Hey all

OEF 11-12 Vet

Got voted to be the Junior Vice at my VFW. My uncle is the Quartermaster (That's how I got roped in)

This is my second year.

We are hurting for new/younger members from OEF/OIF/OND as well as trying to find/develop any sustainable fundraisers for the organization as a whole.

Any ideas?

I appreciate what you are trying to do. Clubs all over the country are in the same spot. Our era of Vets is getting back into the workforce, going to school, taking care of families, etc. Social clubs are just not high on the priority list. If I were you, I would sponsor some events over at the local college where the Vets are going to school like the Veterans Club or offer assistance in applying for the GI Bill.

It all comes down to outreach man.

Money I have no clue, my VFW has a bar and don't know that they do much else (I joined, but dont have much interest).

VFW Life Member checking in.
Thanks for what you are trying to do in your post.
I would suggest looking up the VFW Public Relations Guide for some ideas.

http://www.vfw.org/oms/Leadership/09_PublicRelationsGuide/PRGuide2007.pdf

I would also suggest letting your local press be aware of every event you do. The positive press is free advertising to attract younger/new members.
Usually the local papers eat up all kinds of veteran stories.

Quite a few events are coming up that could get you some positive press, getting away from the drunks at the bar stereotype, that your post could be involved in.
POW/MIA recognition day
Veterans Day, have a spaghetti dinner free for all Vets and their families.
Christmas, team up with Toys for Tots, or send care packages to the troops.

Don't forget that the VFW Voice of Democracy contest is coming up with the school year starting.
http://www.vfw.org/Community/Voice-of-Democracy/

Hope this helps.

I did the American Legion for one year....frankly I just didn't get it.....

I don't know what to tell you to do but I can tell you this. I let my VFW membership lapse this year. Local chapter never contacted me by phone, mail or e-mail about anything. If they ever had something going on I never heard about it. Never knew when the meetings were...assuming that they must have them. I would go there once or twice a year to meet with friends...other than that nothing. Never really felt "welcomed" or like I really belonged to anything. I tried to inquire about it a few times. The bartender and waitresses didn't have any information.

Do something to make them feel like you want them there. Something that will make them feel as though they belong to a group of "brothers"...that's what I was hoping for.

Thanks for the tips/links.

I'll have to use those and see what I Can do for the post this year

That's another thing I'm working on there.

The older vets refuse to change anything. I've argued with them about the phone calls and emails and it's been a helluva fight.

Still trying to get these kinds of things fixed.

Problem is that they take too long to discuss and by the time it is fixed, it's too late and the damage is done

Any ideas on things that would have made you feel more welcome?

We have a couple good ideas for outreach.

We were going to do a 5k

Problem was no one else in the post other that me and my brother were willing to do anything to support it.

I'm all about helping the club, but I'm not going to the work of the entire organization

My local VFW is full of pull-tab machines and smoke, and is pretty much nothing but a drinking club.

My local VFW is full of flaming alcoholics.  Yes they do charity but it all
involves drinking starting around 10am.

Wow

Ours isn't that bad

There's a decent amount of involvement and such...

but keeping the place open is the hard part financially for us

Wow

We've got 2 machines right now. We don't want it to get any crazier

The drinking club is expected, but there is supposed to be community involvement as well

Where in OH are you?

Ban smoking?

 












































































































 

Yeah...that'll happen.

I grew up in a family that did VFW functions.  My step father was a past post commander and all that.  Back in the day they were popular social clubs, not much different than the Italian American Club, the Polish American Club, the Hibernians, etc.    

Back in the day they had dinners, dances, 4th of July parties after the parade for the public, (hot dogs and soda).  They also had parties all year for holidays; Halloween, Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, etc. Christmas party with small toys for the kids.  Last I knew they still did the 4th of July and memorial day functions but other than that they decayed into an old man drinking club.   Hell back then they used to shun the VN war and Korean war vets, the WW2 vets would frequently say shit about we won our war or that was a police action not a war.  Only when they got thin on members did they seem to open up I think they even opened it up to all vets, not just certain war period vets like they used to be.  The other guys had to go over to the American Legion.

