From the Desk of the Chairman
May is upon us, and we start with Cinco de Mayo on May 5th followed on the 11th which is Mother’s Day. Guys don’t forget your mom or your wife. The Navy Nurse Corps was established on May 13th back in 1908 and we remember all the fallen Peace Officers on the 15th followed by Armed Forces Day on the 17th. Finally, May ends on a solemn note with Memorial Day on the 26th. Many of you will probably spend Memorial Day at a ceremony of some sort. Please pray that we can put a halt to losing any more of our brothers and sisters. May is also National Mental Health Awareness month and with the number of veterans taking their own life every day, let us all dedicate some time to help a veteran or family member that is struggling. There are many resources available, so this month, create a hot sheet of local and national contact numbers before you need to find one in a crisis. Finally, with the recent passing of Pope Francis, many of our brothers and sisters will be grieving, so say a prayer for them.
The Rogue Chapter has now awarded over 1,523 Medallions. We now have a Cold War Medallion which is available to those who served between 1945 and 1991. The Persian Gulf/Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) is awarded to those who served between 1990 to present. All Medallions are now available at a cost of $25 each and there will be a big demand, especially for the GWOT, and this next batch of Medallions will likely help with our recruiting efforts for younger veterans, which is exactly what we need. I have an order placed and will need to place another as the first order is almost spoken for before it gets to me.
Our National Conference in Norfolk is rapidly approaching. I have already booked my attendance, and I hope that many of you, especially those who live east of the Mississippi River, can find a way to attend. There should be plenty to do and see and it would be a blessing for me if I could meet and spend some time with you since I am no longer tied up in Board of Directors meetings. If we are fortunate to be selected as the Large Chapter of the Year again, it would be a privilege to have you in the group picture.
Headquarters has established a goal of 2025 new members in the calendar year 2025. Here is an idea that will provide you with one of our Medallions that normally cost us $25 each. If you recruit 1 member and forward the application through our chapter, let me know which Medallion you qualify for, and we can send you one. If you mail the application to our chapter with a check, stick a note in with it letting me know which Medallion you would like, and I will mail it to you out of my own pocket. If someone wishes to use a credit card to join, go to https://ncoarogue.org and use the member tab and they can sign up that way. This offer will expire on July 1st.
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