GENERAL ORDERS #3 SEPTEMBER 2017 "General Orders are to be read at the first meeting following receipt before being filed for reference." 1. NATIONAL CONVENTION: Thank you to all who attended this great event in New Orleans. Congratulations to our Junior Past President Kathy Fystrom and her team. Jamie Cassavant brought home 3rd place in Veterans & Family Support and Paige Amundson brought back 3rd place for Americanism. 2. FALL CONFERENCE: September 22-25 will be held in St. Cloud, MN. Please plan to attend and learn during our seminars; especially, take advantage of information available at the booths that will be set up and take back to your auxiliaries. Housing and banquet forms were in the August General Orders. The housing reservation deadline is September 1 and the deadline for ordering banquet tickets is September 10. The tentative schedule is included in these orders. 3. COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION: The Friday C of A Meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. This, hopefully, will let more members attend due to their work schedule. Also, on Sunday there will be NO Chairmen reports. This is because they just presented their seminars which everyone should have attended. 4. NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE: Past National President Gwen Rankin will be our representative at Fall Conference. We look forward to seeing her and the information she will share with us. 5. HONORING TREASURERS AND SECRETARIES: This is a reminder for Secretaries and Treasurers to send in the RSVP form by September 1 if you are attending Fall Conference. The form was in the August General Orders. 6. NATIONAL PRESIDENT S VISIT: Thank you to all who participated in any way to make our National President Dee s visit a success. She enjoyed visiting with each of you and she had a wonderful time. 7. BIG 10 CONFERENCE: This will be held right here in Minnesota this year October 13-15, 2017. This will take place at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott. Deadline dates are approaching quickly so make sure you get your registration and hotel forms in. Forms were included in the August General Orders. Nanci Bohmer will be our Conference Committee Chairman. If you would like to help in any way, please contact her.
8. CELEBRATING AMERICA s FREEDOM EVENT (CAFÉ): We will be celebrating National President Dee s Celebration at Williamsburg, Virginia from October 18-22, 2017. On Thursday October 19, 2017 we will be Celebrating America s Freedom Event (Café) at Yorktown, Virginia. If you are interested in attending, please contact the Department Office for information and forms. The deadline is September 10, 2017. 9. AMERICANISM: September 15 is POW/MIA Day. Many auxiliaries are already planning events for this and if you have not as of yet, there is still time. September 24 is Gold Star Mother s Day and Family Day. Please honor your Gold Star Mothers. 10. MEMBERSHIP: It has been a little rocky with MALTA. Please pay attention to Department Treasurer Laurie s bulletin. PLEASE get your membership letters for dues out and your transmittals in. Remember that Department Treasurer Laurie and Department Secretary Marilyn both told you they will help in any way they can. 11. TREASURER AND PRESIDENT BONDS: National has extended the deadline to September 30 to purchase your bond due to MALTA. Be sure to have your bond purchased by that date. Please see Department Treasurer Laurie Dale's bulletin for more information. 12. NATIONAL APPOINTMENTS: We have great representation from our Department this year on the National level. Congratulations to Jane Ziebarth (National Chief of Staff), Laurie Dale (National District Council Member #21), Paty Thrond (National Color Bearer), Char Guse (Big Ten Chaplain) and Debbie Tweet (Big Ten Youth Activities Chairman). We are so proud of all of you!! 13. HOSPITAL: As you know, we lost our beloved Arlene Bosek in a fatal car accident. She was our Chairman at our Fergus Falls Veterans Home and she will be missed greatly by all of us, as well as our Veterans at the home. Celia Piippo has stepped up and has filled that position. Thank you, Celia, for your dedication and for doing this. September is Suicide Awareness Month. Please see Chairman Karen Haugen's bulletin for more information. 14. OFFICE CLOSED: The Department Office will be closed on Monday, September 4 in observance of Labor Day. Get well wishes to those that have been ill and to those that have lost a loved one, please keep them in your prayers and memories. "Catch The Dream For Our Veterans" while we keep "Continuing Our Legacy For ALL Veterans and Their Families" By Order of: Attested to: Gail Brekke Department President Marilyn Sheffield Department Secretary