The last little town I lived in had a small VFW, you'd hardly know it was a military veterans club.   They were adult kids of vet townies that ran the bar and were most of the customers.  The bar business was needed for income.

I think a lot of it is we live in a different era, we entertain ourselves with TV and technology, and have busier lives.   In the old days community dances and social events were the entertainment.  Those days are mostly gone.  My parents were dancing to those into their 60's.  

That said, I like $1 drafts which used to be $0.30 when I was only drinking roy rogers sodas there.    

Where you at AL Convention in Vancouver, WA recently?

 

Semper Fi to you and yours.

F BTTRY  2/14 (HIMARS)


Back to the thread topic:

I think many of us can agree that at the national level the VFW and American Legion do great things as far as lobbying and advocacy go.

The criticisms of both the VFW and American Legion have merit, for the most part, at the local post level.
The perception that both service organizations are a haven for drunks, smokers, and gamblers, turn off many veterans.
A few years back, I did what Aimless suggested a few posts up, in that I went in to my local AL Post with a coalition of like minded individuals and cleaned out the negative Nancy's and drunks. We rededicated ourselves to the founding principles of the organization and so far it is working out and the local community love us again.

Many great ideas have been put forth in this thread, and others, to get a local post fixed up.

For clarification: I am a VFW Life Member as well as a five year member of the Legion and former Post Commander.
OIF 06-07

 

Hilliard area...

relevant story

 

I belong to a local VFW and I thought this was their only cause.  Come get drunk and tell war stories.  I've only been there once to sign up, it's the same old thing I've seen for decades.  

With you on this. I just had the same idea and posted it in the Texas hometown section not too long ago:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_8_8/565438_Tyler_County_VFW_Rifle_Team.html

On memorial day, I went to the local vfw hoping to swap stories and honour my fallen brethren over a few beers.  I was severely disappointed as there were more civilians than there were vets, and they were all  just trying to hook up.  Nothing wrong with that, but I figured memorial day would be the right day to honour fallen brethren.

It's so hard to get younger vets to join

I grew up in a family that did VFW functions. My step father was a past post commander and all that. Back in the day they were popular social clubs, not much different than the Italian American Club, the Polish American Club, the Hibernians, etc.

Back in the day they had dinners, dances, 4th of July parties after the parade for the public, (hot dogs and soda). They also had parties all year for holidays; Halloween, Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, etc. Christmas party with small toys for the kids. Last I knew they still did the 4th of July and memorial day functions but other than that they decayed into an old man drinking club.


I would have asked them simply this.  Did you get shot at during the war?  Please tell me the difference in WW2, Korea, VN, and  all "desert wars"?   A bullet is a bullet.  A bomb is a bomb. A soldier is a soldier, not a politician.  Politicians screwed up Korea and VN, not soldiers. Soldiers did their job as ordered.   They got shot at, you got shot at, I got shot at.  Its is all the same thing.   (I will bet you half the "old" guys griping were cooks, clerks, rear echelon types or something like that.)  Everyone I know that was actually "in close combat" understands its all the same. Never seen one of those complain about Korean, VN, or Desert wars as wimpy BS.  Remind them that the English, French Aussies etc etc had to help them "win their war".  Ask them why they had to have all that help.  That will get their goat good.  Works all the time for me.

I'd be interested if my experiences with VFW's and the American Legions was a bit more welcoming. Like a few other guys said previously it just seems to be filled with more surviving Veterans' from WW2/Korea children than actual Veterans. Just felt like they were wondering what this kid(30 years old) was doing in here. I hope it's not that way everywhere, but the ones I've been to around here are just plain sad. I went in expecting to buy a Persian Gulf War, Vietnam, Korean War, WW2 Veteran a beer and shoot the shit, but got more of the cold shoulder than anything.