VFW CA Freedom Post 1716 and Auxiliary

VFW Youth Scholarship Programs - VOD & Patriots Pen

Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 11:17 AM

by DD

The Voice of Democracy Programs 3-5 minute audio essay competition is now open to grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. The theme for the 2008-2009 year is: Service and Sacrifice by AmericaÕs Veterans Benefit Todays Youth by. . . . * The Patriots Pen 300-400 word Essay Contest is open to students in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. The theme for the 2008-09 year is: Why AmericaÕs Veterans Should be Honored * Entry deadline for both the VOD and Patriots Pen Program is 1 November. * Post Judging for each will be in November. The winners are eligible for District competition and then to State and National. In the past we have had winners at District, State and National levels. So if you have or know of a student in grades 6 thru 12, encourage them to apply and participate. * For applications and additional info visit: www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.levelc&cid=1836 www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=151 * www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=150 * You will find and can view videos of last years National winners on this Post weblog. For more information contact the Post for Scholarship Chairpersons Bob Howell and Barbara Espe.

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VFW Teacher of the Year Award

Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 01:03 PM

by DD

The VFW's National Citizenship Education Teachers Award recognizes our nation's top elementary, junior high and high school teachers who teach citizenship education topics regularly and promote America's history and traditions. Do you have a teacher in mind? There are three outstanding teacher categories; Grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Last year our Post did not have any nominees. Fellow teachers, supervisors or other interested individuals (not relatives of nominees) can submit nominations to the Post. = How are teachers nominated? Fill out the nomination form included in the VFW Brochure. In 350 words or less, describe why you feel the nominee should be selected. Describe the teachers innovative teaching and resource development methods, as well as his/her dedication to education. The completed Teacher Award Nomination Form and signed essay must be received by the Post for judging by Nov 1. = How does the Contest work? Based on the nominees submitted, the Post will recognize one teacher in each of the 3 categories. The winners will then compete at District level and those winners will go on to compete at Department (State) Level and those winners will go on to compete at National level. = Awards to the winners from VFW National include: * $1,000 cash award for professional development to each of the top K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 teachers; * $1,000 award for each winning teacher's school; * plaques for both the winning teacher and school; * an all-expense-paid trip to attend the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary National Community Service Conference in Washington, D.C. Teachers who win first place in each category will be invited to conduct a workshop at the conference. For more information and Application Brochure visit: www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=1832

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Recognition of Eagle Scouts

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 04:48 PM

by DD

Our Post and Honor Guard would like to recognize every youths accomplishment who achieve Eagle Scout rank with an Eagle Scout Certificate that is embossed with the Eagle Merit Badge and the boys name and troop number in gold with a blue velour folder. Troops in Santa Cruz County and members living outside the county with a relative attaining Eagle are asked to contact Honor Guard Cpt Joe Kleinsmith @ 831-588-5525 jkleinsmith@yahoo.com at least 6 weeks before the boys Court of Honor.

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VFW Scout of the Year Scholarship Program

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 03:57 PM

by DD

APPLICATION DEADLINES: Submit entry to VFW Post 1716, P.O. Box 716, Freedom CA 95019 NLT March 1, 2009 - Posts submit local winner to VFW Department: April 1, 2009 - Department nominees to VFW National: May 1, 2009. The VFW Scout of the Year Scholarship program provides a $5,000 award to an outstanding scout who is the recipient of a Boy Scout Eagle Award, a Venture Scouting Silver Award or a Sea Scout Quartermaster Award. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: (1) Be a registered, active member of a Boy Scout Troop, Venturing Crew, or a Sea Scout Ship; (2) Has received the Eagle Scout Award, Venture Silver Award or Sea Scout Quartermaster Award; (3) Has demonstrated practical citizenship in school, scouting and the community; (4) Has reached his/her 15th birthday and is enrolled in high school at the time of selection; and (5) Has submitted his/her completed entry by March 1, 2009, to a VFW Post in his/her community. - Note: All applicants still in high school who reach their 18th birthday during the nomination year remain eligible if otherwise qualified. A scout only can enter through ONE VFW Post. To enter, download and complete the VFW Scouting Scholarship Application form http://www.vfw.org/resources/pdf/scoutscholarshipentryform.pdf and submit to VFW post 1716 by March 1, 2009. APPLICATION is in four Sections: (A) High School Participation Record, (B) Entire Scouting Record, (C) Community Service Record, (D) Letters of Recommendation. - For more information on the scouting award, visit: http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=4371

