(Jean Hamil continued)
What do you hope the VFW Auxiliary will accomplish within the next 10 years?
I hope to increase our membership and continue
to move our organization forward. With the recent changes in the Auxiliary, our organization should continue to grow. We must use all of our resources to fi nd out what our current active-duty servicemen and servicewomen need from our organization. We must be open and accept change based on their lifestyles and/or geographical locations. It is vital to the sustainability of our organization that we
What makes you proud to be a member of the VFW Auxiliary?
I’m proud to be a KIM LEWIS
member every time I walk into the Atlanta VA Community Living Center to see open arms waiting for a hug from me and when I get a heartfelt thank you from a homeless veteran at a Stand Down. When I watch a group
of teenagers fold the American Flag in front of their peers after hours of practice; and when I see the joy on the faces of our Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen winners when we present their awards. When I have breakfast every Tuesday with a group of Vietnam veterans, listening to their experiences and to be told of what it was like being a tunnel rat; when I hear from our adopted unit that they got the packages we sent; when I’m cooking a meal for our veterans, and the list goes on and on. If I were not a member of this great organization, I would never have done all of these heartwarming things. While I’m giving, I get so much back in return. I’m proud that the VFW Auxiliary has so many diverse programs to give members an opportunity to be involved in something they enjoy.
reach out to the younger members and fi nd a way to encourage them to become active members within their Auxiliary and their community in a manner that will still allow them to maintain their busy work and/ or family schedules. We need to continue marketing our organization and enhancing our image. To do that, we need to be actively involved in our communities. Let members know what we can do to make a diff erence in their lives or that of our youth. We have outstanding programs to off er.
What do you hope the VFW Auxiliary will accomplish within the next 10 years?
I hope we will be able to double the number
of Young American Creative Patriotic Art and Continuing Education Scholarships awarded. We have eight Young American Creative Patriotic Art and four Continuing Education Scholarships. T e scholarships are paid from a self-sustaining restricted fund that was raised through donations in the past. I hope we will focus on our scholarships and ask for donations to grow that fund. I hope we will have our brothers in the ranks as
Department Offi cers. We must begin encouraging our male members to take chairmanships and offi ces at the local level. We should not be afraid to elect our brothers to an offi ce in our Auxiliary. When we institute a new Auxiliary, many of the offi cers, including the President, are new members. Next, encourage our brothers to accept chairmanships and offi ces in the District then the Department. I hear all the time that it’s the same people doing all the work, taking an offi ce, and those people are tired. Now is the time to embrace this wonderful opportunity we have with our brothers who have joined us. T e VFW has many female Department Commanders. It’s time to build our future so within the next 10 years, we will be on our way to having a male Department President.
* Read each candidate’s brochure, available at
vfwauxiliary.org under 2016 National Convention. 14 | VFW Auxiliary Magazine
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