DEPARTMENT AND DISTRICT ROSTER ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS September, 2017 Past Department President Past Department President Connie Rheaume, Auxiliary should be #9713 Districts 7 th District Scholarships Chairman: Vicky Hesselgrave, 7601 166th Avenue NW, Ramsey, MN 55303 Telephone 763-753-4467 Auxiliaries 1 st District Auxiliary Kittleson Onsgard #5769, Mabel President: Esther Schneekloth, 40621 130th Street, Mabel, MN 55954 Telephone 507-493-5705 Secretary: Sheri Marquardt, 14185 431st Avenue, Mabel, MN 55954 Telephone 507-493-5281 Treasurer: Donna Johnson, 305 N. Ash Street, Mable, MN 55954 Telephone 507-493-5182 2 nd District Auxiliary Sypal-Lundgren #7662, Farmington Secretary: Kathryn Larson, PO Box 695, Lakeville, MN 55044 Telephone 952-457-8388 6 th District Auxiliary Harold Harris #8508, Akeley Meeting changed to 2 nd Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
VFW AUXILIARY DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA 2017 FALL CONFERENCE AGENDA Kelly Inn, St. Cloud, MN TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Friday, September 22, 2017 3:00 7:00 p.m. Registration - East Side VFW Post #4847, 104 Franklin Avenue NE (banquet tickets available for pickup) 7:00 p.m. Council of Administration Meeting - Grand Ballroom Call to Order by Department President Gail Brekke Treasurer Report Laurie Dale, Treasurer Budget Review Jane Ziebarth, Chairman 17-18 CPA Financial Review Char Guse, Audit Chairman July-August 2017 Audit Report Char Guse, Chairman District President Reports Chief of Staff/Extension Laurie Dale Unfinished Business New Business Remarks: National Representative, Gwen Rankin Past National President National Chief of Staff/Extension Ambassador Jane Ziebarth National Certified Recruiter Trainer and National District 21 Council Member Laurie Dale National Color Bearer Paty Thrond Big 10 Chaplain Char Guse Big 10 Youth Activities Chairman Debbie Tweet Comments: Other Dignitaries Closing Ceremonies Saturday, September 23, 2017 6:00-6:30 a.m. Rise and Shine Workout(s) 7:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Registration Hotel Lobby (banquet tickets available for pickup) Auxiliary Program Seminars: 8:00-9:30 a.m. MALTA, MN Veterans Homes panel discussion, Chaplain 9:45-10:30 a.m. Secretary, Buddy Poppy round table discussion, ByLaws 10:45-11:45 a.m. Chief of Staff and Extension, Student Essay and Art Scholarships, Americanism and POW/MIA, Legislative, Veterans and Family Support 1:00-1:45 p.m. Citizenship and Youth, Scholarships, Buddy Poppy Program 3:00-4:30 p.m. Auxiliary Membership and Recruiting, Publicity and Publications
8:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Program Exhibits Grand Ballroom (Chairmen will staff their displays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.) 3:30-4:00 p.m. Walk It Off (afternoon walk after a day of sitting) 4:30 p.m. Church Service - University B 5:45 p.m. General Reception - Pool Atrium 6:30 p.m. Conference Banquet Grand Ballroom Sunday, September 24, 2017 8:50 a.m. Officer s Lineup 9:00 a.m. Ritualistic Opening Escort of National Representative, National and Big 10 Officers and Chairmen Recognition of Other Dignitaries Past Department Presidents' Acknowledgement 2017 National Convention Awards Past Department President Kathy Fystrom Honoring of Auxiliary/District Secretaries and Treasurers Remarks: National Representative - Gwen Rankin, Past National President Fundraising Drawings Remarks: National and Big 10 Officers and Chairmen Announcements Ritualistic Closing
104 th NATIONAL CONVENTION New Orleans I had a great trip down with Department Secretary Marilyn, Past Department President Doris and Jan. We arrived in New Orleans on Friday around 4 p.m. We started out with the Big Ten Conference Meeting. We had a great showing from MN. Thank you to all for coming. I had the honor of being introduced by Department Sr. Vice President Patches. Nanci Bohmer talked about the Big Ten Conference coming up in MN in October. Our very own Big Ten Chaplain, Char Guse took the meeting over as the President was sick and Jan Passmore had to leave the meeting to go to the other Conference meetings as she was running for National Treasurer. It was an enjoyable meeting and good to see so many members from the Big Ten Conference in attendance. After the meeting we went down to visit the booths at the Exhibit Hall. On Sunday I attended the VFW Joint Memorial Service. The Memorial Address was given by Lieutenant General Rex McMillian. He was a fantastic speaker and had so many titles I was in awe. The Gold Star Families were the Honored Guests. The VFW Auxiliary National Soloist, Willa Watts, sang the song Sleep Soldier Boy. I think everyone was crying including me. Sunday I attended the Department President s Luncheon where incoming National President Dee joined us and had a little question and answer sharing time. Leave it to me I asked a couple of questions! Sunday afternoon the Program Ambassador s for 2017-2018 gave their presentations. It was great as this was the first year segments on every program were in one location. They also introduced their Conference Chairman. Sunday evening State Commander Rick, myself along with our members, invited the different states for some MN. Hospitality. We had a good turnout for this. I am very proud to say that all of your Department Officers were at this Convention so we could welcome our guests in together. Monday morning