VFW California District Seven Current News

From the Commander;

I have just returned from the Department of California Midwinter Conference/Council of Administration in Sacramento . I am very proud of District 7. We were well represented by both Auxiliary and District members, many having positions of responsibility in the Department. During the banquet and awards presentation District was honored more than any other District. First there was the award for the Department winner for Elementary Teacher of the Year, which went to Henry Amigo, a teacher from Fair Ave School and sponsored by Post 2805. Then the Middle School Department winner went to Art Borquist who teaches at Calabasas Middle School and was sponsored by Post 7799 of which he is a very active member. The last award given was for the Voice Of Democracy essay contest. District 7's winner is Taube Schwartz (who by the way was also last years District 7 winner). Taube placed in the top 5 this year being one of the 4 runner-ups. Taube is a junior this year and will no doubt enter again next year. She was sponsored by Post 11508. The District looks good but the District did not go out and get these entries, the posts did. The posts are the lifeblood of VFW and where it all begins. There are many very deserving people in our communities that should be recognized in one or another programs. These programs are over for this year (2003-2004) but now is the time to start thinking about and working on them for next year.

Well done and thanks to those posts and auxiliaries that participated this year.

Commander in Chief;

CinC Edward S. Banas, Sr. will be making his Official Visit to California the first week in February. He will be at Sun Valley Post 10040 on Sunday February 8 at 2:00 PM for a short visit. Come on down, meet him and show that there are active comrades in the 7 th District. Commanders please contact the active comrades of your post and get a good reception for the CinC. If your post is north. He will be at Quartz Hill Post 3000 at 5:00 PM (in the 10 th District) and you are very welcome there.

Communications;
Thanks to Post 11508 Commander Perry Jones District 7 is stepping into the 21 st Century. For those that are on-line check out www.vfw7ca.org this web site will post the Signal 7 and previous copies, current information and monthly reports by the District Chief of Staff. Please look at it and post this web site so that it is available to all your members. If you have information that needs to be posted on the web page send via e-mail to webmaster@vfw7ca.org

Roster changes;

As of this writing the following changes have taken place in the posts shown. Please update your roster.

Post 6110
New Commander: Jessie A. Rivera,
20026 Green Joy Place
Santa Clarita, Ca 91351
Phone 661 251-8824

Post 6885
New Commander: Philip H. Shea
27432 Dewdrop Avenue
Canyon Country, Ca 91351-3328
Phone 661 251-0225

Membership;

As always the push is on for membership. The annual dues year is January 1 to December 31. Any annual member who has not paid for the 2003-2004 year at this point is technically not a member. A listing of unpaid members was sent out to post commanders. This is the same information that is available to the post quartermasters on line. The list was a few weeks old when it was sent out and some of the members have paid. The point is that those still unpaid as of April 1 will receive a letter or a visit from a state recruiter. If the member is signed up again it will as a member at large and no longer a member of your post. That means that you will have to go get another member to replace the one you just lost. Don't let Commander Henry Wadahara steal your members!

Auxiliary;
see e-mail

Sepulveda Hospital ;

There is a VFW service office open as of the first of the year at Sepulveda VA Hospital. It is manned by three volunteers; Bill Pollard on Mondays, Nick Guest on Tuesdays / Wednesdays and Art Napawacki on Thursday/Friday. It is located in Building 20 Rom B-113. If you or some vet you know need to get a claim started or upgraded we can assist. It is advisable for you to call first and make an appointment at 818 891-7711 ext 7673.

Audits;
If as you read this your audit (due Jan 31) is not in your post is delinquent and subject to letters from and possible suspension from Department. State Commander Wadahara is very serious on this issue and has suspended many posts in the state this year. Don't let this happen to your post. It is requested that the district # be put on the audit when it is sent to Department.

Veterans helping veterans;
As everyone is well aware of the fires of October 2003 were devastating to the Southern California area. Although District 7 had fires around us there was no known damage to members homes. District 1 did have some major problems with many members loosing their homes. In November Nick Guest (PDC), State Chaplain started a movement to get some help for Alpine Post 9578. Many of their burned out members as well as veterans in need had been receiving help from the post and the post funds were being stretched very thin. Nick Guest and Bill Pollard contacted posts telling of the need. Posts and individuals responded. Late in 2003 Nick and Bill went to the Alpine post and presented over $1700 to assist in their efforts. Since then another $1050 has been collected and sent to the Alpine post. They are very appreciative for the help in their very important work helping veterans in need. If you want to know more or to assist call Nick Guest at 818 882-9448.

