Defunct VFW Posts

[Guest]

[DoggyDaddy]

Every year there are VFW Posts which loose or voluntarily surrender their charters for
various reasons, i.e. Failure to maintain membership, failure to fill the chairs, failure
to submit mandatory reports, illegal activities, financial problems, etc.  Some posts lack
leadership and volunteers to continue operations and choose to consolidate with
another Post.  Fifteen years ago my District had 33 Posts and now has 22. 

Department of CA gave warnings, multiple suspensions, and appointed officers to assist Posts
in resolving their problems. Even with assistance from Department and Districts,
this year alone there are 21 fewer Posts and one less District in California. Without
guidance and assistance from District, more Posts would of folded.

Of those Posts that lost their charters and went defunct, the number of the annual
members who will choose to not transfer and renew their membership will not be known
till next years membership total are released.

For those who like to Post hop when traveling, they are:

POST  DIST      NAME                             REASON

9937    24       EXETER                          DEFUNCT
8513    24       LINDSAY                         DEFUNCT
5866    24       DINUBA                          DEFUNCT
883      24       LEMOORE                       DEFUNCT
3811    18       BIGGS Consolidated with Post 5731
9888    17       GALT                              DEFUNCT
2627    17       SOUTH LAKE TAHOE         DEFUNCT
2611    16       CALISTOGA                     DEFUNCT
2658    14       ALBANY                           DEFUNCT
2392    14       PIEDMONT Consolidated with Post 9601
1882    14       HAYWARD                       DEFUNCT
90        14       SAN FRANCISCO Consolidated with Post 8750
7512    13       STOCKTON                      DEFUNCT
7895    12       SALINAS                         DEFUNCT
4112    12       MORGAN HILL                  DEFUNCT
698      12       FELTON                           DEFUNCT
10243    8       SANTA MARIA                  DEFUNCT
2474      6       SOUTH PASADENA Consolidated with Post 3089
2018      6       POMONA                         DEFUNCT
1746      4       NORTH LONG BEACH        DEFUNCT
1253      4       SAN PEDRO                     DEFUNCT
            15       CONSOLIDATED with District 14, July 2008
 
Source Documents: 
http://www.vfwca.org/images/6-15_Posts.pdf
http://www.vfwca.org/images/Department_By-Laws-Revised_from_John_7-2008.pdf

So how is your Department fairing up 

 

[Redmaxx 7546]

Here is the Department of Michigan Commander's last article for the Michigan Overseas Veteran.

Comrades, this will be my last MOV article as your
State Commander. We had a very busy and demanding
year. The goals for this administration were to improve
on leadership, follow our organizations’ Bylaws, and to
be involved with VFW programs. Overall, I believe we
have experienced success in all areas.
At the beginning of this administration we had a total
of 335 VFW Posts. We currently have 329 Posts, of
which 42% has canteens. Two Posts have turned in their
charters, five Posts have consolidated with other Posts,
and one new Post has been established. In membership,
we started at 64,390 and currently we are at 94.38%
with 60,769 paid members. We rank 13th in the nation
and 2nd in the Big Ten.
100% of this Departments’ Quartermasters have been
bonded and the Inspections are completed. The quarterly
audits are up-to-date. Over 94% of the Posts are
represented at District Meetings. We are currently
working on National and State delegate fees and
National election reports.
The Posts are encouraged to participate in as many
VFW programs as possible. But four programs have
been singled out for all our Posts to support. These programs
are; Community Service, National Military Services
(NMS), Buddy Poppies, and Political Action
Committee (PAC). As of April 15th, we are 99%
reported in Community Service, 80% in NMS, 88% in
Buddy Poppies, and 87% in PAC. The programs end on
April 30th, so we still have a little time left to improve
those percentages.
This brings us to leadership. The leadership at the
District and Post levels has excelled by evidence
with the preceding figures. Even though there is
room for improvement in some areas, the overall
performance is very good. In this Department, we
have proudly conducted ourselves as a veterans
advocate. Good Job!
To my Senior and Junior Vice Commanders: Your
support, busy schedules and hard work is greatly appreciated.
I wish the both of you success in your future
years in leading this Department.
To my Adjutant/Quartermaster: Your experience, business
knowledge, professionalism and dedication to this
organization have been an asset to me and this Department.
To my Chief-of-Staff: Your advice was priceless.
To my District Commanders: I can’t say enough on
your accomplishments – thank you.
To all my Directors and committeemen, job well done.
To the membership, thank you for your support!
WE MADE SUCCESS HAPPEN!

http://www.vfwmi.org/MayJune09.pdf

[MPMcMahon]

Instead of letting Posts fold under, we as comrades need to help these struggling Posts to get back to being a viable running Post.  Find out what their problems are, and try to help them to address the problems.