started with the VFW Joint Opening Session and then followed by the Auxiliary Opening Business Session. This started out with the Posting of the Colors, and Posting of the POW/MIA Flag followed by the Officers March. Past National President Cortina Barnes opened the session for National President Collette. The VFW National Home President Tom Tweet introduce the 2017-2018 Poppy Child. She is Isabelle Marvin and lives in the Florida House at the National Home. After Isabelle was done speaking, her father thanked the auxiliaries for helping them live in a safe place. The next speaker was Mary Ligon from Tulsa, OK. Mary received the 2016-1017 Unwavering Support for Uncommon Heroes Award. After coming back from Iraq, her son returned to Tulsa, clearly disturbed. His PTSD, depression and exhaustion and a marriage that didn t work culminated in his death by suicide. Mary wanted to reach out and help other veterans facing the same problems. She founded the Coffee Bunker in the back room of a church in 2010. The Coffee Bunker helps with the transition to family and community life. Now, what we were all waiting for, it was time for the awards. Congratulations to Jamie C. as she received 3 rd place for Veterans &
Family Support, and Paige A. for receiving 3 rd place for Americanism. On Tuesday Past National President opened the Auxiliary Business Session. The resolutions came on the floor. All of the resolutions presented failed after much discussion with each one. Nominations were opened for 2017-2018 National Guard. The candidates were Jane Reape from New York and Bernadette Botbly from New Jersey. There was only one candidate for National Treasurer and that was Jan Passmore. After nominations we had a Humorist and Motivational Speaker, Jeanne Robertson. She had us all in stitches!! Wednesday morning we had to be at the Convention Center EARLY to practice for the flag presentation. What an honor that is!! I was escorted in by our Dept. Sr. Vice President Patches and our Dept. Jr. Vice President Francesca (Frankie). What a beautiful site to see all of the flags in one area together. Thank you to all our members for allowing me to represent our department. The Final Business Session was the Election and the Installation of Officers. The new National Guard for 2017-2018 is Jane Reape from New York and Jan Passmore was elected as National Treasurer for 2017-2018. After this, many of us attended the Joint Reception for Commander-in-Chief Keith and National President Dee. Thursday morning I attended the 2017-2018 Council Meeting. Then it was time to start back!!!!!!!!! Congratulations to all of our members serving on the National Level. Jane Ziebarth (National Chief of Staff) Laurie Dale (District Council Member #21) Paty Thrond (National Color Bearer) Char Guse (Big Ten Conference Chaplain) and Debbie Tweet (Big Ten Conference Youth Activities Conference Chairman). We are so proud of all of you. Jan Owens told us that she went from seven years as a National Officer to seven years as the National Secretary-Treasurer. She said she has slept, eaten and breathed VFW Auxiliary for the past MANY years and is looking forward to the time off. She will miss everyone. Gail Brekke Department President
Treasurer s Tips & Training September 2017 What happened to summer?!?!? Here it is almost time for Fall Conference and the days are getting shorter and cooler. It s time to get back to the business of the VFW Auxiliary and make sure we are all on track for a successful year. President Gail Brekke has been very supportive of the MALTA trainings that I have been doing and attendance at the events we have held so far has been great! Thank you for all your support.just hope National gets everything straightened out soon so we can all get on there and work the new system. Be patient, we will get there! Accountable Officers Bonds: National President Dee Guillory has extended the deadline to purchase the Bond for your Auxiliary to September 30, 2017 due to the MALTA system not being fully operational. You may wait to purchase your Bond online or use the forms that were provided in a previous General Orders mailing. Please use the Bond Rates Chart that was included in the previous mailing to figure out the cost of your Bond so that National doesn t have to shred your check and you have to start all over. Your auxiliary should be bonding in a sum at least DOUBLE the amount of funds and value of property for which, so far as can be anticipated, the President and Treasurer may be accountable. 990N e-postcard: Make sure you file by the November 15 deadline and send proof of acceptance to this office. You can find the e-postcard at https://sa.www.4.irs.gove/epostcard/ MALTA TRAINING: On Saturday September 23 at 8 a.m. in the University Room A at the Kelly Inn during the VFW and VFW Auxiliary Fall Conference in St. Cloud. A class will also be taught on September 30 in Pelican Rapids during the District 9 meeting. Come and learn about the new system at one of these events! Thanks to District One and District Eight for hosting MALTA training sessions during the month of August.
