BY DICK SOUTHERN, DIRECTOR

Wasn’t that a great Convention in Louisville? From start to finish there was always something going on. The Opening Ceremonies were very well done and set an upbeat tone for the rest of the week. The members did their work on the amendments and resolutions in committees, the debate was done on the floor, and the direction was set for the new term.

Each of the Regions held caucuses and heard from candidates before going to the voting room to cast their ballots on Friday. The balloting went very smoothly and quickly.

The Awards Banquet was a good dinner, and the awards given out were well deserved. The emcees for the evening, Wes Guidry and Marc Leepson, kept the evening rolling along at a snappy pace. One highlight was the introduction of New Mexico State Council President Frank Ramirez’s granddaughter, Kasey L. Moucha. She is an active-duty combat medic with the 101st Airborne. The entertainment kept the delegates dancing well into the evening.

So, with the Convention over and looking forward to the next one in Reno in 2011, we get back to the business of VVA. I have a full schedule of visits for the rest of the year with State Councils on the mainland and visits to the Pacific in Hawaii and the Philippines. The October Board of Directors meeting in Silver Spring will be here before you know it.

Virgie Hibbler of Nevada will be my alternate Region 9 Director. He did the job in the first term, and he has been approved by the other State Council Presidents to continue for this term.

Let’s continue to recruit and retain members and to help veterans and their families. See you at a meeting.