of an Auxiliary. The state of its “checkbook” will be very telling to the Red Flag Team.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? When a red flag is identified, there
are several ways to help that Auxiliary. First and foremost, nothing can substitute for personal contact. A phone call (not an e-mail) is the best place to start. It may start with the Department President calling to say that her Red Flag Team has noticed that the Auxiliary might be having some issues and that she has assigned a Sister to come and assist them.
After the proper first contact has been made, the person assigned needs to listen, listen, listen. She
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“Whatever an Auxiliary’s issues may be, there are solutions to be
found. Read the Bylaws for guidance, but be courteous and creative in finding those solutions.”
– SHERL DAVERIO /////////////////////////////
needs to not assume she knows what’s happening in that Auxiliary, even if all indicators point to a common problem. She is there to assist, not to dictate. She can suggest but not force. She is there to find solutions. After the problems have been identified and an action plan has been recommended, the most important element to the whole process is to follow up. An Auxiliary may need several more contacts over the next couple of years in order to guarantee its long-term health. Good documentation through the whole process and communication with the incoming officers of the next year are keys to following up.
DOES IT WORK? “In correspondence from Department Chiefs of Staff, there
18 LADIES AUXILIARY VFW MAGAZINE
have been many positive remarks about the use of the Red Flag Teams. It increases the potential for getting appropriate help to Auxiliaries who are having difficulties, and because there is a sharing of ideas on the various problems,” Daverio said. “There have also been some success stories in saving some Auxiliaries.” In one case, members of the Team visited an Auxiliary and had them fill out anonymous questionnaires asking about the operation of the Auxiliary, and both good and bad issues. The questionnaires were collected, and the positive and negative comments were written on large boards in the front of the
room. When the Sisters shared achievements and advantages to having an Auxiliary in their community, many memories were discussed and reminded the Sisters of why they were formed in the first place.
They discovered that the positive things far outweighed the negative and reduced some of the problems to the point that solutions could be discussed. The result was that the members were willing to continue as a new and improved Auxiliary and restore this valuable asset to the organization, their Post and their community.
“Whatever an Auxiliary’s issues may be, there are solutions to be found. Read the Bylaws for guidance, but be courteous and creative in find- ing those solutions,” said Daverio. n
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