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Jim Wise on Talk Line – VFW Post 5418 in Rock Falls · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And now we turn to our talk line segment of
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  Speaker 1: the day, where we are joined by our good friend
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  Speaker 1: Jim Wise, who is the post commander of the VFW
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  Speaker 1: Post five four one eight in Rock Falls.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Jim, Good morning Brandon.
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  Speaker 1: How's your morning starting so far? How is it out there?
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  Speaker 1: Still a little chilly?
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  Speaker 2: The weather's beautiful. It's a great day for raking up leaves.
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  Speaker 1: My wife's gonna have me out there later today doing that.
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  Speaker 1: So we're both on track. But we're here to talk
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  Speaker 1: about the post, and before we dive into what's going
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  Speaker 1: on today, let's start at the beginning. Can you share
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  Speaker 1: a little bit of the history of the post and
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  Speaker 1: its mission in Rock Falls?
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely? First off, thanks for having me here today. Brandon
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  Speaker 2: greatly appreciate it, and everybody in Stirling Rock Falls area
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  Speaker 2: greatly appreciates your work here WI accent. So Post fifty
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  Speaker 2: four eighteen was chartered in nineteen seventy six. It was
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  Speaker 2: chartered in memorial of Jerry Ciletti, a young man who
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  Speaker 2: grew up in graduated from Rocklass High School. Unfortunately was
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  Speaker 2: killed in Vietnam. So it's been almost fifty years now
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  Speaker 2: since its charter had been issued.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you've got the fiftieth anniversary, what twenty twenty seven.
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  Speaker 2: So December twenty sixth would be the fiftieth anniversary date,
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  Speaker 2: but we're looking forward to the year of twenty twenty seven.
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  Speaker 2: Then technically to say this is our fiftieth year of
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  Speaker 2: being a chartered post in the VFW.
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  Speaker 1: Network, that's an incredible milestone. And you know, you what
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  Speaker 1: took over the post command? Was it this July or last?
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  Speaker 2: It was just past this past July. Took over the command.
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  Speaker 2: The former commander passed on the torch to me and
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  Speaker 2: the quartermaster also Ryan Ardini serving as the present quartermaster.
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  Speaker 2: That's another long known name in the Rock Falls area.
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  Speaker 1: Sure, and how did that come? You know, how did
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  Speaker 1: that kind of begin? Did they approach you or were
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  Speaker 1: you just did you see that that transition was going
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  Speaker 1: to be needed and decided to offer to step into
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  Speaker 1: that role.
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  Speaker 2: So I got a letter out of the blue from
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  Speaker 2: the State Command at one time back about March. I
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  Speaker 2: think it was saying that UH post was in danger
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  Speaker 2: of losing a charter Please come in you're membership. You're
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  Speaker 2: a registered member of the VFW and the State of Illinois,
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  Speaker 2: a lifetime member and being from Stirling. I okay, I'll
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  Speaker 2: go over and tended the meeting. Found out that they
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  Speaker 2: needed some people to step into some empty posts and
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  Speaker 2: take on some leadership challenges. And I raised my hand
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  Speaker 2: and said, I volunteer you.
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  Speaker 1: And I'm not surprised, Jim. You've been on the Sterling
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  Speaker 1: City Council for for a very long time. You're you're
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  Speaker 1: always very active in the community, so I'm not surprised
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  Speaker 1: that you decided to step into that role. You know
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  Speaker 1: that the state sending that that warner, that warning letter,
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  Speaker 1: the potential charter loss were what were some of the
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  Speaker 1: compliance issues with that?
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  Speaker 2: Why?
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  Speaker 1: What's what's going on with that?
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  Speaker 2: Well, this is an issue that present across the entire state,
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  Speaker 2: if not the country, with the VFWS and the American legions.
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  Speaker 2: It's an issue of membership. So the one problem that
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  Speaker 2: was pretty much driving that whole issue was uh lack
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  Speaker 2: of attendance at meetings and they weren't able to get
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  Speaker 2: enough people to show up for quorums and they weren't
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  Speaker 2: able to take actions. So they're looking for a way
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  Speaker 2: to get members to be more active. It's unfortunate, but
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  Speaker 2: our post has maybe a little bit more than one
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  Speaker 2: hundred members, but I might have we might have maybe
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  Speaker 2: half a dozen people who are actually actively engaged. We
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  Speaker 2: need to encourage them to get out and participate more.
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  Speaker 2: This is a problem across the Sauk Valley here. For
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  Speaker 2: all the organizations, including the American Legions, all the veterans organizations,
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  Speaker 2: Stirling rock Balls are probably they have the same issues.