NEW MEMBERS: If you process a new Annual or new Life Member, please send a copy of the new member s application to this office to be placed in your auxiliary file for permanent record. LIFE MEMBERSHIP CARDS: One item addressed during the National Council of Administration Meeting at National Convention was the New Life Membership cards National is aware that people are not happy with the quality of these cards and that some dates on them may be incorrect; therefore ALL Life Membership Cards will be replaced again with a heavier plastic stock and they will not have dates on them. RECRUIT: If you are placing your name on the application of a new member that you have recruited in the Recruited By area in the top right corner of the application, please also include your Membership ID # right under your name as well. With the new MALTA system we can track who is recruiting using your Membership ID#. If you only have your name on the application, we will leave the recruited by area in MALTA blank. We don t have time to look up everyone s Membership ID# when we are processing applications. MEMBERSHIP ROSTER: Once we have access to MALTA again, we will be printing copies for all auxiliaries so that they have at least one good copy. These will be mailed as soon as possible to the Auxiliary Treasurer. Please make copies for other officers and others that need them. APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP/CONVERT TO LIFE: If you are not using the MALTA system to process new members, please send the applications/conversions to the Department of MN VFW Auxiliary Office in St. Paul. DO NOT SEND THESE TO NATIONAL. AUDITS: Trustees should audit ALL accounts of the auxiliary. NO FUND is off limits to the Trustees. NO ACCOUNT is personally managed by an individual, even if they are the Treasurer. The President, Secretary and Treasurer should attend the audit if they are available so they may answer any questions that could arise. Audit reports must be incorporated in the minutes, but the Secretary may read only the balances. ACTING TREASURER: With some of our snowbirds leaving soon, you may need to appoint an acting Treasurer. Upon approval by the National President, the Auxiliary President may appoint an acting Treasurer when the Treasurer is unable to function for a period of time due to illness, death, resignation or extended vacations. The request must be in writing to the National President. JUNE 30 NUMBERS: The final June 30 numbers were emailed to all District Presidents to share with District Treasurers for the purpose of notifying the individual auxiliaries for the District assessments. Laurie A. Dale, Treasurer Department of MN 651-291-1759 treasurer@vfwamn.org
NATIONAL CERTIFIED RECRUITER BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2017 If you have not attended one of the recruiter classes that have been offered in Minnesota, please plan to do so at our Fall Conference at the Kelly Inn in St. Cloud on Saturday September 23! This class is being held in conjunction with the Membership Program and I am looking forward to working with Membership Chairman Jamie Cassavant! We are currently scheduled to meet in the University Room A beginning at 3 p.m. Please note that meeting rooms are subject to change, so watch the schedule when you get to the conference. We will go over recruiting tips and strategies and what you can do to grow your auxiliary! Materials will be available for you to take so that you have everything you need to get out in this great big world and find those members that will be an asset to your auxiliary! This class is for EVERYONE to take and I hope that you make plans to attend. For those of you that have taken one of my classes, please make sure you fill out the National Program book pages after recruiting 5 or 20 members. Please send a copy to me when you send one to National. We are tracking the progress of all members who have taken a recruiting class and want your statistics to add to that data! No matter when you took the class..always send me the information on who you have recruited! I am still on the lookout for one member from each district that would like to become a District Recruiter Trainer in their respective districts. The is huge and I would love to have a point of contact for your local auxiliaries to go to. Do you want to be the Go To person in your district? Please contact me if you are interested. Full training is provided! Please remember If you don t ask, the answer is already no! Laurie A. Dale, NCRT lakyllodale@yahoo.com 507-789-5329
VETERANS & FAMILY SUPPORT Bulletin #3 September 2017 The Veterans & Family Support (VFS) program offers a resource card for Veterans, service members, and their families. Find a copy of the card enclosed with this month s bulletin. Share with your members, publicize around your Post Home, and pass along copies to those in your community. Coming to Fall Conference? Stop by the workshops and booths and bring along a poppy display! Learn about all the 2017/2018 VFW Auxiliary programs, especially the VFS program. Fall Conference Buddy Poppy Display Theme: Military Family Legacy What inspires the military family? What does a military family look like? Poppy Displays do not need to be judged at the District level before the Department Fall Conference. Record the total poppies used and number of hours spent and include with the finished display. Veterans and Family Support, through special recognition of the military family, will ensure a successful year by Continuing Our Legacy For ALL Veterans and Their Families as we work to Catch the Dream for Our Veterans. Francesca Bill, Chairman 4882 Woodcrest Rd. White Bear Lake, MN 55110 Phone: 651-263-6721 Email: frankiebill@msn.com
