Category: Post Business

Quartermaster’s Update (October 2019)

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.

New Member Spotlight: Cole Russell

This is a recurring column that highlights new VFW Post 3063 members. Comrade Cole Russell joined the post in May 2019.

 

What motivated you to join the VFW?

Giving back to the local community while also working with a respected national organization.  It’s essentially the best of both worlds and enables its members to have an impact in both realms.  That and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow veterans of different backgrounds and generations.

 

What is your military background?

– University of Portland ROTC 2002-2007

– 12 years Active Duty USAF, Flight Test Engineer, 2007-2019, stationed in Eglin AFB, FL; Nellis AFB, NV; Edwards AFB, CA, and McChord AFB, WA.

– Washington Air National Guard, 194th Wing at Camp Murray, Cyber Officer, 2019+

 

Civilian job, education, family, hobbies, or anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?

Civilian job: Amazon Web Services MVP Team supporting Government Contracts

Family: Mom and Dad in Bellevue, Wife (Carmin), Dog (Theo), Cat (Mr. Bigglesworth)

Hobbies: Mountain climbing (did Baker earlier this year, Rainier last year, Mt. Kilimanjaro the year before), Snowboarding, Crossfit, Yoga, and local breweries.

 

What do you hope to achieve being a member of the VFW?

I hope to use the skills I have learned in the military, my current position in the ANG, and Amazon Warriors (internal military group), to facilitate as much local outreach and veteran support as possible in the Seattle community.

From the Commander (October 2019)

Comrades,

 

Since becoming Commander, we have had a busy start to the “VFW year.”

 

Our time has been occupied by the  Department (State) Convention in Vancouver, WA, the National Convention in Orlando, Florida, District Two (our district) meetings, and last but not least, the amazing fifth annual Spaghetti Fundraiser co-chaired by Russ and Kay Seelig.

 

The conventions are an amazing way to learn about the VFW and what we do, and the district meetings keep us in the loop on what is happening locally.

 

This year, like years in the past, the Spaghetti Dinner was amazing and I am so thankful to Russ, Kay and their crew for putting on this great event!

 

What I have learned so far is the amount of time our fellow comrades spend to pull all these events together and make our post look good. We, by definition are an organization of volunteerism and we are doing good, however there is always room to improve!

 

My goal is to get more people involved in volunteering and planning fundraisers and fun events to make our VFW one we can all be proud of. If you have ideas or want to jump in and volunteer, please reach out to me or any of our leadership for opportunities.

 

Commander Joe Tiffany

 

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill

 

Annual Fundraiser Yet Again an Outstanding Success

By Alyson Teeter

 

VFW Post 3063 hosted its Annual Spaghetti Fundraiser and Raffle Sept. 14, 2019. The annual tradition, which has been held at the post hall for a number of years, brought in $6,264.20: an increase of nearly $500 from 2018!

Raffle
The post hall was full of family and friends enjoying each other’s company.

The net proceeds will be deposited in the Post Relief Fund, which benefits a variety of causes, from local veterans in need — including those at the Seattle VA hospital — to the VFW’s National Home for Children.

 

As in past years, the hall was jam packed with comrades, family members, and friends due in large part to the Seelig family. Comrade Russ Seelig, Chef Kay Seelig, and their family performed a bulk of the work, from organizing the raffle to cooking the food. Their dedication was obvious by looking at the quality of raffle items, the large turnout, the taste of the food, and the comradery felt by all.

 

Thank you to all who volunteered and attended; please come again next year!