Cal-Vet;
Cal-Vet loans and benefits are very beneficial to veterans in California but must renewed to continue. There is a bill in the California House of Representatives to renew the benefits and needs support now. Please contact your Representative and show your support for HR1742.

District Chief of Staff;
See e-mail from Dick Hlebasko

Business workshop;
The U S Small Business Administration with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs are presenting a workshop on How To Start A Small Business. It is FREE for veterans and will be held on Saturday February 21, 2004 with registration at 8:30 am . The classes will be from 9:00 am to noon . The location is Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa St. , Los Angeles . Please pass this information on immediately to your members.

Reporting;
Although the recognition awards are over for the year reporting in never finished. Keeping on reporting those good deeds that you do, the hours, money and miles are needed to continue our push for the government to do it's job in supporting the veteran. Remember send the report to Jake Silver. He will log, copy and forward those reports.

Awards;
The recognition awards for the District are as follows this year:

VOD

1st Taube Schwartz Post 11508
2 nd Danielle Fast Post 2323
3 rd Joanna Montell Post 6885

Patriots Pen

1st Lynda T. Correa Post 6213
2 nd Kendall Glass Post 6213
3 rd Joseph M. Canto Post 6213

Teacher Middle School

Art Borquist Post 7799

Elementary School

Henry Amigo Post 2805

Law Enforcement

Todd Booth Post 2805

Thanks to the posts that entered individuals in the recognition programs.

Insurance;

Liability insurance is required of all posts that own a post home and or canteen. It is also required if the post meets at another location and the meeting place owner requires it. It is strongly advised that posts having activities that could create liability have insurance. Copies of the insurance need to be filed with Department.

Official Visit;
The last weekend in February is District 7's official visit from State Commander Henry Wadahara and State President Gwen Rankin. Friday will have a visit to Sepulveda VA Hospital then an informal dinner at Post 10040. Saturday is District and Auxiliary meetings. Saturday night the dinner will be at Paul's Italian Kitchen in Simi. During the free time Henry will be checking out some of the post homes and get to know some of the members.

The dates are February 27 to 29. The cost of dinners are: Friday $10 and checks are to be made out to Post 10040, Saturday $25 and the checks are to be made out to District 7. All checks are to be mailed to: Nick Guest, 20652 Lassen St. #39 , Chatsworth, Ca 91311.

State Commander Henry Wadahara will make presentations to the district winners in Law Enforcement, Teacher, Voice Of Democracy and Patriots Pen. Don't forget that the post sponsoring a district winner will pay for their winner's dinner at the banquet as agreed upon at the last district meeting.



