From the Commander (October 2017)

By Pete Krawitz

 

What a great way to end the summer. We pulled off a very successful spaghetti dinner and raffle event, raising over $4K for our various programs. A huge thank you to all who made this event a success. A special thank you to Comrade Russ Seelig, his wife, Kay, and their friends and family who volunteered a significant amount of time coordinating the event.

 

I’d also like to acknowledge the great work our color guard is doing. Many of you had a chance to witness the color guard in action during the Spaghetti Dinner. The team looked sharp! As of late, we’ve been receiving many requests for our color guard to conduct ceremonies at various events in the region. We are not only honoring our veterans, flag, and country during these events but are also increasing Post 3063’s visibility in the community. I’d like to thank all of the members of the color guard for their hard work and dedication. I’d also like to thank Comrades Bill Hoeller and Joe Fitzgerald for their hard work in planning, equipping, and leading the color guard. For those who might be interested in joining, please reach out to Comrade Joe Fitzgerald ([email protected]).

 

We’ve also been pretty fortunate to attract quite a few new members over the past few months. Many of these new members have dove right in and have been assisting with some of the activities around the post. To some of the newer members, we still have a few committees that I’d like to see brought online. The Community Activities and Scholarship committees in particular. If you are interested in leading either of these committees, please let me know.

 

Changing gears ever so slightly, I’d like to discuss one project that we will be working on over the next few months. As many of you know, we’ve been discussing the idea of refurbishing the post for a few years now. The purpose of a refurbishment would be to make the facility more attractive, comfortable, and accessible for our members and also increase the hall’s rental desirability and value. Before we can make any proposals on the refurbishment front, we’ve determined that we need a better understanding of our current situation. Over the next few months, I’ll be working hand-in-hand with the house committee and quartermaster to analyze our facility’s operation and maintenance situation. While the post’s finances are relatively stable, we want to ensure that we are planning accordingly and maintain this stability for many years to come. To keep our finances healthy, especially in this rapidly changing and expensive city, we need to make sure that we can adapt to the changing needs and preferences of our communities, both the veteran community and the Ballard / Seattle community. We will be sharing regular updates as we make progress with our analysis.

 

I look forward to seeing you at our next business meeting.

 

October 2017 Newsletter Available for Download

Ballard Eagleson VFW Post 3063’s October 2017 newsletter is available for download here. Highlights include September Spaghetti Fundraiser Nets $4K for Relief Fund; 105 year-old WWII Vet Joins Post During Birthday Party; Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Essays due Oct. 31; and Veteran Designation Available for WA State Driver’s Licenses.

Veteran Designation Available for WA State Driver’s Licenses

Courtesy of VFW Department of WA Facebook Page

 

You can now get a Veteran designation on your WA driver licenses or ID card. If you’re only changing your veterans status, you will get a replacement license with the veteran status added for free. (If you’re renewing your license or adding an endorsement you will need to pay the normal fees for that.)

 

WA Vets License

Bring your DD Form 214 that shows “honorable” or “general under honorable conditions” status to a driver licensing office. If you don’t have your DD Form 214 you can request your military service records online, by mail, or by fax at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records.

 

More information about the license is available at http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/military.html.

 

Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Essays due Oct. 31

Courtesy of VFW.org

 

Established in 1947, the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. The 2017-18 theme is “American History: Our Hope for the Future.”

 

Each year more than 132,000 students in grades 6-8 enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest. The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief. The 2017-18 theme is “America’s Gift to My Generation.”

 

Want to apply for either of these scholarships? Go to https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships, read the entry rules, and download the entry form before you submit your essay to Post 3063. The deadline for entering either contest is October 31, 2017. For more information, contact Harold Rodenberger at [email protected].