Monday, October 26, 2015

Youth Activities: Ask Youth to Help You Recognize Veterans this Fall & Winter

Joan Penney
2015-2016 Youth Activities
National Ambassador

I love this time of year! Baseball is coming to a close with the Royals winning the World Series (at least I hope they do!), Chiefs football is in full swing (though they're not doing too well), University of Kentucky basketball is ready for a full court press, and kids are in school and looking forward to fall and winter break! And, most importantly, there are several days left in the year to recognize and honor our veterans. Some ideas on ways to get youth involved on these special days are listed below:

Veterans Day (November 11)
  • Invite Boy Scout and/or Girl Scout troops to participate in flag retiring ceremonies.
  • Ask ROTC cadets to honor veterans with active involvement in burial detail.
  • Encourage young people to help with placement of flags at cemeteries.
  • Involve families in Buddy Poppy drives.
  • Ask if Buddy Poppies can be distributed at local sports events.  If there is time during half time or before the game, show “The Veterans Behind the "Buddy"® Poppy”
  • (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TUjEMJjSZY)
 
Thanksgiving (November 26)
  • Ask youth to help with the collection, assembly, and distribution of food baskets for those in need.
  • In reflection of all we have to be thankful for, ask local schools to participate in a clothing or toiletry drive for Operation Stand Down.
  • Have youth create Thanksgiving-related crafts to give to veterans.
  • Visit the National Organization's "All About Thanksgiving" Pinterest board for more ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/vfwauxiliary/all-about-thanksgiving/
 
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7)

Christmas (December 25)

  • Invite the school choir to join VFW and Auxiliary members at VA Facilities to serenade the patients with song.
  • Encourage youth to “adopt a grandparent” and commit to visiting with, reading to, sharing stories with and writing letters for their “grandparent.”
  • Ask young people to help collect, box and ship items to deployed service members.
  • Have youth create holiday-related crafts to give to veterans.
  • Visit the National Organization's "All About Christmas/Winter" Pinterest board for more ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/vfwauxiliary/all-about-christmaswinter

Winter months

  • This time of year is a great time to encourage teens to participate in the Legislative Program by voter registration. 
  • Invite local candidates to the post for town hall meetings/debates. Ask your local high school debate team and/or civics class to ask questions of the candidates. 
Teens + informed voters = leaders of tomorrow
 
A big shout out to Auxiliary #10281, Vine Grove, KY!
On September 19, VFW Auxiliary #10281, Vine Grove, Kentucky hosted its annual POW/MIA Recognition program. The North Hardin High School JROTC Honor Guard performed the POW/Missing Man Table Ceremony. The Auxiliary awarded the JROTC program with a $500.00 donation to the North Hardin High School Holiday Canned Food Drive benefiting the local community.
 
What a wonderful way to both involve youth AND support those in need!

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Veterans & Family Support: Unmet Needs Disaster Assistance and "The Veterans Behind the “Buddy”® Poppy"

Laurie Dale
2015-2016 Veterans & Family Support
National Ambassador


The Veterans Behind the “Buddy”® Poppy


“The Veterans Behind the “Buddy®” Poppy” video is out, and I am so proud of all the hard work everyone did to put this together. This great tool will show members and the public the behind the scenes work that goes into the assembly of the  “Buddy®” Poppy, while you get to know some of the veterans who assemble them and what it means to them to be able to be a part of this great VFW program!

The “Buddy®” Poppy Program provides so much to so many and it is our job to educate everyone about the “Buddy®” Poppy, including the behind the scenes things that go on. When we are distributing the “Buddy®” Poppy, we often explain that the monies received from donations goes into the Relief Fund to assist veterans, but how many of us tell the person on the street about the veterans and family members that assemble the poppies and what they gain from doing this task? 

