The District meeting will be held on November 17th at the Alderwood Boys and Girls Club. Lunch is at noon and the meeting starts at 1:00PM. This is a great opportunity to see what is happening elsewhere in the District and meet some folks form the other Posts.
I just know that a few Comrades won’t get the message, but the November meeting has been changed to November 16th, same place, same time. Our usual meeting date will be consumed with Poppy distributions and speaking engagements in the schools. Make sure you make a note on your calendar. This is a one-time change and we will be back to our normal meeting date—the second Friday of every month.
We are now officially about 9 days from handing out Poppies. Like any organization, the heavy lifting is done by 10% (or less) of the folks. If you haven’t signed up yet for Buddy Poppies, Bob Crawford has the signup sheet and can be contacted at 425-741-3916 or [email protected]. We do well every year but a couple of folks pull all day shifts because of a shortage of help. If you are physically able, please consider pulling at least one shift. Remember, all the good we do for our fellow veterans, promoting democracy, and supporting students through scholarships comes from 4 days out of 365 days of the year.
Like Poppies, we are now getting down to the wire on needing speakers (or just attending) the various school functions in the Mukilteo and Edmonds School Districts. Rock Roth maintains the list of members willing to speak to schools and classrooms. This year will be particularly busy so we need to get our ducks in order earlier than usual. His email address is [email protected] or catch him at 206-356-8869. Rock’s list will indicate if you just want to show up and look pretty, will speak to a classroom, or will speak to an entire student body. Not everyone is comfortable with public speaking so we can fit your comfort level. If you do go out to a school, wear your VFW cover.
I promise, this month’s ‘Chaplain’s Corner’ will be short! Of course, I promise that every month. This month, I really mean it.
When asked by Jim Traner to serve as the Post Chaplain (this was approximately 2 years ago), I was very hesitant. Our Post at the time was blessed with two highly qualified and capable ordained ministers – Ed Gray and Dexter Miller. Both were and are far better qualified to serve as Post Chaplain than I.
I have learned through my two years as Chaplain, that the Chaplaincy has many purposes. One of which is to help people grow in their relationship with God and one another. Also, the Chaplain serves as a reminder of the transcendent – there’s only one way out of this life – and seeks to develop an environment within which Post members are encouraged in their personal and collective moral and spiritual growth. The Chaplain is to remind all that God is the source of all rights and privileges. Our Declaration of Independence clearly states “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These three ‘unalienable rights’ are not all inclusive. There are others some of which are contained in the first 10 Amendments to the U. S. Constitution, our Bill of Rights.
The VFW is comprehensive in nature embracing all religions, faiths, and denominations within its ranks. The chaplaincy, being trans-denominational and interfaith is tasked with ministering to those of spiritual affiliations and non-affiliations.
The Chaplain seeks to minister to people whenever there is a need. For some, the Post Chaplain may be the only ‘minister’ he or she will ever know as they have no affiliation with either a house of worship or other religious institution.
The aforementioned sounds like a very big job – and it is. As your Post Chaplain, I am personally asking each of you to help me do my job. Please be alert to the physical and spiritual needs of our comrades. Please notify me when there is a death, illness, or special concern of a comrade. To do my job, I need your help.
Comrade Irv Schmidt is scheduled to speak at the Ballard Rotary Club on November 13th. As many of you know, Irv was on the USS California which was sunk on December 7th at Pearl Harbor and went on to become a submariner whose boat sunk the last two Japanese warships in WWII making Irv the only sailor to hear the first and last shots of the Navy war in the Pacific. If any of you are Rotarians and want to make up a meeting in Ballard, it would be a good opportunity to hear Irv discuss what he did on December 7th.
We will have a special treat at November’s meeting. Commander Apgar’s son and musical group has written a song remembering veterans and used pictures submitted by veterans to accompany the music. A lot of the pictures were submitted by Post member Harry Miller. We hope you can all make it.
This is a blatant plea for everyone who is a continuous member to pay their dues. Dues are $25 for a year and while you are not official on delinquent until the end of the year, you would make life much easier on Quartermaster Tom and Commander Fred if you would drop a check in the mail. If you are unable to pay your dues due to financial difficulty, let the QM know and we will make allowances for your circumstances. Also, students and active duty members of the military are exempt from dues. It’s a small amount to belong to the VFW.
By the way, there is a rumor going around that National will be increasing dues $10 to $45 for members at large. I am sure this increase will have to be passed down to our continuous members. So if you’ve been thinking about purchasing a life membership, now may be the time to act. If you need financial assistance, feel free to let the Post know.
Post member Mike Reagan has drawn over 3,100 portraits of KIA’s, primarily those lost who have lost their lives over the last decade. During that time, he has invested 3,500 hours annually and incurs approximately $25,000 in expenses without taking a salary. Our Post has chosen to support this project, not because Mike is member, but because we know what Mike gives to those who have lost a loved one in combat or to combat such as suicides following deployment. We are coming up on the holiday season, and I would like to suggest that a donation to Mike’s foundation would make a perfect gift to one of those people who have everything. So rather than buying another hammer or beer can airplane for a buddy, make a check payable to:
The Michael G. Reagan Portrait Foundation
7106 175th Place SW
Edmonds, WA 98026
Do it the name of someone you want to give a gift or do it the name of a friend you lost. Either way, it will help a family who has just lost a loved one.
This months Nov Meeting I would like to invite all the spouses of the Veterans of Post 8870 to come and attend the Ladies Aux meeting. We are trying to generate new members and new interest in our club. They may join us for lunch and then attend the meeting. We’re all just starting to get to know one another and it’s a good time to join.
Its an important time of the year and we all need to be reminded to vote. Vote early if you can. Vote for the party of your choice but VOTE.
Remember veterans that you can go to any VA Health Center with your DD214 and get a free flu shot? Its true. Protect yourself and others, get your flu shot.
President, Ladies Aux, Post 8870
Arlene Endresen
On November 11, 2012 our nation will celebrate Veterans Day. Originally called Armistice Day, the meaning and significance of this federal holiday have become blurred. For too many, Veterans Day has come to merely represent a day off from school or from work. When pressed, others are unable to explain the origin of the holiday or its intended purpose. At one time, it was a major priority of our schools to teach students about traditional and patriotic American history, customs, and traditions. Generally, that is no longer the case in our public school systems.
During my 32 years in public education, I saw, first hand, the gradual erosion of the emphasis placed on these topics. At times, a curriculum crunch could be blamed for relegating the teaching of traditional American values to the sideline. However, a very definite bias has emerged in our public schools, which has been a major influence to remove such topics from the curriculum.
Thankfully, there are many communities across America as well as inspired teachers that plan and conduct a variety of events to honor the service of those who have worn the uniform. It is in communities such as these that our youth will learn to respect and take time to honor the service of our nation’s veterans and active duty personnel. We are fortunate to live in a community like Edmonds, in which traditional American values, customs, and traditions are taught and reinforced. We salute the Edmonds school-community for caring.
On behalf of VFW Post # 8870, we thank you all for your service to our great nation and recognize and honor the sacrifices you and the members of your family have made. I join you in reflecting on the reasons we chose to serve.