Making "ONE" Strong Auxiliary

[vfw4you]

It was disappointing to see the National Convention, once again, deny men married to women veterans the right to merge into the "Ladies" Auxiliary.  The "Mens" Auxiliary does not play by the same rule book and is not sanctioned by the National VFW.  Thus, this group grows slowly and are too sparse for men who want to be a part of this organization in an auxiliary capacity.

What the powers that be are missing, I think, is the "Ladies" Auxiliary was established when only 'ladies' existed to be auxiliary members.  They have not grown with societal changes.  The dynamics of the military family are far changed from the WWI veterans.  Today, some 20% of the military is female with percentages as high as 45-49% in state National Guard/Reserve units.  Many of them have souses who are not eligible to be a member of the VFW or their local Ladies Auxiliary  This is a whole lot of gain lost because of one word.  Membership on either side of the fence is not near what it could/should be.  The "Auxiliary" factor is not the sole factor in difficulty attaining and maintaining members, but it is a big one.

I have heard women who are eligible for both VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary state they will not join the Auxiliary because their husband can't.  I have heard women say they will not join at all because their husband is not eligible for the VFW and they want to do something as a family.  Him not being eligible for the "Ladies Auxiliary" and no "Mens Auxiliary" near by loses all of us a new member.

The VFW did not allow women to be eligible to join its ranks until 1995.  It still does not do a real good job at retention of women, but it improves slowly.  It really is time for the "Ladies Auxiliary" to get with the times and pool their resources to make "THE AUXILIARY" comprised of both men and women.  This would reflect the reality of veteran family dynamics far better than what we see.  This would strengthen membership and performance on both sides of the isle.

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[mugsy1340]

As a 20-year Ladies Auxiliary member, I'm not sure I agree that bringing men into the "Ladies Auxiliary" is the right thing to do.

Having said that, I find it curious that the VFW National Convention refuses to do all it can to bring forth the Men's Auxiliary as a separate organization - like the Ladies Auxiliary - to provide much needed VFW/Auxiliary membership numbers, as well as needed financial support for VFW Programs. 

I am currently running a VFW National Home Life Membership drive in our state, and I was surprised to learn Men's Auxiliary members can't even become full life members!  They can become Associate Life Members - just like any other outsider.  Ridiculous.

I also find it curious that female veterans who are eligible for VFW Post membership are encouraged to obtain dual membership in the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary organizations, while men who are eligible for VFW Post membership are REFUSED entry into the men's auxiliary organization - even if they could otherwise properly join the Men's Auxiliary through the service of one of their immediate relatives!

We recently encountered that situation at our post.  We have a wonderful, active men's auxiliary.   One of their men, who recently was elected Sr. Vice President, was forced to resign from their organization when our post commander found out he is a combat veteran.  Again, ridiculous.

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[kacal]

The Men's Aux cannot be Life Members in thier own org either

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[fabulous fifth]

Women veterans have been eligible for VFW Post membership since 1978, not 1995!  Get your facts straight.

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[IJK3770]

What makes you think that the Ladies Auxiliary is not already "Strong"?  I see no reason to merge the two and am against it.  There are "Mens Auxiliaries" for those men whose wives join the VFW and it is up to them to make it "Strong" also.  The focus of a lot of the Ladies Auxiliary Programs would not be sustained if diluted by adding males to it.  The Mens Auxiliary is free to institute its own focus on programs.
Cheerily
IJK

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[fabulous fifth]

IJ: I think we probably agree on this issue.  I don't see how destroying the Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW to accomodate men will make "one" strong auxiliary.  I think that idea will kill off both auxiliaries. 

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[IJK3770]

Fab5th,
    It's Awesome that we found something we agree on.    I am in a discussion group with a bunch of members from Texas and they are strongly the other way and I get beat up about it quite a bit.
Cheerily
IJK

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[Redmaxx]

I agree that there needs to be two Auxiliaries. The Ladies have a long and proud history. Why would we want to force them to take the Men's Aux? In my opinion, the Men would try to take over the Auxiliary and push the Ladies aside.

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[mugsy1340]

Well, we (Ladies Auxiliary) now have a resolution up for a vote at the National Convention this year (2012) to allow men into our auxiliary in 2016 - and change the name of our organization to simply "The Auxiliary to the VFW".

Is it an idea whose time has come?  Perhaps - LAVFW is losing members every year.

The resolution (which came from the National Line Officers) specifically states that if this resolution passes it will NOT merge the Men's Auxiliary and the Ladies Auxiliary;  it will simply allow men to join our auxiliary. 

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[IJK3770]

I think it should be on a case by case basis.  Allow each Ladies Auxiliary decide for themselves if they wish to allow it.  Maybe even allow the post some input.  Go ahead and change the name but it would be up to each LA to actually make the call for their particular case.  That would be a compromise of sorts without forcing something down their throats.  Might be a lot more palatable to all.
Cheerily
IJK

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[mugsy1340]

We already have a system in place where we don't have to accept every qualified prospective member.  The investigating committee makes a report, and the membership present at the meeting votes on whether to accept the candidate. 

Having said that, I think if we have a situation where an auxiliary systematically refuses to accept an entire group of candidates solely on the basis of their gender (like you are suggesting when you say to leave it up to each auxiliary to decide), we may run into a legal issue due to gender discrimination.  We don't need that!!

I've completely changed my mind on this issue over the past 2 years, and now I believe this is a concept whose time has come.  Why?  Ladies Auxiliary membership is dropping every year.  (Last year, our net loss was 10,700 members - the year before, we lost 16,400.)  Costs are rising every year, and our investments are flat.  We need people, and we need money - urgently. 

Meanwhile, the men's auxiliary concept does not seem to be thriving in its current state.  For example, our men's auxiliary members at my post work their tails off - and the post members crap on them because they somehow perceive they are being upstaged by men who aren't combat vets.  Our men's auxiliary actually paid our post's mortgage all summer (for the 3rd year in a row) with no appreciation whatsoever.

The ladies auxiliary organization will be 100 years old next year.  If our organization is so fragile that we can't absorb a new group of willing prospective members, then shame on us.     

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[DoggyDaddy]

One thing should not be disputed and that is Post's need to recognize,
accept and appreciate the Auxiliary, Mens and Ladies.

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[Chris Weber 5468]

For years, there was a push to update the language of the VFW Rituals. Perhaps what might be happening with the Ladies Auxiliary is to update and streamline their Ritual. Prospective Members might be turned off with that much Ritual.

Also, it is my understanding that the VFW took off the table any changes to Article 11 concerning the Ladies Auxiliary.

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[mugsy1340]

Chris,
This is not a VFW resolution this year.  It is a Ladies Auxiliary resolution, being introduced by the LAVFW National Line Officers.  What it says (if it passes, of course) is that effective at the conclusion of the 2016 National Convention, the name of the organization will change from "Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW" to simply "The Auxiliary to the VFW", and men will be eligible using the same membership criteria the LAVFW currently has in place.

The resolution is very explicit that it would NOT be a merger of the Men's Auxiliary and the LAVFW, as the LAVFW is a separate organization and we have no authority over the Men's Auxiliary.  It would simply be a change in our by-laws that would allow men to join our organization.  If it passes, the VFW would then have to decide what, if anything, to do with the Men's Auxiliaries.

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[Chris Weber 5468]

It was also on the table as sponsored by the Department of Virginia until cut by the National By Laws and Resolutions Committee at the final publication of the Proposed Changes.

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