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  Speaker 2: I can't speak for them by spoken with them, and
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  Speaker 2: we all are in the same boat. The VFW and
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  Speaker 2: Dixon seems to be doing quite well. That's probably because
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  Speaker 2: they got a big Huey helicopter planted in the front yard.
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  Speaker 2: It's attractive, it brings people in and they're able to
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  Speaker 2: keep things going. But we're not replacing the members either
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  Speaker 2: as fast as they are passing on, and that's getting
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  Speaker 2: to be a problem. We need to encourage the younger vets,
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  Speaker 2: those who served in the Iraq to stand campaigns and
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  Speaker 2: to reach out and get in touch with the BFW's
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  Speaker 2: or the American Legions and say hey, what about me.
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  Speaker 2: I'm ready to step in and do some things. The
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  Speaker 2: American Legions will take all members of the military who
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  Speaker 2: are honorably discharged. The VFW still has not altered its rules,
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  Speaker 2: yet they will only take people who served in actual
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  Speaker 2: conflicts or served in operations in support of that conflict.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, And I know from my time reporting for SHAW
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  Speaker 1: before moving into this role that speaking with other organizations,
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  Speaker 1: other posts and American legions, You're absolutely right, this does
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  Speaker 1: seem to be a common problem, especially among the younger generation.
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  Speaker 1: Do you kind of have like an insight as to
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  Speaker 1: why you think that might be and maybe what you
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  Speaker 1: hope will kind of help remedy that.
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  Speaker 2: Well, life is busy. We all know that. I'll admit it.
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  Speaker 2: I'm sixty five, so when I was in my thirties
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  Speaker 2: and forties, I had a lot of things going on,
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  Speaker 2: just like anybody else. But the issue there is that
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  Speaker 2: they just seem to be kind of fading away. Checking
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  Speaker 2: in some research, the Census Bureau numbers say there's probably
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  Speaker 2: some eighteen hundred vets who served in Iraq and Afghanistan
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  Speaker 2: here between Lee and Whiteside Counties, and if just maybe
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  Speaker 2: twenty percent of them stepped into the membership role, it
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  Speaker 2: make a big difference. How we try to encourage that is,
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  Speaker 2: to engage them more on social media and try to
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  Speaker 2: have more public events going on, dinners, things, like that.
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  Speaker 2: There's a Veterans Breakfast out at the Whiteside County Senior Center,
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  Speaker 2: which unfortunately seems to only attract the crowd of sixty
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  Speaker 2: and over. But there's got to be some thirty and
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  Speaker 2: forty year old veterans out there, so they would benefit
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  Speaker 2: from participating in such activities, and that's our opportunity then
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  Speaker 2: to reach out to them.
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  Speaker 1: Sure, and you know, maybe some of them, you know,
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  Speaker 1: because I've spoken with some younger veterans on a similar
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  Speaker 1: note to this, And do you think that maybe some
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  Speaker 1: of them aren't quite aware of what the VFW provides
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  Speaker 1: And for those who might be listening now, maybe kind
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  Speaker 1: of kind of give them a little insight to what
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  Speaker 1: that is.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely so with the VFW. There are such things as
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  Speaker 2: we have essay contests for high schoolers that can write
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  Speaker 2: essays and they're judged at a state board. It's a
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  Speaker 2: Voice of Democracy and the Voice of Freedom essay programs.
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  Speaker 2: They can win scholarships of up to five thousand dollars.
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  Speaker 2: We just need people to get out there and be
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  Speaker 2: able to just talk with these issues with the schools.
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  Speaker 2: There's other things like your honor guards. American legions still
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  Speaker 2: have their honor guards. They perform military services for funerals
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  Speaker 2: when requested. They host Veterans commemoration events on holidays that
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  Speaker 2: commemorate the veterans. This is a great follow up for
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  Speaker 2: that fact. This past Tuesday, the nation just celebrated or
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  Speaker 2: observed I should say, Veterans Day, and both the American
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  Speaker 2: Legion and rock Balls and Sterling held events. So they're
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  Speaker 2: still doing great jobs. Unfortunately, the numbers are continuing to
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  Speaker 2: do it a little way, and someday those events may
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  Speaker 2: not happen unless the next generation doesn't step up up.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and I know you're you're looking for someone to,
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  Speaker 1: you know, hopefully step in now so they'll be able
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  Speaker 1: to carry that torch, because it would be it would
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  Speaker 1: be a shame for those things to go away, you know,
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  Speaker 1: looking at that. What do you what are you kind
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  Speaker 1: of like right now doing as far as like the
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  Speaker 1: beginning steps of that rebuilding process.
