RAMBLINGS
 from the Reverend Redactor

Volume 10                                                                                      May  2015


PENTAGON DUTY

When the National Board assembled in early May for the spring meeting, some of the members were privileged to be able to take a tour of the Pentagon, conducted by an active duty member of Post One, Capt. John Mark, who is in the Judge Advocate General services. We met both the outgoing and incoming Chief Chaplains, Major General Donald Rutherford and Major General Paul Hurley respectively. Always on the alert for new members, we passed out membership brochures on several occasions, and even had a chance to shop in the gift shop. It was an inspiring and educational look at the armed forces today.



Several of our members got to pose at the podium 
in the briefing room, and with Captain John Mark. 
NEW YORK DEPARTMENT CONVENTION
As part of the annual convention of the Department of New York, a banquet was held at Riccardo's in Astoria. Past National Commander Leo Haley and his wife attended, and several people managed to find the microphone and serenade the convention. Perhaps the high spot of the event was the appearance of National Commander James Finkel, showing off some of the gifts he had received when he attended the Texas Convention
"Tex" Finkel
.

Behind every good man is an extraordinary woman

Every good party needs to have a cake.
Last of the great 
2-fisted drinkers.


 
REMINDERS

MEMBERSHIP - Adding to our membership is the responsibility of each member. If each member brought in one new member every year, we would be a potent national force in a very short time. Don't feel alone - there is help available for your efforts:
There is a video - here is a link - 

And there is LOTS of information and help on the website to aid in your recruiting efforts.

If you have a question you can't answer, if you need help or brochures, call the national office and Karen or Dave will help you. 

CATHOLIC VETERANS SERVICE FOUNDATION - Donations made through the Foundation are tax-deductible. For additional information, contact the National Office. 

If you have not visited our page, please do. You do NOT have to join Facebook in order to visit our page. 

TWITTER - If you do not have a Twitter account, you should sign up for one. They are free, and you will quickly discover that CWV is on Twitter almost every day, with a news items, a religious reminder or an encouragement to take action. You don't have to do anything, your Twitter feed will bring the items to you, and you then can show off by knowing what's going on, or share them with friends. CWV is very active in the Twitter community, and you should be a part of it as well. 

MASS CARDS - Are an excellent way to show sympathy or celebrate a special event, as well as support the CWV. You may order them as needed, or purchase several in advance to have easily available. 
NATIONAL CONVENTION 2015
Make Your Plans NOW!!


HAVE YOU MADE YOUR RESERVATION YET?
Why not? What are you waiting for?

You know the details but they are listed here again. The farther ahead you commit, the more activities the committee can put in place. As they know who is coming, as the number of reservations swells, they have more influence with the hotel, with the local travel people, with events and other organizations and the better they can make our time in Las Vegas. 

CONVENTION DETAILS

Rooms other than Friday and Saturday will be $45, and $79 for Friday and Saturday. The CWV rate will also be valid for three days before and three days after the convention dates. Where can you find a rate like that? 

Airport transportation is available by public transit - $2 one way - and they require exact change. The hotel also has a shuttle that runs on every odd hour, and the local Post has two mini vans that will also be available. 

There will be  winery tour or a trip to Hoover Dam on Monday. There will be a bowling tournament. There is a golf course and a movie theatre and a full salon and spa and a swimming pool and someone even said there might be gambling. There are two fine restaurants on site, six casual dining establishments and three quick spots including a Subway sandwich shop. They even have an exotics racing track, where you can drive a serious racing car. There will also be workshops in basic computer skills and about Service Officers, for both candidates and those interested in receiving benefits. The Hospitality Room will open each night at 7:30 PM, parking at the hotel is free, the public transport bus runs into the Strip and the possibilities of having a Mass at a local Church and having individuals take part in a service project are being investigated. Two large Malls are nearby, and the hotel vans will take you to the malls. 

As additional details become available they will be posted on the CWV web site. Reservations can be made at 866 636-7111 or online at the link below. Use the code A5CWC08. 


REFLECTIONS 
OF THE REVEREND REDACTOR


May is one of two months in the year dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. As the mother of Jesus Christ, she is a powerful advocate for us, and remembering her in our prayer, especially the rosary, is a Catholic tradition that goes back to the early days of our faith. Instead of the more traditional Commander's coin, Commander Finkel this year has made special presentations of a Rosary and a case, which is a useful gift, and one particularly appropriate for an organization like ours.  
This is a rosary I was given by our National Commander. It is always in my pocket.

It is also the month when the country remembers those who have given their lives in the service of our country. Many of us have friends and comrades who died in or because of combat. Several Posts around the country are involved in programs that help bury veterans without resources or families, and others help decorate graves in military cemeteries with flags. Some have programs in association with schools, some march in parades. If your Post is not involved, each of our members should take part in some ceremony or activity during this time. It can easily become a celebration of barbecues and beach time, and we must remind those around us what the deeper and more important meaning of this holiday really is. 

And while several Departments have their conventions coming up, the big event on the horizon is the National Convention. There are three kinds of members in the Catholic War Veterans: 
a) there are those who don't go to conventions, and let others make the decisions and run the organizations;
b) there are those who go to the convention, but who essentially go as a guest, without doing anything to prepare for, support or take part in the business of the convention. 
c) and there are those who sell ads for the journal, who encourage other members to attend, who read reports in advance and who investigate the background and abilities of those running for office, rather than voting for someone simply because they are from the same state, or because that person "is due." The future of our organization will depend on good leadership - and someone who is your friend may not always be the best choice to be our leader on a national, or even on a department, level. 

Which kind of member are you? Have you solicited an ad for the Journal, completed the scrapbook for your Post, made the last effort to recruit just one more new member? (Remember, vote totals at the elections are based on membership count.) Have you made your own travel plans to go to the convention, made your hotel reservations? Have you volunteered to help in some activity at the convention during the week? Those in charge have been working hard organizing and planning, but it cannot be done unless individuals volunteer. NOW is the time to step up and get involved. Even if you cannot go to Las Vegas, you can make sure that your Post, your County, your Department is well represented. 

Perhaps you can start by doing something good for yourself today. Or for someone else. 



Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ
National Chaplain

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
(Please feel free to share events in your area)

2015


May 31
Annual Ceremony in Arlington Cemetery

June 2-5
Dept. of Pennsylvania Convention

June 6
Dept. of New Jersey Convention

July 4
Independence Day

August 9 - 16
National Convention - Las Vegas 

September 7
Labor Day

September 11
Patriot Day, a national day of service and remembrance

September 23-27
Pope Francis Visits USA

November 11
Veterans Day

November 12-14
CWV National Board Meeting, Alexandria


REMEMBER
THE CATHOLIC VETERANS SERVICE FOUNDATION

If you've already given a gift earlier this year, thank you. Can you do it again? Do you have a friend or a business that might want to support the philosophy of the Catholic War Veterans and the Auxiliary? If the check or credit card slip is made out to the foundation, the gift is now tax deductible. Gifts may always be designated for the Auxiliary or to support a special project, and the request will always be honored. 

Thank you for all you've done in the past - and if you get a little extra, win a lottery or get lucky at the racetrack, think about sharing with the Catholic Veterans Service Foundation.