In The Works

Happy New Year. I had a very busy last quarter of 2009 traveling to visit State Councils and Chapters in Region 9. The longest travel was to the Philippines.

There I visited with Chapter 887, a strong and growing chapter across the Pacific Ocean in the farthest flung edge of Region 9. Chapter 887 is 120 members strong and continues to recruit members among the veterans who have moved near the old Clark Air Force Base. The chapter does community outreach and helps veterans in seeking assistance from the VA for health care and other issues. They help veterans.

The California State Council is planning a leadership conference in Fresno the last weekend of January, with all chapters sending their officers to learn about State Council and Chapter operations and procedures. The schedule includes a session by National Membership Affairs Committee Chair Bill Meeks. It promises to be an educational and networking weekend for all.

I can’t repeat this often enough: Veterans’ health care remains a big issue. We all need to do more outreach to veterans and educate them about presumptive service-connected diseases and afflictions. We need to encourage them to visit a service officer to file a claim with the VA and get into the health care system. Service officers are the best people to navigate the VA paperwork. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with the Veterans Health Council, go to www.veteranshealth.org

I am planning a Region 9 meeting in March and will update everyone as plans are finalized and a date set. The meeting will be in the Henderson, Nevada, area. The date looks like it might be March 13, but stand by for more details.