Commander’s Corner (October 2023)

By Alyson Teeter

Fall is here so that means we’re in the midst of Post 3063’s fundraising season. As the Seelig family knows, planning and executing a fundraising event is no easy feat. Please show up and support your fellow veterans on Oct. 21! It only takes 15 seconds to RSVP here so do it now. (So far we have less than 15.)

Here are a few events coming up this week:
Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m. – Deployment care package assembly with the Fremont Rotary at the post
Oct. 4 at 3:30 p.m. – Public comment about the Memorial Stadium Memorial Wall landmark status; contact me for details.
Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. – Monthly Business Meeting

Another big item on our radar is the VFW’s Youth Essay Program. We have the high school level Voice of Democracy contest, middle school level Patriot’s Pen contest, and the VFW WA Department-sponsored elementary school level Youth Essay contest. Encourage your family, neighbors and friends to participate and submit their essays to the post by Oct. 31.

Looking ahead to next month, we’re in the early stages of planning a Veterans Day event at the post. If you want to help with the planning, let me know at [email protected].

Five and Five Discussion Group

Comrade David Tyner, a veteran new to VFW Post 3063, felt a deep concern for the loneliness that plagues many veterans. He devised a solution: the “Five and Five” discussion group. It launched Sept. 21 and provided a safe haven for veterans to share their military experiences without fear of judgment. Thank you to everyone who participated! Stay tuned for future Five and Five discussion group opportunities.

Post Installation for 2023-2024

At our May 1 business meeting, Post 3063 officers were installed for 2023-2024. The highlight was recognizing outgoing Post Quartermaster, Harold Rodenberger, for his service. For anybody who knows Harold, we can all agree that he has left an indelible mark on the post and membership.

Here are the elected and appointed officers serving for the next year:
Commander: Alyson Teeter
Senior Vice Commander: Mark English
Junior Vice Commander: Gabe Whetsel
Quartermaster: Harold Hamilton
Adjutant: Shennae Curtis
Service Officer: Joseph Mesa
Judge Advocate: Dan Stokke
Chaplain: Joe Fitzgerald
Surgeon: Robert Lehman
Officer of the Day and Guard: Vince Cardenas
3-Year Trustee: Harold Rodenberger
2-Year Trustee: John Ellingboe
1-Year Trustee: Aaron Stoltz
3-year House Committee: Jesse Basher
2-year House Committee: Robert Lehman
1-year House Committee: Gail Engler

Post re-branding update

While we’ve been working on updating the inside and outside of our post home, we’ve also been updating our digital presence. Our membership approved the new post logo at our February business meeting, which is now featured on our website and Facebook page. (We’ll start having swag made with the new logo too.) You’ll see that our website look was updated to reflect our new branding, along with this newsletter. Based on feedback from new members, we also created an Instagram account. Be sure to follow, like, share and engage with our social media accounts! 

Queen Anne & Magnolia News Profiles Comrade Bob Kettle

Check out this profile from the Queen Anne & Magnolia News about one of our comrades, Bob Kettle. He’s been a steadfast volunteer at Post 3063: he created and maintains our Facebook page and regularly emcees our annual Spaghetti Dinner. Bob is also a fierce local advocate to the city and school district for maintaining the Memorial Wall at Memorial Stadium. We are very fortunate to have him on our team as we continue to serve our community and veterans. Thank you for your dedication, Bob!