A non-profit official publication the Department of the Pacific Areas, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Volume XX – Number 9 April 2017 FREE “Leading, Mentoring, and Caring” Typhoon / Around the Pacific Table of Contents 2016-2017 Section: Page: Department of Pacific Areas Convention and Department Officer’s Comments 2 Grand of Pacific Areas Scratch Commander 2 Senior Vice Commander 3 11-15 June 2017, Subic Bay Mai, Philippines Chaplain 6 Reservation deadline 01 June 2017 Surgeon 8 Inspector 9 http://vfwdeptpacific.org/CONVENTION/ Department Committee Reports 11 Americanism Chairman 11 Clark Cemetery Committee Chairman 12 Convention Committee Chairman 15 Life Membership Chairman 15 National Home for Children Chairman 16 Pacific House Chairman 18 Roving Ambassador 21 Editor 21 Around the Pacific - Community Report 24 VFW Pacific Areas General Announcements 26 Cootie Corner Announcements 30 The VFW Department of Pacific Areas and Grand of Pacific Areas Pacific Areas Photo of the Edition 31 Council of Administration will be held at the Subic Grand Harbour Hotel Pacific Areas Joke of the Edition 32 located at # 249 Waterfront Road, SBFZ. Hope to see you there! --------------------------------------------------------------- Back from the computer crash edition! VFW Department of Pacific Areas Page 1 Volume XX - Number 9 TYPHOON / AROUND THE PACIFIC April 2017 DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt OOffffiicceerr’’ss CCoommmmeennttss From the Commander: Comrades, At the time of writing this, we are still having problems with our website and getting the Typhoon published. Hopefully by the time you read this both problems will have been resolved. First thanks to all that helped the department reach 95% in membership by March 17 doing the CINC Duffy’s 2016-2017 Leprechaun Loot contest. Seven Departments were over 95% or better and I was lucky that my name was drawn for the winning prize of $1,000. Commander Duffy is running another membership contest “Shoot for the Top” in membership! Contest runs from March 18 - May 1 inclusive. Based on the May 2nd Memstats report: 1) Any Department who is 1% or more, above the national membership average 2) Any Department who adds 750 or more members 3) Any Department who adds 2% in membership percentage AND is a minimum of 97% 4) Any Department who achieves 100% or more The contest officially started on March 18th. The data from the March 18th membership report will be used as the baseline data to determine contest qualifiers. If the Department of the Pacific Area can meet one of the criteria by 1 May 2017, and I am selected as a winner, I will be offering all comrades that recruit a new member from March 18 – May 1 and all Posts and Districts over 97% in membership by 1 May a chance for an award which will be determined after 1 May and presented at our Department Convention. We are some 380 some members short of 100% for the department. We only have three months left to get there. We currently have 6 posts that are only 10 members or less of making 100%. Please let’s get out there and get those unpaid members to make 100% now not later and you should think about giving them a rebate if they become a Life Member. I hope to have a letter out to all within the next couple of days, in hopes of helping all try to recruit those expired annual members. April is here and there are many things that still need to be accomplished by end of this month, if you wish your Post, District and comrades to be recognized at out convention in June. The All-State judging will take place, recommendations for awards and other requirements need to be done. Please check to make sure all the Post and District requirements for All-State have been met. Double check with your officers and Committee Chairs to ensure all items are checked off. Commanders, also need to be reflecting on comrades in their Posts who have dedicated themselves and contributed to their Post success, by providing a comrade for each award nomination. The Convention Registration is opened and JVC Verville has done a terrific job with putting everything in place for our convention in Subic Bay. I’m requesting that all will take advantage of the great price and facility that JVC Verville has arranged for the Department, by asking that all attendee’s, please make your reservation at the Department website and stay at the convention hotel. Thanks for all you do and continued success with One Vision, One Team, and One VFW. Yours in Comradeship and Service, Robert “Mo” Moses “Clear the Way” Commander “Leading, Mentoring and Caring” Department of Pacific Areas VFW Department of Pacific Areas Page 2 Volume XX - Number 9 TYPHOON / AROUND THE PACIFIC April 2017 From the Senior Vice Commander: Greetings Comrades, MEMBERSHIP Thanks to your efforts Department of