Veteran's Club Meeting Minutes From September 9, 2018
Our Sunday breakfast meeting opened at 0900 with 40 members in attendance. Breakfast was served. Total club membership is now 190.
An informal "Meet and Greet" was held from 0830 to 0915.
Formal business commenced at 0915 with the "Pledge of Allegiance".
The Secretary's Report was presented and the minutes of our last meeting were voted upon and accepted by the membership.
The Treasurer's Report was presented. We have a total of $12,579.00 in our treasury, $7,945 of which are from the proceeds from our Veteran's Day Party registrations. To date, 227 individuals have signed up for the event. Of the 33 tables available, 24 have been filled with only 9 remaining. It was noted that to date our club has donated a total of $61,000 to the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund.
The President's Report was presented. New members were introduced. Members were encouraged to sign up for our monthly meetings in advance on our website so that we can ensure that the appropriate amount of refreshments are ordered for each meeting. Jules reviewed the quick and easy site sign up proceedure on our home page to familiarize all hands with the process, and thanked those who have been regularly registering on-line.
Jules noted that our annual Veteran's Day Flag Ceremony will be held on November 11th at the flagpole in front of the clubhouse. All members were encouraged to attend. A Vietnam combat veteran has been secured as the keynote speaker and will share some of his experiences as a helicopter door gunner during the war.
Jules reminded all that our November Veteran's Party has been rescheduled from Friday November 8, 2018 to Monday, November 12, 2018 in order to accomodate the availability of the Kings Academy Choir. He noted that the cost of $35.00 per person reflected an increase of $6.00 over last year in order to increase the amount of our donation to the Wounded Veteran's Relief Fund.
Members were encouraged to solicit items from local businesses or service providers for our live and silent auctions at our November Veteran's Day Party. Alternatively, they were asked to consider purchasing and donating an item or gift card themselves to help make the auction a success. Jules advised that he is sending a Veteran's Club solicitation letter to all hands that could be printed out and presented to potental auction item donors that highlights that proceeds from the event benefit the Wounded Veteran's Relief Fund. Members were reminded that the Veteran's Day Party and it's associated auction is our flagship event for generating funds for the Wounded Veteran's Relief Fund, and that our donations really make a significant difference in the lives of veterans and their families. Securing appropriate items for auction is critical to increasing the amount of our donation to help these veterans in distress. As a result of feedback from last year's event, members were encouraged to make a special effort to obtain auctionable gifts and services that would appeal to the women of our community.
Jules noted that the Honor Flight Program was now accepting Vietnam veterans, and that the October Honor Flight would be the first where more than half of the 82 participants would be Vietnam veterans. Jules noted that Jerry Gumpert participated as a guide/escort on last May's flight, and noted that guides pay their own costs, amounting to $400.00. He highlighted that those interested in signing up as either a participant or a guide should be sure to specify if they prefer a North Florida flight departing from Palm Beach International, of a South Florida group departing from Fort Lauderdale. Jules will be particiating as one of the Vietnam veterans in the October 13th Honor Flight.
Jules noted that Vice President Goody Morrison would be having surgury in October, and all hands wished him well.
The issue of flying a POW flag on the clubhouse flagpole on Veteran's Day was discussed, voted upon and approved by the membership.
Jules reminded members who have not already done so to submit photos for our Veteran's Day Photo Board. 8x10 boarderless pictures are preferred.
Members were encouaged to volunteer to talk about their experiences while in the service during our club meetings. Interested members can contact any club officer or board member to work out the details and schedule a presentation.
The 50/50 raffel was held, yielding $60.00 to be donated to the Wounded Veteran's Relief Fund.
Veteran's Club Secretary Tom Nowak made an interesting and informative presentation on "The United States Navy and It's Potential Adversaries At Sea: Current Status, Trends and Issues In Naval Warfare". The discussion focused on the fleets of our potential naval adversaries and how they compare with current United States Navy capabilities. Recent trends in naval ships, aircraft and weapons systems were also discussed, along with an examination of key issues that confront our Navy today. The Russian, Chinese and Iranian navies were dicussed using unclassified materials developed by the Office of Naval Intelligence intended to provide the American public with an appreciation of current developments that will shape these navies and their operations in the 21st century. The presentation was well received by all hands and was followed by a lively question and answer period.
Scheduled Veteran's Club Events for 2018 are indicated below:
--Veteran's Day Flag Ceremony: Sunday, November 11, 2018
--Veteran's Day Dance: Monday, November 12, 2018
--Veteran's Club Blood Drive: Friday, November 16. 2018 from 0900 to 1600
Scheduled Sunday breakfast meetings for 2018 are indicated below:
--Sunday December 9, 2018
All Sunday breakfast meetings will be held in the Social Hall from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.
Scheduled Second Thursday of the month meetings for 2018 are indicated below:
--Thursday October 11, 2018
--Thursday November 8, 2018
All Thursday meetings will be held in the Social Hall from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.
Scheduled 2019 General Meeting dates may be viewed on our website under the "Upcoming Events" Tab.
The President noted in his concluding remarks that our next meeting would be on Thursday October 11th at 1600 in the Social Hall. He also noted that due to scheduling conflicts our February 2019 meeting would be held in the Arts and Crafts Room instead of the usual Social Hall location.
The Meeting concluded at 1040.
Minutes Submitted by Tom Nowak, Veteran's Club Secretary