DAV AUXILIARY
DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA
NEWS LETTER
"STANDING
AND WORKING TOGETHER
Contact: JoAnn Atkinson, Commander
678-643-6114
kapoza@comcast.net
Byrdyne Bell, Adjutant
706-790-7639
byrdyneb@yahoo.com
4462 Houston Ave, Macon, Georgia 31206
AUGUST 2014
Highlight of National Convention: by Commander JoAnn Atkinson
The National Convention held August 8 -13, 2014, in Las Vegas, NV, there were 51
national Constitution change voted on. So, it is imperative that the unit order new bylaws
books. The new books are usually ready for distribution around end of September, mid
October or November. Notification of new books will be put in National Headquarters
Newsletter.
Congratulation to the following Georgia individuals and unit:
Dorothy Reese elected as National Auxiliary 4th Junior Vice Commander from McCraryAdams, unit 9, Macon, GA.
Moses McIntosh elected as DAV National Senior Vice Commander from PinkertonWilliams, Chapter 18, Augusta, GA.
Michael Dover elected as National Chaplain from Muscogee, Chapter 7, Columbus, GA.
Donald A. Moody, Unit 33, Macon, GA for winning the most New Unit Membership Award.
Sharon McGill, the Atlanta VA Medical Center for winning the DAV Homeless Program
Award.
Department of Georgia was well represented at the National Convention: John Woodall,
Unit 6, McCrary-Adams, Unit 9, Pendleton King, Unit 10, Gainesville, Unit 17, Dick M.
Lynch, Unit 27, Donald A. Moody, Unit 33, Gwinnett County, Unit 90, and members from
our upcoming Unit. William E. Tate unit 1,
Department of Georgia made donations to Hospital Veterans Writing Programs in
amount $100.00 and The National Service Fund in amount $100.00.
172 units register for the convention.
In the Convention Event Tower, DAV partnered with Western Nevada College and the
Nevada Department of Veterans Service brought an exhibit that Honors Fallen Post 9/11
Veterans. The exhibition was called "Always Lost: “A Meditation on War."
Report Participation
Mae Holmes: by LeeAnn Karg – Twenty-nine states sent reports: 2 states had 100% of
units reporting; 19 states did not send reports. Reports activities included: Mission Trips,
Membership Drive, Personal assistance to veterans, working in hospitals and nursing
home, helping chapter with project parades, country fairs, church bazaars, helping
schools, donating flags and flag burning ceremony with chapter.
Legislative: by Frances Costa – Thirty states and 250 units submitted reports this year with
976 individuals participating in the Legislative Program. 1143 Bills were addressed and
related to bills, 12, 153 Federal Contacts were made and 7,775 follow up contacts made; 4,
537 State contacts made and 3, 717 follow ups. On the County level 1,496 contacts made
and 1,064 follow up contacts
Community Service: by Ellen Timmerman – Thirty states sent in report with 275 units
participating:
Members traveled a total of 1, 068, 674 miles.
Members put in 556, 875.6 hours of service
Unit Members donated $161, 890.15
Units donated $1, 821/963.41 worth of items
Members personal cash donation $865,236.24.
Non-VA Hospital: by Linda 8ailey- Received reports from 28 Auxiliary State
Department.
Junior Activities: by Tawnya Kingsley- 136 units submitted reports:
VA Medical Center, 1,901 hours
Hospital Nursing Home, 2,326 hours
Community Service, 12,797 hours
Forget-Me-Not-Drive, 352 hours
Americanism, 2,284 hours
Chapter/Unit Activities, 3, 637 hours
Veteran’s Day, 848 hours
School/Church, 25,241 hours
Miscellaneous, 11,684 hours
With a grand total of 61, 070 hours of junior activities reported.
VAVS: by Ann Glende and Patty Davis –
752 regular scheduled volunteer, volunteering 51,265.75 hours
104 sponsored volunteers, volunteering 1,261.75 hours
Units donated over $225,306.20 toward unit-sponsored events
$101,514.20 towards direct donation to VA facilities for veteran.
This year, more than $28, 468.15 was raised through fund raisers such as
forget-me-not drives (both normal, and at sporting events, concerts, and
other events in communities), cookout sales, bake-less bake sales. Crafts
and rummages sales.
2014-2015 newly elected National Officers of the DAV Auxiliary:
National Commander LeeAnn Karg, Minnesota
National Sr. Vice Cmdr. Linda Stake, Arkansas.
National 1st Jr. Vice Cmdr. Frances Costa, Massachusetts
National 2nd Jr. Vice Cmdr. Craig Johniken, Texas
National 3rd Jr. Vice Cmdr. Ellen Timmerman, New Mexico
National 4th Jr. Vice Cmdr. Dorothy Reese, Georgia
National Judge Advocate Carol Gray, Michigan
Adjutant Corner: by Byrdyne Bell Reminders
Mandate
The annual Unit Mandate letters have been sent to all units. Now is the time to get those
mailed back to us. Every unit is required to pay the annual mandates, according to the
State Standing Rules.
990-N e-Postcard
It is important for all units to file 990-N e-postcard. The unit first time filings were due in
2008 for tax years ending on or after December 31, 2007. The e-Postcard is due every
year by the 5th day of the fifth month after the close of your tax year. You cannot file the
e-Postcard until after the end of your tax year. If the unit 990-N is being rejected by
IRS, IRS may not have your unit listed as a tax-exempt organization. Please contact DAV
Auxiliary National Headquarters so they can notify the IRS to add you to their list of
subordinates. Remember, a unit fails to file the 990-N e-Postcard for three consecutive
tax years will automatically lose its tax-exempt status. The revocation of a unit taxexempt status will not take place until the filing due date of the third year. The IRS will not
send additional notices once your tax-exempt status.