AMERICANISM SEPTEMBER 2017 - BULLETIN #3 NATIONAL POW / MIA RECOGNITION DAY IS SEPTEMBER 15 th. Diana Rudeen, National Ambassador reminds us this on one of six days specified by law on which the black POW/MIA flag is flown. Please say a prayer asking that our mission of returning any live Prisoner of War and proper identification of our missing remains a priority of our government, until we bring them home. The Missing Man Table Ceremony is one way to educate and bring awareness to this tragic issue. Share it with our members, youth and community. Families wait to bring their loved ones home. We will never give up hope. They will not be forgotten. Navy Radioman 2nd Class Quentin J Gifford, 22, of Mankato, Minn., was stationed aboard the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941. The battleship sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen. Interment services are pending. Current numbers shown: World War II: POW - 124,079 MIA - 30,314 Korean War: POW - 7,140 MIA - 8,025 Vietnam War: POW - 766 MIA - 1,719 Persian Gulf War: POWs - 29 MIAs - 21 Somalia: POW - 6 MIA - 2 Yugoslavia: POWs - 3. Our MN Americanism School Contests for grades K-5 have a deadline of Nov 20 th, 2017 on the local level. The coloring contests consist of K-1 Coloring an Eagle, Grades 2 & 3 Coloring of Betsy Ross and Grades 4 & 5 an essay telling the story of the Statue of Liberty. The details, student/school information and coloring/essay forms were included in July General Orders and the Department Program Book. Have you begun plans for your FAMILY FREEDOM FESTIVAL? Also, start on your Teacher of the Year nominations. We will discuss these in great length at our Seminar at Fall Conference on Saturday, September 10, 2017 Join me!!! In Patriotism, Carol Kratz / MN Dept Americanism Chairman ckratz2003@comast.net Ph 651-245-1024
CHIEF OF STAFF/EXTENSION SEPTEMBER 2017 - BULLETIN # 3 BOND PURCHASE DATE EXTENDED: National President Dee Guillory has extended the deadline to Bond Officers to September 30, 2017 due to the fact that MALTA has not been fully functional. You may purchase the Bond online or you can send in the Bond Application and an Auxiliary check to National HQ if you prefer. The Bond Application and Bond Fee Schedule were included in the July General Orders mailing. Please utilize the Member Survey that was included in the last mailing. You can include it in any mailings you may have going out to your members at this time. Perhaps you will be issuing an invitation to an event your Post or Auxiliary is holding, this is the perfect opportunity to include this survey and get some feedback. If members feel actively engaged, they are more likely to participate and support the activities of your local auxiliary and post. Wouldn t it be wonderful to have these members coming to meetings, attending and assisting with events, being active in your post, community and serving as a point of contact for our organization? Please make plans to attend Fall Conference in St. Cloud September 22-24 at the Kelly Inn. This is by far the most informative conference that we have here in Minnesota and we hope to see you all in St. Cloud to take in the Council of Administration meeting, Program Seminars and banquet! Make full use of the time to grow and learn! On Saturday, September 23 at Fall Conference I will be offering a class on Mentoring in the University Room A at 10:45 a.m. Our National Chief of Staff, Jane Ziebarth, has put an emphasis on mentoring in our auxiliaries and this class is the perfect opportunity to come learn about mentoring. We will cover a lot in this class and all materials will be provided so that you can take them back to your auxiliary and institute a mentoring program on the local level. REMINDER: The Membership Dues of the President, Secretary and Treasurer MUST be paid prior to January 1, 2018 in order to remain a Member in Good Standing. If Dues are not transmitted on these officers, they will no longer be able to hold office. PLEASE GET THE DUES OF YOUR OFFICERS PAID NOW SO THAT WE DON T HAVE A MAD RUSH IN DECEMBER TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. Laurie A. Dale, Chief of Staff lakyllodale@yahoo.com
HOSPITAL SEPTEMBER 2017 - BULLETIN # 3 Fall is just around the corner, and that brings Fall Conference. Doris Anderson will be hosting the Hospital meeting and Darlene Jackson will be taking care of the raffle table. Thanks ladies for helping out in my absence! I am asking Auxiliaries from Districts 1, 3, 5, & 7 to please donate an item for the raffle. This year we will be accepting baskets as well as other items, such as a picture, a household item, something for your yard, hunting items, fishing tools, etc. Keep our male members in mind when you consider what you will donate for the raffle. A note from Doris Anderson, the Minneapolis Veterans Home will no longer accept razors. The Minneapolis Veterans Home is in need of 63 X 87 quilts. Unfortunately the cool and cold weather will soon be upon us, so now is a great time to start sewing! September is known as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. We should help promote resources and awareness around the issues of suicide prevention, how you can help others and how to talk about suicide without increasing the risk of harm. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people and is often the result of mental health conditions that effect people when they are most vulnerable. On September 10 we observe World Suicide Prevention Day to reach out to those affected by suicide, raise awareness and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services. It is also important to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to address suicide prevention. The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. Veterans and their loved ones can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The Blue Teardrop is the VFW Auxiliaries symbol for Suicide Prevention. download the template from the National website at: https://vfwauxiliary.org/wp-content/uploads/veteran-military-suicide-awareness- Stickers.pdf You can I close with a prayer for the Bosek family, we lost our lovely Arlene Bosek, the Department Chairman for the Fergus Falls Veterans Home. She will be greatly missed by many of our Veterans. Thank you for all your support and the hours you volunteer in support of America s heroes! Catch The Dream For Our Veterans by Continuing our legacy for all veterans and their families Karen Haugen Department Hospital Chairman 1810 17 th St S. Moorhead, MN 56560 701.367.1518 karenhaugen@midco.net
