Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota GENERAL ORDERS #2 AUGUST 2018 "General Orders are to be read at the first meeting following receipt before being filed for reference." 1. COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION: Thank you to all that attended the Organizational C of A. Sauk Rapids did a fantastic job with meals and setup. A special thank you to Karen Wolbeck and her team FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK. 2. NATIONAL PRESIDENT' S VISIT: National President Sandi Kriebel will be making her visit to Minnesota, August 17 and 18. She will be arriving on Friday afternoon with a reception scheduled at Kraus-Hartig Post #6587 in Spring Lake Park. There is a full day scheduled for Saturday. Those details and events are included in these General Orders. Please review the schedule of events and make every effort possible to be in attendance. 3. PROGRAM BULLETINS AND GENERAL ORDERS: There will be General Orders each month, however; Program Chairmen will have bulletins only if needed. Program bulletins are to be given to the Auxiliary Chairmen prior to your meeting so the information can shared with the membership. Deadline for submissions to General Orders will be the 15th of the prior month. i.e., August for September, September for October, and so on. 4. PROGRAM BOOKS AND STANDING RULES: These items were distributed at the July C of A or they are included with these General Orders for those entitled to receive them per the Standing Rules. 5. FALL CONFERENCE: Fall Conference is just around the corner and will held in Willmar on September 14-16. Housing and Banquet information are included with these General Orders. 6. HONORING AUXILIARY TREASURERS AND SECRETARIES: Treasurers and Secretaries will be honored by Treasurer Laurie Dale and Secretary Marilyn Sheffield at the Fall Conference. If you plan to attend please fill out the RSVP form enclosed or you may send an e-mail to secretary@vfwamn.org. 7. INSPECTIONS: Inspections may begin on August 1, 2018. The District President or the Inspector will notify the Auxiliary President in writing via mail. Please follow the guidelines you (District Presidents) received at the July council meeting and remember, Inspectors, be honest on the inspection forms.
8. MEMBERSHIP: All 2019 membership dues will be accepted in the Department Office or can now be entered on MALTA. If you have questions on the MALTA system, do not hesitate to call Department Treasurer Laurie Dale or Department Secretary Marilyn Sheffield, for assistance. 9. NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS: Local Auxiliary Treasurers' ability to enter NEW members in MALTA has been discontinued. New membership applications are to be sent to the Department Treasurer for processing. This is to correct the problem of membership cards being sent out to applicants that have not been fully verified. 10. CELEBRATING AMERICA'S FREEDOM EVENT (CAFÉ) AND NATIONAL PRESIDENT'S HOMECOMING: The National President's Homecoming will be held in Hanover, Maryland on September 7-8. CAFÉ will be held September 8 at Gettysburg National Military Park. Information for these events can be found the VFWA website deadlines are getting near. 11. BIG TEN CONFERENCE: Big 10 Conference will be held in St. Louis, Missouri on October 19-21. Mark your calendars and watch for further details in next month's General Orders. "Working Hard to Turn Nightmares into Dreams" By Order of: Attested to: Patches Presfield Department President Marilyn Sheffield Department Secretary
NATIONAL PRESIDENT S VISIT National President Sandi Kriebel will be making her visit on August 17-19. A full day is being planned for Saturday. Mark this weekend on your calendars since it will be only one day; we would like to see many, many members in attendance. VFW MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND!! August 17 3:00 6:00 pm: Reception at Kraus-Hartig Post 6587, Spring Lake Park. Please bring Color Bearer flags for the Aisle of Honor August 18 8:00 am: Breakfast at the hotel for those staying at hotel 9:15 am: Tour of the St. Cloud VA Medical Center 11:00 am: Camp Ripley lunch with the troops (members will pay for their own lunch if there is a charge.) 1:00 pm: (approx.): Tour and view paintings at the Committal Hall at the Little Falls Cemetery 5:00 pm: Social hour at the Sauk Rapids Post 6992, Sauk Rapids. Please bring Color Bearer flags for the Aisle of Honor 6:00 pm: Dinner at the Sauk Rapids post (cost TBA) National President Sandi wants to visit and meet members and our Veterans. Please invite your Post members to join the visitation. There will be rooms blocked at the Hampton Inn off Highway 15 in St. Cloud for those who would be interested in coming to St. Cloud on Friday. The address is 145 37th Avenue N., St. Cloud, MN. The telephone number is 320-252-4448. Please mention VFW Auxiliary when you make your reservation. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO A FANTASTIC TURNOUT!!!