If you have a tablet or laptop with WiFi, you could show this video at an Auxiliary meeting or have it playing at your next “Buddy®” Poppy drive. You can also share the video on your Facebook page! Don't have the means, time or equipment to show the video? That’s okay! You can still put an article about the “Veterans Behind the “Buddy®” Poppy in your local newspaper, post the information on a bulletin board so people can view the video at home, include it in your Post/Auxiliary newsletter or give an oral presentation to other civic organizations so they learn the story. Anywhere you look, there is potential to share this information!

You can find a link to both the video and the September 2015 VFW Auxiliary Magazine article “The Veterans Behind the “Buddy®” Poppy” on the VFW Auxiliary website under the “Programs” tab, “Veterans & Family Support.”



VFW Unmet Needs Disaster Assistance


Fires. Floods. Hurricanes. Tornadoes. These natural disasters can cause our service men and women to be burdened by circumstances beyond their control. The VFW Unmet Needs Disaster Assistance program proudly stands ready to assist our service men and women when they are burdened by a state-declared natural disaster such as a fire, flood, hurricane or tornado.
Important information about the VFW Unmet Needs Disaster Assistance program:
  • The service member or veteran MUST have served on active-duty other than training within the past 72 months in order to qualify. 
  • Assistance is limited to natural disasters which have damaged or forced the service member to vacate their primary residence. 
  • Assistance does not apply to vehicle damage or vehicle insurance deductibles. 
  • one page application for Natural Disaster Assistance must be completed. 
  • The application must be received within 30 days of the state-declared natural disaster

The Unmet Needs Program’s Natural Disaster Assistance is as follows:
  • Total loss of the primary residence:  $500
  • Power loss or damage to the home:  $300
The application can be found at www.vfw.org under the Assistance” tab,“Financial Aid/Assistance,” Unmet Needs Disaster Resources. Completed applications can be emailed to unmetneeds@vfw.org or faxed to (816) 968-2779.

If you would like to contribute to the VFW Unmet Needs Program, you can find the Unmet Needs Donation Form on the VFW website under "Unmet Needs Resources" and you can send it to:

VFW Unmet Needs Program
406 West 34th St.
Suite 920
Kansas City, MO 64111





Monday, October 19, 2015

Scholarships: Deadlines. Deadlines. Deadlines.

Kim Lewis
2015-2016 Scholarships
National Ambassador

The end of October is almost here and that means the November 1 entry deadline for the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen contests is near! Please follow-up with the schools, students, teachers and parents you provided applications to; offer to pick up the student entries.

Post judging should be completed by November 15 and winners sent immediately to the District level by your VFW. Some VFW District Chairman may want the Post-winning entries by November 15; to be sure, defer this deadline to your VFW Post Chairman. Remember, this is a VFW program and we are to assist.

The 2015-2016 Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen Chairman's Manual and contest score sheets can be found on the National Organization's website, under "Programs," and "Resources." The manual contains helpful tips regarding judging these two contests. A few of the tips are listed below:

  • Select anywhere from three to nine judges. 
  • Judges should be from outside your Post/Auxiliary. 
  • Choose community leaders from:
    • TV/Radio
    • Newspapers
    • Small Businesses
    • Universities and/or Community Colleges
    • Civic Groups (Kiwanis, Lions Club, Rotary, American Legion, etc.)
  • Judges must not be in any way connected with any of the student participants.
  • For Voice of Democracy, each judge needs to listen to the recording only and given a VFW score sheet with the following criteria:
    • Originality (30 points)
    • Content (35 points)
    • Delivery (35 points)
  • For Patriot’s Pen, each judge should be given a copy of the essay and a VFW score sheet with the following criteria:
    • Theme Knowledge (30 points)
    • Theme Development (35 points)
    • Clarity of Ideas (35 points)
  • For both contests, the essays and recordings should be identified to the judges by number to ensure the anonymity of the student.  
  • Judges should not discuss the essays or recordings during the judging process, and should not have any contact with the students. The judges’ decisions are always final.
Hospitality Tips: If your judging is hosted in the morning, you may want to serve coffee, juice and a breakfast snack. If judging is during a meal time, provide a light meal and soft drinks.

