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REGION 9 REPORT
Communications Resolution

BY DICK SOUTHERN, DIRECTOR

I want to wish a Happy New Year to all members of VVA and AVVA and their families. All of the State Councils in Region 9 are growing in membership numbers, especially California with Chapters 223 and 391 in the top 25 in the nation in membership.

Recruitment and retention remain high in Region 9.

Our biggest concern continues to be health care and VA benefits, as we urge veterans to enroll in the VA health care system and contact their veteran service officers to file claims for presumptive service-connected health issues. We must also remember that we need to reach out to help the troops returning from our conflicts overseas and help them get the benefits they deserve for their service to our country.

Communication is sometimes one of our greatest challenges. We are very fortunate to live in a time when communicating is one of the easiest things to do. We have many forms of communication available to us. The Internet and cell phones are just two ways that we can stay in touch with our veteran family. We all need to do more communication at all levels of our community so we can help each other, other veterans, and their families. Let us all make better communications a resolution for the New Year.

Regions 8 and 9 will have a pre-Convention conference at the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada, on June 12-14. Mark your calendars.