2018-2019 JEWELRY & APPAREL ORDER FORM All proceeds will benefit the Department President's Special Project "Project Healing Waters (Mental Health) St. Cloud VA Jewelry Quantity Cost Total Due Pin X $4.00 = $ Earrings X $6.00 = $ Total $ Jewelry Shipping 1-30 pieces $3.29 Shipping $ 31-75 pieces $6.52 76+ Call for cost Jewelry Total $ T-Shirts Quantity Cost Total Due M X $20.00 = $ L X $20.00 = $ XL X $20.00 = $ XXL X $20.00 = $ 3XL X $20.00 = $ 4XL X $20.00 = $ 2XLT X $20.00 = $ 3XLT X $20.00 = $ Total for T-Shirts $ Call for shipping cost for T-Shirts Total Due $ Name Aux. # Address Dist. # City, State, Zip Phone Cash Check # Postage will apply to orders that are mailed VFWA, 20 West 12th Street, 3rd Floor, St. Paul, MN 55155
Auxiliary/District Treasurers and Secretaries Department Treasurer Laurie Dale and Department Secretary Marilyn Sheffield Cordially invite you to attend the 2018 Fall Conference to be Recognized for your years of service Date: Sunday morning, September 16, 2018 Place: Willmar Conference Center, 2100 E. Hwy. 12, Willmar, MN RSVP deadline: September 4, 2018 to VFW Auxiliary Department of MN 20 W 12th St, 3rd Floor, St. Paul, MN 55155 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Complete form for those attending, cut at line and return by 9-4-18) Auxiliary No. District No. Treasurer s Name Secretary s Name
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA FALL CONFERENCE HOUSING RESERVATIONS September 14-16, 2018 Willmar, MN Call the Hotel of Your Choice to Make Your Reservations. Simply follow the steps below and then call the Hotel. ***DEADLINE August 15*** Best Western Plus 2100 E. Hwy 12 (VFW Conference Hotel) Pool & Free Breakfast Holiday Inn Express 250 23rd Street SE (AUX Conference Hotel) Pool & Free Breakfast Days Inn 225 28th Street SE (.5 Miles Away) Free Breakfast AmericInn 2404 Highway 12 East (.2 Miles Away) Pool & Free Breakfast Super 8 2655 S. 1st Street (3.4 Miles Away) Free Breakfast Rate: $108.99 Per Night Plus Tax Rate: $108.99 Per Night Plus Tax Limited # of Rooms Available Rate: $88.99 Per Night Plus Tax Limited # of Rooms Available Rate: $99.99 Per Night Plus Tax Limited # of Rooms Available Rate: 1 Bed $78/ 2 Bed $88 Per Night Plus Tax Check in 3 pm/ Out 11 am Cancel by 6 pm of the night of arrival to avoid charges Check in 3 pm/ Out 11 am Cancel by 6 pm of the night of arrival to avoid charges Check in 3 pm/ Out 11 am Cancel by 6 pm day of arrival to avoid charges Check in 3 pm/ Out 11 am Cancel 24 Hrs prior to day of arrival to avoid charges Check in 2 pm/ Out 11 am Cancel 24 Hrs prior to day of arrival to avoid charges Arrival Date: Departure Date: Arrival Date: Departure Date: Arrival Date: Departure Date: Arrival Date: Departure Date: Arrival Date: Departure Date: One Bed Two Beds One Bed Two Beds Two Beds Two Beds One Bed Two Beds Share With: Share With: Share With: Share With: Share With: Special: Handicap Near Elevator Other Special: Handicap Near Elevator Other Special: Handicap Near Elevator Other Special: Handicap Near Elevator Other Special: Handicap Near Elevator Other Get Credit Card Ready Get Credit Card Ready Get Credit Card Ready Get Credit Card Ready Get Credit Card Ready CALL Best Western to Reserve: 320 235 6060 VFW Room Block CALL Holiday Inn to Reserve: 320 231 2601 VFW Room Block CALL Days Inn To Reserve: 320 231 1275 VFW Room Block CALL AmericInn To Reserve: 320 231 1962 VFW Room Block CALL Super 8 To Reserve: 320 235 4444 VFW Room Block Conf. # Conf. # Conf. # Conf. # Conf. # Questions for VFW Headquarters? Call Melody at 651-291-1757 or email melodymnvfw@vfwmn.us
Send Order Form to: Brian Gislason VFW Post #1639 309 Trott Ave SE Willmar, MN 56201 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA FALL CONFERENCE Banquet Reservations September 15, 2018 Willmar Conference Center, 2100 E. Hwy 12, Willmar, MN Tickets $26 each Social 5:45 pm / Banquet 7:00 pm Meal: TBD No tickets will be mailed out. Please pick them up at the Registration Desk. Fall Conference Banquet Reservation Form Banquet: Saturday, September 15, 2018 Please reserve tickets at $26 each. Enclosed: check # to VFW Post 1639 for $ Name: Phone Number: Email: Post/Auxiliary # District # Special Dietary Request FINAL Deadline September 5th, 2018
FALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE September 14-16, 2018 Willmar Conference Center- 2100 E. Hwy 12, Willmar, MN FRIDAY, September 14, 2018: 3:00 P.M. -7:00 P.M. Registration Finstad-Week VFW Post #1639 1108 Highway 12 E, Willmar 2:00 P.M. Finance Committee 2:30 P.M. Gambling Meeting 7:00 P.M. VFW Council of Administration Auxiliary Council of Administration SATURDAY, September 15, 2018: 6:00-6:45 A.M. Rise & Shine Workouts 7:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. Registration 8:00 A.M. Finance Committee 8:00 A.M. 3:00 P.M. PROGRAM EXHIBITS Chairmen will Staff their Displays from 2:00-3:00 4:30 P.M. Church Service 5:45 P.M. General Reception 7:00 P.M. Conference Banquet SUNDAY, September 16, 2018: 9:00 A.M. Auxiliary Meeting 9:00 A.M. VFW Council of Administration Page 1 of 1
VFW FALL CONFERENCE BOOK Advertising September 14-16, 2018 Willmar Conference Center, Willmar, MN ADVERTISING RATES FOR V.F.W. STATE, DISTRICT, AND POST/AUXILIARY FOR THE CONFERANCE BOOK. PAGE SIZE RATES FULL PAGE (8" X 11") $200.00 ONE HALF PAGE $125.00 ONE QUARTER PAGE $75.00 PATRON $35.00 ALL ADS MUST BE READY TO BE SENT TO THE PRINTER AS IS. Our printer has notified us that ads which are not camera ready will be charged an extra $10.00. EMAIL Ads to: gislasonbrian1@gmail.com MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Finstad-Week VFW Post 1639 AND MAIL TO: Brian Gislason VFW Post 1639 309 Trott Ave SE Willmar, MN 56201 DEADLINE DATE FOR BOOKLET: August 31, 2018
Half Page Ad 8 x 5 1/8 Things you should think about while making an ad!! Does my Ad look good in a Gray Scale? Light colors such as red and yellow do not look good in a gray scale. Are the quality of my pictures in my ad good? The higher quality of picture you have the better we can make you ad look. We prefer them too be 300 DPI or better. Is my add layout correct? A full page is just that a full page. For a Half page layout look to the top of the page and a Quarter page is to the right. Is you Ad formatted correctly? We accept Word, Publisher, JPEG and Tiff. How can I guarantee the best Quality for my ad? Send it to us electronically either in a CD or Email. If you send it in hard copy, print your ad in the highest quality setting your printer can go and have it print in a gray scale NOT color. Also try not to fold you ad. Any questions please email Brian Gislason at gislasonbrian1@gmail.com or call 320-894-2186 Quarter Page Ad 3 3/4 x 5 1/8