Michael P. McMahon
District 2 Judge Advocate
Department of Georgia

[DoggyDaddy]

Instead of letting Posts fold under, we as comrades need to help these struggling Posts to get back to being a viable running Post.  Find out what their problems are, and try to help them to address the problems.

Michael P. McMahon
District 2 Judge Advocate
Department of Georgia

Dept and District Officers do not want the assistance or participation (considered interfearance) of members of outside Posts when they are conducting investigations or assisting Post officers. Dept and Districts do their best to keep the knowledge of posts with problems secret.
 
Dept of CA gave multiple warnings, Suspensions, Appointed Trustees & initiated investigations, appointed District officers provide assistance, guidance and schools of instruction, but some Posts have no leadership or desire to continue  (Can't fill the Chairs, do not Attend Dist meetings or schools of instruction, have corruption within - unauthorized expenditure and missing money, selling social memberships, admitting ineligible veterans VFW Post membership, violation of gambling & liquor laws), refusal to submit required reports (Audits, QM Bond, Election Reports, etc), failure to retain membership numbers, operating without retaining financial records, etc.
Bottom line - If a Post Commander does not perform the duties he/she took an oath to perform, a post can and will forfeit its' post charter.

Not all members can take an active part in their post due to being on active duty, age, health, family obligations, or not residing in the area.  When members see and or hear that their Post being led and run improperly and failing to fulfill its purpose, they cut their losses (submission of membership dues) either let their membership expire or transfer their membership to another post that is active and fulfilling its' obligations to our veterans, members, community, and those in uniform.

[MPMcMahon]

We as Officers at a level above the Post need to remember that we all are only Volunteers, and you can only push volunteers so far before they tell you to kiss off, and leave the ranks. 

The problem is a universal problem, as we have the same problems here in Georgia, as you have in California, and some of our Department Officers, go by the philosophy of "shut them down" instead of rehabilitating the Posts, as my District has Posts, where the next closest Post is more than 50 miles away, so if they close down the Post, then nobody in that area will want to join the VFW, and the works of the VFW become less known and recognized.  And then it tends to spiral down to where the next Post loses its interest because the communities don't care and then the volunteer members don't care, and then it is closed down. 

I believe that we need to take our oaths and obligations as seriously as we took our duties as service members, but that is why I cannot seem to be able to get elected to Post Commander or any Command Chair at the District level.  The Posts and their members don't want to be beaten down with the book, most older members don't care about community service, meetings or being told what to do from anyone outside of their Post; but what they do care about our local Veterans and our comradeship.  The younger eligible veterans see an organization that is generally not family friendly, and will not join because of that. 

Most Posts in Georgia is nowhere close to an Active Duty or Reserve Base, Reserve Center, or Armory!  They are out in the Suburbs and in the towns out in the rural areas, and the membership's average age is in the 60's and in declining health. 

I feel that the VFW National has not done enough to help the organization grow, as they are only telling the Departments to tell the Districts, to tell the Posts to Recruit or you don't get your All-State or All-American Status.  In the 40 years I have been alive, I have only seen a VFW Recruiting Commercials while I was stationed in Korea on the Armed Forces Network, you don't see VFW Recruiting Commercials on Cable, Satellite or Network TV, where the veterans are located.  You don't hear about the works that the VFW does in the local news, and this is despite letting the media know what we are doing and inviting them to come out to see for themselves. 

But keep believing that closing post after post down is good for the organization, instead of trying to remove individuals and rehabilitating the Posts to attract new members who will do more.  But I will work to:
1) Find what is the cause of the problem with the Post,
2) What will it take to fix the problems with the post,
3) Work with the Post to fix the problems and rehabilitate it back to a fully functional Post, and
4) Strengthen the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

That is why I choose to be a District Officer, to build the VFW, not tear it apart.

