Men can join VFW Auxiliary

The big news from the Veterans of Foreign Wars is that the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars is now no longer restricted to ladies. As of August 21, 2015, the auxiliary can also accept men. The organization is now called the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary. Men who want to join will have to meet the same qualifications that the women have to follow. That means they must have a grandparent, parent, spouse, sibling or child who has served in a war zone to qualify for membership. If there are any men who would like to join the local auxiliary, said Leora Nixon, we would love to have you. We can use the help.

There will not be a September meeting as the meeting night falls during Deutschesfest. The next meeting will be October 15 at 7 p.m. with a pot luck dinner before the meeting starting at 6 p.m. The District 7 president, Billie Reynolds, will be present to do a district inspection. Members are urged to come and meet her.

September 26 is the date of the very first District 7 meeting. As of last June there is no longer any District 13. Odessa is now part of District 7. The first meeting will be at the Dean M. Baughman (Post 3617) Post in East Wenatchee. The address is: 211 11th St. NE. Lunch is at noon, and the meeting is at 1 p.m. Nixon urges members to come and meet the new veterans and auxiliary members.

She also reminds all that dues are now payable. Some have had dues paid by an anonymous donor. If you are still receiving the magazine, your dues have been paid. The rules have changed. If your 2015-2016 dues aren't submitted to the national organization by June 30, 2016, you will have to reapply for membership. We can no longer reinstate without an application on file.

The youth scholarship programs have been provided to the school. All parents are encouraged to have their children participate in the essay scholarship contests. If your child's teacher is not participating, the student can still participate in the program outside of school. Their entry form and essay must be submitted to the local auxiliary by November 1, 2015.