Did You Remember That Today Is Armed Forces Day?

Too often, Armed Forces Day is one that is overlooked on the calendar. For whatever reason, that is what happens just about every year. This, in part, is why I try to pay particular attention to these words and why I wanted to share my thoughts on this day. First, let us take a look at how Armed Forces Day came to be established as recorded on the Department of Defense website:

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.

The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense. 

The only thing that I would add to this is that while we cannot express our thanks to them personally, this should also be a day when we reflect upon the service and sacrifice of all those in our family tree. Their service has, in many ways, allowed us to reach this day and made it possible for such a recognition to come to fruition. When looking back in my own family, there are specific generational touch points in every US conflict from the foundation of this country to the present day and touching upon all branches of service.

While anyone familiar with the military knows that there is a certain banter between branches, this is one of the days that unifies all who have served or are serving. While Veteran’s Day primarily focuses on those who have served or are serving at this moment and Memorial Day honors those lost in service to their country, this is a day that tends to give an overarching recognition by honoring the service of all. It is also a day that transcends time not ascribing respect to one generation or another.

This is the primary reason why this day is one that gives me pause as I reflect both on the decision that I have made in my own past as well as those on the decision made by my family members past and present. And while I commonly write in a similar way on Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, one can never think about the service of others enough. Collectively, those men and women served our country and for that I will forever be grateful.

An Interesting Meeting

It was an interesting night at the lodge to say the least. While there was a great program to begin the evening (look for my Veterans Day post), there were also some other things that needed to be worked out. However, it was a great night for progress, planning, and discussion from the moment that I walked through the doors. In addition to the gracious assistance that was offered by a few brothers to help both with personal and lodge matters, there were a number of visitors that I had the pleasure of meeting. While I always enjoy catching up with the brethren that attend every month, it is nice to have a different mix every meeting.

In addition to terrific performances by members of the Sojourners and The Savoy Company respectively, we were also honored by the presence of our District Deputy Grand Master. After a wonderful Veterans Night program and devoting the appropriate time to take care of our monthly business, it was great to hear of all the charitable causes to which we are able to contribute. On one level, I am happy we are able to give as much as we do and, on another level, I wish that we were able to give more especially of our time.

This was followed by a discussion that was a long time coming. The remaining time that night was devoted not just to setting forth a plan for the coming year but also refocusing our efforts to ensure our success now as well as in the future. There have been times when our eyes, ears, and attention have strayed to meetings like this are essential to our continuing to build upon our successes and overcome what some may see as our mistakes. Frankly, I simply look at those moments as instances when vision and ambition has clouded our perception of the current reality.

By the time the meeting ended, there was a different energy in the room. While I could see that some were still processing what had been said, there were many of us grateful for the words spoken just moments prior. We have a clear direction, guidance, and a plan for current stability and future success. We also have a Worshipful Master heading to the east that is the perfect brother to oversee this adjustment in our operations and I am looking forward to supporting him as well as the other officers to ensure that this transition is as successful as possible. Can’t wait for the December meeting!

It’s Not Really Free

Every year I see the countless signs and receive numerous emails about all the discounts and “free” things for veterans. Unfortunately, I have seen the inevitable complaints of entitlement from people across numerous social media streams making delusional statements that they should be getting the “handouts”. What these people fail to realize, year after year, is that despite what the ads might say veterans are not getting anything for free. These people served and sacrificed for us and, if anything, they are still not getting enough from us.

Over the years I have gotten to know veterans of all ages, branches, and length of service. I come from a long line of men who have served in the armed forces and made an attempt to do so myself (no, I am not a veteran). In fact, many of those men whom I consider friends and family were part of the recognition ceremony at my lodge last week… there was a total of over 160 years of service that stood before us that night. All of these men, and all veterans that I have had the privilege to meet during my lifetime, have never asked for any recognition.

