VFW Post closed due to fiscal mismanagement?

2015-08-29T19:18:41-04:00

It appears to be the case and it might be permanent too.

http://www.waaytv.com/appnews/vfw-post-closes-for-state-audit/article_f5f3257c-4dc7-11e5-a794-0bcd5817ccc9.html

Response by SGT Eric Dziekan made Aug 29 at 2015 7:23 PM

2015-08-29T19:23:59-04:00

That's a shame more veterans don't take advantage and join the VFW

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Aug 29 at 2015 7:37 PM

2015-08-29T19:37:46-04:00

Here's a dose of reality for ya.....Why are we losing interest from our younger Veterans? Maybe because when you walk in most they smell like smoke, there is generally no Wi-Fi (not expensive to offer and a must have today), can we cover the paneling and paint the walls? Our younger group of Vets have almost all deployed to combat, go to a USO and see how they welcome our Vets, now let's replicate something similar so they we can cross generations and make it a place where we are all comfortable together....just a rant/recommendation - your thoughts?

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Aug 29 at 2015 8:17 PM

2015-08-29T20:17:06-04:00

I hope they will be able to remain/re-open...

Response by SGT Mark Stevens made Aug 29 at 2015 8:27 PM

2015-08-29T20:27:00-04:00

I personally don't go because the ones I have been to are dark and smell of old alcohol and smoke. There is nothing to do there and conversations seem to be scewed to the it was better when's.

Response by PO2 Kayla Modschiedler made Aug 29 at 2015 8:59 PM

2015-08-29T20:59:09-04:00

I tried out two VFW's here locally. The first one was very anti women regardless of what you did or what awards you had. The second one was a little less mysoginistic so I went for awhile but I couldn't handle the cigarette smoke. I can respect the fact that some people smoke but do it outside. The first post is closed last time I drove by, which is sad because it's very close to several universities and they actually had WiFi.

Response by SGT Robert Hawks made Aug 29 at 2015 11:55 PM

2015-08-29T23:55:58-04:00

Sad

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 30 at 2015 11:13 AM

2015-08-30T11:13:27-04:00

I'm not a VFW member, but my DAV chapter holds its meetings at the VFW post in Olympia. Ditto all the comments about the conditions in VFW halls...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 30 at 2015 11:15 AM

2015-08-30T11:15:07-04:00

The VFW in question has had issues for years. Membership was dropping in large part because new members just didn't seem to be welcomed. I went there several times and always felt like an interloper. As if I didn't matter because I wasn't a Viet Nam vet. Hopefully this audit can fix some of that and reopen their doors.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Aug 31 at 2015 2:50 AM

2015-08-31T02:50:07-04:00

I had to Close my Post 10299 Prairie Village, KS when we just couldn't get enough folks to make a quorum. A few in our VFW District had to close for Mismanagement but mostly just not enough veterans and or interested veterans. Also there is a Chasm of Cultural Differences between the Older and Younger Veterans I've noticed at least in the Johnson County, KS Community.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Aug 31 at 2015 10:52 AM

2015-08-31T10:52:05-04:00

TSgt Joshua Copeland that is sad.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 31 at 2015 12:29 PM

2015-08-31T12:29:35-04:00

I belong to VFW and American Legion posts where we don't smoke and we don't chew (and we don't go with girls who do). We focus on helping vets file claims, care for homeless vets, visit with vets in VA hospital, fight for vets causes, and occasionally socialize (a potluck now and then) and breakfast every Friday at a vet-owned and operated cafe. We don't have a facility of our own and the ones we rent have WiFi. Still, young vets aren't interested. They show up maybe once or twice. I guess they don't like the smell of old vets. Their needs? Girls and jobs. To be fair, I sympathize. Those were my primary concerns when I was a new vet and didn't join the VFW and AL until I was 70 (and smelled just as bad as the other old vets). Maybe it was different following WWII. It was a different time, a different America. Maybe the VFW and AL also have to become different, but then will us old farts go?

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2015 12:39 PM

2015-08-31T12:39:47-04:00

The VFW is likely going to die off anyway, mostly because of individual VFW posts attitudes towards Iraq and Afghanistan vets. It's a shame, but after 12 years and 3 different posts that were the same I walked away, I figured out I wasn't welcome.

Response by SSG(P) D. Wright Downs made Aug 31 at 2015 2:26 PM

2015-08-31T14:26:02-04:00

The VFW has been a strange organization over the years. It didn't want different veterans who had been in combat, then when it realized it would die out, it changed its tune. It really has had attitudes in different areas of the country. There have been those who were not comfortable around women veterans. Two of my brothers are members. I don't qualify. I remember the heartburn it gave my friends who came back from VN--Malox would not touch it. I remember too much. Organizations have to keep up with the what is going on or they lose out, waste money, lose money and are out of business. This is da ja vice all over again for the VFW...they have no historical memory?

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Aug 31 at 2015 11:57 PM

2015-08-31T23:57:59-04:00

MSgt Joshua Copeland, I do not understand the decline in mbrshp. I recently joined a local American Legion here in CA, my observations are that the mbrshp has a good mix of ages, perhaps light on recent service, but it is in a relatively 'senior' area of CA.