NEWS Around AMVETS and the Department
UPCOMING DEPARTMENT CONVENTION
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
On February 8, 2020 the Department received a proposal from a resort in Terra Alta, WV to host the upcoming May 2020 Convention.
For years, the Department has been disussing the possibility of upgrading the Annual Department Convention from just another meeting, to a real Convention. The proposal from Alpine Lake Resort could allow the Department to do just that!
Click HERE to see the proposal and more information.
Department Adds A New Post!
Amvets Post 17 Receives Their Charter
November 21, 2019, Amvets National Headquarters, Lanham, MD. National Commander Jan Brown signs the Charter for Post 17 in Terra Alta, WV. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by Pat Kishman, the First Vice Commander of the new Post and its new Commander, John Burns.
This is only the beginning of the hard work as the New Post will be renovating a building to house the Post. They will be working on setting up their first Post meeting soon. A local bar and kitchen, the PO2 Bar & Kitchen will be hosting them temporarily until the Post is up and running.
Once they hold their first official meeting, the Department Commander and Department Officers will be on hand to install the new Officers.
Department Holds Fall Meeting
October 5, 2019, Clarion Inn, Fairmont, WV. The Amvets Department of West Virginia held their Fall Meeting. A social hour was held on Friday and the meeting was held on Saturday. There was much business discussed with the center of interest around the 2020 Convention. The idea of having a family outing concurrent with the Convention was heavily discussed. A suggested venue was proposed, the Alpine Lake Resort in Terra Alta, WV. The Commander, 1stVice and the Judge Advocate will tour the facillity on December 5th to discuss group rates and amenities with the Manager. Stay tuned for results.
President Trump Attends AMVETS 75th National Convention
President Donald Trump signed a memo to automatically discharge federal student loan debt for permanently and totally disabled veterans during his visit to Louisville Wednesday, where he addressed more than 1,000 veterans.
“I have taken executive action to make sure our wounded warriors are not saddled with mountains of student debt,” Trump told a crowd the Galt House, vowing to eliminate “every penny” of an average of $30,000 of student loan debt for about 25,000 disabled veterans.
Such veterans were already entitled to such debt forgiveness by law. But about half of the roughly 50,000 disabled veterans who are qualified to have their federal student loan debt forgiven have not received the benefit because of an application process that has proven burdensome, the administration said.
The memo directs the government to develop an “expedited” process, which the Department of Education said would mean loans are forgiven unless veterans opt out.
POST 38 SIGNS UP FOR NOVATION TRAINING PROJECT
TRAINING FOR VETERANS
Post 38 has partnered with Novation Enterprises to provide training to veterans at the Post. Find out more about Novation at: https://novationenterprises.com
Novation is partnered with Dish Networks and they have installed equipment at the Post in December 2018 that will be used to conduct the training at the Post. As Novation puts it, they speak veteran (veteran owned and staffed), they speak technology, and they teach veterans to speak technology. In addition to this, the CEO (Kelly Dunne) is a member of Post 38.
PROJECT UPDATE (SEP-2019) We have heard from Kelly Dunne, he said “we are finished with the build and now we are working with DOL and Texas A&M/TEEX for a $6M grant to roll out a national veterans training apprenticeship program. The grant is due on Sept. 24th and we have your Post as one of the first 50 to be deployed.”
New Post Coming Soon!
With the assistance of the National Membership Director (Harry Neal) the Department has been working on adding a new Post (Post 17) in Terra Alta, WV. They currently have 10 members and expect to have their Charter in the next few weeks.
Once they have their charter, the Department Commander, the 1st Vice and the Judge Advocate will assist them in preparing and submitting all of the documentation necessary to operate the Post. Members of all of the WV Posts will be invited to help them celebrate their grand opening.
Stay tuned for more information as it develops.
WV Department Takes 1stPlace in State Pins Competition
Department Commander Mike Barrett receives the award at the AMVETS 75th National Convention in Louisville, KY.
The Department State Pin was designed this year with a Breast Cancer Awareness theme.
Post 38 of Falling Waters Takes 2nd Place in Website Competition
Department NEC Ed Stracka acceptetd the award for Post 38 at the 75th AMVETS National Convention. He is also the Webmaster for the Department and Post 17.
His volunteer efforts really paid off for the Department and his Post.
WV Department Receives Recognition for 100% Reporting
Department Commander Mike Barrett received the award at the AMVETS 75th National Convention in Louisville, KY.
The Department was also recognized as part of District II who had 100% reporting.