VFW Post 4309 Meetings and Events
Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 04:54 PM
by Webmaster Post 4309
VFW Post 4309 Float in 2007 Christmas Parade
We participated in both the Brevard and Rosman parades. We won Brevard's Chamber of Commerce Award. We had veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kuwait on the float.
Meetings and Get Togethers
Our regular Post and Auxiliary meetings are held once a month on the second Monday. Complimentary dinner is served at 6:00 PM and the meeting begins promptly at 7:00 PM. Please join us.
The Junior Girls' Unit meets the 1st Friday of every month at 6:30 PM (with some exceptions).
Every Friday, dinner is served at 6:00 PM and there is a dart tournament that starts at 7:30 PM. We usually play 2 rounds of games with monetary awards to the 1st and 2nd place winners.
The Ladies Auxiliary will hold a "Sunday Tea" meeting at 1 PM on the 3rd Sunday of each month. This meeting is for all members who would like to be more involved, but who do not go out at night or cannot make the Monday night meetings.
This is a photo of Lane and Judy Bagwell. Their son, Charlie Bagwell was KIA in Afghanistan this past summer (2007). She is a Gold Star Mother and received the Gold Star Flag plus a life membership in the Ladies Auxiliary. Lane is a Vietnam veteran. He received a bible from the Post encased in a beautifully handcrafted wooden box. It was dedicated in his son's name.
2008 Dates
February 8 - 10th Council of Administration meeting in Greensboro
February 12 - regular monthly meeting. Dinner 6PM and meet 7PM. Will announce results/news of Council meeting
March 8 - Auxiliary bingo to raise money for Easter Wonderland. Early birds 6:30, regular games at 7PM, food will be sold.
March 15 - Easter Wonderland 12 to 3 PM. 10,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and prize slips will be hidden in 3 fields. Hunts will begin at 12 noon for age 1 to 3; 1PM for ages 4 - 6 and 2PM for ages 7 - 10. Police, Sheriff, Fire and Rescue exhibitors will be on hand with giveaways, safety materials and free Polaroid photos with the Easter Bunny. Moonwalk for kids to play in while they wait their turn. Food will be sold.
March 31st deadline for Patriotic Art entries to the Auxiliary. Judging to follow within one week to get 1st place winner to state by April 15.
Year End reports due April 1, 2008 to Department Chairman.
April 8 - monthly meeting. Dinner 6 PM and meet 7PM. Announce winners of Patriotic Art contest
April 12 - Bingo to raise funds for community projects
April 28 - 30 - National Auxiliary President Visits Western North Carolina.
April 29 - conducting a Bingo at the Charles George VA Medical Center Nursing Home in Asheville. Meet at 5:30 PM at Post. We're bringing sandwiches, snacks, beverages and of course, money for the winners.
May - District meeting to be determined
May 10 - Bingo to raise funds for community projects
May 13 - monthly meeting. Dinner 6PM and meet 7PM. Announce scholarship winners and elections of new officers.
May 24-we are planning to be in a parade that ends at 11AM. Meeting place and time to be determined.
May 24 - place American Flags on graves of Veterans buried in Pisgah Gardens cemetery. Time to be determined.
May 25 - 9AM meet and participate in Memorial Day event conducted by American Legion/Auxiliary, VFW/Auxiliary and Daughters of American Revolution. Held at Evergreen-Gillespie Cemetery on Country Club Road in Brevard.
May 26 - hold Memorial Day service at Pisgah Gardens Cemetery on Hendersonville Highway (US 64) in Pisgah Forest - time to be determined. This is a new event. Be sure to fly your American Flag on this day.
June 7 - Ladies Auxiliary annual Membership Appreciation Day. Held 2 PM to 5PM. Planned theme and activity are a surprise.
June 10 - monthly meeting. Dinner 6PM and meet 7PM. Install new officers.
June 12 - 15 - Department Convention - Greensboro, NC
Below is a photo of our members presenting wreaths at Veterans Monument at Court house on Memorial Day, 2007.
Scholarships
The Junior Girls Scholarship is a national scholarship award program that awards a $10,000 First Place and a $5,000 Second Place Scholarship. It is available to girls ages 13 to 16 who have been active in the Junior Girls Unit of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW for one year and have held an office.
The Voice of Democracy Scholarship Program is a national program open to students in the 9th through 12th grades. They compete for $143,500 in national college scholarships including a $25,000 first prize.
The "Patriot’s Pen" is a nationally conducted youth essay competition. This competition awards in US Savings Bonds a national first place prize of a $10,000, 2nd $7,000, 3rd $5,500, 4th $5,000, 5th $4,000, 6th $3,500, 7th - 8th $3,000, 9th $2,500, 10th $2,000 and 12th – 19th place $1,000 each. Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.
The Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest is a national scholarship program that will award a $10,000 first place, $5,000 second place, and $2,500 third place prize. Students in grades 9th through 12th are eligible to compete.
The Outstanding Young Volunteer of the Year Award is a national program available to 12 to 15 year olds. The National winner will receive a $5,000.00 U.S. Savings Bond.
The Erline Mayberry, Otis Brown, and Billy Ray Cameron Scholarships are Department of North Carolina scholarships offered by both the VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary. The Erline Mayberry Scholarship is a one time $1,000 scholarship whereas the Otis Brown and Billy Ray Cameron Scholarships are $1,000 a year for up to 4 years. Each of the scholarships require the student to be a graduating senior in high school, a child, stepchild or grandchild of a current VFW or Ladies Auxiliary member and is enrolling in a North Carolina junior or senior college.
There are two memorial scholarships offered exclusively by VFW Post 4309 each year – the George Wegner and Joe Fisher Memorial Scholarships. The requirement is that the student must be a Transylvania County graduating high school senior who is the child, step-child or grandchild of either a living or deceased member of the VFW and intends to attend college in North Carolina. The amount of each scholarship will be announced at a later date.
$1,000 Auxiliary Scholarship from National.: Offered to spouse, daughter, son and member but member had to be a member one year prior to application. Used for continuing education, college degree or technical school.
Below are the 2007 Rosman VOD winners along with 2 active duty soldiers who served in Afghanistan and are graduates of Rosman High School, and the Bagwells. Their History Teacher and Principal were also present.
Frequently Asked Questions About the VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Website (www.vfw.org) has a new feature which can answer your questions about the VFW.
The VFW's new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section can answer many of the most common questions anyone might have about the organization.
Have a question about:
- Eligibility?
- Cost of Lifetime Membership?
- Flag etiquette?
- Appropriate time to wear your VFW cap?
Get the answers to these and nearly 400 other common questions here.
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Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 02:03 PM
by Webmaster Post 4309
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Commander-In-Chief Independence Day Message
Friday, July 4, 2008 at 08:04 AM
by Webmaster Post 4309
As we celebrate the 232nd anniversary of our nation's independence, let us pause to remember the victories in battle and the blood that was shed to preserve our freedoms. Let us give thanks to our forefathers for their vision of liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness. Most importantly, let us pay tribute to our nation's greatest assets: our servicemen and servicewomen in uniform who so proudly serve our nation in peace and defend our freedoms in war. We salute you for your dedication to duty and service to country. Thank you from the 2.4 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Auxiliaries.
God bless America.
George Lisicki
VFW Commander-in-Chief
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VA News - Week of June 30, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008 at 10:51 AM
by Webmaster Post 4309
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President Signs New GI Bill Into Law
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 02:07 PM
by Webmaster Post 4309
KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 30, 2008 – President Bush’s signature today on a new GI Bill for the 21st Century is being hailed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. as a tremendous victory for a new generation of military servicemen and women who have been at war for almost seven years.
"This is a tremendous victory for America's veterans, military and their families," exclaimed VFW national commander George Lisicki, a Vietnam combat veteran from Carteret, N.J.
"I salute Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) for his determination to get this bill passed, the president for his strong support of our military, and the entire VFW membership for their untiring effort to get their congressional delegations to cosponsor S. 22 or its companion bill in the House, H.R. 5740.”
The new 21st Century GI Bill will pay the highest in-state public tuition rate, and provide for books, fees, and a living stipend. It eliminates the $1,200 enrollment fee, extends the use-or-lose benefit requirement from 10 to 15 years, and greatly enhances the amount paid to Guard and Reserve members. The new GI Bill automatically adjusts itself as tuitions increase, and provides a dollar-for-dollar tuition match for private colleges and universities who choose to participate in the program. A new provision added to the bill also allows reenlisting servicemembers to transfer their educational benefit to their spouse and/or children.
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VFW Says 'Thank You!' for New GI Bill
Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 01:39 PM
by Webmaster Post 4309
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is saluting Congress for the overwhelming passage of a new GI Bill for the 21st Century. The bill, S. 22, the "Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act," was attached to the war funding supplemental that the House passed June 19 and the Senate is predicted to approve this evening. President Bush is expected to quickly sign it into law.
"This is a tremendous victory for America's veterans, military, and their families," exclaimed VFW national commander George Lisicki, a Vietnam combat veteran from Carteret, N.J., "and we have Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia to thank for his rock-steady determination to get this bill passed."
S. 22 captured the VFW's immediate attention when Webb introduced it on his first day in office, Jan. 4, 2007. His bill – which increases college assistance for veterans – was overshadowed last year by increased calls to end the war in Iraq and the administration's sudden announcement to surge 30,000 additional troops into Iraq. But Webb, the former Secretary of the Navy under the Reagan Administration and a Marine Corps infantry officer who received the Navy Cross for heroism during the Vietnam War, pressed on, fortified by the challenge to get his bill heard.
He worked for more than a year to build a coalition of allies, not only within his own Democratic Party, but from across the aisle and within the House. These allies include 57 other Senate cosponsors, to include five fellow GI Bill beneficiaries: Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel (R-NE), World War II and Korean War veteran John Warner (R-VA), and World War II veterans Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Daniel Inouye (D-HI).
S. 22's companion bill in the House, H.R. 5740, was introduced by Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) and Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), and it garnered 302 bipartisan cosponsors, to include Korean War veteran Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Sam Johnson (R-TX), a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, who was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for nearly seven years.
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VFW Demands Accountability Over Chantix Issue
Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 04:33 PM
by Webmaster Post 4309
WASHINGTON (June 19, 2008) - "Enough is enough," said George J. Lisicki, the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., in response to today's Washington Times article that provides additional information about the potential lethal effect a prescribed drug is having on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-diagnosed veterans who volunteered for a Department of Veterans Affairs smoking cessation program.
"Those in the VA who failed to properly serve America's veterans must resign their positions," said Lisicki, a Vietnam veteran from Carteret, N.J. "If not, then the VA secretary must take decisive action to terminate them."
The smoking cessation research program uses the drug Chantix, which Food and Drug Administration officials say helps people to stop smoking, but according to a Washington Times/ABC News investigative report on Tuesday, Chantix has also been linked to almost 40 suicides and more than 400 incidents of suicidal behavior. The drug's manufacturer and the FDA have recently cautioned healthcare providers about adverse side effects that could produce changes in behavior ranging from anxiety and depression to suicide.
All 940 veterans enrolled in the VA's smoking cessation program have PTSD. A test group of 143 of them were prescribed Chantix, which is also known as Varenicline.
Lisicki questions why VA clinicians who knew of Chantix's hazardous side effects would allow veterans suffering from PTSD to continue taking it, because "professional ethics and common sense just dictates that clinicians would stop their patients from taking the drug just to err on the side of safety for the veterans and their families," he said. As of May 21, the Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of Chantix by airline pilots and air traffic controllers.
The VFW national commander also questions the leadership ability of those who oversee these types of medical research programs, asks why it took the VA two more days before revealing additional details of those in the study; and wonders what other information has yet to be uncovered. Aside from Chantix, other drugs that are were reported to currently being used to treat veterans with PTSD are the anticonvulsant Divalproex, and the antidepressants Paroxetine, Mirtazapine and Citalopram, all of which carry warnings of potential suicidal side effects.
"The VA is known for quality healthcare that is delivered by highly trained and educated medical professionals and staff, but in recent weeks, the American public has read stories accusing the department of not properly taking care of veterans with mental health problems, to include veterans attempting suicide under VA care. These stories, to include the well-documented veterans' claims backlog, are having a negative cumulative effect on the overall image of the VA," said Lisicki.
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VA Reaching Out to Vets with Mortgage Problems
Friday, June 13, 2008 at 05:30 PM
by Webmaster Post 4309
WASHINGTON – Many home owners have found it difficult recently to pay their mortgages, but quick intervention by loan counselors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has actually reduced the number of veterans defaulting on their home loans.
“VA is reaching out to veterans -- both those who use our home-loan guaranty program and those who don’t take advantage of our guaranties -- to keep people in their homes,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “I’m proud of our solid record of success in helping veterans and active-duty personnel deal with financial crises.”
Accounting for much of this success are VA counselors at nine regional loan centers who assist people with VA-guarantied loans avoid foreclosure through counseling and special financing arrangements. The counselors also can assist other veterans with financial problems. VA counselors have helped about 74,000 veterans, active-duty members and survivors keep their homes since 2000, a savings to the government of nearly $1.5 billion.
Depending on a veteran’s circumstances, VA can intercede with the borrower on the veteran’s behalf to pursue options -- such as repayment plans, forbearance, and loan modifications -- that would allow a veteran to keep a home.
To obtain help from a VA financial counselor, veterans can call VA toll-free at 1-877-827-3702. Information about VA’s home loan guaranty program can be obtained at
www.homeleans.va.gov
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New I.R.S. Organizational Income Filing Requirement
Monday, June 2, 2008 at 11:15 AM
by Webmaster Post 4309
The U S Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) now requires, under the Pension Protection Act of 2006, that
all tax-exempt organizations file income statements each year .
Here is how we will do it in the VFW Department of North Carolina.
1- If your post earns over $25,000 in gross income during your fiscal year, you must file an IRS Form 990 (which you should already have been doing, anyway!). Keep the same fiscal year you have been using in the past, be it the calendar year, the VFW accounting year (1 July-30 June) or the Department's fiscal year (1 June-31 May).
2 - If your post earns $25,000 or less each year, and you have access to the Internet, go to www.epostcard.form990.org/default.asp where you will find instructions on how to login and file your own post Form 990N Electronic Postcard. You may use whatever fiscal year you want, but for simplicity purposes, we suggest 1 July-31 June, because 1 July is the date that you transfer your Post Dues Reserve each year to the Post General Fund, and that will remind you to file. The IRS Internet site will not let you file the Form 990N until after the end of your fiscal year.
3 - If your post earns $25,000 or less each year and you do not have access to the Internet, we will file your Form 990N Electronic Postcard for you. There is no paper form that you can file with the IRS. If you do not file a Form 990 or 990N each year, your post will lose its tax-exempt status!!
Our address is P.O. Box 25337, Raleigh, NC 27611.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Form 990N Declaration
Post ______does not have access to the Internet for Form 990N purposes.
Please file our Form 990N for us!
___________________________________
Signature and Position
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