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota TREASURER'S TIPS Bulletin #2 - August 2018 The Department of MN Treasurer s Kit and Department of MN Trustee s Kit will be mailed to the Auxiliary President as soon as all information is available from National Headquarters. THROW ALL OLD FORMS AWAY! ONLY USE THE FORMS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE JULY AND AUGUST GENERAL ORDERS MAILINGS OR THAT ARE IN THE TREASURER S KIT THINGS OF NOTE: 1. Members can pay their dues online themselves. Auxiliary Treasurer s may pay dues of members online or you may continue to send them to the Department Treasurer for processing. If you send them to Department, please include a check for $10 per Annual Member along with the Membership Summary form included in this mailing. For a Life Member include the copy of the application and the proper Life Membership fee. 2. All new members (Life or Annual) will have their Membership Application processed in the Department HQ Office. This is a new decision from National. 3. You may give your gifts for Cancer Grants and Health & Happiness using the MALTA system or you can mail them directly to National VFW Auxiliary Office. If you prefer to mail them to our Department HQ Office in St. Paul we will still accept them and forward them. 4. Membership Card Replacement - $5 for Annual Card and $10 for Life Card 5. Treasurers will not receive any kits from National this year you may print off the National Treasurer s Guide from the Treasurer s Resource page. If you don t have the ability to print, please contact me at the Department Office and we will arrange for you to get a copy for a fee.
6. Use the Donations Cheat Sheet and Donations Form include in this General Orders mailing. 7. National mails ALL Membership Cards Annual and Life. If a member pays you for their dues, you must provide them with a receipt as proof of their membership. A new company has been contracted to produce the cards so members should receive them much more quickly than last year. If a member does not receive their cards in a timely manner, they may call National HQ to inquire. (816) 561-8655 8. 990N e-postcard must be filed by November 15 EVERY year. https://sa.www4.irs.gov/epostcard/ 9. Current Membership Rosters are available via MALTA or by request from the Department Office If an Auxiliary or District is interested in hosting a MALTA session for your members, please contact me! Laurie A. Dale, Treasurer Department of Minnesota VFW Auxiliary 651-291-1759 treasurer@vfwamn.org
2018-2019 DONATION FORM AUXILIARY # VFW AUXILIARY DISTRICT # DEPARTMENT OF MINNESOTA Dollar $ Program Dollar $ Program Amount Description Amount Description Hospital & Home Fund $2.00 per member or more Dept Pres Love Gift for Convention Department President's Special Project Project Healing Waters Marcella Arnold Nursing Scholarship Hospital Sewing Fund Christmas at Hospitals-send by Dec 1 FARGO VAHCS MINNEAPOLIS VAHCS Legislative ST CLOUD VAHCS National Home- Minnesota Cottage Student Awards Fund - MINNESOTA ( VOD, Patriot's Pen, YAC Patriotic Art, Art Explorers) Cancer Aid & Research CAR SIOUX FALLS VAHCS FERGUS FALLS VETERANS HOME HASTINGS VETERANS HOME LUVERNE VETERANS HOME MINNEAPOLIS VETERANS HOME SILVER BAY VETERANS HOME column 1 SUB-TOTAL $ column 2 SUB-TOTAL $ CHECK TOTAL $ National Military Services (NMS) NOW CALLED VFW VETERANS & MILITARY SUPPORT PROGRAMS Send to National VFW HQ in Kansas City MO CHECK # Health & Happiness, Christmas Cheer $.10 per mbr Send to National VFW Auxiliary HQ in Kansas City MO or via MALTA AUX TREASURER Send District fees/donations to your District Treas NAME PHONE Revised JULY 2018 - lad PLEASE ONLY LIST DONATIONS BEING SENT WITH THIS FORM - ONE (1) CHECK ONLY
Donations Cheat Sheet Please mail donations directly to these addresses 1. Cancer Grant Fund (Donation may be made via MALTA) Make Checks payable and mail to: VFW Auxiliary 406 W. 34 th St. 10 th Floor Kansas City, MO 64111 2. Health & Happiness, Christmas Cheer (.10 per member or more) (Donation may be made via MALTA) Make checks payable and mail to: VFW Auxiliary 406 W. 34 th St. 10 th Floor Kansas City, MO 64111 3. National Home Veteran & Military Helpline Make checks payable and mail to: National Home for Children 3573 South Waverly Rd Eaton Rapids, MI 48827 4. VFW Veterans & Military Support Programs (MAP, Unmet Needs, Operation Uplink, Veterans & Military Support Program) Make checks payable and mail to: VFW Headquarters 406 W. 34 th St. 9 th Floor Kansas City, MO 64111 5. Patriot s Pen Scholarship Fund - National Make checks payable and mail to: VFW Headquarters 406 W. 34 th St. 11 th Floor Kansas City, MO 64111
6. Armed Forces Service Center Make checks payable and mail to: AFSC 4300 Glumack Dr. LT 3765 MSP International Airport St. Paul, MN 55111 7. Freedom Flight POW/MIA ( Balloon ) Make checks payable and mail to: Freedom Flight PO Box 1052 St. Cloud, MN 56302 8. MACV MN Assistance Council for Veterans Make checks payable and mail to: MACV 360 N. Robert St. Suite 306 St. Paul, MN 55101 9. Wreaths Across America Make checks payable and mail to: Wreaths Across America PO Box 249 Columbia Falls, ME 04623 10. Snowball Express Make checks payable and mail to: Snowball Express 6505 W. Park Blvd Suite 306 PMB 256 Plano, TX 75093