In recent years, there seems to be a “veterans day is good enough” mentality with regard to the recognition that is bestowed upon these men and women. Every year, I see fewer and fewer instances of people walking up to a veteran and thanking them for their service. This downward trend is particularly noticeable on this day although it is pervasive throughout the year. People seem to think that they have played the same role in keeping this country safe when that is far from the reality.

Yes, there are discounts today for veterans but one day is never going to be enough. These men and women deserve much more than a coupon on this day, they deserve our gratitude and our respect for doing what we were unwilling and/or unable to do. They are the ones who have ensured that this country continues to exist, they are the ones that have made it possible for us to live our lives without fear. No discount our coupon will ever make up for the sacrifices that they have made ad while our feeble words will not accomplish much more, it at least shows that we have not forgotten what they have done for us.

Thank you for your service!

A Lodge Meeting With My Dad

I had been looking forward to last night all year. Not because it happened to be my birthday but because it was a night that I was going to be able to share with my dad. I knew that the stated meeting at the lodge in November was going to be Veterans Night and I wanted to make sure that my dad was there to be recognized for his service (a recognition that he has certainly earned but has seldom received).

As seems to be the nature of things, I was looking forward to last night so much that all of the things that are beyond my control (i.e. traffic, accidents, detours, weather, etc.) did everything to delay me. While I had left the office with plenty of time to make it to the lodge before everything began I walked through the doors with little time to breath let a long enjoy dinner with my dad. I would have liked to spend more time with him and my uncle that night but I know he understood that I have responsibilities and a job to do that night.

Once I was able to let my dad know that I had finally arrived, I proceeded to make my usual rounds around the room greeting my brothers and welcoming the guests to the lodge. Of course, I never made it more than a step or two in any direction before someone would stop me for one reason or another. That might be the most enjoyable and frustrating part about being Secretary. It was in the midst of this flurry of action that I realized something for the first time in my life… I have memories of my father doing the same thing that I was while I would sit at a table and talk to a few people. Tonight our roles were reversed. Hopefully this means that I am turning into my dad.

After dinner and right after I finished all my last minute duties, we all headed up to the lodge room to begin the open portion of the night and recognize those veterans in attendance. While there have been numerous times that I have felt the same way, when I heard my dad give his name, branch, and years of service I was proud to be my father’s son. This was just another reason why I take great pride in the name that I have been given and the family from with I come. It might have been the best birthday gift that I have ever been given!

And The List Gets Longer…

With a variety of projects and tasks that are currently being worked on, I did my best to get to the lodge a little earlier than usual last night. Not an easy task with so much going on at the office at the same time. After cursing at a few “drivers” on my way to Ardmore and making a couple of calls along the way, I was finally able to make my way to the old building only a little bit later than expected and I wasn’t surprised to find that I was the third one there.

The leak in my basement office seems to have been fixed but the lovely aroma leaves a lot to be desired and the subsequent shifting of items around has set the organization thereof back at least a few weeks. I guess now is as good a time as any to sift through a few items before simply putting them back. But that is another project for another day.

I met with a couple of brothers to see about finding space for a new business venture. This is one that I am especially interested in making happen as it wouldn’t just bring new people into the lodge but there are a number of brothers (including myself) that would welcome the opportunity to participate. Other conversations later in the evening also revolved around the simple (not really) questions of what it is that we really do for a living. It’s funny, but if you take the time to ask the question, you might be surprised by how much your occupations overlap.

Those were just the ancillary items that we had to take care of. With a stated meeting only a couple days away and just over a month until our Red Cross Blood Drive (Saturday, December 6th for those in the area that are interested), there are still a lot of things that we need to prepare. It seems that most weeks, especially lately, I need at least an extra day or two just to keep things current. Thankfully, there are a lot of items ready to go and things should continue running smoothly through this week and the end of the year.

