Ross Medos

Dist. 4 July 2008 Newsletter

Comrades and Sisters of Michigan’s VFW Fourth District, it’s a new year, full of opportunities and challenges. Let us strive to make the most of them all. With the National Commander Elect’s giving the Posts a possibility of making All State without having to be 100% in membership as long as all of the other aspects of the program are completed, we as a group do not have an excuse for not getting it done. So let’s get started with getting your activity, hospital and POW/MIA reports completed every month and sent into Department. I know that you are all doing the work, so take the credit for it. Post Inspections are right around the corner and you’ll be hearing from the Comrade who will be coming to check you out. Make it easy on yourself and have everything necessary to complete the job at hand and ready to go. September 14^th will be the first District Meeting at the Romanowski Post 6896 starting at noon sharp. The VFW’s bylaws require all Posts to have either the Commander or his designated representative in attendance. Better yet, have all of your members who can make it be there. If the Post is not represented it may just get the Commander suspended. We can all learn something at these meetings and it’s the easiest way to get needed information out. Membership still needs to be stressed at Post, District and Department level. This organization cannot continue to lose membership and still remain a viable entity. Sometimes all a prospective member needs to join the VFW, one of the greatest groups in the world, is an honest heartfelt invitation.  We probably all know of someone who is eligible to be a member, so get out there and ask them. What have you got to lose and look at what you have to gain? Above all, remember that we are “veterans helping veterans” so let’s keep the lamp lit, and make the fourth the “first”! 

Respectfully, 

Ross E. Medos, Dist. 4 CDR.

VFW Dept. of Michigan

Robert Lutz
 

Matthew David
 

Andrew Conklin

What an opportunity, every year after elections we get to make a fresh start, now we can take time to evaluate the past year and see what we did right or wrong to make the necessary corrections, and  hone in on the goals and mission of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Veterans serving Veterans. Our National Commander has adopted the theme, “Back to Basic’s”, now we need to interoperate this correctly and act on it. One way to start is to put the word Comrade back in our vocabulary. Comrade comes from the Spanish word “camarada”, meaning friend. I have made some personal observations and find we are either misunderstanding the true meaning of the word or aren’t capable of putting aside our differences and focusing on the benefits of getting in the harness and working together as a team. This is clearly outlined by our forefathers who had the wisdom to foresee this weakness in human nature and put it right in our lap in the opening statement for our meetings, you know the petty jealousy thing. We are never going to move forward until we have a harmonious atmosphere in our organization, and we must start at the bottom, the Post.   Care enough about your fellow comrade to clarify any issue’s and even if we don’t all agree, lets deal with it, maybe there’s another way.  

At the Department convention I was speaking with two ranking Ladies Auxiliary members when an elderly Veterans walked by, they grabbed him and gave him a big warm welcome and hug, asking him how he was doing, he explained, “not well, I’m always saddened to attend these functions because every time I do more of my friends (comrades) have passed”. I was impacted by his statement and feel life’s to short for us to be at odds with each other. So lets get ourselves in the harness, focus clearly on the goals of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, then as a team we can meet or exceed them.  

Next District 7 meeting will be in Marcellus Post 4054, this is a model Post that has a very well decorated grounds and museum. Please attend or send a representative. If you have suggestions for improving our meetings to get more attendance come and share them with us. Take care Comrades.

John Potter

Comrades: now that elections are over and new officers are taking over for the 2008-2009 year I want to wish all of you a great year.  I am looking forward to working with you and your post in making this a great year for the 8^th dist. this last year we only had 4 posts reach 100% I hope that we can do better this year.  Our next dist meeting is Aug. 9, 2008 at the charlotte post #2406 there will be a service officer school of instruction at 10am. Meeting will be held at 1pm. Please make sure that you have someone from your post there to represent your post. Dist. meeting schedule is  Nov. 1 Grand Haven, Feb.7, Comstock VOD dinner and May 2,  Wayland. Post inspections are now going on we have to have them in to dept. by Oct. 1^st this year.  Please give our inspectors your cooperation so that we can get this done and in to dept. I am looking forward to working with our ladies this year. I think we will have a great year working together. Next big event is Nat, convention in Orlando Florida  Aug. 16-21 then Pow Wow  on Oct. 9^th -12^th  in Sault St. Marie I hope to see some of our members there.  I will be out doing my post visits so I will see you soon. Our dept. Commander from the great 8^th Dist. is our own Rick Redfern his slogan for the year is: (Make Success Happen) lets get behind him and get it done

James Huver

Ronald Lomasney

James Kaufman

Billy Stancroff

Victor Peterson

Joseph Frappier
Email: frapman@charter.net

comrades' the new year is here. Dearborn was great . will be getting inspection forms out this week watch your mail also in the packets will be your Pac pins, Map pins. The Pac are$5.00ea, map are 3.00ea, also new Cmdrs pin free. remember new year reports reports thank you. I will try to get to each post this year send me dates at least week in advance fund raiser or what ever ..my e mail frapman@charter.net lets have a banner year comrades the 14th will be heard. keep them rolling out to sea..

Marvin Hill