General Orders and Department Communications # 4
General Orders # 4 


AUGUST TOP INDIVIDUAL RECRUITER:                          
Kim Emerling of Salem Post 1524: (6 New Members) 
He will receive $50 VFW Store Gift Certificate and 2 tickets to the            
Commanders Testimonial Banquet.
 
AUGUST TOP POST
Salem Post 1524: (6 New Members)
The post will also receive a $50 VFW Store Gift Certificate and 2 tickets to
Commander’s Testimonial Banquet.
 
MEMBERSHIP: Our Commander-in-Chief is offering a new Life membership incentive program. All members who either join the VFW as a new Life member, reinstate as a Life member, or upgrade their existing annual membership to Life beginning Sept. 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020, will earn a $50 store credit. This credit must be used prior to Aug. 31, 2020. Upgrade, pay off or reinstate your Life membership today www.oms.vfw.org/QuickRenew.aspx?srcid=275
 
MEMBERSHIP: The National Bylaws provide for only one type of membership: active membership. There are no provisions in the National Bylaws, nor is there any authority or justification for issuance of Club Membership cards, Associate Member cards, Honorary Membership cards, Courtesy Membership cards or any other special type of cards. Any Post issuing such unauthorized cards, or conducting club operations open to the general public, endangers its standing with the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit organization. Officers signing outlaw cards admitting non-members to VFW premises are subject to disciplinary action. National and Department officers cannot defend practices that conflict with VFW Bylaws or procedures.
STATE MEMBERSHIP: Membership is vital to the success of our organization and to the services we provide. Most of the time getting a new member is as easy as saying hi and where did you serve? Every community has younger veterans who are eligible, and it should be the priority of every post and every member to let them know the VFW is here and ready to serve them.
 
POST BONDING: Attention of commanders is directed to section 703 of the National By-Laws which requires that each accountable officer be bonded with an indemnity company in the sum at least equal to the amount of the liquid assets for which they may be accountable. Too many posts have missed the August 31 st deadline this year! If yours is one of them, do the right thing and get it turned in to the Department. This applies even if a third party does the bonding!
POST INCORPORATION:  Every Post and District must be incorporated. Incorporation papers must be filed every year. No Exceptions. This is for your protection. Incorporation forms and website links can be found on the state website  www.vfwma.org

POST INSPECTIONS:  Section 518 provides that the Department Inspector shall require that each Post be inspected in accordance with Department and National guidelines. The purpose of the inspection is to assure that the Post operates in a manner that supports the purposes set forth in the Congressional Charter, complies with the By-Laws, preserves the financial integrity of the Post and protects the interest of the member. Every Post is expected to be inspected at least once each year. It is the duty of the District Inspector to notify the Post Commander, Quartermaster, Adjutant and Trustees of the date and time that the inspection is scheduled. The inspector should allow you enough time to prepare for the visit. The Post inspection will go a lot smoother if it is conducted at some time other than a Post meeting night. If, for any reason, a Post cannot be inspected thoroughly, a report stating the facts must be submitted. It is the responsibility of the Post Quartermaster and Post Adjutant to provide the records necessary to complete the duties of Inspector. When the inspection of a Post is completed, the Post Inspection Form will be made out in triplicate. The yellow copy will be mailed to the Post Commander and a copy should be retained for your files.
 
AUTHORIZATION OF THE WEAR OF THE VFW LOGO TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE VFW: On August 24, 2019, the National Council of Administration passed a motion extending the authorization of the wear of the VFW logo to those who are not members of the VFW for the limited purpose of demonstrating public support of the VFW. This authorization is only applicable to the VFW logo reflected below:
This authorization does not include the Cross of Malta or any other trademark and service mark of the VFW, including its name, emblems, or insignia. The use of other trademarks and service marks, including the Cross of Malta, is still limited to VFW members in good standing unless such written consent has been obtained pursuant to Section 803 of the National Bylaws. Only the VFW Store, its Licensed Vendors and those properly authorized pursuant to the National Bylaws may manufacture or sell merchandise bearing the VFW logo. Additionally, no person shall wear the VFW logo while engaged in any commercial or political activity in such a manner as likely to falsely convey that such activity is approved or endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
Non-members desiring to wear the VFW logo should not knowingly harm, misuse or bring into disrepute the name or logos of the VFW. Authorization for non-members to wear the VFW logo is subject to revocation by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
VFW’S “SPORT CLIPS HELP A HERO SCHOLARSHIP”: The spring 2020 application is now available online at vfw.org/scholarship. Deadline for applications is Nov. 15. The VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” program awarded 165 scholarships totaling over $760,000 for the 2019 fall semester. Since beginning the program in January 2014, over 1,450 veterans have been awarded scholarships totaling more than $6.4 million.
 
