Post Achieves and Exceeds 100% Membership
Category: Recruiting
Quartermaster’s Update (January 2019)
By Harold Rodenberger
Halfway through our VFW year, it’s time for a State of The Post post.
Officers and members are sustaining our meeting attendance at healthy levels. Commander Pete is using the round table format, joint public meeting with our Auxiliary prior to the regular business meeting, and good visual aids to make a lively and interesting meeting. If you haven’t been to a meeting lately, come on in and join the excitement.
Kudos to our volunteer kitchen crew; Chef Kay, Linda, Jan, Jessica, Justin, Dan and others, who have delivered great spreads for the monthly socials. Can’t forget those who faithfully come out for socials to enjoy gourmet meals and support our post.
Our post Honor Guard participated in several ceremonies, most recently providing honors and firing the rifle salute for the Wreaths Around America ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery, Dec. 15. Commander Joe Fitzgerald, Drill Captain Anthony, along with expert riflemen Dan, Bill, Tiffany and Norm, put on impressive ceremonies, no matter the occasion.
We have been working hard on membership. At the time of this writing we made it to 100% of last year’s numbers.
Our Voice of Democracy winner, Kate, won the District 2 competition and advances to the state level. Our Middle School Teacher of the Year winner, Dan, also won at District level and moves up to the state competition. If you know a student from 5th grade through high school, please encourage them to enter one of the three levels of competition. If you know of teachers who go above and beyond, please consider nominating them.
We’ve hired an architectural/construction firm to assess the current state of our property and present us with recommendations for updating or remodeling our building. They are making good progress. Our Building Committee has toured similar venues and is developing strategic plans as we move forward.
There was a good fundraiser in September thanks to many volunteers, especially the Seelig family. Proceeds went to our Post Relief Fund which allows us to aid deserving charities and help our own members.
In the past six months we’ve accepted over 75 unserviceable American flags for proper disposal. Several people have told me how relieved they are to have found a way to properly dispose of their unserviceable flags and thanked our post members for performing this vital service.
We held one secure shredding party this year and have another scheduled for 8:30 am to 10:30 am, Jan. 21. Please bring your documents and encourage your friends and neighbors to come, in return for a donation to defray the cost of this truck.
Bottom line, our post is thriving, more events are happening, and officers and members are working on strategies for future development and growth. Thanks to each of you for being a member and supporting our veterans, their families and our community.
Quartermaster’s Update (October 2018)
By Harold Rodenberger
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the annual migration of the sun is more noticeable than in other places farther south.
The autumnal equinox (September 23rd this year), when our southbound sun crosses the equator each year, reminds the natural kingdoms to prepare in earnest for the winter. It reminds me that kids are back in school, the weather is turning colder and it’s time to air out the woolens. Well, maybe people don’t do that last so much anymore, but you get my drift, winter’s coming.
For VFW members, it’s time to get back to attending meetings and socials. Chef Kay has been putting on gourmet dinners for our social nights and Commander Pete’s new meeting format has drawn more attendees and participation. Remember, you can tune in our meetings no matter where you are by hooking up to our Zoom Remote broadcast. Connection info will be sent to your email address of record earlier on the day of the meeting. Warm up that laptop or smartphone and join us.
Why not make a note to save the first Thursday each month for our business meeting and the third Thursday for the social?
It’s also the time to check around our neighborhoods for potential members. New members usually don’t join our post if they aren’t asked. Even if your neighbor isn’t qualified, she may know someone nearby who is. The only way to find out is to ask.
Autumn is a good time of year to distribute Buddy Poppies. Our Buddy Poppy chair is Comrade Tiffany Cavin. She has a supply of special 9/11 commemorative poppies. Please contact her at 253-327-8906 or [email protected] if you are interested in helping with this project.
November brings Veterans Day, another day to help our poppy-making veterans. Our Ballard teams will be distributing Buddy Poppies that weekend. Again, if you are interested in helping this vital effort, please contact Comrade Tiffany.
Finally, as the sun moves farther south, remember to be safe out there. Street crosswalks, sidewalks and even the steps to your back porch can be dangerous as daylight ends earlier. Keep an eye out for hazards and especially watch out for children.
New Member Spotlight: Comrade Leo Potts
This is a recurring column that highlights new VFW Post 3063 members. Comrade Leo Potts joined the post in April 2018.
What motivated you to join the VFW? I enjoy the camaraderie with other soldiers.
What is your military background? Originally enlisted as E–1 and was an infantry soldier, Was talked into joining ROTC and became an officer in 1987. Combat Engineer, got out in 1991, got back in 2000. Deployed to Iraq & Afghanistan, retired in 2015 as a major. There’s more but I don’t want to bore you.
Civilian job, education, family, hobbies, or anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself? I’m fully retired and what I do for fun is travel, vacation, help other soldiers get their benefits, and help other people travel and vacation more.
What do you hope to achieve being a member of the VFW? I want to be part of a family, military family, and whatever I can do to help the unit I plan on doing that.
Auxiliary Corner: What’s Membership?
By Donna Limric
The auxiliary supports the veterans and our communities so that they may be well. Most civic organizations have an auxiliary of some kind and the VFW is no exception. We raise funds, volunteer our time, and collect goods for organizations that serve our vets, military families and our community at large. For example, we raise money for National Home which is an organization that provides temporary housing for families and children in need. In addition, we volunteer at the VA hospital and send care packages to military posts.
The auxiliary promotes and celebrates patriotism through the proper care and retirement of American flags. On Flag Day and Veterans Day we post flags at grave sites of the heroes who have passed on. We offer scholarships to our youth for art, writing and community service that demonstrates what patriotism means. When our membership grows we can do so much more, and more is needed.
The VFW Ballard Auxiliary needs members. If you have a spouse, late spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, or child who fought in a battle in a foreign war in the American Armed Forces, you qualify to join the VFW Auxiliary. It costs $50.00 to join but our auxiliary can sponsor you if you are unable to pay the dues. The Auxiliary provides advocacy to our lawmakers on behalf of our veterans and our armed forces to protect and improve benefits for our veterans, armed forces and their families. Members in our ranks means more people who have an interest in veterans and military issues. Finally, more members in our auxiliary means that we have more people to provide all the services our community and veterans need.
So, what’s in it for you? Being in the auxiliary is fun. You get to meet wonderful people who are dedicated to various projects. It is social. Last May I was involved in a group that hosted bingo for VA Hospital patients. We brought sandwiches, snacks, cake and ice cream. The patients got the chance to win vouchers for the hospital canteen. We had a blast! Last Memorial Day the post and auxiliary participated in a poppy drive in front of the QFC. People coming out of the store shared their stories of being a vet, or of the vets in their family. One lady from Britain shared her memories of doing poppy drives with her parents since she was a little girl. The auxiliary also has a scholarship program for members who face cancer that pays for treatment expenses. Your participation in the auxiliary would look great on a resume!
So, if you want to belong to a fun group of people who are dedicated to making a difference please consider joining the VFW Auxiliary. We would love to have you.