Pacific Areas was one of eight Departments over 95% on 17 March and eligible for VFW National Commander in Chief Brian Duffy’s Leprechaun’s Loot Contest. A drawing was held and Department of Pacific Areas won $1000. Congratulations! NCIC Duffy is also sponsoring a contest to win one of three VFW Commemorative Henry Repeating Rifles, (or equivalent cash value), for recruiting between 18 March and 1 May. Commander Moses has decided that, should we win, Posts and District achieving the National goals would draw for the Award. We have several possible ways to win. Departments with 1% or more above the National Membership average will draw for one rifle. Any Department adding 2% in membership and being over 97% will automatically win a rifle. We are entering the final three months of our membership year, and I’m sure all are implementing their strategies to reach Post, District, and Department goals. This seems an opportune time to recognize some notable successes as of 31 March: - Post 2485, Angeles City, Philippines has achieved 100% in membership for the 29th consecutive year, since activation of the Post. Cliff Wilsey, Post Membership Chairman, has been instrumental in establishing this noteworthy record. - All American Post 12146, Banchang, Thailand leads the Department with 131.57% for the year. An exceptional accomplishment for a Post activated just over two years ago. - Starting the year at 100%, having no annual members, All American Post 124, Baguio City, Philippines has since recruited additional Life Members, bringing them to 116.03%. We have a large number of annual members whose membership has lapsed, or have renewal dates between now and 30 June. Simply stated, we cannot make 100% as a Department without these renewals. Please monitor closely those members whose renewal dates fall between now and 30 June and contact any who may have let their membership lapse and encourage them to renew. Their status can be accessed through the QM tools web page. Districts and Posts leading the way in Membership as of 31 March: District over 100%: District 5 103.46% Posts over 100%: Post 12146 131.57% Post 124 116.03% Post 9951 107.11% Post 10249 106.17% Post 3457 105.39% Post 10033 102.25% Post 9612 101.20% Post 11575 100.93% Post 2485 100.36% Our Top Recruiters in DPA continue to post impressive numbers and carry the load for the Department as of 31 March: Gasper Delise Post 9985 103 Cliff Wilsey Post 2485 45 Leon Ellison Post 10216 29 Larry Lyons Post 12147 25 Al Fitchett Post 10249 16 Cynthia E. Schmitz Post 10216 16 A total of 119 Comrades have now recruited 1 or more new members. Help them out and each recruit a new member between now and 30 June. VFW Department of Pacific Areas Page 3 Volume XX - Number 9 TYPHOON / AROUND THE PACIFIC April 2017 ALL STATE Recent problems with the Typhoon and DPA website have complicated the communication process, and the availability of requirement status information for those Posts and Districts vying for All State. Ensure that you report completion of each requirement to the respective Committee Chairman and have verified. Please notify me when you have met all requirements. Chairman, you may wish to check those Posts and Districts reaching the membership requirement and inform them of any deficiencies in your respective areas. This will allow for any needed corrective actions prior to 30 April. District Commanders please be reminded of the All State requirement for at least one Course of Instruction for Post and District Officers. Please provide me your Course of Instruction or lesson plan and course content to receive credit for this requirement. Also, please insure you have a Service Officer on your current General Order on file with the Department Adjutant. All State recognition at the Department Convention is contingent on satisfying all requirements by 30 April. Districts and Posts failing to satisfy all requirements by 30 April, but meeting requirements by 30 June, will be recognized at the C of A in December. LOOKING AHEAD Any of you desiring an appointed position in the Department for 2017 – 2018, please contact me and let me know your specific interests. Yours in Comradeship and Service, John Gilbert Senior Vice Commander Department of Pacific Areas “Leading, Mentoring, and Caring” MARKETING SUPPORT SYSTEM VFW DEPARTMENT OF PACIFIC AREAS This month’s article covers a hotchpotch of recommendations. 1. Annual, Life and Legacy memberships: a. Bring new members on as Life members or convert Annual members to Life members. Transitioning Annual to Life members saves a tremendous amount of time and effort in locating, convincing and processing annual renewals. Avenues to increase Life memberships include: i. Advertise the installment plan. ii. Fully utilize National funding that pays for indigent veteran’s memberships.