VFW Post 1318 Meeting in Madison Wisconsin

 Monday evening found me in front of my computer for several hours as I attended a Post meeting in Madison, Wisconsin.  There was a mix of in-person and zoom participants and it went off without a hitch.  I think just about everyone in the country is getting used to teleworking and it works!  As a National Officer, there's no way I could just pop in and attend a Post meeting in another state on a weeknight.  We are getting better at this and we're showing that communication is the key!

Post Commander Joe Hines ran a great meeting and there was a lot of interaction from the in-person crowd as well as the zoom members.  They had some serious issues to discuss [VFW business so no reason to put that here] but it's because they have been so successful that they are talking about these things.  No worries, all is well at the Marion C. Cranefield Post!  Also zooming in and visiting was the Wisconsin State Senior Vice Commander Cory Geisler.  In person was none other than their Quartermaster Gundel Metz, who invited me to the meeting.  Gundel also happens to be a Past State Commander as well as a current National Council of Administration Member.  It was a pretty rank heavy evening but in a Post meeting, rank doesn't give privilege!  Everyone has an equal right to the floor to discuss, debate, and vote.  It really was a good evening.

Before the meeting started I was chatting with the eight other zoom participants, two of whom were the Post Junior and Post Senior Vice Commanders, and both from the current wars.  I asked about the amount of time these eight members [men and women] had been with this Post and the answers ranged from 6 months to 20 years!  I didn't get to ask that of the in-person group, but this certainly shows that the VFW isn't just an "old man's club"!

There's a bright future ahead for VFW Post 1318.  They have great leadership now and coming up through the chairs.  They have a mix of young and old, men and women, and differing Conflicts for eligibility.  They certainly are NOT your Grandfather's VFW and I'm really proud of them for that!

Another fun thing about attending a meeting via zoom is that you also get to see cats and puppies in attendance!