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2001

Region 3 Report

BY SARA McVICKER, DIRECTOR

Region 3’s membership keeps growing. Our newest chapters are 1099 in Brighton, Tennessee; 1100 in Marlinton, West Virginia; 1103 in Indian Trail, North Carolina; and 1104 in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Congratulations to all, and welcome to VVA. We have nearly thirteen thousand members in our region—17.6 percent of VVA’s members.

We have two new state council presidents—Rossie Nance in North Carolina and Patrick Ramsey in South Carolina. I thank them for assuming leadership in their states.

Many of our chapters do great things. Did you know that VVA has been publishing a newsletter since 2005 that celebrates the work of our chapters? Previously titled Report to Action, the newsletter has been renamed In Service—taken from VVA’s motto, “In Service to America.”

The newsletter’s tagline is “Helping Veterans, Communities, and Those Serving in Harm’s Way.” There’s a link to the newsletter on VVA’s homepage under “Publications.” To submit a report on your chapter’s activities, call Natalie Martin at 301-585-4000, ext. 145, or email InService@vva.org The redesigned VVA website, which is in development, will include a chapter spotlight section that highlights the things you do to help your communities and the veterans and their families who are your neighbors.

The 2015 George C. Duggins Region 3 Conference will be hosted by the Tennessee State Council in Knoxville beginning Thursday, March 26. Information on the meeting, along with the hotel and registration form, has been sent to state council presidents and is posted on the Tennessee State Council website.

It looks like it will be another great conference with interesting topics. Make your plans to attend now. Among other things, we will have an open Region 3 VVA meeting so I can hear your gripes, hopes, and wishes for VVA.

We will meet in Springfield, Illinois, for our National Convention in July. If anyone is interested in submitting constitutional amendments, new resolutions, or updates to current resolutions, the forms are on page 26 and online. They can be submitted electronically or by regular mail. March 22 is the submission deadline. A review of current resolutions would be a good topic for chapter and state council meetings. These are the guidance that the delegates to the Convention provide to the Officers and Board of Directors. They reflect what we believe and what we want to accomplish, and are used to set priorities for the national organization and its committees.

Also on the VVA website is the nomination form for the national awards that will be presented during the Convention: Member, Incarcerated Member, Chapter and State Council of the Year, Chapter and State Council Newsletter of the Year (separate awards for print and electronic versions), and Chapter and State Council Website of the Year. The deadline for nominations is May 22. Yes, you may nominate yourself. Feel free to brag about what you have done.

Thank you all for all the work you do for VVA and for veterans and their families.

As always, please feel free to contact me at smcvicker@vva.org with questions or concerns.