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March / April 2009
BY ELAINE SIMMONS, PRESIDENT
It is very exciting to congratulate the members of AVVA in Idaho for becoming the twelfth state to complete the incorporation process. I’m looking forward to joining those members at the Idaho State Council Meeting in May in Pocatello to present their charter to them. It is time, once again, to hold elections for Chapter Affiliated Representatives, AVVA State Representatives, and in the case of Incorporated States, State Officers.
Members of AVVA who are affiliated with VVA chapters should hold their elections in April and must submit an Election Report Form to the AVVA State Representative/President within the designated time period. This Election Report Form allows the State Representatives/Presidents to know who is qualified to vote in the upcoming state elections. It also gives them valuable contact information. Failure to submit this form will prevent the members affiliated with a VVA chapter from voting in the state elections. It also causes a breakdown of information to members.
All state elections must be held before June 30. The AVVA State Representative/President is a very important office whose duties and responsibilities are outlined in the AVVA National Policy and Procedure Manual. That officer is responsible for sending current information to the membership through the Chapter Affiliated Representatives and the At-Large Representative.
These members also represent all AVVA members from their states at the AVVA Biennial Meeting where they will cast votes from their states for National Officers, Regional Directors, and vote on bylaw changes that are brought before the membership. State Election Reports are sent to the appropriate Regional Directors and held on file until the following election cycle.
For detailed information about the AVVA Election Process, please review the Election Section of the Policy and Procedures Manual available on the AVVA website. Questions can be sent to the National Election Chair, Elayne Mackey, by email at cysticfib@aol.com
It’s time to think about the AVVA Scholarship Awards, the AVVA Member of the Year Award, and the AVVA Fellowship Award. Information about these awards and the forms necessary for applying for them can be found at AVVA.org The awards will be presented at the AVVA Luncheon in Louisville, and, as always, we will announce the winners of the scholarships then as well.
An important source of information is the AVVA National Board of Directors minutes and information packet, which is available by email. Chapter Affiliated Representatives, State Representatives, State Presidents, and State Points of Contact should have received this information already. But if you have not, email the AVVA National Secretary at patsyvarnell@aol.com and provide her with your current email address and the elected position that you hold. She will be happy to add you to the mailing list.
Please visit the AVVA website regularly. We strive to add more and more to our website. Very soon, the list of seminars at our Louisville Leadership Conference will be available for review. You also will find information about the many AVVA committees, projects, and programs.
The Fundraising Committee is excited to announce that we now have the AVVA Tenth Anniversary Pin and Patch available for sale. Please contact Penny Meinhardt at pmeinhardt@avva.org to order your pin and patch or visit the AVVA Fundraising Table at the VVA National Convention.
Suzanne Blohm-Weber has important information from the Public Relations Committee about the AVVA Electronic Newsletter, Updates. AVVA members may subscribe by sending their email addresses to blohmweber@yahoo.com
Together Always.
Let the AVVA Talk List open up a whole new world for you and your family. It’s free to all AVVA members. Contact Dick at Southern@lodelink.com to register, and get in on the discussions taking place online.
BY CAROL SOUTHERN, REGION 9 DIRECTOR
Many members are unaware that there is a National Talk List for current members of AVVA. The AVVA Talk List has a simple registration process, and the rules are basic. They boil down to respect and what some call “netiquette.”
Once you are registered, you receive daily emails from veterans and associates on a variety of subjects. Some will give you benefits information. Some will direct you to other sites that can tell you how to fix your computer, the proper way to dispose of flags, where to get flags, and other topics. Mostly, however, you will be able to eavesdrop on some powerful conversations regarding politics, the War on Terror, Iraq, Afghanistan, how to help the troops, what chapters are doing locally, where the Moving Wall will be, and how you can volunteer your time and resources for the betterment of communities throughout the world.
There also are many discussion subjects you can take part in. They are regulated so that the List maintains its integrity and balance. Under the supervision of one of the fairest and most patient VVA members— my husband, Dick—complaints are few. If they are legitimate, they are properly addressed.
The List is worth joining just for all the current VVA, AVVA, and world information that comes across your home computer station. It is technology at its finest, and best of all, it’s free.
Let the Talk List open up a whole new world for you and your family. Contact Dick at Southern@lodelink.com to sign up for the AVVA Talk List.
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