March
2008 NC DAV #43 and Auxiliary
NEWS LETTER MORGANTON CHAPTER 43 DAV & AUXILIARY
March 2008
DAV TRANSPORTATION REPORT:
In January, 23veterans were transported to and from the VA
Medical Center in
DAV MID-WINTER CONFERENCE:
On March 2-5 DAV and Auxiliary
members will go to Washington DC. To
visit with their representatives, and the National Commander, DAV will deliver
a powerful presentation to a joint session of the House and Senate Veterans
Affairs Committee on Tuesday March 4th. We
can show our support by being there.
Reservations at the Crystal Gateway Marriott
VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION:
If
you would like to get involved in the volunteer program at Asheville VA Medical
Center, and receive recognition for your hours of service,
Monday
March 3rd is your opportunity.
All those interested in attending the Orientation, the DAV van may be
available, call Dave Tubergen at 437-0177 for confirmation.
DAV SPRING CONFERENCE:
March 14-16, DAV and Aux. will hold their annual Spring
Conference in
DAV 43 & AUX. MEETING:
March 27th, DAV & Aux. will hold their regular scheduled meeting. Dinner will be served at 6:00PM with meetings
to follow. At this meeting the
Nominating Committee will report on the slate of officers for the 2008-2009
membership year.
Additional nominations may be made from the floor during this
meeting. Elections and Installations of newly elected officers will
be held during the April 24th
regular scheduled meetings.
DAV CHAPTER SERVICE OFFICER
CERTIFICATION:
March 29th, the second Service Officer certifying program will
be held in Asheville on Saturday from 8:AM through 5:PM, at the American Legion
Building, the same place it was last year.
DAV & AUX. 43 MEMBERSHIP:
Help
is needed securing new member for your Chapter and Auxiliary.
DAV 43 now has 467 members; you are 14 short of quota at the time of
printing this news letter.
DAV
Aux. 43 now has 55
members you are short of quota 1
members. You can do this.
FYI, FROM
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
“Member
Benefit of the Month” Apple
Computer Member Program
Membership
has its perks. Apple and Disabled
American Veterans have included you in a special program. You qualify for preferred pricing on the
latest Apple products and accessories.
Visit www.apple.com/eppstore/dav or call 1
800 MY-APPLE, for
more information.
Information Bulletin
Disabled American
Veterans
Department of North
Carolina
February 2008
COMMANDER’S MESSAGE
Thank You to each DAV and Auxiliary member who attended the
2008 Mid Winter Ninth NEC Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC last weekend. We offer our congratulation to NEC Marian
Truscello and Auxiliary NEC Harriett Hudson for the great job they did in
organizing the NEC Conference. It was
great to see almost 300 District members in attendance. Membership recruitment continues to be a drag
on an otherwise great year the Department is enjoying. I appreciate the effort each recruiter is
making as we work to achieve our 2008 goal. However, we must increase our effort as an ambassador
and as a membership recruiter for the good of the organization. I look forward to seeing a great attendance at
the Spring Conference March 14-16, 2008. It will be held at the North Raleigh Hilton. I challenge each of our 59 chapters to be
represented by at least one member at this Conference. After all, this is your Department and
your Chapter and its members should be involved in the operation of their
Department. Assisting a chapter member
representative/delegate with travel and lodging expenses to attend such
meetings is a legitimate “service to veterans’ expense.” Please review the schedule and note that there
will be a special seminar conducted for Chapter Chaplains. Please make your hotel reservations and
conference registrations early. Until
then, let’s continue to "Build better lives for America's disabled
veterans and their families.”
Rodney S. Tucker, Commander
Register Now for Department Spring
Conference to be held March 14 - 16, 2008
The Department Spring Conference will be held at the North
Raleigh Hilton Hotel March 14-16, 2008. The
hotel is located at 3415 Wake Forest Road (Exit 10 from the I-440 Beltline) in
Raleigh. The special conference hotel
room rate is $79 plus taxes per night. The
DAV room block at this rate will be held only until February 11, 2008. The hotel telephone number is (919) 872-2323,
extension 716. Please state you are with
the DAV. A Complete Meeting Package,
which includes the Registration Fee, admission to all meetings, the Friday
evening Reception, refreshment breaks, and the Saturday evening Banquet, is
available for members and guests for $60, if purchased prior to March 5, 2008. If purchased later, the price will be $70. Banquet Only tickets are available for guests
@ $35 per person (this price does not include the Friday reception). For your convenience, the tentative conference
schedule, advance registration form and pre-addressed return envelope are
enclosed. When required, please make
copies of the registration form for other members and guests. Conference information and forms may also be found
on the on the Department Web Site.
