Fall NEC Highlights: Camp Hope, Healing Heroes, Riders & Sons

This weekend AMVETS hosted its fall meeting of the AMVETS National Executive Committee at the Hilton Washington Dulles Hotel in Herndon, Va. Representatives from the six AMVETS national districts and 48 departments came together to tend to the regular business of the organization.

Below is video from AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop's NEC report, calling for support to his national program, Camp Hope, the wounded warrior outdoor retreat in Hotop's home state of Missouri founded by Gold Star father William White in honor of his fallen son, Marine Pfc. Christopher Neal White.



In addition to the requisite reports from each organizational leader, AMVETS heard from leaders across the AMVETS family of organizations.

AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Past National President Patty Piening presented a $25,000 check to AMVETS Healing Heroes, the national project for her term in office last year.

AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary National President Dee Kreiling also introduced her national program for the coming year, Sharing & Caring, which she discusses in the fall issue of American Veteran.

AMVETS Riders National President Victor "Dutch" Stivason asked for the NEC's support in applying uniform standards for the fledgling Riders organization to ensure compliance with the Confederation of Clubs, or CoC, the sanctioning body for motorcycle riding groups.

Sons of AMVETS National Commander Robert Hammett and AMVETS Department of California Commander Charles Ramos signed the charter for the new Sons of AMVETS squadron at California AMVETS Post No. 113.

Finally, AMVETS welcomed other special guests, Choice Hotels, University of Phoenix and the pilot veterans' benefits IT solution, TurboVet.

TurboVet is a web-based data exchange system designed by Stratizon which could enable VA, claims service officers, and veterans to easily process benefits claims, potentially replacing the cumbersome paper-based process. The commonwealth of Virginia and AMVETS Department of Virginia are working closely with Stratizon on the implementation of TurboVet, learning how to best integrate the data-exchange system with the current VA claims process.

University of Phoenix, which currently offers $350,000 in scholarships to veterans and their families through its partnership with AMVETS, also announced an additional ten percent tuition discount for AMVETS members.

Choice Hotels, an AMVETS partner which offers room discount rates for AMVETS members, also discussed potential entrepreneurship opportunities for veterans interested in the hospitality industry.

(Images: Top: Nebraska NEC Representative Albert Christner delivers his report to the floor of the AMVETS Fall NEC. Middle: Past National Commander Jimmy T. Smith accepts the $25,000 donation to AMVETS Healing Heroes from Past National President Piening. Bottom Right: AMVETS Riders President Stivason discusses the proposed uniform standards while Cmdr. Hotop display's Stivason's regulation Riders vest. Bottom Left: Sons of AMVETS National Commander Hammett and AMVETS Department of California Commander Ramos review the new charter for the Sons squadron at Post 113. Photos by Ryan Gallucci.)

AMVETS Fall NEC Recap

On Saturday, Dec. 5, AMVETS National Executive Committee convened for its fall meeting at the BWI Hilton in Linthicum, Md. AMVETS leaders from all 38 departments around the country were on hand to report the business of the organization and discuss the way forward in serving the veterans' community.

AMVETS Past National Commander Bill Boetcher and National Finance Director Velma Hart discussed the second annual AMVETS leadership conference, which will take place January 22-24, 2010 at Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Boetcher and Hart encouraged interested participants to register as soon as possible, since space will fill quickly. To read the conference agenda and to find registration information, Click Here.

The AMVETS National Conference Committee also announced rule changes to this summer's AMVETS National Convention in Louisville, Ky. This year, all AMVETS members who plan to attend activities of AMVETS subordinate organizations at the convention must also register to participate as AMVETS members at the convention.

National Sons of AMVETS Commander David Spencer also joined Cmdr. Miskulin and AMVETS National Executive Director Jim King, who officially signed the paperwork commissioning the new Sons of AMVETS Department of Tennessee.

AMVETS Riders National President Vincent "Dutch" Stivason announced that the AMVETS Riders enjoyed another successful year of growth in posts and departments around the country.

On the NEC floor, AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin presented a check for $10,000 to the winner of the first AMVETS National Sweepstakes, Henson Bedeau of Severn, Md.

With the help of AMVETS' partners at the University of Phoenix, AMVETS also presented Sharon Adger with one of this year's $4,000 scholarships to attend the university. University of Phoenix awarded 50 scholarships to veterans and their dependents through the AMVETS partnership in 2009.

AMVETS partner Choice Hotels also introduced a new rewards program exclusively for AMVETS members to earn additional travel discounts and credits while staying at any Choice Hotels location.