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota Believe We Can Do It. VETERANS AND FAMILY SUPPORT Bulletin #2 - August 2018 Can you believe it? We are already almost half way through our year. I hope you have been working your program hard and have some outstanding information to pass on to me. In my first Bulletin I explained VFW National Veterans Service (NVS), well the other portion of this program is VFW Veterans Military Support. Within this program there are 4 sections and they are: 1. Military Assistance (MAP) 2. Unmet Needs 3. VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship 4. Operation Uplink This month we will be discussing Military Assistance Program (MAP). I am going to hit on part of the procedure as I have sent to each District Chairman the Grant Procedure, Application and Event Calculator to be passed on to their Auxiliaries. The primary purpose of MAP Grant is to promote VFW/Auxiliaries involvement and interaction with the local military community. This program is intended as financial assistance for sponsoring events for military units of Active Duty, National Guard and Reserves. Each application is individually reviewed and must be submitted to National at least 21 days prior to the event. Listed below are events that may qualify for funding: Farewell or Welcome Home event for a local military unit Holiday party or Family Readiness Group Activity Sponsoring a Morale, Welfare and Recreation function for a unit This is only a portion of the information and once you get the data I have sent to the District Chairman you will see how it fully operates. If you do not get it passed on to you, please give me a call and I will make sure you get it. Also, do not forget our Minnesota Layette program. This is for military and their dependents. Let me know when you have given out a layette. Thank you for all the hard work you do for our veterans and we are true Believers. Jane Meland Department Chairman 6921 Grand Ave S Richfield, MN 55423 qmcsmeland@aol.com
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS AUXILILARY Department of Minnesota AMERICANISM Bulletin #2 August 2018 August is a good time to begin getting organized for fall Patriotic Days and Back to School. Here are a few items that should be on your list to support the Americanism Program: 1. The Elementary School Americanism Contests School staff begin to come back to the schools to prepare for a new year, so contact schools and elementary educators to share the opportunity of their students participating in the Elementary Americanism Contests. Phone or visit the school Administrator/Principal to get permission to share the contests with the classrooms. Attached is a copy of the contest rules and an American Flag picture to be colored by the Kindergarten and First Grade Category. Stress to teachers the colors and their placement on the Flag. The Q & A Flag booklet from the VFW Store is a wonderful resource for classrooms to learn more about our American Flag. Present one to the teacher, or all the students, if you are able. Make plans to visit Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms to teach the Pledge of Allegiance. There is a coloring book that may be purchased in packs of 25 from the VFW Store. 2. Collaborate with your Post to distribute the Smart/Maher National Citizenship Education Teacher Award tri-fold flyers. These could be taken to schools at the same time as the Americanism Elementary contests and Youth Scholarship program contests are distributed. A copy may be downloaded from the Department of Minnesota Auxiliary website under Links. 3. Continue to encourage your community to display American Flags, not just on Patriotic Holiday, but every day, Educate citizens about replacing torn or worn out Flags and recognize those who Fly American or POW/MIA Flags by presenting them with a Patriotic Citizen Award certificate. Conduct a Flag Retirement Ceremony to dispose of worn American Flags. Present Flags to the community, in places such as parks, government buildings or schools. 4. Make plans to recognize upcoming September Patriotic Dates, Contact local media to remind the community about the significance of the dates and/or submit guidelines for displaying the American Flag. The dates listed are also American Flag Display Days: Labor Day First Monday in September Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance (half staff) September 11 POW/MIA Recognition Day Third Friday in September set up a display of the Missing Man Table in your community. Constitution and Citizenship Day September 17. Use the Auxiliary 2018-19 Year End Report as a guide in planning Americanism Activities for the year.. Working Hard to Turn Nighmares into Dreams Believe We Can Do It! Gege Abraham, Americanism Chairman, Department of Minnesota VFW Auxiliary 507.475.1755 owatonnavfw3723@gmail.com 1738 Mosher Ave, Owatonna MN 55060
2018-19 Minnesota VFW Auxiliary Elementary School Americanism Contests Students in Kindergarten through grade five in public and parochial schools, as well as home schooled students and youth groups, are eligible to participate in the Americanism Contests. Kindergarten and First Grade: Second and Third Grades: Fourth and Fifth Grades: Color the American Flag Red, White and Blue on picture provided. Entires will be judged on neatness and accuracy. Draw and color the American Flag. Must be original artwork using the students choice of medium, such as crayon, marker, colored pencils or paint on 8 ½ X 11 inch sized paper. Create a collage of two to six Places you have seen the American Flag Displayed. Artwork may include original drawings or cut out pictures from media, each depiction must include an American Flag and include the name of the location. Finished collages must fit in a 10 X 13 inch envelope (they may be folded once). The contest may be a classroom or home assignment. Teachers and parents are encouraged to use the contest as an opportunity to teach children about the American Flag s history, the meaning behind the colors of the Flag and how the Flag is to be respected, displayed and cared for. Invite your local VFW Auxiliary to your class to assist in sharing information about the Flag of the United States. The VFW Question and Answer Flag Booklet is an excellent resource. Entries are to be returned to the student s school or sponsoring VFW Auxiliary by November 15 for local judging. If returned to the school, it is the responsibility of the local auxiliary to pick up entries. The overall first place winner in each category will be forwarded to the District Americanism Chairman by November 30 for judging. The District first place winner in each category will be forwarded to the Department Americanism Chairman, Gege Abraham, 1738 Mosher Ave, Owatonna MN 55060 by December 15 for state-level judging. The Department winners will be announced at the VFW Mid-Winter Conference in January 2019. To insure impartial judging, do not have students write their names on the front of the contest entry. Entries must include the information below on the back of the entry so it can be returned to the child after judging and winners may be recognized. Student first & last name: Grade Teacher name: Classroom: School Name: Address/City: Sponsoring Auxiliary: City: District:
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota "BUDDY" POPPY/NATIONAL HOME FOR CHILDREN Bulletin #2 - August 2018 Greetings, The Fall Conference Buddy Poppy Contest and Tea Party has been approved. It has been years since we were able to socialize and enjoy the creative talents of our members at a Fall Conference Tea. The flyer is attached with the details. 1. Return the registration form with $3.00 fee per person attending to the Department Office Treasurer Laurie Dale. 2. Return the Poppy Display Entry form to Chairman Carol Kratz (as shown). Please preplan to attend. There will be no refunds if unable to attend, but all fees will cover expenses and tips to workers at Willmar VFW. The Poppy Entries must be delivered to the Willmar VFW on Saturday by 2:00 p.m. for judging. PROGRAM GOALS: Set by our National Ambassador RENEE FULK of San Clemente, CA Buddy Poppy National Display Contest (this occurs at our Mid-Winter Conference) Buddy Poppy Education and Community Outreach As National Ambassador Renee Fulk stressed: EVERY DAY IS VFW BUDDY POPPY DAY It s never too early to begin ideas for the National Buddy Poppy Contest, where entries are submitted to your District, then to our Department Mid-Winter judging and the winner goes on to National. The Four (4) Categories of judging for will be in the Department Program Book. National Home Life Membership VFW and VFW Auxiliary members and organizations can become life members. Life members in good standing may vote for the trustees who represent their National Home district and approve any proposed changes to our home by laws and articles of incorporation. Please complete a Life Membership Application (form attached) for your Auxiliary and your District (if not already done) or purchase one for your President. The current cost of a Life Membership is $35.00. On January 1, 2019 the cost will be $50.00 to include the pin. The National Home recently put out a special request for donations: While summer is a time of relaxation and vacations for so many in America, it is a very stressful time for thousands of military and veteran families who are struggling to overcome the devastating effects of war But like many non-profits, our donations decline in the summer. I m turning to you, a loyal supporter of the National Home, for your help to get us by making a gift today. Send this one time special donation to the VFW National Home for Children, 3573 S Waverly Rd, Eaton Rapids, MI 48827 PROGRAM GOAL: VFW National Home Education and Community Outreach Carol Kratz / MN Department Chairman 651-245-1024 Buddy Poppy & National Home ckratz2003@comcast.net
VFW & AUXILIARY FALL CONFERENCE BUDDY POPPY ART CONTEST & TEA PARTY Sat Sept 15, 2018 3:00pm WILLMAR VFW #1639 POST HOME Shuttles will be available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Poppy Tea Pre-Attendee Reservation Form (deadline Sept 10 th ) Name Number of Tickets Payment Included $ Aux # Dist # Mail to: VFW AUXILIARY Dept Office (payable to VFW AUX-Dept) Veterans Serv Bldg Floor 3 pick-up pre-paid tickets at door 20 12 th St W $3.00 per person St Paul, MN 55155 tea, coffee, punch, bars & cookies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Theme: Buddy Poppy Wreath Must include one complete poppy Contest Rules: Must use 12 Wreath Base Judged on Creativity, Beauty, Colors, Attraction Display Judging Sat 2:00pm Drop Entry at VFW between 1-2 pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Poppy Contest Entry Form (deadline Sept 10 th ) Aux Town Aux # Dist # Description for Announcer Willing to allow Wreath to go to our VAHCS or Veterans Home? Mail to: Chr Carol Kratz OR e-mail to ckratz2003@comcast.net 5504 Cottage Ave White Bear Lake MN 55110 Questions? 651-245-1024
Title: Mr. Mrs. Ms. Miss Address: LIFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION MEMBER INFORMATION Name: City: State: ZIP Code: Date of birth: Email: Phone: Membership Type: Associate (not a member of the VFW or VFW Auxiliary) Life Member (must be a member in good standing of the VFW or VFW Auxiliary or a unit of the VFW or VFW Auxiliary. Complete affiliation information below. If no Post or Auxiliary number is provided, an Associate Membership will be issued.) VFW & VFW AUXILIARY INFORMATION (Required if a VFW or VFW Auxiliary member) I am a member of VFW Post in the Department of VFW I am a member of VFW Auxiliary in the Department of VFW Auxiliary If invited to become a member, who recruited you? RECRUITER PAYMENT INFORMATION Please allow 3-4 weeks for your membership One time membership fee $35 * certificate, card and other information to be sent. You can also apply online at: www.vfwnationalhome.org/membership Life Member pin (optional) $ 5 Total Check enclosed and made payable to VFW National Home for Children Charge my Visa Mastercard Discover American Express Name on card: Card number: Signature: Expiration date: WHY SHOULD YOU BECOME A LIFE MEMBER BEING A LIFE MEMBER or an Associate Life Member of the VFW National Home for Children is one way you can create a bond between yourself and the mission of the National Home. Your support and encouragement honors our veterans and today s military by helping their children and families in times of need. Life Members in good standing with the VFW or VFW Auxiliary may vote for trustees representing their National Home District and proposed Bylaw or Articles of Incorporation changes. *Please note that effective January 1, 2019 the cost to purchase a membership is increasing to $50 and will include a Life Member pin. 3573 S Waverly Rd Eaton Rapids, MI 48827 tel 866 483-9642 www.vfwnationalhome.org info@vfwnationalhome.org