After our general meetings, unfortunately bills did not make up one of them, we all came together from the various corners of the lodge to both review what had been discussed and congratulate one of our brothers on his exemplification (that was happening concurrently with all the other tasks). Assignments were handed out and we all went our separate ways to reconvene tomorrow night when I hope to see both my brothers and a crowd of veterans honoring us with their presence. All in all, I guess you could say that it was just another Tuesday night at the lodge.

All Gave Some, Some Gave All

It was another early Saturday morning on the road and this trip I have been looking forward to for months. With the final appeals to the brethren to join us in Elizabethtown we convened just after 10:00am and gathered on the lawn waiting for the dedication of the eternal flame to begin. This monument, dedicated to all those brothers who have served in the armed forces, was the focus of the morning so it was only fitting that the first brother from our lodge we met at the event was a World War II veteran, a machine gunner in Patton’s 3^rd Army, who actually became a mason the same day that I did just over a year and a half ago.

Just behind our brother, the Grand Lodge officers were preparing for the precession.

And waiting for the program to begin was the largest crowd, filled with veterans from all branched and various decades, which I have ever seen at Elizabethtown.

Without a doubt, our lodge was well represented as two of the brothers from my lodge, both veterans and members of the Sojourners, recited “A Toast To The Flag”. I have hear both of them recite this poem before and this might have been their best performance to date. Certainly no better and more poignant venue.

Branch by branch, war by war, each veteran was acknowledged in a way apropos to the tone of the morning.

With the dedication nearly complete we all took a few moments and turned our eyes to the sky as a B25 flew low and slow over the crowd.

As the event concluded and the crowd converged on the monument to bravery, Governor Corbett made a point to personally speak with the oldest veteran present this morning who was also recognized earlier when he received a valor blanket.

We slowly made our way to the flame to both take a closer look, find friends, family, and brothers and also to take a moment for ourselves to think about those in our lives that have made the monument possible. All gave some, some gave all. It was during these moments when I was fortunate to capture an image of three of the brothers in my lodge at the flame dedicated to their service.

However, the image that will stay with me from today was an unguarded moment of my brother reading the plaque at the base of the flame. This after taking some time shuffling around the monument looking for small pieces that represent those from our lodge. A veteran of World War II who served on the USS Missouri, I can’t imagine what must have been going through his mind.

 

Having said farewell to our brothers, we made our way to the Autumn Days Festival just a short walk from the dedication. Of course, with most people arriving at the festival around noon, the food was the first thing that we came across.

 

In the middle of the festival, in the courtyard, the crowd convened on the lawn to enjoy the shade and entertainment.

 

After walking around for a couple of hours, we turned around and began making our way back to the car. We were not the only ones who were running out of steam as all the quiet spaces along the sides had at least a few people stopping for a moment to rest.

 

Just before we walked across the field and got back in the car, I couldn’t help but take one final picture of the Eternal Flame off in the distance. While the dedication only lasted an hour, the monument remains and the sacrifices represented can never be measured by time. These are the moments that make me particularly proud to be a Mason and I will never forget this morning. I look forward to sharing moments like this with my growing family.

A Memorial Day Perspective

Gettysburg National Cemetery, 2013.

Today is one of those days when I can’t help but be grateful for sacrifices made by others to ensure that we are able to live the lives that we do. Without those who gave all for this country we would not be able to enjoy the rights and freedom that we do today. It is for this reason that I am so angered when some insists on stripping the rights and freedom of people through the stroke of a pen which flies in the face of the sacrifices made to preserve all that we have in this country.

As I have done before, to give you a concise description of the holiday, I am pasting the introduction below that can be found on Wikipedia:

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is celebrated every year on the last Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.

Annual Decoration Days for particular cemeteries are held on a Sunday in late spring or early summer in some rural areas of the American South, notably in the mountains. In cases involving a family graveyard where remote ancestors as well as those who were deceased more recently are buried, this may take on the character of an extended family reunion to which some people travel hundreds of miles. People gather on the designated day and put flowers on graves and renew contacts with kinfolk and others. There often is a religious service and a "dinner on the ground," the traditional term for a potluck meal in which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or tablecloths on the grass. It is believed that this practice began before the American Civil War and thus may reflect the real origin of the "memorial day" idea.

Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

One amendment that I believe that should be made to this holiday is to honor those active duty personnel and veterans who lost their lives due to physical or psychological injuries received in combat. This is an issue that seems to be forgotten, especially considering the controversies running rampant in the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and VA Hospitals throughout the country. We need to honor those veterans fighting those battles beyond the theater of war and do all that we can to ensure that they are not one of those fallen after the war is over.

We must honor those who fought and remember what the fought for. While an imperfect union, it is the best that we have and we should not allow the flick of a pen to change the course of our country and question the freedom in this country that we all tend to take for granted. We must remember, support, and defend all that those men and women gave their lives to defend. That is the best way we can celebrate Memorial Day today and every day.

Dichotomy

Every month during our state meeting at the lodge we take a moment to recognize Masonic birthdays. Essentially, anyone who became a Mason in November would celebrate their Masonic birthday in November. Last night we decided to change things up a bit.

Rather than taking note of the Masonic birthdays for this month we took time to honor those who have served our country. All of our brothers who served in the armed forces lined up across the lodge and, one by one, stated their name, branch, and years of service. All branches were represented as well as service times ranging from 2 to 36 years and across generations from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of these men stood tall for a few extra minutes last night. All of these men continued to take pride in themselves and the morals that have guided them through their Masonic lives. Each and every one of them deserves the respect of all those who enjoy the rights and freedoms that they fought to uphold and defend.

There was also some news being talked about yesterday and last night that lies in stark contrast to the integrity and honesty that these men embody. It seems as though there are some in Washington that do not hold those morals in such high regard. Some have outright lied to us for years despite knowing the falsehood that they preached. Yes, Mr. Obama, I am talking about you!

The entire healthcare debacle and the lies used to push the agenda has left many with little, if any, faith in the federal government. The utter deceit and disregard for consequence is a model that cannot unite a people under one cause. It is a political calculation that can only result in the division of the people.

Furthermore, the recent news released by the Food and Drug Administration is completely absurd and is a power grab by and agency with a severe case of Jan syndrome. The FDA feels that they should be the ones to focus on public health and police the people but now Obamacare and the cronies therein are grabbing all the headlines. Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!

The FDA should ban these two... they're worse for our health than trans fats.

The FDA announcement regarding trans fats in processed foods and the elimination thereof is, in my opinion, an extension of the Obamacare program and a means for the FDA administrators to participate in the potato sack race. It gives the FDA additional control over the decisions that people are allow to make which, in their eyes, will reduce the health and therefore insurance risk. Basically, the President (Obama) wants to be your daddy, HHS (Sebelius) wants to be your mommy, and the FDA wants to be your nanny. Yes, that means you are the child!

Change was promised and that it certainly what we are getting. Now you may even have someone to change your diaper in the new nanny state. I just really hope that this is all a big joke and that Robin Williams will get drunk and perform the Heimlich on a country gasping for air.

Don’t Be Intimidated By A Perfect 10

As Rotarians, like Dudley Moore, we all strive for that perfect 10. Sometimes the results can be as beautiful as Bo Derek. However, they can sometimes more closely resemble something that Dave Letterman recites around midnight.

What we need to keep in mind is that the perfect 10 is a purely subjective number. What may be a perfect list of goals for one club may be disastrous for another.

·        50% Increase in Membership: As a smaller club this is a goal that does not require a huge number of new members. It is generally anticipated that Rotary clubs will lose 10% of their membership every year. As a general rule of thumb, clubs should set the goal to compensate for that loss and add an additional 5 members. Our goal this year will be to add 9 members.

