Category: Commentary

By Harold Rodenberger

 

The Autumn equinox was a few days ago on September 23rd. The days are getting shorter and school kids have returned to their classes. Please drive carefully, especially around our schools with their precious, but sometimes preoccupied or inattentive, children.

 

Our Service Officer, Joseph Mesa, had to return to California to handle some urgent family affairs so has been dealing by telephone and mail with veterans seeking help with their claims. When ready, the veteran brings them in and we fax them to our Department VSO for review and transmittal to the VA. Being involved with this process has reminded me of the importance of all eligible veterans going to the VA Hospital to get their names and medical conditions on the Agent Orange or Burn Pit Registries.

 

Speaking of the VA Hospital, in another month we will be making our Veterans Day visit to the patients. If you have old copies of magazines from the VFW, or other veterans organizations, please bring them to the office so our ambassadors of goodwill can take them to pass out to interested patients.

 

Our new VFW year started in July. As happens every year, we lost members due to deaths, lapses in membership and other causes. Our state headquarters has offered a substantial monetary prize if we can reach 100% membership by December 31st. Please look for potential new members; they plus renewals are the lifeblood of our organization. The VFW National Headquarters doesn’t count annual members until they pay their dues. If your membership lapses this year, or before July 1st next year, please consider paying your dues before December 20th so we have a chance to win the membership prize. Some people think that if they renew early they might lose the time between then and their regular renewal day. Not to worry, your membership year will remain the same, it just helps us get to that magic number sooner. Thank you for helping us win.

 

Two raffle prizes came in after the fund raiser. At the social on October 17th we will raffle off an autographed Seahawks football and eight rounds of mini-golf at InterBay golf course. Please attend the social for a chance to win.

 

If you are interested in passing out poppies or helping during our visit to the VA Hospital on Veterans Day, please let Commander Fitzgerald, 206-619-9521, or myself (206-972-2135) know so we can get you on the schedule.

By Harold Rodenberger

 

Welcome to our new VFW year. Last year was a busy and productive one with the building remodel (detailed elsewhere in this paper)  high on our priority list. We are moving into the new year with enthusiasm, determined to keep this project high in our sights as we as a post, narrow down the alternatives and arrive at a decision that will benefit the VFW, other veterans organizations, our community and, most of all, our members, present and future.

 

Congratulations to our new officers who were installed May 2 at the business meeting and took office last week, after our Washington State Commander was installed. I am confident they will continue the fine work of their predecessors and continue to lead the post toward our goals.

 

When I think back over the 2018-19 year, several things deserve special mention. Again this year, thanks to all who brought in new members, we achieved 100 percent membership. This time reaching that 100% mark by December 31st thus setting a new record for our post.

 

Our Post 3063 Auxiliary is enjoying a revival. President Donna is supported by a good slate of officers but they are still looking for active additions to their rolls so if you have qualified family members, please encourage them to join our auxiliary.

 

Our outgoing service officer, Leo Potts, raised money to take a group of veterans to Washington, D.C. to tour the military monuments and take a cruise on the Potomac River. Since he and Suzanne are moving to Spain in the fall, he has been helping our incoming service officer, Joseph Mesa, learn the ropes and continue to provide the same outstanding service to our members and other veterans that Leo, and before him, Gail Engler, have provided.

 

Our Post 3063 Honor/Color Guard participated in many ceremonies, including a graveside service for our 106-year old WWII member, Joe Small, when we braved a snowstorm to render proper honors to our departed comrade.

 

Remember the picnic scheduled for August at the Seelig’s place on Lake Serene. It promises to be a good time for all. Hamburgers, hot dogs and soft drinks furnished, bring anything else you want to eat or drink.

 

Happy Fourth of July! Remember, the business meeting in July is postponed from the 4th to the 11th.

 

Finally, THANK YOU for being a member of our post! It is only through your continued membership that we can support veterans’ goals at all levels, from local to national.

By Pete Krawitz

 

This will be the last column I write as Post Commander. I first wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all once more for giving me the opportunity to lead the post for the last two years. It’s been a very fulfilling and challenging experience. I appreciate the willingness of many of the post members to try some new things, like modified meeting formats and leveraging more technology in our operations. Now, it’s time to hand off the gavel to Joe Tiffany, who I’m confident will bring a fresh perspective to the podium. I look forward to supporting Joe and the new leadership team.

 

Over the last 24 months, we’ve been able to work together to become the largest post in the Seattle District. We’ve built stronger ties with other VSOs, community groups, and local businesses. We are also slowly working on improving our business continuity practices and leveraging technology which will help make running the post more accessible for our current and future officers.

 

We have some exciting projects on the horizon and we’ll need all of the help we can get. Whether you’ve been a member of the post for 40 years or 4 months, there are various post officer positions and committees that could use your expertise. Talk to members of the leadership team if you are interested in helping out in any capacity.

 

While I have moved a bit further away, I still plan to stick with post 3063 for the foreseeable future, the community that welcomed me and my family to Ballard 5 years ago. It’s a community that I’m very proud to be a part of.

By Joe Tiffany

 

First I’d like to say how proud I am to be installed as Post Commander of Ballard Eagleson Post 3063. As I write this I am getting ready for the Department of Washington 99th State Convention in Vancouver, Wash. where I officially become Post Commander. I look forward to our upcoming year. We have many exciting items at hand. There are, and will be, many opportunities for all hands to be involved. Please don’t be shy; get involved and join in. If you have a question please ask. I am of the school of thought that the only dumb question is the one not asked.

 

Thank you to Commander Pete Krawitz for your two years of leadership and “always moving forward” mentality that you brought to our post. I’d also like to say a special thank-you to Jan (Pete’s mother) who is always going above and beyond with her help; and the unsung heroes – the House Committee and Trustees. Maybe not every member understands your duties or functions, but those that do are extremely grateful. That also applies to the entire leadership team. And last, but surely not least, is Quartermaster and District 2 Senior Vice Commander Harold Rodenberger who is the post’s backbone. Without his conscientious efforts, our post just wouldn’t be the squared-away post it is.

 

Thank you all.  I look forward to working with each and every one of you.