Remember it is crucial the VFW Auxiliary Chairman at each level work together with their VFW counterpart. These are VFW contests; however, Auxiliary members work extremely hard for this program, and working together will help ensure a successful outcome.

Recognition 
Begin planning now how you are going to recognize winners and acknowledge all of your participants. It’s extremely important to let all students know we appreciate their efforts in entering these contests.

  • Is your VFW Auxiliary assisting the VFW in hosting an awards banquet or ceremony for participants? Not sure if there is an awards event planned? Ask! If nothing is planned, offer to help plan one! 
  • Notify your local media about the winners and/or your awards ceremony. Invite your local newspaper to cover your awards event; they love recognizing their local student’s efforts!
  • Did a particular school or teacher provide a significant number of entries? Send a thank you note to that school and/or teacher and ask to present certificates at a school assembly.
  • A simple thank you letter or note to all those who entered goes a long way.

Track, Track, Track
Do not forget to keep track of your VFW Auxiliary members’ participation. Take the time to jot down how many members helped with, and how much time was spent on one or both of these contests, including: distribution of brochures, selecting judges, setting up for judging and helping with the awards ceremony. This is extremely important when reporting to your Department’s Scholarship Chairman. Be sure YOU get the credit for the great work you do. Remember, every member, every hour, and every dollar reported rolls up to become next year’s VFW Auxiliary Fact Sheet that shows what great work this organization does.  Your report matters!

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Legislative: Three Ways to Promote This Program

Lois Callahan
2015-2016 Legislative
National Ambassador

Fall is finally here and the 2015-2016 VFW Auxiliary Program Year is in full swing! I have enjoyed reading your reports and learning innovative ways you have been promoting this vital program around our beautiful country; several are mentioned below:

Virginia Reihn, Department of Missouri:
Many high school seniors are of voting age, but might not be registered to vote. Contact the high schools in your area about hosting a voter registration drive and/or assisting those students in the registration process.

Karen Kaylor, Department of Texas:
Karen attended a "Meet the Congressman" forum in her home state and was photographed giving her Congressman a copy of the VFW Priority Goals pamphlet.

Jean Rosado, Department of Washington:
Jean provided all Auxiliaries in the Department of Washington with a "Legislative Chart." The chart tracks the following information from each Auxiliary:

  • Checkpoint sign-ups
  • Action Corp Weekly sign-ups
  • Number of Personal (face-to-face) Contacts made
  • Number of E-mails sent
  • Number of Faxes sent
  • Number of Letters sent
  • Number of Phone Calls made
  • Number of Town Hall Meetings attended
The "Legislative Chart" is a great way for your local Auxiliary to see how its contributions help the National Organization's Legislative Program as a whole. 

On a side note, several Department Chairmen have asked about reporting requirements.

Department Chairmen, you will find the selection criteria for the Outstanding Performance Award on page 1 of the 2015-2016 National Program Book under "Outstanding Performance Awards for Department Chairmen." These guidelines are for anyone wanting to achieve an Outstanding Performance Award.
 
In addition, it is the responsibility of each Department Chairman to track and report the information requested on the Year-End Report found on page 47 of the 2015-2016 National Program Book.

Keep up the great legislative work you are all doing on behalf of America's veterans, active-duty military and their families!


Monday, October 12, 2015

Chief of Staff/Extension: Mentoring

Barbara Melnick
2015-2016 National Chief of Staff/Extension

What is the difference between “I like you” and “I love you”?

Beautifully answered by Buddha: “When you like a flower, you just pluck it. But when you love a flower, you water it daily.”

Mentoring is just that - helping a person understand and grow, watching them learn about the Auxiliary - or life in general. It benefits all of us to mentor, not only new members joining the VFW Auxiliary, but each and every member.