LEGISLATIVE SEPTEMBER 2017 - BULLETIN # 3 We have a long ways to go but some of the right paths are being taken. Here are just a few items you can read about and get involved in with signing up for the Action Corps Weekly. This past week we have seen a lot of horrible things happen again right here on US soil, regardless of how you feel about the cultures we have in our society these men that we have running our VFW & military are amazing. On Monday, VFW National Commander Keith Harman extended his organization s deepest condolences to the families of Heather Heyer, Virginia State Police Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates, and almost two dozen others who were injured last Saturday when white nationalists clashed with counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va. He also condemned the violence, saying There is no reason or excuse great enough to justify violence against others just because you disagree with their ideology, backgrounds, religious beliefs or ethnicities. Individuals and organizations who wave Nazi flags, and who use the First Amendment as both shield and sword, must be rooted out of our society and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for fueling hate. There is no place in any civilized society for their ilk. The VFW national commander was joined in his condemnation by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said, "I can absolutely and unambiguously tell you there is no place no place for racism and bigotry in the U.S. military or in the United States as a whole. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford The Army doesn t tolerate racism, extremism, or hatred in our ranks. It s against our values and everything we ve stood for since 1775. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley No place for racial hatred or extremism in USMC. Our core values of honor, courage, and commitment frame the way Marines live and act. Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller The Navy will forever stand against intolerance and hatred. For those on our team, we want our Navy to be the safest possible place a team as strong and tough as we can be, saving violence only for our enemies. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson We re always stronger together. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein Our diversity is our strength. Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel This week VA announced the two-month pilot phase for the White House VA Hotline demonstrates that veterans calling the hotline prefer to talk to fellow veterans about their issues. As a result, VA announced it will hire mostly veterans to staff the call center instead of a thirdparty vendor, and is hiring additional VA personnel to move to a 24-hour operation. The decision will delay the move to a 24-hour service by two months, which is no later than October 15. Until that time, the hotline s current pilot program service is available to receive calls from veterans from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday. The phone number is 855-948-2311. 17- MIA American servicemen have been identified and are returning home for burial with full military honors. These service members are from WWII and the Korean War. That s amazing that we can still make this happen. If you have any questions or need any help with how to get involved please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Chair Tracy McReynolds Trosbacka@yahoo.com 651-307-2619 fa
Membership & Leadership Jamie Cassavant, Chairman 218-289-0865 billsgrillin@gmail.com Bulletin #3 - September, 2017 Dear Auxiliary Members: Fall Conference is almost here. Will your auxiliary have representation at Fall Conference? This is the conference that we learn the most about our programming areas, getting ideas to bring home, make new friends and mentors. Laurie Dale and I are really looking forward to sharing Membership and Recruiter Trainer information with you. I know that you will be able to take home ideas that can be used within your auxiliary. So plan on attending this joint seminar. Come and learn and share ideas with your auxiliary members attending. Jamie Cassavant DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA AUXILIARY AWARD FALL CONFERNCE: Auxiliaries that reach 100% by SEPTEMBER 8, 2017 before Fall Conference will go into a Fall Conference drawing for one (1) $50 prize and two (2) $25 prizes. ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE MADE IF NEEDED WITH THE MALTA ROLLOUT TIME DO YOU HAVE YOUR DUES RENEWAL LETTERS OUT? VFW Auxiliary Membership Moment Sheet Tips for Writing an Effective Dues Renewal Letter Whether it is sent by mail or e-mail, your Auxiliary s membership dues renewal letter is one of the most important tools for member retention. To ensure that it is effective, here is a brief checklist of suggested items to follow before you lick that envelope or hit the Send button. Tone Is your message personal? 1. Is the greeting personalized? (For example, use the member s name instead of Dear Member. ) 2. Is your tone warm and conversational? (For example, use You and We and read the letter/email out loud to make sure it sounds conversational.) 3. Does it read like a letter or an invoice? 4. Are you making an emotional connection? (Where possible, tailor the message to the member s personal reasons for joining the VFW Auxiliary.) 5. Does it sound like you are building a lasting relationship with the member? Content What have you done for me lately? 1. Did you outline the personal benefits and services available through VFW Auxiliary membership? 2. Did you share local, state, or national VFW Auxiliary accomplishments from the past year? 3. Do you instill excitement for the coming year by setting the scene about future events, activities, or projects? Action Did you make it easy for members to renew? 1. Did you demonstrate urgency? (For example, Renew your membership today! ) 2. Did you include (or attach) an invoice?