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VFW Civil Disaster Aid

Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 04:14 PM

by DD

Every year in California there are forest fires, quakes, mud slides flooding and other disasters. Our Post members are eligible to receive VFW Disaster aid is he/she is owner of his home and is living in it at the time of disaster. Dept of CA guidelines state a valid claim on a members home must first be substantiated by the Post Cmdr or Chairman {CAVFW FORM-7b Revised 5/07} who will investigate this to be true, then give this information to the Dept Safety/Recognition Chairman, who will then determine the amount of such claim, not to exceed $1,000.00. Ref: http://www.vfwca.org/images/Disaster.pdf.

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Memorial Day

Friday, May 23, 2008 at 07:57 PM

by DD

On Memorial Day, Monday May 26th members of Freedom Post 1716 will set out an Avenue of Flags along both sides of Freedom Boulevard at 6 a.m. Immediately following, the Ladies Auxiliary will be service breakfast to our volunteers. - Our Ladies Auxiliary will be placing flags with the Auxiliary Cross of Malta and Buddy Poppy wreaths next to gravestones of lady veterans and past members of itsÕ Auxiliary at Pajaro Valley Memorial Park, Pioneer Cemetery, Watsonville Catholic, Valley Catholic, and Valley District Cemeteries. - Our Post 1716 Honor Guard will be traveling about Santa Cruz County performing nine Memorial Day tributes with ceremonial flag raisings, bugler, and rifle salutes. (for more info visit their blog).

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- Military Retiree Appreciation Day @ former Fort Ord -

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 05:38 PM

by DD

WHEN: Saturday 7 June 2008, - TIME: 8 AM - 1 PM. - WHERE: Stillwell Community Center (Old NCO Club). - SPONSORED BY: The Fort Ord Retiree Council, US Army Garrison, Presidio of Monterey, The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. - IMPORTANTANT INFORMATION FOR: Retirees, Widows, Widowers, and Pre-Retirees. - FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact Mr. Greitzer at (831) 2452-6691. - SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 0800-0900 HOURS: Registration 0900-1100 hours - Guest Speakers. - 1130-1300 hours / FREE Barbecue. / DOOR PRIZES AWARDED THROUGHOUT PROGRAM, / 0800-1300 HOURS Exhibitor Booths Open. / EXHIBITORS: AAFES / AARP / American Diabetes Association / American Cancer Society / AUSA / DEERS / EDD / Delta Dental / DFAS / Fleet Reserve Association / Fort Ord Alumni Association / Legal Services for Seniors / MOAA Monterey County VA Services / DFMWR / NAUS / Retired Affairs Officer / Social Security Administration / SJA / TREA / TRICARE / VA Health Work-ups by Palo Alto / AND MANY MORE! SALES: Sidewalk Sale at Commissary. Fresh meat, produce and grocery items marked to save you as much as 50% over local markets. / The NEX NAVY EXCANGE at the Naval Post Graduate School on Del Monte Ave in Monterey has NEX Specials June 6 ,7, & 8 of 20% off entire stock of Mens Apparel, all Watches, Sunglasses, Athletic Shoes, Hand Bags and Ladies Sportswear. / They are also your Apple Computer Store. / Plus you never pay sales tax! / Hours: Fri-Sat 09800-1800 hours, Sunday 1000-1600 hours.

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Posts and Districts: Claim Your Free Weblogs

Friday, May 9, 2008 at 07:51 PM

by DD

VFW Posts and Districts throughout the organization can now take possession of their free Web Sites/Blogs on the VFW WebCOM Network.

Effective today we are extending an open invitation for all Posts and Districts to claim their VFW WebCOM Network site. If your Post already has a web presence this would be a great way to expand it. If your Post does not have a web presence this is a no cost way for you to establish one and start sharing with the world what your Post does in the community and Organization.

To find out more, visit the VFW WebCOM Membership Forum.

