a friendly reminder that the Next PSO and Outreach is scheduled for Friday, 12 January at the Norman N. Dow-Isaac E. Clewley Post 1761 in Bangor. If you plan to attend PSO training, please contact the Service Office at (27) NLT Monday 8 January so you can be added to the roster. ****************************** VETERANS ADVISORY TO VA MAINE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Raymond R. Lupo, PSC/Advisor Due to the fact that there was no meeting since the last report and no information from our Department Representative to the MVCC...I have no report... ****************************** VETERANS CEMETERY, SOUTH ASSISTANT LEGISLATIVE OFFICER, AUGUSTA James E.N. Bachelder, PSC/Chairman Cemetery South: We did not have a meeting this month.

15 We are making progress on the fundraising for our WWI Memorial. We received $25 from Charles McGillicuddy and $1, from the Kennebunk VFW Post The Cross and Star of David will be ordered this winter because the lead time needed to cut the stones is almost 6 months. We are also receiving funds from several municipalities for the POW/MIA memorial. We had the Wreaths Across America at the cemetery. We have several concerns with the new liaison contact to the WAA organization. There was no coordination with the parking and the cemetery road was jammed with vehicles. The Sanford Police Officer was caught in the traffic jam. There was no communication with the SMVMCA or the BMVS as the needs of the grounds when a large group of people are using the grounds. The association will be discussing the issues during our January meeting. We are still raising funds for the Walt Wheeler Memorial to be dedicated this spring. We meet on the second Thursday at 9:3 am at the Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at james.bachelder@metrocast.net or call between 9 am to 9 pm. Assistant Legislative Chairman (Augusta): On January 16 th at 8 am, the Maine Association of non-profits will have an information table in the Hall of Flags in the State House. 15 ***************************** VOICE OF DEMOCRACY * PATRIOT S PEN * TEACHER OF THE YEAR CONVENTION SITE SLECTION 218 Ronald F. Smith, PSC/Chairman Greetings Comrades: It is January 218! Where has the year gone? All entries are in and Department for judging has been completed. Reports are scarce and missing from all but two s. If you want your Posts to get credit for participation, I must have these reports NLT 27 January to give me time to compile the information and send it to National. Again, I want to mention the Teacher of the program. I received packages with nothing but a letter of nomination. No supporting documents! I cannot forward these to National as they do not meet the criteria. Also, it makes it hard for the judges to really judge those entries. I want to Thank Everyone that helped make this program so special. Without your support, we couldn t compete with the other Departments. I look forward to seeing you all at the awards banquet on the 13 th. Have a Great Happy New and enjoy your time with family and friends. Be Safe!! Help a fellow veteran or family that needs our help. It is a reward in itself. God Bless! HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all!! ***************************** WEBSITE COORDINATOR Thomas R. Lussier, PSC Happy New The Department Website is in good working order. Please remember National has a new website and is still offering Departments and Post free grants to build a new website. The Department Directory is up to date. Please insure any directory changes are sent to the Department Adjutant. Also, if you have any photos of Department events, please forward to me. The website includes a Department Photo Gallery that I would like to keep updated and I always would like to see more guestbook entrees. Comrades the Department website contains an incredible amount of information designed to make everyone s job more helpful. Many years have been devoted to creating this site, so please utilize it! If anyone has any problems, please don t hesitate to contact me. Thank You!