3. Did you include a deadline for receipt of member payment? Closing Did you say thanks? 1. Did you thank the member for their support, and acknowledge that the VFW Auxiliary values their continued membership? 2. Did you provide a contact person (with phone number and/or email address) if the member has questions or needs more information? Debbie McCollum 2017-2018 National Membership & Leadership Ambassador Info We are off and running in our Membership & Leadership year! Hopefully everyone that was able to attend National Convention in New Orleans had a wonderful time. There was a lot of great information given and new resources discussed by my fellow 2017-2018 National Ambassadors at the Programs Seminar Dues Notices As we settle back into our routines, we need to start sending out dues notices to our continuous members. If you have already sent out your first notice- that s FANTASTIC! Remember to send notices to ALL your continuous members! You may want to consider an incentive to encourage members to pay their annual dues early. Ideas include: A special event or dinner. You could call it a Membership Celebration and include those members who paid their annual dues early as well as all Life Members. A free dinner. If your Auxiliary hosts a weekly or monthly dinner at the Post, you could offer a free dinner in exchange for a member paying their dues early. (Get this approved at your Auxiliary meeting first.) A drawing for a Life Membership or a gift card. All continuous members who paid their annual dues early could be entered into a drawing for a Lifetime Membership or a gift card. The drawing would also work on the Department level as an incentive Awards Current members recruit new members that s how we grow the Auxiliary! There are two Membership awards you may receive from National for your recruiting efforts. The Catch Five Pin You must recruit Five (5) New or Rejoined Auxiliary members before April 30, 2018. Auxiliary and VFW members can earn this pin. The pins will be sent out quarterly to Department Secretaries for distribution. You can only earn this pin once. (For example, if you recruit ten (10) new or rejoined Auxiliary members, you will only receive one pin.) The National Membership Achievement Award (NMA) You must recruit 20 New Auxiliary members before April 30, 2018. It would be awesome if all members received one of these awards. The Catch Five and NMA award forms are available on the National website s Program & Publicity Resources page under Membership & Leadership. Mail or email the award forms to National Headquarters to receive one or both of these National awards. Make sure you are recognized for the recruiting you do! If you have the opportunity to attend a training session hosted by a Recruiter Trainer, please do so! You are sure to pick up a couple of new tips or ideas to help you qualify for the awards listed above. We are striving to reach 100% Plus in Membership for the third consecutive year. Thank you for your efforts in helping us as we work toward this goal! Hope to see you at Fall Conference. Please bring auxiliary friends & attend as many workshops as possible. Come and enjoy the weekend.
SCHOLARSHIPS SEPTEMBER 2017 - BULLETIN # 3 Fall is here and the new school year has begun. If you have not visited with your local schools, now is the time. Take the brochures that you can download off of the Auxiliary website. What a great way to encourage patriotism in our communities. Find below the grade levels, themes and deadlines for the scholarship contests. 2017-2018 Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Contest All students grades 9-12 Theme-Our Hope for the Future New Deadlines: Entries to VFW Post- Midnight, Oct. 31 Completion of Post Judging-Nov. 15 Completion of District Judging-Dec 15 Completion of Department Judging-Jan. 10 Department Winner to VFW National Headquarters Jan. 15 2017-2018 Patriots Pen Essay Contest All students grades 6-8 Theme- America s Gift to my Generation New Deadlines: Entries to VFW Post- Midnight, Oct. 31 Completion of Post Judging-Nov. 15 Completion of District Judging-Dec 15 Completion of Department Judging-Jan. 10 Department Winner to VFW National Headquarters Jan. 15 PROGRAM GOALS *STUDENT PARTICIPATION *RECIPIENT RECOGNITION *COMMUNITY AWARENESS