		*Veteran's Of Foreign Wars*

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First there was the award for the Department winner for Elementary Teacher of the Year, which went to Henry Amigo, a teacher from Fair Ave School and sponsored by Post 2805. Then the Middle School Department winner went to Art Borquist who teaches at Calabasas Middle School and was sponsored by Post 7799 of which he is a very active member. The last award given was for the Voice Of Democracy essay contest. District 7's winner is Taube Schwartz (who by the way was also last years District 7 winner). Taube placed in the top 5 this year being one of the 4 runner-ups. Taube is a junior this year and will no doubt enter again next year. She was sponsored by Post 11508. The District looks good but the District did not go out and get these entries, the posts did. The posts are the lifeblood of VFW and where it all begins. There are many very deserving people in our communities that should be recognized in one or another programs. These programs are over for this year (2003-2004) but now is the time to start thinking about and working on them for next year. Well done and thanks to those posts and auxiliaries that participated this year. Commander in Chief; CinC Edward S. Banas, Sr. will be making his Official Visit to California the first week in February. He will be at Sun Valley Post 10040 on Sunday February 8 at 2:00 PM for a short visit. Come on down, meet him and show that there are active comrades in the 7 th District. Commanders please contact the active comrades of your post and get a good reception for the CinC. If your post is north. He will be at Quartz Hill Post 3000 at 5:00 PM (in the 10 th District) and you are very welcome there. Communications; Thanks to Post 11508 Commander Perry Jones District 7 is stepping into the 21 st Century. For those that are on-line check out www.vfw7ca.org this web site will post the Signal 7 and previous copies, current information and monthly reports by the District Chief of Staff. Please look at it and post this web site so that it is available to all your members. If you have information that needs to be posted on the web page send via e-mail to webmaster@vfw7ca.org Roster changes; As of this writing the following changes have taken place in the posts shown. Please update your roster. Post 6110 New Commander: Jessie A. Rivera, 20026 Green Joy Place Santa Clarita, Ca 91351 Phone 661 251-8824 Post 6885 New Commander: Philip H. Shea 27432 Dewdrop Avenue Canyon Country, Ca 91351-3328 Phone 661 251-0225 Membership; As always the push is on for membership. The annual dues year is January 1 to December 31. Any annual member who has not paid for the 2003-2004 year at this point is technically not a member. A listing of unpaid members was sent out to post commanders. This is the same information that is available to the post quartermasters on line. The list was a few weeks old when it was sent out and some of the members have paid. The point is that those still unpaid as of April 1 will receive a letter or a visit from a state recruiter. If the member is signed up again it will as a member at large and no longer a member of your post. That means that you will have to go get another member to replace the one you just lost. Don't let Commander Henry Wadahara steal your members! Auxiliary; see e-mail Sepulveda Hospital ; There is a VFW service office open as of the first of the year at Sepulveda VA Hospital. It is manned by three volunteers; Bill Pollard on Mondays, Nick Guest on Tuesdays / Wednesdays and Art Napawacki on Thursday/Friday. It is located in Building 20 Rom B-113. If you or some vet you know need to get a claim started or upgraded we can assist. It is advisable for you to call first and make an appointment at 818 891-7711 ext 7673. Audits; If as you read this your audit (due Jan 31) is not in your post is delinquent and subject to letters from and possible suspension from Department. State Commander Wadahara is very serious on this issue and has suspended many posts in the state this year. Don't let this happen to your post. It is requested that the district # be put on the audit when it is sent to Department. Veterans helping veterans; As everyone is well aware of the fires of October 2003 were devastating to the Southern California area. Although District 7 had fires around us there was no known damage to members homes. District 1 did have some major problems with many members loosing their homes. In November Nick Guest (PDC), State Chaplain started a movement to get some help for Alpine Post 9578. Many of their burned out members as well as veterans in need had been receiving help from the post and the post funds were being stretched very thin. Nick Guest and Bill Pollard contacted posts telling of the need. Posts and individuals responded. Late in 2003 Nick and Bill went to the Alpine post and presented over $1700 to assist in their efforts. Since then another $1050 has been collected and sent to the Alpine post. They are very appreciative for the help in their very important work helping veterans in need. If you want to know more or to assist call Nick Guest at 818 882-9448. Cal-Vet; Cal-Vet loans and benefits are very beneficial to veterans in California but must renewed to continue. There is a bill in the California House of Representatives to renew the benefits and needs support now. Please contact your Representative and show your support for HR1742. District Chief of Staff; See e-mail from Dick Hlebasko Business workshop; The U S Small Business Administration with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs are presenting a workshop on How To Start A Small Business. It is FREE for veterans and will be held on Saturday February 21, 2004 with registration at 8:30 am . The classes will be from 9:00 am to noon . The location is Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa St. , Los Angeles . Please pass this information on immediately to your members. Reporting; Although the recognition awards are over for the year reporting in never finished. Keeping on reporting those good deeds that you do, the hours, money and miles are needed to continue our push for the government to do it's job in supporting the veteran. Remember send the report to Jake Silver. He will log, copy and forward those reports. Awards; The recognition awards for the District are as follows this year: VOD 1st Taube Schwartz Post 11508 2 nd Danielle Fast Post 2323 3 rd Joanna Montell Post 6885 Patriots Pen 1st Lynda T. Correa Post 6213 2 nd Kendall Glass Post 6213 3 rd Joseph M. Canto Post 6213 Teacher Middle School Art Borquist Post 7799 Elementary School Henry Amigo Post 2805 Law Enforcement Todd Booth Post 2805 Thanks to the posts that entered individuals in the recognition programs. Insurance; Liability insurance is required of all posts that own a post home and or canteen. It is also required if the post meets at another location and the meeting place owner requires it. It is strongly advised that posts having activities that could create liability have insurance. Copies of the insurance need to be filed with Department. Official Visit; The last weekend in February is District 7's official visit from State Commander Henry Wadahara and State President Gwen Rankin. Friday will have a visit to Sepulveda VA Hospital then an informal dinner at Post 10040. Saturday is District and Auxiliary meetings. Saturday night the dinner will be at Paul's Italian Kitchen in Simi. During the free time Henry will be checking out some of the post homes and get to know some of the members. The dates are February 27 to 29. The cost of dinners are: Friday $10 and checks are to be made out to Post 10040, Saturday $25 and the checks are to be made out to District 7. All checks are to be mailed to: Nick Guest, 20652 Lassen St. #39 , Chatsworth, Ca 91311. State Commander Henry Wadahara will make presentations to the district winners in Law Enforcement, Teacher, Voice Of Democracy and Patriots Pen. Don't forget that the post sponsoring a district winner will pay for their winner's dinner at the banquet as agreed upon at the last district meeting.

Veteran's Of Foreign Wars