Upcoming Events
Central Areal Meeting
Central Area Representative, Cindy Hansen is pleased to announce the Annual Central
Area Meeting schedule for Saturday, September 20,2014, from 1 0:00A.M. to 1 :00 P.M.
at McCrary- Adams, Unit 9, 4993 Houston Avenue, Macon, GA 31206.
Guest Speaker:
Commander Dorothy Reese,
National 4th Junior Vice Commander.
Auxiliary National Fall
Conference
September 25-27
We hope that Georgia members can attend the conference. It is still time to make your
reservation for the fall conference in Lexington, KY. Hotel telephone Number: 1-859-2319000. Registration fee is $35.00 and $40.00 for banquet. The registration and banquet
fees are paid at the conference. The banquet will be held on Friday night, and a reception
will be held Saturday evening to wrap up the conference. For the early bird registration will
be held on Wednesday, September 24, from 4:00pm-6:00pm.
The Disabled Veterans Life Memorial Dedication: October 5, 2014, Washington, D.C.
Legislative: by Betty Vaughn
From The Hill
$178 Deal Reached to Overhaul VA, by Martin Matishak, Dated 7/28/2014
House and Senate negotiators have agreed to a $17 billion bill meant to reform the
veterans Affairs Department.
The new bill would provide $10 billion for veterans to seek private care at hospitals and
clinics outside the VA, and $5 billion to allow the department to hire more doctors, nurses
and medical staff. Another $1.5 billion could be spent on leases to use other medical
facilities at 27 sites around the country.
The compromise would also make it easier for a new Veterans Affairs secretary to fire staff
at a department where officials covered up the long waits many veterans endured to get
healthcare.
Both Republicans and Democrats accepted concessions to reach a deal, some of
which could cost them votes.
The final bill is smaller than the Senate's original three-year bill, which the Congressional
Budget Office said would add $35 billion to the deficit over the next decade. It includes new
restrictions that limit the number of veterans who could seek private care to those who are
enrolled
in
the
Veterans Affairs system as of Aug. 1.
Once the $10 billion in funding for veterans to seek private care runs out, the VA will have
to come back to Congress through the normal appropriations process to win more funding.
The other $5 billion would be offset by other spending cuts within the agency, including
through a cap on the performance bonuses doled out by the department.
The compromise measure allows veterans to get care from non-Veterans Affairs physicians
who participate in Medicare if they live more than 40 miles away from a VA facility, or if
agency doctors cannot see them within 30 days.
VAVS: by Beck Wright
2014 Atlanta Homeless Veterans Stand Down has been scheduled for Saturday, October
4, 2014 from 7:30 am until 3:30pm at:
Atlanta VA Medical Center,
1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033
.
Here is a needs list of items that are essential for a successful Stand Down.
Clothing: New or excellent condition; Men: Sweatshirts (Med to XXXL), Sweatpants (Med
to XXXL); T-Shirts (SM to 3X); socks and Shower Shoes; Women: Sweatshirts (Small to
XXL); Sweatpants (Small to XXL); Sports Bras (Small to XXL); Panties (5-14) and Shower
shoes; Hand Sanitizer-small; Soap; Lotion: Shampoo/Conditioner; Brushers & Combs;
Deodorant; Tampons, Sanitary Napkins; Baby Wipes. Comfort Items-Travel Size: No
Alcohol- Hand Sanitizer-small; Shaving Cream, Hand Wipes, Travel size First Aid Kits.
For more information about volunteering or making donations, please contact Voluntary
Services
at (404)
728-7728 or email denise.holmes@va.gov.
VS:
by Beck
Wright
News from One of Our Sister State
Labor Day Carnival
Date: Monday, September 1, 2014
Time: 10:00AM until 2:00PM
Location: 2400 Hospital Road
Building 90
Tuskegee, Al 36083-5001
Service organization will sponsor booths with games: Horseshoes, Ring Toss, Fishing
Pond and Table Shuffleboard.
We welcome DAV/ DAVA organizations from Georgia. If you would like to sponsor a booth
contact:
Marian S. Myles
Program Specialist
Voluntary Service (162)
2400 Hospital Road
Tuskegee, AL 36083-5001
Office: (334) 725-3058 Fax: (334) 724-6845
Americanism: by JoAnn Whidden
LABOR DAY HISTORY
The holiday was organized by the Central Labor Union.
In 1882, Matthew Maguire, a machinist, first proposed the holiday while serving as
secretary of the Central Labor Union of New York. Others argue that it was first proposed
by Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor in May 1882, after witnessing the
annual labor festival held in Toronto, Canada. Oregon was the first state to make it a
holiday on February 21, 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states
officially celebrated Labor Day.
Following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S.
Marshals during the Pullman Strike, the United States Congress unanimously voted to
approve rush legislation that made Labor Day a national holiday; President Grover
Cleveland signed it into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.
The September date originally chosen by the Central Labor Union of New York and
observed by many of the nation's trade unions for the past several years was selected
rather than the more widespread International Workers' Day because Cleveland was
concerned that observance of the latter would be associated with the nascent Communist,
Syndicalist and Anarchist movements that, though distinct from one another, had rallied to
commemorate the Haymarket Affair in International Workers' Day. All U.S. states, the
District of Columbia, and the territories have made it a statutory.
Chaplain: by Barbara Benson – Thought for the day:
May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trail
For every problem life send a faithful friend to share
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
God’s blessings on you all.