Are you ready for the Mentoring Challenge? 
The answer is:  YES YOU ARE.
You have probably mentored more people than you even realize by:
•    Holding a position, either as an Officer or a Chairman.
•    Helping with several Auxiliary programs.
•    Answering questions about how and why things are done a certain way.
•    Showing you care about veterans and their families.
•    Showing how and why the VFW Auxiliary is important to you.

Any one of the above makes you qualified to mentor another member. You don’t have to be certified, a certain age, or a member for a certain number of years. All you have to do is CARE.

No one asks, “Do I want to be a Mentor?” Whether at work, school, church or the VFW Auxiliary, being a mentor is simply being you, and explaining things to people who do not know or understand something.

Take a new (or not-so-new) member for lunch or coffee, or even ask them to take a walk with you; get to know them and have them get to know you as a person outside of the Auxiliary. Learn their interests and how they can help the Auxiliary grow and become stronger. If they ask questions, be sure you are giving them proper information! The 2016 Podium Edition, National Organization’s website and 2015-2016 Program Book are the best places to find information and stay informed.

We are all mentors in our own right. It doesn’t happen overnight, but as days turn into weeks, and weeks into months, and months into years, we watch our fellow Auxiliary members grow and learn, and in turn, we grow and learn, too.

Let’s remember why we joined the VFW Auxiliary and show our fellow members that we truly DO care about them. Call members that haven’t been called, send a note – not just a dues notice – and let them know they’ve been missed at meetings, invite them out for a cup of coffee. Some people are alone and could use someone to talk to and share their experiences with. Remember that recruitment is only a piece of the pie. We need to retain members, too. And mentoring is a wonderful way to increase retention in your Auxiliary.

Check out this new guide, on the National Organization's website, under "Programs," "Chief of Staff/Extension": “Mentoring at VFW Auxiliary: Relationship Building for the Future,” by Cara Skodack Day, Director of Programs & Communications. It’s designed to help you think about what mentoring looks like in your Auxiliary, how to get things started, advice on how to make those relationships great and tools to make sure no one falls through the gaps.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Hospital - Hospitalized Veterans Writing Project is Now Veterans' Voices

Grace Matz
 2015-2016 Hospital
National Ambassador

Change can be a good thing. As we transition to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, please be patient as forms, guides, and information is updated. Everyone is working hard to make this a smooth transition!

Have you visited the website for the Hospitalized Veterans Writing Project recently? You’ll see a change there as well. It’s now known as Veterans’ Voices Writing Project. This program gives ALL veterans a way to express themselves by utilizing therapeutic writing to rehabilitate veterans. They encourage veterans to share their thoughts and feelings in writing and to send their stories, essays and poems to the VVWP headquarters for potential publication in Veterans’ Voices magazine. The magazine is published 3 times a year.

So how can you help?  That’s as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!
  1. Donate
    Contributions are always needed to keep the presses rolling. Writers who have their work published receive a small honorarium and qualify for special prizes. Both are made possible through donations.
  2. Subscribe
    Any Auxiliary member or Auxiliary can subscribe to the magazine. Your support helps offset the expense of sending complimentary copies of Veterans’ Voices to all VA Medical Centers. And it gives you the opportunity to read what our veterans have to say!
  3. Volunteer
    You can help be the voice for a veteran who needs help in writing his/her story. Whether it is one-on-one or with a group, you can help write or type their submission. Many may not know how to get their work submitted. YOU can be the one to make the difference.
For more information, you can follow the link on our website under the Hospital Program or visit veteransvoices.org.

Click here to read more about the name change and the mission of Veterans' Voices.







Monday, October 5, 2015

Americanism: Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award

Mary Stroud
2015-2016 Americanism
National Ambassador

Do your children or grandchildren have an exceptional teacher who teaches citizenship education topics regularly and promotes America’s history and traditions effectively? Or perhaps invites veterans into the classroom to talk about their military experience? How about that teacher who fosters the development of democratic values and beliefs through special projects?