GET THE WORD OUT The first step is to identify likely individuals with whom you can discuss scholarship opportunities. -Schools and JROTC units -Church and youth groups -Youth focused organizations -Home school associations -Youth sports team -civic groups -military groups Set up a meeting with these groups and present the programs to them. Bring plenty of brochures along, share with them tips for submitting winning applications, the themes, the deadlines, everything to encourage the students to show pride and patriotism in their work. The scholarship program is one that can involve the whole family. There are opportunities for school age children to adult to participate. Patriots Pen Essay, Voice of Democracy, Creative Patriotic Art Contest, Continuing Education Scholarship. In Minnesota, we have The Marcella Arnold Nursing Scholarship. Karen Hoover, National Scholarships Ambassador tells us to Stand up for our veterans, stand out in all you do. Show your community the value of the VFW Auxiliary. The VFW and Auxiliary need to be visible and constantly publicize what we do and what opportunities we offer. New this year to our Minnesota only based Scholarship is a deadline of October 1 st. Applications can be found on the Auxiliary webpage. Please help us to get the word out to any nursing student who may be interested in applying. Minnesota Only Scholarship Marcella Arnold Nursing Scholarship Deadline is April 1 and October 1 Applicant must be a full time Nursing student in an Associate or Bachelor Degree School of Nursing Applicant must be a member or eligible to join the VFW or VFW Auxiliary, or a child or grandchild of a member of the VFW or VFW Auxiliary a resident of Minnesota, non-resident of MN with a membership in the MN VFW Auxiliary, attending a nursing school in Minnesota Paige Amundson Scholarships Chairman
YOUTH ACTIVITIES SEPTEMBER 2017 - BULLETIN # 3 One of the new National Program goals for this year is the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) for students in grades 10-12th. With the school year starting up, I wanted to provide this information to you so that you can share with the schools, churches, youth groups, etc. For this project they suggest to share this information with the school librarian or media specialist. The Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center is primarily an oral history program that collects and preserves the firsthand interviews of America's wartime veterans. The VHP relies on volunteers, both individuals and organizations, throughout the nation to contribute veterans stories. In addition to audio and video recorded interviews, VHP accepts memoirs and collections of original photographs, letters, diaries, maps and other historical documents from World War I through current conflicts. These submissions become a permanent part of our nation s history. VHP s mission is to collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American wartime veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. To get started, go out to the website www.loc.gov/vets and download a field kit. Once you are on the website, on the right hand side you will see a link print forms & kits. This full kit will give you all of the details of who, what, when, where, why and how. The website has many great resources, sample questions and tips on working with our youth on this project. Get together with your boy scouts and girl scouts troops as this is a great project for a Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Service Project or Girl Scouts Gold Award Project. Through this project they would submit firsthand stories of America s Veterans to be preserved at the Library of Congress for scholars, researchers and posterity, foster intergenerational bonds, learn organizational skills and learn leadership skills. There is more information on the website how to successfully complete this project as an Eagle Scout or Gold Awards. Go online, gather the information and become familiar with the program and then share with your local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Leaders. I look forward to seeing you all at Fall Conference where I will have more information on all of the program goals for the year! Continuing our legacy for ALL veterans and their families Ashley Punches 417 Sunflower Ct. Cannon Falls MN 55009 ashley.punches@gmail.com 952-270-3437
WAYS AND MEANS BULLETIN #2 SEPTEMBER 2017 IT IS AN HONOR TO DO THE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMANSHIP FOR 2017-2018 FOR PRESIDENT GAIL. I AM A LIFE MEMBER OF DILWORTH AUXILIARY 1223. I JOINED UNDER THE ELIGILITY OF MY HUSBAND KEN, WHO WAS A VIETNAM VETERAN. MY HELPER THIS VEAR WILL BE PAM DeLAGE FROM THE CROOKSTON AUXILIARY 1902. WE ARE PLANNING, ON HAVING BASKETS TO HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS. WE WILL BE SELLING CHANCES FOR THE BASKETS AT $1 EACH OR 6 FOR $5. WE WILL BE ASKING DISTRICTS TO BRING BASKETS FOR THE FOLLOWING: FALL CONFERENCE, BIG 10 CONFERENCE (WHICH IS BEING HELD IN MINNEAPOLIS THIS YEAR), MID-WINTER CONFERENCE, AND DEPARTMENT CONVENTION. WE ARE ASKING THREE DISTRICT TO BRING BASKETS TO THE FOLLOWING EVENTS: FALL CONFERENCE-DISTRICTS 6, 8, 9 BIG 10 CONFERENCE-WE ARE ASKING THAT EACH DISTRICT BRING AT LEAST 1 BASKET. MID-WINTER CONFERENCE-7, 4, 5 DEPARTMENT CONVENTION-1, 2, 3 WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AT LEAST (10) BASKETS AT EACH EVENT. SO EACH DISTRICT PLEASE TRY TO BRING 3-4 BASKETS FROM AUXILIARES IN YOUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. LOYALLY, LINDA GIBSON WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN 1440 EAST GATEWAY CIRCLE SOUTH #1 FARGO ND 58103 (701) 361-3586 lgibson41@gmail.com "Continuing Our Legacy for ALL Veterans and Their Families"