March 1, 2005

SOUND ASSEMBLY...

NATIONAL CONVENTION 2005

Initial Details on the KWVA Website Home Page Daily...
And in The Graybeards March-April Issue.
Complete Details in the May-June Issue.
Make Plans Now, Make Reservations Early.

Friends and Members—

I am sorry that I have not attended to this update sooner. The very good reason for delay is that we have been too busy about the many new activities and plans of the Association while preparing for the Executive Council meeting and examining detracting or misguided attacks against the integrity of the Order.

IWO JIMA DAY, 19 FEBRUARY 1945 + 60... Many have noted the dynamic and informative nature of our website. That also keeps us busy. We hope that many of our members, as well as all USMC and US Army Troops, appreciated the coverage devoted to THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE IWO JIMA ASSAULT of WWII. Director Warren Wiedhahn has been deeply involved in the anniversary as well as the reunion and trip to IWO JIMA itself.

Far to the North of IWO, on IWO JIMA Day, large (and frigid!) celebrations were held in the BOSTON area. KWVA Member/KVA Commander Jeff Brodeur and many of our members were involved. Thanks for remembering and honoring the memory — See the following pictures...

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Commander Brodeur was visited by Mr. Dan Ryan, Senior Veterans Aide to US Representative Michael Capuano on February 18.  Mr. Ryan called me from Jeff’s office to discuss the issue of the Federal Charter.  Jeff took the picture on the right while Mr. Ryan was talking with me.
NATIONAL CONVENTION... Preparing for a National Convention can be a detail that no one wants. Second VP Byron Dickerson is doing a great and exciting job on preparing for the KWVA National Convention this year. It is a lot easier to get ready when you have a world class group of people helping you. That is the reputation of the Barksdale Air Force Base Retired Activities Office and the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, and of their leader Colonel Steve dePyssler. It is significant that the first two members to sign up for the Convention are MOH recipients from the Korean War—a Marine and a Soldier. [Click HERE to read more...]

WATCH FOR NEWS OF THE CONVENTION EACH WEEK, AND IN THE GRAYBEARDS, NEXT TWO ISSUES. A complete story of the convention will be in the May-June issue of the magazine.

GRAYBEARDS... Our magazine gets better and better. Editor Art Sharp saw a human interest item in a Connecticut newspaper and thought there was a story. There was, and Art included a moving story, DYING SON HONORS HIS HERO: DAD (page 56). If you haven’t done so, read it now. Honorary Member Michael Simpson is running out of time. His Dad says that he has possibly two weeks to live. Please remember him and his parents—call or send a card before the opportunity runs out.


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OFFICE DEVELOPING... The Louisiana Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Brigadier General Hunt Downer, is opening an office in the Louisiana Army National Guard Installation at Pineville, Louisiana—Camp Beauregard. General Downer is presently on active duty with the Louisiana National Guard. The Beauregard facility will serve both of his present responsibilities. In addition, General Downer has offered the KWVA half of the office space for our National Office. We expect that it will be another month before we can move in. The picture to the right was taken a week ago.
THE BEST WAY TO CURE THE PAST IS TO BUILD THE FUTURE... A fresh spirit is warming its way through the KWVA, and it is good. However, there are still some "cold as frozen steel" spots here and there.

This week, in one of those "cold spots," a friend of mine was challenged with the following:

"You indicate that you have evidence of wrong doing on the part of XXXXXXXXXX.  Can we expect you to put together a case against them and appear before the next general membership meeting with your charges?"

I am glad that the question was asked.  It gives me a chance to respond for my friend, since the topic impinges on my responsibilities. The answer is this:

Should my friend or ANY other member follow that outrageous and anarchist suggestion as to how he ought to proceed, the presiding officer (that will be me until at least 26 July 2006) will rule them out of order. Should they persist, then Robert's Rules of Order provide for removal from the meeting. Our well-qualified Sergeant-at-Arms is waiting to serve. The days of throwing the Bylaws away in this organization are over. Complaint and charge processes — and, yes, member expulsions — follow the Bylaws and ALL lawful procedures flowing from those Bylaws. Dictators and anarchists alike best find another organization if they cannot abide by our Bylaws.

The KWVA Bylaw Committee has been working since September 25, 2004, to bring this key governing document up to date, soliciting the suggestions of all members. The first public discussion of the results will be at the Executive Council Meeting in Reno, NV, March 15. [ View Agenda Package:  PDF File  MS Word Doc ] The Executive Council is working to have a revised, modernized, set of Bylaws to present to the membership at the National Convention. I commend them on their work thus far.

Best wishes, friend, for the good of the Order and GOD BLESS AMERICA


President