2018 Calendar Year-End Processing Schedule
Please be advised that the Online Membership System (OMS) will be shutting down at 4:00pm Central Standard Time on Monday, December 31
st
. Any transactions that are submitted through OMS on December 31
st
up to the closing time will be posted to Memstats and Post Query later that evening and available for viewing the morning of January 2, 2018.
REMINDER! Mail received at the National HQ prior to December 28
th
will be processed and counted in the December total. Mail received after that date, regardless of the postmark date, will not be counted in the December total. We suggest you have your posts mail in their membership as early as possible.
The cutoff for email transactions with the Member Service Center is 12:00 noon on Friday, December 28th.
The OMS system will be back on line for the submittal of transactions at 12:00 noon Wednesday, January 2
nd
however, membership transactions that are processed will not be posted to Memstats until January 5
th
.
Canton Hospital Christmas Party:
Will be held at 6:30PM at the Mass Hospital School 3 Randolph St Canton, MA on December 10
th
.
Council of Administration (CoA):
Will be held at 10:30 on 12 January 2019 at
Millbury Post 3329 16 South Main Street Millbury, MA 01527
Newspaper:
The deadline for the next paper edition of the Department Newspaper is January 15
th
. All State Officer 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
esegundo@vfwma.org
.
Voice of Democracy/Patriot’s Pen/Teacher of the Year Banquet:
Will be
held at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel on
99 Erdman Way, Leominster, MA 01453
on 27 January 2019 at 1PM. Cost of banquet is $30.00. A flyer with detailed information will be sent out with the next Department Mailing.
Section 220 of the National By-Laws, “Vacancies and Removal of Elective Officers or Committee Members”
states “Any elective Post officer removed by the Department Commander, by reason of failure to pay current dues or by vote of the post under the provisions of this section, shall not be eligible to serve in any Post office in the same administrative year in which the officer is removed.”
Buddy Poppies:
The distribution of VFW “Buddy” Poppies will be conducted according to the previsions set forth in Section 711 of the National By-Laws and Manual of Procedure. Department, District, County Council and Post Commanders should arrange now for the distribution of “Buddy” Poppies for the Memorial Day campaign in their respective areas. All profits accruing from the distribution of “Buddy” Poppies shall be used in accordance with Sections 219 and 704 of the Manual of Procedure.
Commanders:
IAW Section 105 of the National By-Laws, a member whose current dues are paid through their anniversary date is in good standing and, unless suspended or terminated, is entitled to all membership rights IAW the National By-Laws. A member whose dues are unpaid after their anniversary date ceases to be a member in good standing and loses all rights of membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
District Meetings:
All District Commanders are reminded that if a District meeting is cancelled due to inclement weather, that they are to immediately notify the Department Adjutant
adjutant@vfwma.org
and their respective Post Commanders.
We do not want anyone to have an accident due to inclement weather.
Post Commanders:
Section 203 - Regular Meetings – All Posts shall hold at least one regular meeting each month. Failure to comply can result in immediate revocation of the Post Charter notwithstanding the provisions of Section 211 of the Manual of Procedures.
National By-Laws and Manual of Procedures 2019 Edition:
Post Commanders are reminded that the new edition became effective 24 August 2018 with many changes. It is recommended that all Post Commanders purchase a copy from National Headquarters.
VFW Foundation Community Support Grant:
The VFW Foundation Community Support Grant is open. Qualified Posts and/or Auxiliaries may receive grants of up to $1,000 to support local nonprofits or important outreach projects in their communities. New to the grant this year, an applicant may be eligible to receive up to $500 in additional funding by organizing a community service project that involves a local branch or affiliate of a VFW national corporate supporter (e.g. Burger King, Sport Clips, Walgreens, Humana, Ace Hardware, etc.). To view application guidelines or to apply for the VFW Foundation Community Support Grant, please visit
www.vfw.org/grants.
For questions, contact Jason Couch, Grants Coordinator, at jcouch@vfw.org or (816) 968-1174.
Displaying Military Service Symbols:
Military service flags, insignias, etc., should be displayed in the following order (left to right as you face the flags): Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and then Coast Guard. For military flags, go to
http://www.vfwstore.org/products/GP238.
VFW Special Project Program:
This program was put in place to recognize VFW units for creating and completing unique and extraordinary community service projects. Record book entry nominations that are found to be complete and well-substantiated should be endorsed by the Department Adjutant or VFW
Department Community Activities Chairman and forwarded to National Programs Department. Deadline for entries is April 30 of each year. Every Post Special Project receiving the Award of Excellence in the May judging will be entered in the Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Competition. Complete information can be found in the 2018-19 VFW Community Activities and Citizenship Education Chairman’s Manual.
Robert’s Rules of Order:
Recent changes to the VFW National By-Laws, Manual of Procedures and Ritual establish that Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority on procedural matters not governed by VFW By-Laws and Manual of procedure. Newly revised Robert’s Rules of Order
is readily available at local book stores and online retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Department Resources:
Many great resources are available for your Department to use in promoting fundraising programs. You need only go to heroes.vfw.org/vfwtools. The latest fundraising program information, ideas and promotional tools from the Development Department can be found here. Download ad slicks, ready-to-use articles and other items for your Department publications and/or website. Recent mailings and mailing schedules are also posted on a regular basis. Use the Department Resources tools to help strengthen your Department programs. Check it out today!
Post and District Commanders
are reminded that according to Section 105 of the National Bylaws, a member whose dues are unpaid after their anniversary date ceases to be a member in good standing and loses all rights of membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars. They shall not attend meetings or conventions and shall not participate in Post, County Council, District, Department or National functions.
VFW COMMUNICATIONS:
VFW Post and Department leaders should have already received an email which contained important information regarding the logo launch, including a download link for the new national logo. The new logo conveys a new, modern and simplified look and we’re excited for what this change will mean for the organization. The success of an initiative of this size requires the continued support and participation of everyone and we truly appreciate your every effort to implement the new logo. To obtain a copy of the VFW Brand Style Guide go to https://vfw.sharefile.com/share/view/s48a2f4a5d3947ba8
Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Years. I wish you and your family good health and happiness with many blessings.
.
Keith M. Jackson
State Commander
Together We Can Build a Stronger VFW!