WORLD WAR ONE CENTENNIAL NEWS: Is Your Post Named for a Veteran of the Great War (World War One)? If so, we want to hear from you! The US World War One Centennial Commission is collecting information on VFW Posts named after WW1 veterans. If your Post is honored by the memory of a local doughboy, marine, sailor, or nurse who served and sacrificed their lives, we want to know more. Please send your information and material on the history of your Post to David Hamon, Veterans and Military Affairs
Director, US World War 1 Centennial Commission, at: david.hamon@worldwar1centennial.org or, you may call him at 540.379.8584. The Commission is collecting historical and archive information on the Great War to observe and commemorate those 4.7 million who served in that conflict. America never forgets its veterans. Help them build a national memorial in Washington, DC. To learn more, go to: www.ww1cc.org/memorial  
VOICE OF DEMOCRACY AND PATRIOT’S PEN NATIONAL AWARDS . Every Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen first place Department winner will receive a National scholarship or award. The new amount for the Voice of Democracy National Awards now total $154,000 and the Patriot’s Pen National Awards total is now $55,000.

NEW VOICE OF DEMOCRACY AND PATRIOT’S PEN THEMES . The 2019-20 themes have been chosen by Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief William J. “Doc” Schmitz. The Voice of Democracy and the Patriot’s Pen theme will be “What Makes America Great.” The new 2019-20 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen entry forms are now available on the VFW website.
Additionally, anyone (including students, parents, teachers, and chairmen) can download and print the student entry forms for Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen by visiting the below links:
Voice of Democracy: http://www.vfw.org/VOD/ Patriot’s Pen: http://www.vfw.org/PatriotsPen/
NEW VOICE OF DEMOCRACY AND PATRIOT’S PEN BROCHURES.
 
For Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen brochures, posters, awards and more, visit the VFW Store: http://www.vfwstore.org/category/programs/voiceofdemocracy for Voice of Democracy and http://www.vfwstore.org/category/programs/patriotspen for Patriot’s Pen.
 
NEW SMART/MAHER VFW NATIONAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION TEACHER AWARD DEADLINE DATES . The VFW wants to recognize the nation’s top elementary, junior high and high school teachers (teaching at least half of the school day in a classroom environment) who teach citizenship education topics regularly and promote America’s history, traditions and institutions effectively through the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award program. Now is the time to begin locating exceptional teachers for your Post to nominate for the next competition. Nominations can be submitted by fellow teachers, VFW Posts, supervisors or other interested individuals (not relatives). Self-nominees are not eligible.

Please verify that all websites, publications, announcements, etc. has the correct teacher award entry deadlines for the 2019-20 program year. The dates are October 31, 2019, for entries to the Post, November 15, 2019, for completion of Post judging, December 15, 2019, for completion of District judging, January 10, 2020, for completion of Department judging and the Department winners are due to National Headquarters by January 15, 2020. The entry forms are up on the VFW website and are available in the VFW Store.
 
*****NEW SMART/MAHER VFW NATIONAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION TEACHER AWARD SUBMISSION CHANGE.********
 
POST LEVEL NATIONAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION TEACHERS AWARD – submit an entry in all three categories (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12) advanced to District judging. (Any Post can donate $75 to National in lieu of each entry**.) **Donations made to replace a Voice of Democracy, Patriot’s Pen, National Citizenship Education Teachers Award and towards Veterans & Military Support Programs Services as listed above will only be accepted through the following link. Do not donate through your Department or by any other means. https://VFWPrograms.formstack.com/forms/vfw_programs_donation
 
PATRIOT DAY, SEPTEMBER 11 . Per Presidential Proclamation, September 11, is designated as “Patriot Day.” The President requests the flag of the United States to be flown at half-staff (sunrise to sunset) and a moment of silence observed in honor of the individuals who lost their lives on that day due to terrorist attacks on the United States. For flags and other patriotic items, click here  http://www.vfwstore.org/category/patriotic/miscpatriotic .

NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY, SEPTEMBER 20 . Posts should conduct an appropriate ceremony. Information on conducting a ceremony can be found in the current VFW Manual of Procedure. For POW/MIA merchandise, click http://www.vfwstore.org/category/memorial/pow-mia .
 