16 ***************************** YOUTH ACTIVITIES James A. Proctor, Chairman The King-Mitchell Post 7529, Island Falls too some handicap children fishing and stocked the pond. A job well done. Bubble Gum Tall and Small Overnight: Kick off National Dental Health month at the Discovery Museum. Learn something about the history of Dental Care, American Ingenuity and Experience Chemistry in action when you create your own batch of delicious bubble gum. Parent/Guardians, this is your chance to enjoy the Discovery Museum with your girl. Date: 3-4 Feb. Reg. By: 11 Jan. Town: Bangor. Start Time: 6: pm. End Time: 8: am. Levels: D/B/J (2 nd Daisies). Girl Fee: $ 41.. Adult Fee: $ 26.. Dance Around the World Overnight: In honor of World Thinking Day, the Children s Museum & Theatre of Maine invites you to spend the night learning about dance and movement from around the world. Watch dancers from three different cultures share their unique traditions, than get a chance to try each type of dance. Finish the evening with a dance party, playing in the museum & theatre exhibits and meeting new friends. In the morning, wake up to a complimentary breakfast. Date: 1-11 Feb. Reg. By: 24 Jan. Town: Portland. Start Time: 5:3 pm. End Time: 9: am. Levels: D/B/J (2 nd year Daisies). Girl Fee: $ 28.. Adult Fee: $ 16.. Explore Theatre Overnight, James & The Giant Peach: Get excited for an evening of theatre and make believe at the Children s Museum & Theatre of Maine. This special night will begin with a performance of James and the Giant each performed by actors from the Children s Theatre. The performance will be followed by an actor Q&A and time to play, explore and sleep in the Museum & Theatre s exhibits. In the morning, wake up to a complimentary breakfast. Date: Feb. Reg. By: 7 Feb. Town: Portland. Start Time: 5:3 pm. End Time: 9: pm. Levels: D/B/J (2 nd Daisies). Girl Fee: $ 31.. Adult Fee: $ 19.. Wonders of Water: Come celebrate the United Nations World Water Day. Learn about water-how to protect it, enjoy it and experiment with it by exploring the water cycle, water pollution and water monitoring. Through testing PH, Oxygen, Temperature and Turbidity, see how clean your water is and take part in a global movement to observe water quality around the world. Date: 1 Mar. Reg. By: 21 Feb. Town: Westbrook. Start Time: 1: pm. End Time: 3: pm. Levels: B. Girl Fee: $ 5.. Adult Fee: $.. Happy Camper Workshop: Prepare for your next camping adventure with the Children s Museum & Theatre of Maine s Workshop for the Daisies. Learn to identify constellations in the Museum & Theatre s mini planetarium, explore Maine s insects and nocturnal animals and sing a camping song-all in the warmth and comfort of the museum & Theatre. Date: 24 Mar. Reg. By: 7 Mar. Town: Portland. Start Time: 5:3 pm. End Time: 7:3 pm. Levels: D. Girl Fee: $ 14.. Adult Fee: $

17 % - Need 1373 For 1% (1+) Department Statistics Maine as of Friday, December 29, 217 Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -64 PRESQUE ISLE % -7 FORT FAIRFIELD % -55 CARIBOU % -31 FORT KENT % -8 ASHLAND % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -14 BURLINGTON % SHERMAN STATION % -21 MILLINOCKET % -7 ISLAND FALLS % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -19 CALAIS % -29 HARRINGTON % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -16 ELLSWORTH % -31 BANGOR % -13 OLD TOWN % -6 ORRINGTON % -29 HAMPDEN % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -7 DEXTER % -6 JACKMAN % -14 FAIRFIELD % MADISON- ANSON 17

18 % -3 NORRIDGEWOCK % -8 FARMINGTON % -2 NEWPORT % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -4 FRIENDSHIP % -22 BELFAST % -4 VINALHAVEN % -5 NORTHPORT % WASHINGTON % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -9 TOPSHAM % -9 WALDOBORO % -16 BATH % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -18 GARDINER % -84 AUGUSTA % -38 WATERVILLE % -31 WINSLOW % -1 WINTHROP % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % LEWISTON- AUBURN % -51 RUMFORD % -17 JAY % -1 LEWISTON % -17 SOUTH PARIS % -1 GREENE % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -6 S PORTLAND % -3 LOVELL

19 % -81 PORTLAND % -5 HARRISON % -8 YARMOUTH % -11 WINDHAM % -5 GORHAM % -2 NAPLES % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -4 SOUTH BERWICK % -8 KENNEBUNK % -19 YORK BEACH % OLD ORCHARD BEACH % 5 KITTERY % -79 SANFORD % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont % -14 RUMFORD % Post Dist Life New Reinst Cont State % QM'S HOUSE 2 7 EVERYONE'S HELP IS NEEDED TO BRING THE DEPARTMENT TO 1% THIS YEAR - WILL YOU HELP? MAY WE REMEMBER THE FALLEN RETAIN-REINSTATE-RECRUIT 19

