From the Desk of the Chairman
Happy New Year! January has finally come and for some it has gotten here all too fast, but in any case, we have a chance to make this new year something special. January 1st is New Year’s Day, a day for parades, college football and a day when many of us set our goals for the coming year. January 19th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. January 21st is National thank your mentor day, so it gives you an opportunity to thank someone who helped you develop into who you are today. If there is something that you have been planning to do but just haven’t gotten around to it then January 24th is National Just Do It Day! So, get it done!
With a big push for participation in the Medallion program, your chapter has been working hard to promote this program. To date we have awarded over 1859 Medallions. We now have a good supply of all Medallions, and I just received an order of WW2 Medallions. There are still a few WW2 veterans out there, but they are likely in retirement facilities. It is important to recognize any WW2 veteran that is still with us, but it is equally important to share these Medallions with the families of WW2 veterans that have passed on because they provide a great opportunity to share with younger generations the true meaning of “The Greatest Generation” and what the qualities that made them great like hard work, sacrifice, service and accountability. These items are in short supply in our world today and we who have served are in a great position to teach and remember what these qualities mean.
We recently completed our first year of involvement with Wreaths Across America. We were responsible for over 200 wreaths during October & November. Having participated in the wreath laying ceremony at Eagle Point National Cemetery, many of our members were touched at the significance of the process. A friend of mine passed on a statement to me that is appropriate in this case. “We die once, but if we are forgotten, we die twice!” We placed wreaths on many of those involved with the start-up of Rogue Chapter. If you can, I urge you to either purchase wreaths in 2026 or participate in a ceremony near you. We can use help picking up the wreaths on January 10th at 10 AM. Let me know if you can help. The 2026 theme for Wreaths Across America will be “Remember Me!” I was touched this morning when I saw wreaths placed at the foot of the Vietnam Wall in Washington.
I want to start the year off right as far as our scholarship program goes. The deadline for submission of application packets on May 15th. This year we have two available and have raised the scholarships to $1,000 and children and grandchildren of members get head of the line privileges. If you have someone looking for education beyond high school to include trade school, request an application early.
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