The VFW launched the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award in 1999 to recognize classroom teachers for promoting citizenship education. Three teachers, one from each level
  • K-5
  • 6-8
  • 9-12
are selected as national winners. Each national award teacher winner in their level receives:
  • The Past Commander-in-Chief John Smart Award and $1,000.
  • Their respective schools also receive a $1,000 award.
  • They also receive a paid trip to the VFW National Convention to receive their award.
    • NOTE: Winners will receive a 1099-MISC as a result of their award and all-expense paid trip.
Visit this link for more information and for a nomination form: http://www.vfw.org/TeacheroftheYear/ 

 
All about the Award

Eligibility
  • All current classroom teachers (teaching at least half of the school day in a classroom environment) are eligible.
  • Previous national VFW winners and home school teachers are ineligible.
  • Nominations can be submitted by fellow teachers, supervisors or other interested individuals (not relatives.) Self-nominees are not eligible.
  • While a school official may nominate a teacher, permission from a school or district is not required.
Deadlines
  • February 15 - Deadline for all teacher nominations at the Post.
  • February 28 - Deadline for Post judging to be completed and one winner from each level is sent to District.
  • March 15 - Deadline for District judging to be completed and winners forwarded to the Department.
  • March 30 - Deadline for Department judging to be completed.
  • April 5 - Deadline for Department winners to be submitted to VFW National Headquarters.
Post chairmen must be sure to send the original nomination form, essay and official Post teacher entry form of the winner from each grade’s category level — along with one-page resume, up to five pages of documentation and a good quality head and shoulders photograph from the winning teachers.

Judging
  • Select competent and unbiased judges.
  • A panel of at least three to five judges is recommended.
  • The VFW chairman should be present at the judging to provide assistance, but should not be one of the judges.
  • Prior to the judging, the chairman should review all nomination forms to ensure they adhere to the rules.
  • Make sure entry is not a self nomination.
  • The nominator should keep to the 350 word limit and sign the nomination.
Judges should grant points based on four criteria with the potential of 100 points as follows:
  • 1-25 points - Does the teacher teach and/or model good citizenship and community involvement?
  • 1-25 points- An innovative approach to teaching citizenship.
  • 1-25 points - Development of resources to teach citizenship education.
  • 1-25 points – Passion for teaching citizenship education.
Running the Program

Here are some important points to remember when conducting the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award Program.
  • Know the program procedures and judging guidelines thoroughly.
  • Develop a good working relationship with your Post’s chairman.
  • Contact schools early and make a point of explaining the importance of the program to the principal.
  • Send a news release to your local media with the names of your winning teachers (see website for sample.)
  • Recognize your participants (both winners and judges) with official VFW awards - see the official VFW Store catalog or visit www.vfwstore.org for ideas.
  • Send an accurate and detailed report of your competition along with your winning Post’s entries to the District as soon as the competition is finished. (It's the VFW Chairman's responsibility to complete this.) This report should include the following:
    • Auxiliary participation
    • Number of schools
    • Total amount of money spent (including banquet costs, gifts and citations.)
Winning Entry Checklist

Here’s what your Post needs to have to your District. (It's the VFW Chairman's responsibility to complete this.)
  • Winning Post teacher’s entry form, original nomination form and essay by individual making the nomination. (Up to 350 words.)
  • Teacher’s one page resume (no more than two sides).
  • Up to five pages (both sides) of documentation such as news articles or supervisor’s recommendations.
  • Good quality head and shoulders photo of the teacher.
The above requirements are the same for Districts to send to the Department by March 15.  (It's the VFW Chairman's responsibility to complete this.)
 
