By Alyson Teeter
Greetings comrades! I’ve been back for a few days from our state’s Mid-Winter Conference and the fresh ideas I heard from VFW comrades near and far (and even our own post) were inspiring. It renewed my motivation to press ahead on our post interior refresh.
- The Boy Scouts will paint our lounge soon and we’ll need to thoughtfully decorate in a way that is inviting to members and potential recruits. Tell me if you can help with this.
- We must eventually address the recommended infrastructural upgrades in the 2019 architectural review but also quickly take action on low-cost/easy upgrades.
New members — Comrades Randy Brock and Jon Thurman — had insightful thoughts about our recruiting and retention efforts from a new member perspective. His main point: we need to improve our vibe and attract post-9/11 veterans if we want to stay relevant. I totally agree. Let’s stay focused on this goal.
Speaking of recruiting, we must build off our year last year and increase our participation in local events. In addition to the Seafood Fest, we should consider staffing booths at the:
- Fremont Fair
- Ballard Farmer’s Market
- Grocery stores
Buddy Poppies, benefit information and applications are a must at all these events. Most of all we need folks willing to put themselves out there to recruit and show the community that we’re here and have a mission to help veterans.
Lastly, none of these plans can come to fruition without the hard work of volunteers. Our steadfast super star volunteer, Comrade Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger, would like to fully enjoy retirement and has asked that we replace him during the next election cycle, which starts in March. If the prospect of being QM scares the crap out of you, I get it. Harold has been performing duties for various post positions over the years, which isn’t sustainable. The plan is to spread the duties amongst others so that our future Quartermaster can focus on their core volunteer duties. If you enjoy business management and administration, the QM gig would be your jam. Please let Harold know if you’d like more information.
See you at Thursday’s meeting!