Yours in Comradeship and L.O.T.C.S.,

Michael McMahon

[IJK3770]

MPMcMahon ,
    You make some good points but so does Doggy Daddy.  There comes a point in time when it is time to just give up trying to help struggling posts.  I too hate to see posts fail but if the Post Officers simply refuse to try to make the needed changes what else can be done? 
Cheerily
IJK

[Bob]

Micheal McMahon has it right. I never attented a district meeting that the Post Commanders and Quatermasters were not talked down to and beat down about dues, reports, and needs of the District.The VFW needs to relize that is is the Posts thet will recruit the new members and keep the VFW going not Department or Natiional.

I believe the VFW needs to change of die. Some needed chages are one member one vote. Simplified reports for the posts, One fee for each member to support National programs, and most of all end the White Hat Program.

Talk to the membersand take the suggestions to heart.

Bob

[Redmaxx 7546]

I never attented a district meeting that the Post Commanders and Quatermasters were not talked down to and beat down about dues, reports, and needs of the District.

WOW! That is the way that I see the District meetings as well. I thought that it was just me but I guess that it is happening everywhere. From what I heard, the Posts that surrendered their charters were not even doing the bare minimum to even be considered a VFW Post. No audits, no meetings, no reports, nothing. From what I was told also, there are a lot of WWII Posts around that don't want younger members and would rather see the Post fold than merge with another Post. Forgive me if I offend anyone but I just think that it is the mindset of that " greatest generation."

[IJK3770]

Bob,
    I try to attend all District meetings now, but for a time I would not go simply for the reasons you stated.  I now realize that it is important for Post Officers to attend District meetings.  The last District CDR  (he served several years and the District made progress with better attendance) we had did not talk down to the post officers and I do not think the new one will either.  There is far too much emphasis on White Hats and membership.  If posts get the other things right then membership follows.
Cheerily
IJK

[d.peirce]

Never a Commander. Always a Quartermaster or Mutt.
Last few years we had an outstanding District Officer. A Vietnam Marine Vet from a near bye town. First District Commander who actually visited our post on his own, Then as Inspector. Actually came to review the Posts records and books. He made me happy that my work was actually questioned and reviewed.
He really took an interest in what his jobs were! He did them well! Never a martinet always a friend. Not listed in any District Office this year?
He had the guts to push the Department to enforce the bylaws.
Our problems, in my mind, relate to the reason an Officer assumes the position.
Old saying: The fish rots from the head down.
We ALL know the jobs are unpaid, take an inordinate amount of time with little acclaim.
There is hope though!
As long as I have read these postings I have never before read so many from either District or Department Officers.

[speisk]

This is good information from everyone.  I see two conversations here, one about post closures and the other about districts.  I have seen a lot of improvements at 9th District meetings in Missouri over the last two years.  One of the best changes was the District Commander sending out frequent letters to all post commanders keeping them informed of all that affected the district.  Good stuff.

I believe that we have an obligation to assist posts that are struggling and I also believe that we should close / consolidate posts that simply refuse to make the effort.  District officers must take the time to visit posts at times other than the obligatory commander / inspector visit.

I’m also not so sure that it’s necessarily bad that posts close.  I tend to think that it is healthy for an organization to see some growth and some contraction.  Populations shift all the time and I’m sure some of this can be attributed to that.  Beyond this, the realignment of districts and examination of underperforming posts is a minefield I do not want to step into, but it’s necessary.

The key to me is that posts must take active roles in the organization above their own level.  We all know real change isn’t coming from the top down.  It’s coming from the bottom up.  One of my favorite lines when opening meetings is “do not let petty jealousies or trivialities interfere…”  It is a constant reminder that the work we do is far more important than any one individual.

[B52Gunner]

Not my opinion but my experience as a Dist. Commander for the last 3 years and Dist QM/Adj. for two years prior to that. My district has lost 2 posts to closure and 1 to combining with another. 1 is now in the process of closing. The problems encountered by all of the posts except the one that joined another was migration. These posts were begun in the 40's when all the GI's came home from WWII and posts sprang up in almost every small town in America. Today these towns are also failing due to migration. There are no good paying jobs so the kids move to the bigger towns as a matter of economics. This leaves the membership well empty, the members get old and pass away and posts find themselves with small aging memberships that cannot physically do the programs we are responsible for. The 1 remaining post in trouble has a membership of approx. 20, majority WWII, the Commander, due to his occupation in only in town a few days each month, and the QM's health is going downhill. Do I want to close this post? No, but there is no resusication readily available now or in the future. Their membership dwindles each year and they have not done any programs for several years, they do not hold regular meetings, they have no post home. How are they representing the VFW? This is just my situation, I realize others are not like mine but sometimes efforts to resusicate still lead to death.