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota CHIEF OF STAFF/EXTENSION Bulletin #2 - August 2018 Keeping an auxiliary healthy is not an easy thing---it takes TEAMWORK!! Use your many media outlets available to you such as community newspapers, radio station, social media, etc. This will give your auxiliary exposure and you could spark interest from inactive members and/or recruit new members. A good resource to help you is the Healthy Auxiliary Toolkit!!! This will help Auxiliaries stay active and relevant. A brief explanation of these tools will help your VFW Auxiliary take a good look at your health, identify problems and help correct any issues allowing the Auxiliary to work on matters that affect our veterans and their families. All tools in the toolkit are available on the resources page of the VFW Auxiliary website. The Toolkit includes: 1) RU Healthy? Auxiliary To-Dos and Deadlines this is a simple list of business items that an Auxiliary should achieve every year. 2) Member Questionnaire This anonymous survey can help an Auxiliary bring to light issues that members may not talk about in a group setting. 3) Good Job Award a key part of any volunteer organization is saying thank you. Use this certificate to thank members and/or non-members for their help. 4) Healthy Communication Phone/Text Tree.Communication is a common issue every Auxiliary faces. This helps break down who needs to contact who. 5) Auxiliary Meeting Clinic/Checklist lists what an Auxiliary President needs for a meeting. 6) Sample Meeting Agenda helps President to conduct meeting. 7) Healthy Auxiliary Certificate.Chiefs of Staff hand this out to Auxiliaries that have shown they are healthy. 8) VFW Auxiliary Meeting Challenges & Solutions this helps you quickly find ideas to solve issues at meeting. Fall Conference is in September and I will have all this information available and will have folders for all District Chiefs of Staff. Please plan on attending!! I am asking that Auxiliaries in a District communicate with each other. Would it not be fun to get to know the other Auxiliary members within your District? Call them or text and acquaint yourselves with each other!!! Exchange ideas. Joyce Abers Department Chief of Staff/Extension Email: joyceabers@hotmail.com Home Phone: 1-320-859-6504 Cell Phone: 1-320-491-2879
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota HISTORIAN/MEDIA RELATIONS Bulletin #2 - August 2018 History must be preserved by taking a picture and showing how our past has led to our future organization. What we have done and tried before. How do we show this? By taking pictures, asking people to share pictures and keeping track where they come from and then putting them in a photo album, or an organized box by year, month and date. Maybe you have used a radio announcement or TV ad to take a picture or a video and show it in a slide show. You could make a time line board starting with your 1 st meeting every month for the year. Remember when you were little. Some of us had videos of family events, birthdays or anniversaries for future family to look back and laugh and see how much we ve changed. This is what I am challenging you to do this year. Then I need you to share with me so you can show off your work. Who doesn t love watching all you ladies and gents. I am looking forward to all the books, video and recordings. So come end of the year, we will have an awesome book of photos and videos, maybe recordings to make President Patches proud of her book. My goal for the year is to have at all three Conferences, awards for the top three that I have gotten the most photos, newspaper articles, videos and recordings from and they will receive an award and small gift. Have fun with this and at Fall Conference check out my booth. It will have examples of new articles and photos, a video and recordings. Have fun with this, they are the greatest achievements you can show off. Remember you are what you do: you do what you are, so help make our legacy live on. Thank you for all you do Twyla Bauch-Scofield - Historian/Media Relations Chairman 59990 279 th St., Litchfield MN 55355 toyajean@hotmail.com (320) 894-4275
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota HOSPITAL Bulletin #2 - August 2018 Fall Conference is just around the corner. We will be having a Basket raffle at the conference. If Auxiliaries from 2, 4, 6 & 8 would bring an item for the raffle, that would be wonderful. It does not need to be a basket, you can bring any item. Keep our male members in mind when you decide what you would like to donate. Presidents, I hope the hospital program is in your budget for this year, you can pay your $2.00 per member for the Hospital and VFS program anytime, the sooner the better. Remember Christmas at the Hospital donations need to be paid by December 1 st, to ensure the money gets to the Hospital Representatives in time to hand out to the patients for Christmas. How do we recruit new volunteers? Check at your church, your neighbors, ask at membership dinners, post a sign at your local post, ask coworkers, a note in your newsletter, on your website or Facebook. Have you asked your new members to join you for an event? Reports from the Veterans Homes: Fergus Falls Veterans Home I will be the Fergus Falls Veterans Home Chairman for the upcoming year. At Veterans Home, June 30th was the Stars and Stripes Parade. It was a beautiful day and my granddaughter Megan helped pass out cool pops. In July there was the 4th celebration and on the 13th was the Family Picnic. The Family Picnic is an event that the residents and their families look forward to. There continues to be the popular bingo games. On July 27th, some of the residents will be going to the Fargo Air Show and I will help make ice cream sundaes for the residents who don t go to the air show. Thank you for all your generous donations. Without the support of the auxiliaries, the residents would not be able to enjoy the activities and treats throughout the year. I will have information on needs at the Fall Conference in Willmar. Celia Piippo Fergus Fall Veterans Home Chairman Silver Bay Veterans Home The residents at Silver Bay have been busy. The 1 st Friday of the month in Big Buck Bingo or they can go out for breakfast. There is also an Ice Cream Social and music. Every Monday the 5 th grade students come and play Keno with the residents. In July the 4 th and 5 th grade students from Churchill School came and played bingo and served hot dogs and hamburgers to the residents. They also brought patriotic cupcakes to pass out. Lil LaVoy Silver Bay Veterans Home Chairman Karen Haugen, Chairman 1810 17 th St S. Moorhead, MN 56560 701.367.1518 karenhaugen@midco.net
