NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007

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Together, Always

BY MARY MILLER, PRESIDENT
Congratulations to Cherie Steers, treasurer of the New York State AVVA Association, for being awarded the prestigious AVVA Member of the Year Award. VVA President John Rowan made the presentation during the 2007 VVA National Convention in Springfield. Cherie has a long history of dedication to veterans and their families and is very deserving of this honor.

The creation of the Policy and Procedures Manual that will govern AVVA chapters is still in process. Attention is being focused on such things as the system that will be used to number chapters. We’ve had many requests from AVVA members to have the same number as their affiliated VVA chapters. There are several legal issues and software programming details dealing with the Membership Department that are being investigated. AVVA has learned well from our adjunct organization, VVA, about the importance a single word can carry in legal documents—words such as “shall,” “will,” or “may” that can completely change the interpretation and management of a document.

In the last issue of The VVA Veteran, we spoke about the ongoing problems that have been encountered with the Chapel of Four Chaplains, which resulted in the cancellation of this year’s induction ceremony at Cape May, New Jersey. I am pleased to announce that AVVA has been contacted by the Chapel of Four Chaplains, and a meeting is being scheduled to resolve the contentious issues. It is my hope that I will soon be in a position to announce the outcome of that meeting. Maintaining a healthy relationship with the Chapel is important to our organization. The prestige and honor of being inducted, at any level, into the Chapel of Four Chaplains is unequaled.

I am happy to announce that AVVA will once more be working with H & R Block this year in a fund-raising effort. New H & R Block clients will be able to check a box on their tax returns allowing AVVA to receive a donation, and if a client attends the H & R Block School for Tax Preparation, AVVA will receive a donation. We were offered this program at the end of March. Even though it was the end of the tax season, AVVA still received $250. AVVA would like to thank the VVAF for helping us with this project.

We have many members of AVVA and VVA who have family and friends currently serving in the military. Many have family and friends who have been deployed overseas. I am very proud of the way AVVA members have rallied to support these troops in so many ways. This is a reminder that AVVA is here to work and support our veterans and those who are active-duty military.