If you have any questions regarding the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award, please contact:
 
Tammy Beauchamp
VFW Programs
Phone: (816) 756-3390, ext. 287
 
There are hundreds of thousands of teachers in our great nation. Let's recognize them for their efforts in promoting citizenship education among our nation's youth!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Membership: National Membership Week, October 18-24


Joyce Bilyeu
2015-2016 Membership
National Ambassador 

At the time this blog was posted, the following Departments had reached the 80% milestone by September 30:
·         Alaska
·         Alabama
·         Arizona
·         California
·         Delaware
·         Florida
·         Georgia
·         Maine
·         Massachusetts
·         Texas
·         Utah.

Congratulations! These Departments will receive $250 for their hard work in reaching this milestone. Congratulations to all the Departments for working hard towards our record-breaking goal of being 100%+ in membership on a National level. I know you can all do it because you believe in our organization and because our veterans are counting on us.

We are now working on the second milestone, which is to be 90% by December 31. If you reach this goal, your Department will receive $300. If you did not make the first goal of 80% by September 30, you still can reach the December 31 goal!

By now all VFW Auxiliaries should be planning on what they will be doing for National Membership Week, October 18-24, 2015. This week is designated for Auxiliaries all over the United States to be out in communities recruiting new members and also collecting the dues from continuous members. Work side by side with your National Certified Recruiter Trainers for support and training to help prepare your Auxiliary for this week.

Suggestions on projects to do during National Membership Week include the following:

Day 1:  Send out a press release with information about joining the organization. Sample press releases can be found on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page under “National Membership Week Tools.”

Day 2: Set-up a recruitment booth/table at one of your local stores. This could be done each day during National Membership Week. Be sure to review “Recuitment Booth Pointers,”  “Local Talking Points,” and order membership applications and facts leaflets from National Headquarters prior to your event.

Fill your booth with information and resources available to you on the website on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page, under “Recruitment Tools,” including:
VFW Auxiliary Membership Application
VFW Auxiliary Facts Leaflet
8 Ways You Can Help Veterans Card or Printable Template
Member Benefits One-Sheeter (two design options)

Day 3:  Form a committee of five or six people and give courtesy calls to members who still need to pay their dues. Check in with them and remind them that if their dues are not paid by December 31, they will no longer be a member in good standing. See if there is any financial support they might need. 

Day 4:  Encourage members to recruit “Just One” New Member. Set a goal to sign up male members this week. 

Day 5: Form a committee to go around the neighborhood to put the VFW Auxiliary “Door Hangers” on residential home doors. Go in groups and maybe ask a VFW member to go with you. There are four different Door Hanger design options available on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page, under “National Membership Week Tools.”

Day 6:  Hold a “Recruitment Dinner or Lunch” and ask members to bring an eligible guest with them. Have materials available to share with them. 

Day 7:  Celebrate all your recruitment efforts. At the end of the week you will be surprised just how much your efforts paid off.  

Each day: Share National Membership Week Facebook Posts for Member Recruitment posted by the National Organization on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/vfwauxiliary or use the Facebook Posts for Member Recruitment and Facebook/Social Media Shareable Options available on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page, under “National Membership  Week Tools.”

Finally, I just wanted to remind all of the Department Presidents that at National Convention you made the following pledge to our veterans and the organization that your Department will be 100%+ in membership. If  there is any support you need, please feel free to contact me or your Conference Chairman. We are here to help you succeed!

 MEMBERSHIP PLEDGE
I promise my Department will be 100%+ in membership this year.
I make this promise so the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary
will be a larger, stronger, and healthier organization.
I promise that:
When faced with adversity, I will persevere.
When faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
When faced with excuses, I will accept none.
I commit that my Department will become a “Band of Brothers and Sisters”
to accomplish projects for all veterans and
this commitment to membership will become our strength to the organization.
I promise to bear this commitment this year, and for years to come, because
I am a proud member of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Auxiliary.
I promise AMERICA and all VETERANS today that...
There will be NO EXCUSE...MY DEPARTMENT WILL JUST RECRUIT!