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota LEGISLATIVE Bulletin #2 - August 2018 Here are the National VFW Priority Goals for 2018. I will continue to highlight one each month and describe what is under each topic. This month is workforce development. National VFW Priority Goals Budget Work Force Development and Accountability Healthcare Compensation and Benefits Education, Employment and Transition Assistance Defense and Homeland Security Military Quality of Life POW/MIA Work Force Development and Accountability - Improve hiring authorities to recruit and retain a high quality workforce. Provide quality training programs for employees and managers. The VA, DoD, and other Federal agencies need to recruit and retain the best. They need to have competitive salaries and benefits. Here is an action alert sent out by the VFW on July 5th: Do not let Congress balance the budget on the backs of retirees! Background: TRICARE fees and costs were recently changed. Military retirees who entered the military after January 1, 2018 will be required to pay more for TRICARE benefits than current retirees. Military retirees have been exempt from most increases. Now Congress wants to change the terms of its deal with military retirees by removing that exemption and significantly increasing TRICARE costs for current retirees. Take action: Contact your Senators and Representative to demand that they reject any TRICARE fee increases for current beneficiaries and tell them they must not balance the budget on the backs of military retirees. Get out and vote August 14 in the Minnesota primary election. Cleo Bonham- Chairman 4727 White Oak Ct. Eagan MN 55122 651-208-3744 cleobonham@gmail.com
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota Department of Minnesota Membership Chairman Sonia Tatge 322 Trondheim Rd Kenyon, MN 55946 507-789-6240 statge@frontiernet.net MEMBERSHIP & RECRUITMENT Bulletin #1 - July 2018 National Membership Ambassador Nicole Koutz reminds us of the importance of getting members to pay their dues and to recruit new members as well. Membership is vital to our organization. Without the membership, we could not conduct our programs successfully to benefit our veterans, their families, and the military. Remember our goals: Recruit New Members, Retain Current Members, and Grow the Organization. Membership is a team effort! Every one of us has an obligation to find those potential members and ask them to join. It will take every one of us working together to build a strong foundation for the future of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and to serve our Veterans. AUXILIARY AWARDS AND DEADLINES: Three awards are being offered by National to help you reach the 100%+ goal that we have this year: (National Program Book is online for more information) 1. Conference Vs. Conference: The Conference with the highest total percentage by December 31, 2018, will earn $50 for each Department in that Conference. We will be working with all states in our Big 10 Conference. 2. Outstanding Fact Sheet or Brochure 2018-2019 Program Year: This award is for $50 to one Auxiliary in each Program Division with the most outstanding fact sheet or brochure used as a membership recruitment tool. One entry from each Department will be judged by the criteria on the guide sheet. Auxiliary entries from Minnesota are due to MN Department Membership Chairman Sonia Tatge by December 31, 2018. (Please send two copies of the brochure.) Entries will be judged and one entry will be sent to the National Membership Ambassador Nicole. Please follow the guidelines and criteria on the enclosed information sheet! 3. Outstanding Training and Promotion: Auxiliary Membership Chairmen, this is your chance to win a National Award. To participate, you need to send to your MN Department Membership Chairman Sonia Tatge exact information on how you trained your Auxiliary members in the art of recruitment (training materials, PowerPoints, handouts, etc.). Deadline is December 31, 2018. Make a commitment! Get your Auxiliary involved NOW! BELIEVE - WE CAN DO IT!!
Membership & Recruitment Award for Auxiliaries No. 2 Criteria for Outstanding Fact Sheet or Brochure 2018-2019 Program Year Award No 2: $50 to one Auxiliary in each Program Division with the most outstanding fact sheet or brochure used as a membership recruitment tool. One entry from each Department will be judged by the criteria on the guide sheet. Auxiliary entries are due to the Department Chairman by December 31, 2018. One entry from each Department is due to the National Membership Ambassador by January 31, 2019. Requirements: No more than one (1 page) Must be typed Must list the Auxiliary Name, Number, City and State Must use the VFW Auxiliary emblem with tagline Fact Sheets will be judged on the following: Does it say who we are and what we do? Does it include contact information (a name, phone number and email address)? Does it list a website or Facebook page? Is each National Program listed? Are prior year achievements/statistics provided for each National Program? (ex: VFW Auxiliary 12345 helped 67 veterans in the Springfield area in 2017-2018) Does it include a testimonial? Is it visually appealing? Is the imagery (photos) relevant? Is there too little or too much text? LOCAL AUXILIARES: Entries are due to Department Membership & Recruitment Chairman by December 31, 2018. DEPARTMENT CHAIRMEN: Entries are due to Nicole Koutz, National Membership & Recruitment Ambassador, by January 31, 2019.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM AUGUST 2018 - BULLETIN #2 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 also have the Marcella Arnold Nursing Scholarship. Please be looking for more information as the year goes on regarding the other scholarships Now is the time to get into the schools to talk to your teachers, on all levels, and get them the information that is needed to for any child to participate in one of these contests 2018-2019 Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Contest All students grades 9 12 Theme Why My Vote Matters Deadlines: Entries to VFW Post Midnight, October 31 Completion of Post Judging - November 15 Completion of District Judging - December 15 Completion of Department Judging - January 10 Department Winner to VFW National Headquarters - January 15 National Awards 1 st place $30,000 scholarship 2 nd place $16,000 scholarship 3 rd place $10,000 scholarship 4 th - 36 th places $7,000 to $1,500 scholarship 37 th - 54 th places $1,000 scholarship All department winners will enjoy an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C., where their essays will compete in the final competition.
