October is here and Fall is upon us. School has started, and kids and grandkids are siphoning our attention towards supporting their school sports and extracurricular activities. Happy Birthday to the US Navy which was established on October 13, 1775. The Afghanistan War began on October 7, 2001. Halloween is at the end of October on the 31st and will be a night where we all need to be on the lookout for kids after dark. October 15th is National Grouch Day, a day that a few of my friends out there do their best to emulate.
The Rogue Chapter has now awarded over 1,386 Medallions. We have built our Medallion fund up with some hard work and take great pride in providing Medallions to every Honor Flight of Oregon that departs southern Oregon. Some of my members take Medallions with them wherever they go and one recently presented a Medallion to a Vietnam Medallion while on vacation in Missouri. I know that some of you have Honor Flights originating near you and I would encourage you to try and coordinate with them to provide Medallions. I have had success contacting other veteran organizations for funding as well as businesses who are supportive of veterans. It would not be a hard sell for a business to sponsor some medallions for a local Honor Flight. The answer to an unasked question is always no, but you might be surprised when you ask the right question, the answer might be yes. I would be happy to provide a letter with our Tax-ID number to any business who would support this worthy cause.
There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who can and are willing to lead and those who will follow. Some may say that there is a third kind of person and that would be someone who chooses to do nothing. A good leader sets the direction for their group to follow and they listen to feedback of those within the group and make adjustment on the course forward for the betterment of the organization. A leader is someone who isn’t afraid to make decisions and does their best to make sound decisions based on sound reasoning, good intelligence and feedback from their trusted advisors. Those who chose to do nothing and chose to offer no feedback and stay tied to the pier like a ship in port never get ahead. Sometimes we as leaders have to weigh anchor and leave the pier. We get underway, but if we find we are going in the wrong direction, we make adjustments and change course, but we are moving. As long as we stay tied to the pier, we never get ahead in this world and my fear is that too many members in this organization are tied to the pier. I need your help and guidance if you are not satisfied with where we are going.
I would love to hear from all of you with your thoughts and suggestions. If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact me at retiredveteran89@outlook.com and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines, USNR Retired
Chairman, Rogue Chapter #1260