Dear Fellow Comrades,
On 14 January 2008, I was once again in support of our veterans in front of the Barron County Board Meeting. As all our members know, our Country Veterans Service Office has continued to be the focus of our concern. We as Veterans DO NOT have our files in a secure area as both State and Federal Laws states they should be. They are located in hallways, offices and in the kitchen areas of the ADRC. Who can gain access and look at our files? The VA law states “that VA files are CONFIDENTIAL and that Only Authorized Personal are allowed access”. Are our files secure the way they are currently located? The other issue is how easy is it for a handicap veteran to visit the office? The offices are currently located in a maze of hallways and are in three separated office locations. Have you visited the CVSO lately? If you have, please let me know what you think about the current layout.
I am very proud to say, Post 2204 has done it again. We were the first post in the 9th District to reach our 100% membership goal. We still have a few more members who have not yet paid their 2008 dues. Remembers numbers do count and the more members we have, the more power we have when we represent you at the various meetings dealing with veterans issues. If you haven’t paid your dues, contact our quartermaster as we currently have a special deal if you would like to go for Life Members.
The winners this year for the Youth Essay program were; Marissa Gomez, Garrison Strand and Lindsay VonFelt. I still have not received word on how our entries placed in district level.
The VFW Department of Wisconsin Mid-Winter Conference will be held in Green Bay 15-16 February and the 9th District Conference will be at Altoona on the 23rd of February. I would like to see as many post members who can attend these meeting.
I recently changed the meeting date for the Spring Conference to be held in Rice Lake to the 19th of April. There was a conflict with the State Loyalty Day Parade, which was also scheduled for the 26th of April. State Commander Bill Hustad asked if we could change the date, so I make it happen. More details will be in the next Scuttlebutt.
I will be attending the National Community Service and Legislative Conference in Washington, DC on 2-5 March 2008. I am looking forward to this meeting and should have a lot of information to present the membership at our March meeting.
All VFW members received their state raffle tickets late last year. Please don’t just throw them away. This is the major fundraisers for the state and is used to pay all the expense. Send in the money and help out your fellow veterans.
- **** If you know of any member who is sick or could use some sunshine, please contact Ted Kuchera at 434-3123.
Upcoming Event:
- 15-16 February - Mid-Winter Conference (Green Bay)
- 19 February - Monthly Meeting
- 23 February - 9th District Mid-Winter (Altoona)
- 02-05 March - National Conference (Washington DC)
- 18 March - Monthly Meeting
- 15 April - Monthly Meeting
- 19 April - 9th District Spring Conference (Rice Lake)
Yours in Comradeship,
John L. Fredrickson
9th District Commander