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2008-09 Post 1716 Ladies Auxiliary Officers & Chairmen

Friday, May 9, 2008 at 01:45 PM

by DD

President, Jenny Walker * Senior Vice, Shirley Head * Junior Vice, Mary Carvalho * Treasurer, Marian Hopson * Secretary, Alice Carreiro * Chaplain, Billie Hand * Conductress, Mary Jayne Farpella * Guard, Elsie Mangan * Trustees: 1 year Trella Bailey, 2 year Shirley Head, 3 year Betty Fiorilla * Chairmen: - Membership, Marion Hopson * Buddy Poppy, Shirley Head * Hospital, Gerry Koller * Reports, Alice Carreiro * National Home, Mary Jayne Farpella * Rehab & Comm Svc Alice Carreiro * Wheel Chair Games, Mary Carvalho * Fireworks, Jenny Walker * Patriotic Instructor, Mary Jayne Farpella * Cancer Aid & Research, Marion Hopson * VFW-PAC/MAP/Jr Girls, Jenny Walker * Legislative & Americanism, Jenny Walker * POW-MIA/VOD/Patriot Pen, Barbara Espe

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Hello from VFW WebCOM

Friday, May 9, 2008 at 12:14 PM

by DD

Welcome to Departments of the Veterans of Foreign Wars' VFW WebCOM Network. This Network is comprised of close to 10,000 pre-built, established sites for each of the 54 state and international Departments, their Districts and all 8,500 VFW Posts.  Each department now has an integrated internal and external communications system at their disposal for consideration of universal deployment in support of existing and planned communication protocols.

The Network has not been formally recognized by the National level of the organization at this time but is being aggressively rolled out through the eight VFW Departments of North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, New Hampshire, Alabama, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The network provides the organization the ability to push a button and broadcast, or syndicate, the same piece of information, whether it’s text, pictures, video or audio, across every site.  Departments also have the ability to push a button and accomplish the same thing across just the District and Post sites within their Department. Most importantly it enables a VFW Post to directly manage and publish information to the Internet for their local community and their organization as a whole..

Over 5 years in the making and built with the oversight and to the specifications of VFW Department leadership and membership, its objectives are to foster:

• More efficient organizational communication to your members and potential members.
• More efficient organizational communication to your communities.
• More efficient organizational communication to your legislators.
• Generate revenue and resources for the organization.
  

In support of the Network, we have added Department toolbars, a video-sharing platform, instant WebCHAT, a Membership Forum and pre-built 31,000 VFW Department-specific Officer e-mail accounts which are transferable to the next person filling the position. E-commerce storefronts for each post, online calendars and much more are in the works.

All identified product and services are provided at zero cost to the organization with the understanding that costs are to be covered through a revenue sharing agreement. The organization retains 100% control of all branding, 100% editorial control of your message on all levels of the Network and final approval authority on all advertising and e-commerce opportunities. If the Network should fail to generate enough revenue to cover our service and product-provider partners' cost of doing business, there is no cost liability to organization.

At this time advertising and e-commerce opportunities are only available for the eight aforementioned Departments.

While you are here take a moment to take a closer look at how you can support these efforts.

1) Do you have a website or a weblog that you could add a link to a local VFW or State site?  Do you have a few minutes to write about us and let people know what we are doing?

You can find a list of the 54 VFW Departments here: http://vfwwebcom.org/departments

You can find a local VFW Post close to you here:
http://vfwwebcom.org/postdirectory

2) If you are a VFW Member or Supporter, you can download your Department toolbar. The toolbar has lots of neat features; all the RSS (syndication) feeds for every site in the Network run through them, keeping you instantly connected to all the information moving through the Network. Plus every time you search the Internet using the tool bar you generate revenue for your Department.

You can go here to download your toolbar:
http://vfwwebcom.org/toolbars/

3) If you are a VFW Member or Supporter, you can join the conversations in the VFW Membership Forum and instant WebCHAT. There’s lots of good information and opportunities to meet new friends there.

You can go to the Forum here:
http://www.vfwwebcom.org/forum

4) If you are a VFW Member or Supporter, you can view and start sharing videos at VFW WebCOM Video Network.

You can check out the videos here:
http://video.vfwwebcom.org/

5) If you are a VFW Member or Supporter, do you know of a business that may be interested in supporting your local VFW Posts or Department by purchasing advertising on their site?  Prices start at $2.00 a day for one site and scale from there with opportunities to advertise across all sites in a Department.  (Again, at this time advertising and e-commerce opportunities are only available for the eight aforementioned Departments.)

You can go here to browse advertising opportunities:
http://www.admemex.com/vfwwebcom/

As you can see, there’s plenty to see and do on the VFW WebCOM Network with more still to come.  We thank you for stopping by and invite you back regularly to support and stay connected with your Veterans of Foreign Wars.

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