·        150 Hours of Community Service: This figure should be derived from the current membership total. 10 hours of service per member per year is a very low number and should be easily achievable. Of course, this excludes the work that officers put in and organizational hours. This should only include hours at events, hours serving the community.

·        12 New Club Banners: Exchanging banners with other clubs is frequently overlooked by Rotarians however it is essential in strengthening the connections within the Rotary community. We are all working toward the same goals and we can all offer help to other clubs and work with other clubs on projects. This is particularly important for smaller clubs as we can frequently be overlooked. Get out there and visit other clubs… 1 per month should be the absolute minimum and remember not to duplicate existing banners.

·        Networking Events and Local Business Outreach: You have to give something to get something and by providing the community with a networking event and a place to promote their business you can, generally speaking, gain new members. That is reality; you must demonstrate the value that Rotary brings to their business and, by actively involving them, allow the value of service to develop within the new Rotarian. We must promote growth within the individual if we are going to actualize the growth of our club and Rotary as a whole.  

·        New Member 1^st Year Program: Give your new members some guidance by outlining some basic goals for them to reach during their first year. Encourage them to visit other clubs and collecting banners, give them the opportunity to exceed 10 hours of community service, have them bring 10 guests during the course of the year, make sure they give a presentation to the club, send them to RLI to complete Level I. These are some of the basics that will certainly set them up for success. Also recommended is to ensure that their mentors accompany them along the way. Don’t forget to acknowledge those who have met or exceeded the goals.

·        Establishing a Rotaract Club: This has been an ongoing project. This is the year that we are going to get it done. Our focus has been a little off in the past but now we know the right department and the right approach to take. This is a case where we need to make our presence known not only to potentially new Rotarians but also future Rotarians because our present has little value if we don’t have a future.

·        Connecting with After School Programs: How can your club enhance the current after school programs in your area? What better way to impact the next generation in your community than to instill the values of Rotary in each of them and reinforce the fact that they are a valuable part of our community. By being of service to them they will, in turn, be of service to others but setting the example for their community and their contemporaries.

·        Expanding the Literacy Program: Our current program consists of handing out dictionaries to third graders in the local area with recent expansion of the program to consist of an essay contest in those same classrooms. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great program but we can do more and we need to do more to remain in their minds. Start off early by reading to second grade classrooms ("Rotary Clubs Help People" is the perfect book for this project) and expand the essay contest by implementing it as a multi-year endeavor that follows the children as they grow. This can easily be spread across four years by having the children write about the four way test one item at a time. So, instead of one year when they are in third grade you can have an annual presence in their lives for six consecutive years (with the possibility of longer continuous involvement if the aforementioned goals are achieved).   

·        Honoring Veterans and Service Members: Simply put, pay respect to the heroes in your community. Twice a year, the weeks of Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, invite a veteran or active service member to speak to your club. Let them choose the topic but make sure to honor them for their service as well. Make sure you let them know that they are always welcome at Rotary and their fellow veterans and service members are welcome as well. Rotary is a safe place, a place of peace, a place of service to others. They have already served us so let us return that service to them.

·        Website and PR Overhaul: This is where I am personally going to focus my efforts this year. I am not going to speak much on the PR side as it has been discussed in the last two Rotary related posts (“Don’t Forget The Mint On The Pillow!” and “Either Get On The Card Or Go To The Mattresses!”). However, what was not really discussed was the importance of having your own functional website. It doesn’t have to be pretty (or a perfect 10) but it has to be functional, informative, and look good. Make sure the content is up to date, a schedule is available, list where and when you meet, and have a way for prospects and fellow Rotarians to connect with officers of the club.

Lists are nothing but a sequence of numbers if no action is taken. Careful thought and consideration must be taken to ensure that the members of your club and the officers are on the same page. Whether by vocation, connections they may have, personal motivation, or simply enough time to see it through, match the initiatives that your club has with the member that is most likely to succeed at achieving that goal. And if someone runs out of gas be there to help them push the project forward.