Chapter Service Officer Training is
scheduled for March 2008
Vital information concerning Chapter Service Officer
Certification is enclosed with this Bulletin. It is imperative for all Chapters to read and
follow the directions provided. The
deadline to complete the certification registration requirement is February 8,
2008. Failure to follow the directions
will be cause not to be certified as a DAV Service Officer. All Chapters are encouraged to assist
their service officers attend the certification program by defraying the cost
of lodging and transportation at a minimum. The costs associated with DAV Service schools
are considered a “service to veterans’ expense” in accordance with the DAV
Financial Report and are a valuable investment for chapters. The first Training Class will be held in
Raleigh on March 13 - 14, 2008. A
limited number of hotel rooms are available for Wednesday, March 12. Room reservations must be made before February 11, 2008. The second training class will be held in
Asheville on Saturday, March 29, 2008 from 8 am - 5 pm.
2007 Department Awards
The immediate attention of Chapter Commanders and Adjutants
is necessary as we begin to recognize those members and others deserving of
recognition under the auspices of the Department Awards Program. Information concerning the Department Awards
may be found in Paragraph 3, Section 8.4 of the Department Bylaws and the
enclosed 2008 Department Awards Bulletin. All nominations for the 2008 Department
Awards must be received at the Headquarters on or before March 3, 2008 to be
considered by the Department Awards Committee. Please do not delay. Recognition of members and supporters are
a very important tool for Chapter success. We urge you not to overlook anyone. If you are not sure, then you should submit
the award recommendation for consideration by the Awards Committee.
Membership Report
It is quite embarrassing to receive the National Membership
Standings Report and find that NC remains in last place in Division One. As of January 31, 2008, we need 926 Full
Paid Life Members to achieve our goal before June 30, 2008. We currently have 5,962 “Part-Life
Members” on our membership rolls that we should be asking to make a commitment
to Full Paid Life Membership. Our total
membership (Full and Part Life) is 43,067. W e finished last year with 45,834 total
members. According to the most recent VA
data, there are more than 95,000 service-connected disabled veterans residing
in North Carolina. Therefore, there are
more than 50,000 veterans eligible and should be asked to join the DAV. Remember, the Department Executive Committee
has approved a $10.00 discount offer to those members who pay their remaining
balance in full before May 31, 2008. Let’s each of us become a recruiter so that we
may achieve this goal. Let’s ask those
eligible veterans, project a positive image, and take pride in your
organization and the many services we provide.
Legislative Report
We wish every DAV and DAV Auxiliary member could have been
present at the Ninth NEC Meeting to hear the presentation given by DAV National
Legislative Director Joseph Violante. His
message concerning veterans issues and what it takes to get laws passed which
are improve for VA Benefits, Veterans Health Care and are favorable for
disabled veterans and their families was simply outstanding. Mr. Violante was candid and matter-of-fact in
his assessment of the current political environment and the status of pending
legislation. We urge every member to get
on-line and sign up for the DAV Commanders Action Network (CAN) at www.dav.org and www.Standup4veterans.org.
Both sites will keep you abreast of the issues. Mark your calendar. The North Carolina General Assembly returns
for the short session on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. The annual “Veterans Day at the Legislature”
will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. A courtyard in the Assembly Building has been
reserved for veteran service organizations to display information and meet with
our legislators and staff members. We
encourage all chapters to make appointments to meet and speak with your state
legislators in Raleigh on this day. We have
only one question. If we, as veterans
don’t work for our benefits, who will? Please
come and join us. The next Town Hall
Meeting will be held on Monday, April 21, 2008 at the VFW Post in Durham. The tentative schedule is as follows: 3:00 -
5:00 pm Veterans Service Officers and Health Care Screening will be available;
the Town Hall Meeting will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Additional information
will be forthcoming. When received, it
will be placed on the Department website: www.davmembersportal.org/nc.
Administrative Notes
The Department Web Site Address has changed: The correct
address is: www.davmembersportal.org/nc. For the most recent information, we encourage
you to view the web site on a daily basis.
Chapters and Auxiliary Units are off to a great start obtaining
sponsorship ads for the 2008 Department Convention Book. At the current pace, we have the opportunity
to have another extremely profitable fund raising program and public relations
event. If your Chapter or Unit is not
taking advantage of this lucrative fund-raising program, we urge you to give it
a try. We believe you will find very few
who say no to the DAV and our mission. Please
call the office for the sales kits. All Ads
must be received before April 16, 2008.
Important Contact Information
Department
Headquarters: (919) 833-5567 or 1-888-432-8838 (toll-free)
DAV National
Service Office: (336) 631-5481
DAV Service
Officer -
DAV Service
Officer -
DAV Service
Officer -
DAV Service
Officer -
DAV National Web
Site: www.dav.org
Department of NC
Web Site: www.davmembersportal.org/nc.
Department
Headquarters E-mail:
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