20 "MAY WE REMEMBER THE FALLEN RICHARD FARRIS, STATE COMMANDER D I V I S I O N L E A D E R S <<>> DECEMBER 29, >> LET S WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE OUR DEPARTMENT GROW << DIV. I (1-5) TOP 3 POSTS IN DIV. DIV. IV (21-3) TOP 3 POSTS IN DIV KITTERY % OLD TOWN 94.82% WASHINGTON 1.% YORK 91.66% GREENE 97.14% WINSLOW 89.59% DIV. II (51-1) TOP 3 POSTS IN DIV. DIV. V (31-45) TOP 3 POSTS IN DIV LEWISTON 98.85% JAY 94.67% NORTHPORT 93.5% AUBURN 9.51% FORT FAIRFIELD 92.39% SOUTH PORTLAND 86.33% DIV. III (11-2) TOP 3 POSTS IN DIV. DIV. VI (451-1) TOP 3 POSTS IN DIV BURLINGTON 9.2% PORTLAND 82.19% ELLSWORTH 9.% FAIRFIELD 89.92% 3. TEN HIGHEST POSTS BY % I TEN LARGEST POSTS KITTERY % SOUTH PORTLAND WASHINGTON 1.% PORTLAND LEWISTON 98.85% AUBURN GREENE 97.14% CARIBOU NEWPORT 95.12% JAY OLD TOWN 94.82% WINSLOW JAY 94.67% WATERVILLE NAPLES 94.59% OLD TOWN NORTHPORT 93.5% AUGUSTA FORT FAIRFIELD 92.39% BANGOR 221 DISTRICT STANDINGS I MAGIC NUMBERS FOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. 6 LITTLEFIELD 9.8% WE HAVE = WE NEED DU FOUR 89.49% ALL POSTS/DISTRICTS SHOULD BE AT 1% 3. 4 SLININGER 88.49% 4. 7 STEVENS 86.66% 5 MEMBERS & EARN A BLUE BALL CAP 5. 2 EWING 86.43% 1 MEMBERS & EARN A WHITE VFW SHIRT 6. 1 MEUCHEL 85.79% ALL DEPT OFFICERS ARE ASKED TO RECRUIT 7. 3 WOODWARD 85.4% LET S ALL WORK AS A TEAM AND DEPARTMENT OF MAINE, VFW 84.42% RETAIN RECRUIT & REINSTATE 3 MEMBERS? 8. 8 CHOATE 82.59% NEED HELP or HAVE QUESTIONS 9. 5 BEAULIEU 82.34% ASK ANYONE ON THE MEMBERSHIP TEAM OK? 1. 1 BOUCHARD 81.56% BATES 77.94% STEVEN SANPEDRO - STATE MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN 2

21 Saturday, January 13, 218 Voice of Democracy Patriot s Pen AWARDS BANQUET SOCIAL HOUR: 5: pm to 6: pm BANQUET: 6: pm Bangor Motor Inn & Suites ******************************************************* Headquarters Bangor Motor Inn & Suites 71 Hogan Rd., Bangor, ME <> (Tel #: ) VFW Rate: $ 7. + tax (King & Double) Please make your own reservations with the Bangor Motor Inn & Suites Tell them that you are with the VFW * If you wish 1 st floor, you must inform the hotel when making reservations!! Banquet Tickets are $ 3. per person Department pays for All Winners Banquet Tickets ******************************************************* Banquet is Buffet Style Tossed Garden Salad with House Dressing <> Carved Baked Glazed Ham Baked Haddock Filet Topped with Stuffing <> Seasoned and Slow Roasted Top Round of Beef Garlic Mashed Potatoes <> Green Beans Almondine <> Assorted Desserts Rolls and Butter <> Coffee & Tea ******************************Cut****************************** Meals s x $ 3. = Name Name Name Name Name Name Name Name *NO ASSIGNED SEATING* ******************************************************* Deadline for Banquet Ticket is: January 8, 218 Make your check payable to Department of Maine, VFW (No tickets will be sold after the deadline Tickets will not be held without a payment) (There will be no refunds on the banquet tickets) Send to: Shirley M. Dumas 64 Washburn St., B-1, Caribou, ME Phone: * Cell: