WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
Here's a good place to get started. While we get the bugs ironed out for this space, you can still let us know what's "Bugging" you by clicking on the comment button at the bottom of this blog and adding what's on yer gourd. Give it a try and let's see if you can stump the experts! By the way, we're ALL experts, aren't we?
Pup Tents are folding up and /or merging with other Pup Tents left and right till soon I fear it...as all things do...will just fade away...I have been a member for twenty years and was taught by the best but just as the WWII generation die out I see the Cooties close behind...
I saw an article that said a Pup Tent somewhere signed up over 150 regular and life VFW members...great...how many was asked to join the Cooties...few I can tell you...this is one of the many problems...No one ever ask another to join the Cooties...most don't even know there is such a thing...
Membership is key they say...Bull...keeping your members happy and active and bringing in new members is the real key...
If you want your Pub Tent to increase and multiply the fun and comradeship must return as it was...we don't need 3rd degrees to degrade our fellow brothers...we do a pretty good on our our it seems...Who in their right mind would give up their Sunday afternoon with family and loved ones to go to a meeting where everyone wants to hammer on you and others...argue this...debate that...you have been to meeting as such and no one can deny that...
It use to be fun day for all to be had but now it's on a different path...one that cares more of power...esteem and the God Almighty dollar then they do Honor...Respect and Comradeship these days...this s why we are dying out...plus it is always just a handful of members the actually do anything out of their hearts alone...this and much more needs to change to bring theses Vets in today...they can smell the bull crap and want no part of it and who can blame them...signing members up is one thing...keeping them and making them Active is another...Trust...Honor and Respect must be brought back to the "Honor Degree" of the VFW as to the fun and comradeship...
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Why is it when a vet joins the VFW he is not told about the "Honor Degree"??I have talked with hundreds that have never heard of the Cooties and alot of them are the old timers who started it to begin with...Hmmm
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Its easy to figure out what is happening to the MOC. We have lost our IDENTITY and its our own fault for letting it happen. Fact: Much of the MOC is made up of "old" guys like me, many vintage WWII veterans. When you consider that only 1.2% of VFW members are Cooties and our numbers continue to go down we MUST be doing something wrong. Fact: Its our own fault. When has Supreme developed any colorful, effective MOC advertizement for Pup Tents to use in recruiting new members? When has our PARENT organization gone out of their way to boost about the MOC as the HONOR Degree of the VFW? Why do Pup Tents fail to recruit outside of their own VFW Post. I can tell you there isn't much of a "Team Effort" between the VFW and the MOC when it comes to recruiting and thats sad. We at the Grand of Florida are taking steps to stop the decline and have put together a 3 year program that should increase our membership and build/renew Pup Tents in the state. We started by developing written communications about the MOC to be distributed to all VFW District/Post Commanders for the new year. The next thing we did was to identify all VFW Post with membership above 350 that did not have a Pup Tent and assigned them to the closest MOC District Commander. We instructed the MOC District Commanders to contact the VFW Post Commanders and request a time slot at their next Post Meeting to address the Post membership about the MOC history and why its and honor to become a member. The meetings are designed to recruit new qualified members and to try setting up a new or reinstated Pup Tent at that Post. We developed, at our own expense, a very colorful and informative brochure about the MOC which includes an application. We also have constructed MOC bulletin board recruiting posters that have an application packet attached. To help the MOC District Commanders with their briefing presentation we developed a written briefing packet for each of them. We know that success will not occur over night and that is why we have made this a 3 year project. We will review the program at our Grand Convention each year and make changes if necessary. Our Goal is to increase membership by 50% and establish or reinstate 10 Pup Tents. As a side note it would really be nice and would help us greatly if our VFW Commander & Chief would grant our MOC Supreme Commander a half page in the VFW Mag. each month. Our Cootie Courier only reaches current MOC members while the VFW Mag reaches ALL VFW members.
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I am the owner of a white 1949 ford fire truck your organization in New Cumberland,PA used for parades that was purchased from the West Alexander,PA VFD.I am looking for pictures /other information you all may have on this truck. Please email me at rlokay@access.k12.wv.us. Thanks, Roger Lokay, Athens, WV
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Yes, every post member eligible to join the cooties should be invited. Of course the key is eligible and that is why they should be invited, because they have served the post to meet eligibly (we need volunteers).
Existence of the cooties may not be well known but communicating what cooties do and how a member can become eligible through service in a major committee, etc, will help those understand what it takes to be considered. Communicating the expectations (serving on a major committee) will help all to know how to be considered.
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I really don't understand how this blog is working. I submitted two comments but neither of them ever appeared. Whats the deal?
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ihave been a life member for a long time.i would like to know of any pub tents around kalamazoo mi or fr myers fl
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