News

Member in Distress: Comrade’s Daughter Fighting Cancer

It was recently brought to Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger’s attention that Comrade Evan Turner’s seven-month-old baby daughter, Lillian, was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, Stage 4S in April.

 

Comrade Evan Turner and his daughter Lillian.
Comrade Evan Turner and his daughter Lillian.

Comrade Turner and his wife have started a GoFundMe page, and it says, “Although unexpected and heartbreaking, the cancer was found early. The Doctors are optimistic that Lillian will respond well to treatment and live a long life. Evan and Rachel are prepared to do whatever they have to do for their little girl. Their future consists of surgeries, additional cancer treatment, constant observation by the Pediatric Oncology team at Seattle Children’s, a lot of traveling, various therapies, not to mention the vast amount of unseen costs for potential therapy associated with aggressive cancer treatment in the years to come.”

 

If you would like to donate to Lillian’s cause, please visit her GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/lillians-battle-with-neuroblastoma.

 

Fishing For Members

By Harold Rodenberger

 

Quartermaster Rodenberger with his salmon catch.
Quartermaster Rodenberger with his salmon catch.

Washington State VFW Junior Past Commander (2016-2017) Elmer Clark developed a membership program called “Fishing for Members” as a major goal of his year. He was determined to achieve 100% membership so challenged our members by entering each person who recruited five new or reinstated members into a drawing for an all-expenses paid fishing trip out of Westport.

 

As the end of the year approached, it appeared we would come up a little short but our posts pitched in for a last-minute push and on the last day we made it. For the first time in 15 years Washington state achieved over 100% membership.

 

Our post did its part by achieving 106% membership, well above the goal. Your post quartermaster was lucky enough to win one of the spots on the charter and caught the two biggest fish, Chinook salmon weighing 21 and 19 pounds. The limit is one Chinook so I gave one away.

 

Commander and QM Receive White Hats at State Convention

The VFW’s Washington State Department convened June 21-24 at the Hilton Hotel in Olympia.

 

There were workshops for service officers, quartermasters, and recruiters. The business sessions covered communications from national; proposed changes to our state bylaws; reports and updates from all the

Nestor Tamayao and Harold Rodenberger wear their newly-awarded “White Hats.”
Nestor Tamayao and Harold Rodenberger wear their newly-awarded “White Hats.”

state officers and committee chairs; and nominations, elections and installation of officers at state level.

 

Former Commander Nestor Tamayao and Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger received “White Hats” for completing various reports on time, membership goal achievement, attendance at district meetings/workshops, community activities, and other factors. Post 3063 achieved approximately 106% of the post’s membership goal for the prior year.

 

Around 10% of commanders and quartermasters in the state received the white hat so it’s a big honor and achievement for a VFW post. Kudos and congratulations!