2018 2019 Patriots Pen Essay Contest All students grades 6-8 Theme Why I Honor the American Flag Deadlines: Entries to VFW Post- Midnight, October 31 Completion of Post Judging - November 15 Completion of District Judging - December 15 Completion of Department Judging - January 10 Department Winner to VFW National Headquarters - January 15 National Awards 1 st place $5,000 2 nd place $4,000 3 rd place $3,500 4 th - 46 th places $2,750 to $500 Continuing Education Scholarship Deadline: February 15 This is for US! It is for Auxiliary members {who have been a member for at least a year}, and their spouses and children with financial need to continue their education. Must be 18 years old, complete the application and submit an essay of 300 words or less. $1,000 will be awarded to an applicant in each of the four Conferences. Applications are available at: www.vfwauxiliary.org/scholarships Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest We ve some exciting news in the increase in money that will be awarded to our Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. $8,500 was added to the total prize money this year thanks to the National Council of Administration The breakdown is as follows: First Place $15,000 Second Place $7,500 Third Place $3,500 Fourth Place $1,500 Fifth through Eighth Place $500 All students grades 9-12, (no older than 18} Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. No Digital Art or Photography. Artwork must be on canvas or paper. It will be judged on patriotic theme and technique.
Deadlines: Entries received by local Auxiliary March 31 Entries received by Department April 15 Entries received by National Headquarters May 5 Here are some tips for submitting winning applications: Read all the guidelines ahead of time Make sure you are eligible before you begin Pay close attention to deadlines Include your contact information in the designated space Answer all the questions Properly display artwork Stay within your word count limits Be conscious of proper spelling and grammar Choose good references when requested. Follow instructions for following up on your application status Remember, it s ok to ask questions. The winning of a National Award can be done rather easily. But first they have to enter the contest. Get into the schools and push these awesome contests in your community. If your schools won't let you in, go to church youth groups, sports teams, 4H groups. Where ever there are kids, drop off the information and applications. The applications can be found on the National VFW website and the Minnesota VFW Auxiliary website. The addresses can be found below. Minnesota Auxiliary Website www.mnvfwauxiliary.org National VFW Website www.vfw.orq/community/youth-and-education SWAP (Sharing Wonderful Auxiliary Projects) Don t forget Home School Students! Some local Home School associations for each state can be found at www.homefires.com/state.asp Tim Haugen Department Scholarship Chairman 1810 17 th St S Moorhead, MN 56560 701.261.6973 Timhaugen74@gmail.com
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Minnesota YOUTH ACTIVITIES Bulletin #2 - August 2018 Youth Activities, what is the purpose? To instill in the hearts of our youth, a firm belief in the principles of our Republic and reverence for the Flag of the United States; to develop character, cooperation, leadership, self-reliance, a willingness to assume responsibility for themselves and respect for their elders, family, community and veterans. School will be starting soon and it is a great time to get out there and contact your local schools and tell them about the VFW Auxiliary. Look up the local girl and Boy Scout groups in your town. Find the contact and see if they are interested in helping out with any events, you have planned. I am sure they will be. Look at the VFW Store for anything you can hand out or give away including pens, pencils and RAP coins. There is also resources you can use free from the VFW Auxiliary website. There are Random Acts of Patriotism cards you can print and hand them out free. Here is the link to these templates. https://vfwauxiliary.org/resources/. You will also find certificates you can print out free. Looks a lot better on your end of year report when you can say you participated and it doesn t cost anything but your effort as chairperson. Reminder that last year s Patriotic Art Explorers Contest has been renamed MN Middle School Creative Art Contest. The due dates have also changed to: January 15, 2019 Entries Due to Auxiliaries January 31, 2019 Entries Due to District February 28, 2019 Entries Due to Department Remember Youth Activities crosses over to many other programs. Double up and help with other programs like Americanism and Scholarship. Both of these involve youth. If a Family Freedom Festival is held by your auxiliary or district, take pictures and give away items to the youth that attend. Even with membership, we forget that 10 th Graders and up are eligible to be members. How many 16 year olds do we have as members? The youth are another untapped membership resource we can t forget about. Dave Scofield Department of Minnesota Youth Activities Chairman 59990 279 th St., Litchfield MN 55355 Dave.Scofield@outlook.com (320) 894-4246
WHO: Minnesota Students Grades 6-8 Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary 2019 Annual Contest MN Middle School Creative Art Contest WHAT: WHEN: 2-Dimensional, Original Patriotic Art Contest The MN Middle School Creative Art Contest for students (grades 6-8) is a Minnesota only contest and will follow the same basic guidelines as the National Scholarship s Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Entries should be submitted to Local Auxiliaries by January 15, 2019, Local Winners sent to District by January 31, 2019 and District Winners sent to Department by February 28, 2019. 2018-2019 THEME: 5 Branches of Service Minnesota students in grades 6-8th are to create a piece of art depicting the US Army. Guidelines: Deadlines: Awards: Art pieces should be 2-dimensional and no larger than 11 x 17 (portrait or landscape) and no thicker than 1/4 of an inch. All work should be completed in pencil, crayon, paint, charcoal, marker and the like. A short description of the artwork is to be included. No digital artwork will be accepted. Entries will be judged on theme and technique. January 15, 2019 Entries Due to Auxiliaries January 31, 2019 Entries Due to District February 28, 2019 Entries Due to Department Auxiliaries and Districts are encouraged to fund awards for 3 winners just as you might for your Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Auxiliaries and Districts only forward their first place winner to District and Department. Department of Minnesota VFW Auxiliary Awards: First Place $300.00 Second Place $200.00 Third Place $100.00 Questions: Any Auxiliary Questions can be directed to: Dave Scofield, Department Youth Activities Chair 59990 279th St. Litchfield, MN 55355 dave.scofield@outlook.com Phone: 320-894-4246 See Reverse Side for Application Form