Comrades,  

     I am looking forward to see you all at the Department Convention in Pattaya Thailand in just a few short months.  With that just around the corner, we are almost through this VFW year.  Each of you has done an outstanding effort to get the Department, your Districts and your Posts to where they are now.    We have over half of the Posts in the Department at or over 100%. That is an outstanding effort!  Thank you for the hard work that all the recruiters have done.  The Department is only 107 members away from 100%.  If each Post could recruit4 members each we could push that 100% barrier.  I’m sure that we will make it. 

     There has been quite a bit of email traffic over the last few weeks about the membership requirement for All American.  First the 85% requirement for District All American has been done away with.  As for the Post requirement, you need to be in the Top 25 of your Division and have 85% retention from you last year annual membership.  Keep in mind that the reinstates count this year.  I am in contact with Chief Thien on the Top 25 requirement, his intent is to have 25 All American Post per Division.  What this means is the Top 25 Posts with both 100 membership that meets both the Division percent above and the 85% retention will make All American.

At the writing of this All State judging is currently in progress.  I will send an email out to all Commanders/Adjutants to notify you of the winners.  We have a lot of Posts in the running this year. 

April is the month we elect our Post Officers for the next VFW year.  Let me be the first to congratulate those new Officers to their new positions.  I wish you the best of success in the coming year!  The new officers will be installed but do not take over until the night of the 12^th of June.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be sitting back and waiting.  We still have a bit to go this year.  Let’s finish out the Back To Basics year with a bang.

Thank you for all that you do! 

Yours in Comradeship,

Shawn Watson