Recommendations for Veteran of the Year must be to Department no later than April 1st. The written recommendation must be no longer than 300 words long. For further information, you may contact John Beam at fuzzyface@frontier.com or call him at 425-486-3637.

You are cordially invited to attend the commemoration honoring all Vietnam Veterans on Saturday, February 7th at 11:00AM at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center, 6410 23rd Ave. N.E., Tulalip, WA 98271. Mike Reagan will be the featured speaker. It is suggested you arrive early for coffee.

After being a Verizon Wireless customer for more years than I can remember, I recently found out they offer a 15% discount to military veterans. All you have to do is send them a DD-214. The discount continues as long as you are a customer. Not a bad deal although I’m kicking myself it took this long to find out.

Our Raffle was another success. We grossed $2,140 and netted $1,550. While this was a couple of hundred short of our last raffle, these funds should give us a sufficient cushion through the 2016 year end. The winner of the 55 inch Samsung HDTV was Otis Wolfe, Commander of Post 921.

March 28, 2015 our district meeting will be held at Post 2100 Everett. This is our Memorial Service. The District Chaplin, Jim Raymond, will need a list of all your Deceased members that have died since March 1, 2014 and February 28, 2015. Jim has requested the list be sent to him no later than March 14, 2015 at

Jim Raymond
P.O. Box 1352
Granite Falls, WA. 98252

We have been invited to assist Sparta Combat League on February 21, 2015 at 7:00 pm with a M.M.A. Cage match. Army vs. Marine with some of the proceeds going to local wounded Soldiers. The V.F.W. will present the Colors and have a V.F.W. table at the fight. Tickets will be available at www.spartacombatmma.com. S.C.L. is seeking 6 people to help with this event. If you would like to volunteer for this event Contact Donald Wischmann at vfwpost2100@yahoo.com or 425-252-2100.

Shadrach Strehle, District 1 Voice of Democracy winner, placed 4th at the Mid-Winter Conference banquet. Shad placed 5th last year. Unfortunately, Shad is a senior and out of luck to advance any further.

From Ruth Herren and Ron Hailey, District 1 Buddy Poppy Chairs

VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES
BUDDY POPPY DEPARTMENT

NATIONAL CONVENTION BUDDY POPPY DISPLAY CONTEST

These “guidelines” have been designed to place emphasis on the … purpose and effectiveness … of the displays.  It is suggested and recommended that Department (State) contests rules be established in a like form.

RULES

(1) Displays will be presented and judged in four categories:

CATEGORY 1. Public Promotion of Poppy Campaign.  (Window, booth, parade, poster displays, sales promotions, etc.)

(a) Displays must be designed for public exposure and must be message soliciting a donation for and wearing of the VFW Buddy Poppy.

(b) At least one (1) of the Poppies used in the display must be in its original form and color, with label attached.

CATEGORY 2. Memorial or Inspirational Displays.  (Wreaths, memorial tablets or plaques, patriotic or devotional themes)

(a) Displays must be designed to honor the dead, to inspire devotion to God and Country, or to dramatize the activities supported by the Buddy Poppy.

(b) At least one (1) of the Poppies used in the display must be in its original form
and color, with label attached.

CATEGORY 3. Artistic or Decorative Use of Poppies.  (Post Home displays, table center-pieces, corsages, pictures, plaques, models, scenes, hats, novelty pieces, etc.)

(a) Any display not meeting the qualifications for Categories 1 or 2 shall automatically be entered in Category 3.

(b) At least one (1) of the Poppies used in the display must be in its original form and color, with label attached.

CATEGORY 4. Memorial or Inspirational Displays.  (Junior Girls Units/Sons of the VFW)

(a) Displays must be designed to honor the dead, to inspire devotion to God and Country, or to dramatize the activities supported by the Buddy Poppy.

(b) At least one (1) of the Poppies used in the display must be in its original form and color, with label attached.

(2) Departments purchasing over 250,000 Poppies will be allowed two (2) displays in each of the four (4) categories for the National Display Contest … all others will be allowed one (1) display in each of the four (4) categories, no deviations.

(3) The National Buddy Poppy Committee shall have no responsibility in setting up, taking down, or returning displays.

(4) Displays may be entered and set up at any time from 9 a.m. Saturday until 4 p.m. Monday of the Convention week.

(5) Displays shall be set up in space provided in the Convention facility.  At the time the display is set up, the responsible person must complete an entry form which will show the category of competition, the number of Poppies used, the purpose of the display, the Post and/or Auxiliary number and location, and the name of the person who will dismantle and remove the display at the close of the Convention.

(6) Displays may be accompanied by a white card, not to exceed 4 inches by 6 inches in size, on which is lettered in black ink an explanation of the theme for the display or other information of interest to the viewers or the judges.

(7) Post name, number or location may not be visible on display entries.  Failure to comply will result in disqualification.

JUDGING

Judging of displays will be on the basis of effectiveness, purpose, clarity of theme, suitability, originality, beauty and number of Poppies used.  Where a sample of a large number of identical items (such as corsages or wreaths) is entered, full credit shall be given for the total number of Poppies used.

PRIZES

Plaques will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners in each category.  Each entry will receive a special citation testifying to having been on display at the National Convention.

NOTE

The Department Adjutant will have to notify the Buddy Poppy Director, in writing, by July 31st of the Posts that will represent the Department in each category.  This will allow us the time necessary to ensure each entry has sufficient space to set up at the National Convention.

District 1 Tally

The Tally Report is almost a week old so if you’ve filed your reports ignore the MIA reference. Make sure your 990’s are filed with the IRS. If they have been filed, make sure Department is getting a copy of them. Also, we have 3 Posts who haven’t ordered Buddy Poppies. It is getting close to the drop dead date to receive them on time for Veterans Day. I have also taken the liberty to highlight the missing reports so don’t blame Robin. Once you get behind, it’s tough to catch up so try and stay on top of them.

Same time and place unless indicated below. See the listing from the links on left sidebar.

If you change the date or time of your meeting, please let both District and Department know of the change.