(Photos: Top: The floor at the AMVETS fall NEC meeting. Middle: AMVETS National Commander Duane Miskulin presents AMVETS sweepstakes winner Henson Bedeau with his check for $10,000. Bottom: University of Phoenix Military Liaison Manager Kristen Nolan and Cmdr. Miskulin present Sharon Adger with her $4,000 scholarship. Photos by Ryan Gallucci.)

AMVETS member John Abshire to serve on La. Gov.'s Veterans' Commission

Last week, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed Louisiana AMVETS member John Abshire to the state’s Veterans' Affairs Commission.

The Veterans' Affairs Commission serves to advise the State Department of Veterans’ Affairs, State Secretary of Veterans Affairs Lane Carson, and the governor on matters relating to the welfare of veterans. Abshire was selected by AMVETS leaders in Louisiana to represent the organization on the governor’s commission.

Abshire is an Army veteran and a native of Prairieville, La., who served in the Army Reserve in 1992-2000 and active duty Army in 2002-2005. However, an injury sustained during Special Forces training precluded him from serving overseas.

In 2007, Abshire helped charter AMVETS Post No. 2007 in Lafayette, recognizing a need to reach out to today’s veterans. Abshire served as the post’s commander until relocating to Baton Rouge. Today, Post No. 2007 is the largest in the state, bolstering a diverse membership including more than a dozen members of the local National Guard unit.

In addition to his work with AMVETS, Abshire is an academic affairs manager for University of Phoenix, a strong educational partner with AMVETS. Over the last couple of years, Abshire’s unique position has allowed him to speak with members of the Louisiana National Guard during pre- and post-deployment battle assemblies on both the benefits of veterans’ organizations like AMVETS and taking advantage of their G.I. Bill education benefits.

Today, Abshire lives in Baton Rouge, La., where he is working to re-establish Louisiana’s first AMVETS Post, Post No. 2, leaving Lafayette Post No. 2007 in the competent hands of AMVET Alfred Lager.

Gov. Jindal’s Veterans’ Affairs Commission is comprised of nine appointed positions, each subject to state senate confirmation. Each member must be an honorably discharged veteran nominated by a nationally chartered veterans’ organization with a Louisiana affiliate.

Many state governors have similar commissions across the country to advise state leaders on critical local veterans’ issues. AMVETS is eager to highlight each of our representatives nationwide on the national Web site and American Veteran Online.

(Photo: John Abshire's official photo from the University of Phoenix. Photo courtesy of John Abshire.)

From the Floor of the NEC

This morning, the spring meeting of the AMVETS National Executive Committee opened at the BWI Hilton in Linthicum, Md.

On the floor, the NEC approved AMVETS' follow-up on the 2006 National Symposium on the Needs of Young Veterans.

The follow-up symposium, hatched out of the National Headquarters, will take place during the 65th AMVETS National Convention in New Orleans this August.

AMVETS hopes to bring at least one post-9/11 veteran from each department to New Orleans to participate in a roundtable discussion of the pertinent issues identified in the original symposium from 2006. AMVETS will also investigate new issues that may have arisen over the last three years and issue a new report on their findings to guide the organization's work pertaining to the newest gerenation of American veterans.

On Monday morning, AMVETS will begin to plan for the follow-up symposium. Check back regularly with American Veteran Online for more details on this summer's symposium as they develop.

AMVETS also signed a new agreement with the University of Phoenix to continue providing educational opportunities for members of the military, veterans, and their family members. Since University of Phoenix first partnered with AMVETS, the university has given hundreds of veterans the opportunity to earn a college degree. From the lectern at the NEC, AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner called on every department to spread the word about the new scholarship opportunities.



Also on the floor, Norm Barker from the Department of Wisconsin announced the new Women Veterans' Memorial, which AMVETS and Wisconsin's leading veterans' organizations will build at Irma Hill.

The AMVETS Department of California also officially presented the AMVETS Law Clinic at Chapman University School of Law in California. The new clinic, which handles a variety of pro bono cases for members of the military and veterans in California will be featured in the upcoming issue of American Veteran magazine.

Official NEC business has drawn to a close in Linthicum, but check back with American Veteran Online for coverage of tonight's 55th Annual Silver Helmet Awards banquet.

(Photos, Top: Cmdr. Hapner addresses the AMVETS National Executive Committee. Center: University of Phoenix and AMVETS sign a new agreement to continue offering scholarship opportunities to our veterans. Photos by Ryan Gallucci)