VFW BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION : National VFW Day is observed annually on September 29, honoring the men and women devoted to this valuable organization and those members who have served our nation. Consider holding an event to mark this occasion.
 
VETERANS IN THE CLASSROOM MONTH IN NOVEMBER : VFW and VFW Auxiliary members are encouraged to volunteer in their schools to talk about their military and home front experiences to students. Invite your local military recruiter to join you to talk about military service today. Additional information can be found in the 2019–20 VFW Community Activities and Citizenship Education VFW Chairman’s Manual. Simply visit vfw.org and LOG IN (or create an account if you do not have one). After logging in, you’ll be redirected to the “My VFW” page where you will click on VFW Training & Support and then Community Service, Youth Scholarships & Activities where you’ll have access to the “CHAIRMAN MANUALS.” Participate in this activity during the week of Veterans Day, which is part of “National Veterans Awareness Week,” as designated by Congress. Find Pledge of Allegiance, pencils and coloring books, plus other citizenship education tools at the VFW Store www.vfwstore.org/category/programs/citizeneducation  
 
ACTION CORPS: If you are not already an Action Corps Advocate, we urge you to sign up to receive our VFW Action Corps Weekly which will keep you informed about the work we are doing on your behalf on Capitol Hill. By staying connected, you will be the first to know what is happening in Washington regarding legislation that impacts the lives of veterans and their families, and you will be able to assist in our grassroots efforts by responding when we send out any Action Alerts.
To become an Action Corps Advocate and receive the VFW Action Corps Weekly, sign up at: http://capwiz.com/vfw/mlm/signup.htm .
 
FACEBOOK: Make sure you ‘like’ and ‘share’ the VFW Department of Massachusetts Facebook page. We post updates, links, contest reminders, events, etc. for you. Share the good news of the VFW: https://www.facebook.com/vfwma/
 
“Comrades, we are barely three months into the new year and already a number of Posts and Districts delinquent in fulfilling their obligation, in particular Bonds, June Audit Reports and District meeting Schedule submissions. Also, this past spring, the OTI participation from the membership was at a four-year low. Not only that, we have less than 2 months to the deadline (October 31st) of many of our premier programs, i.e.: VOD, PP, Teacher of the Year, etc. Time to step up, do your duty as officers and members and do the right thing! At the end of the day, ask yourself: 'Am I leading the type of life that is worthy of the sacrifice that so many veterans have made for us?' If you can say 'Yes', then God bless you and I thank you. If not, do the right thing!”  
 
In your Comradeship,
 Jeff Najarian
Department Commander
Veterans of Foreign Wars
 
 
IMPORTANT DATES
 
MEMBERSHIP AND PROGRAM TRAINING PROVIDED BY NATIONAL: On Saturday September 28 th , 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM , at the Doubletree Hotel in Leominster, MA , there will be Membership training provided by Rick Butler, National Director of Membership and Programs training provided by Lynn Rolf, National Director of Programs. All posts are invited to attend, and lunch will be served. Please let us know if your post is coming!
COMMANDER’S TESTIMONIAL BANQUET: On Saturday September 28 th , at the Doubletree Hotel in Leominster, MA at 6:00 PM, there will be a testimonial dinner in honor of State Commander Jeffrey Najarian. Social hour will start at 5:00 PM. Tickets are $40 per person. Please register by September 15 th by contacting Tara at 617-727-2612.
COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION MEETING: On Sunday September 29 th , at 10:30 AM, there will be a Council of Administration meeting, at the Doubletree Hotel in Leominster, MA.
HOSPITAL WORKSHOP: On October 5 th at 9:00 am at the Medway Post 1526 there will be a hospital workshop. This is a well-attended event by both the VFW and the Auxiliary, hope to see you all there.
NEWSPAPER DEADLINE: The deadline for the next edition of the Department Newspaper is October 15 th . All State Officers are required to submit an article, all District Commanders are required to submit a minimum of two pictures with caption (event and who is in the photo). Any post that wants to submit a photo is highly encouraged. Please send articles and photos to PSC Eric Segundo at  

NEWSPAPER DEADLINE IS October 15TH
Send us your post and district event photos with captions.
(all photos must have captions describing the event and who is in the picture)
EMAIL TO: communications@vfwma.org
Sunday, September 29th, 2019 10:30AM  Doubletree Leominster
Massachusetts VFW | Website