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  Speaker 2: Reaching out to the membership through emails, communicating with them weekly,
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  Speaker 2: putting uh issues post on Facebook. Started up on Facebook
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  Speaker 2: page BFW posts five four one, eight, American Legions got
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  Speaker 2: their own, rock Balls has their own two and we're
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  Speaker 2: just looking for followers and people that want to communicate
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  Speaker 2: and want to ask questions. Ask questions, we'll get right
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  Speaker 2: to it and answer them. And certainly having the opportunity
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  Speaker 2: to come and talk with you about this today is
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  Speaker 2: going to be a great help as well.
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  Speaker 1: And I know from some of our previous conversations you
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  Speaker 1: mentioned that there. You know, there's also a bit of
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  Speaker 1: a business aspect to the vfw's right.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, so the VFW has has property, American Legion has
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  Speaker 2: property right now, it's one under saying American Legions won't
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  Speaker 2: allow the public in. But they're discussing that issue, which
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  Speaker 2: I hope they will one day and then maybe they'll
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  Speaker 2: experience larger crowds. But VFW Post fifty four eighteen is
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  Speaker 2: open to the public, so they're allowed in. There's that
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  Speaker 2: misnomer that it's only supposed to be for the veterans,
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  Speaker 2: so somebody who's never served can't come in. That's not true.
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  Speaker 2: We offer food services. We have a local family that
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  Speaker 2: creates very delicious Mexican food dishes for us on wednesday,
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  Speaker 2: Thursdays and Fridays, and we're looking to open up the
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  Speaker 2: kitchen again on Saturdays here to draw the crowd in.
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  Speaker 2: But certainly the public is welcome. We just need to
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  Speaker 2: get that word out a little bit more through social
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  Speaker 2: media and word of mouth. Absolutely, now that would.
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  Speaker 1: Be a great thing, folks. I mean, you're hearing this.
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  Speaker 1: You can help support the VFW by doing that and
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  Speaker 1: being a part of that. We certainly encourage you to.
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  Speaker 1: And I mean, the VFW has been a part of
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  Speaker 1: the community for so long and is can you highlight
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  Speaker 1: some of the you know, maybe some of the regular
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  Speaker 1: events and programs that you have that really integrates you
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  Speaker 1: into the community.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, Well, so before the membership fell off, I'll be honest,
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  Speaker 2: I was honest with did there was an honor guard
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  Speaker 2: who did participate in the ceremonies during the Veterans holidays.
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  Speaker 2: There were people that had helped family events there on
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  Speaker 2: site in the banquet hall. There were people who went
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  Speaker 2: to the schools and talked with about the essay contests. Unfortunately,
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  Speaker 2: our membership is not as active as I wish it
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  Speaker 2: would be. We're not able to do those things right now.
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  Speaker 2: Unfortunately though here in the Sock Valley, Rock Falls and
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  Speaker 2: the American Legions, they aren't able to still do those things.
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  Speaker 2: They have the honor Guards, they perform those military services
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  Speaker 2: to BFW itself. If we had the membership and they
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  Speaker 2: were active, we could replicate that and mirror the American
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  Speaker 2: Legion ourselves. But unfortunately we're not able to because that
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  Speaker 2: membership has fallen down to numbers where it's not supportable.
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  Speaker 1: But if you got some new members and maybe some
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  Speaker 1: of our listeners out there, they could potentially they could
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  Speaker 1: head and revitalize these.
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  Speaker 2: Things, right absolutely, you know, and anybody that's served as
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  Speaker 2: somebody that's dedicated to serving their community, their country, and
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  Speaker 2: their families. So and it also means that these are
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  Speaker 2: hard driving people. They're people that are passionate about serving.
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  Speaker 2: So if we picked up twenty five new members, guaranteed
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  Speaker 2: probably six of them would want to be that honor guard,
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  Speaker 2: two would want to participate in the Voice Democracy essay programs,
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  Speaker 2: and others would want to do family events. You're absolutely right.
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  Speaker 2: We just need to get those people to understand that
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  Speaker 2: they can be part of the part of the program
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  Speaker 2: and the benefits that being part of that program provides
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  Speaker 2: to them their families and their community.
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  Speaker 1: And for those listening and thinking I want to get
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  Speaker 1: involved on hearing Jim, what's the best way for them
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  Speaker 1: to do that?
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  Speaker 2: Okay? So you can direct message us on Facebook, you
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  Speaker 2: can call me directly, you can call the post. The
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  Speaker 2: numbers are listed on the Internet, and we'd be glad
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  Speaker 2: to have that conversation with you.
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  Speaker 1: Now, looking ahead, what's your kind of long term vision
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  Speaker 1: for the post? You know, the next twelve months as
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  Speaker 1: you're you know, you're rebuilding, getting these messages out there,
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  Speaker 1: hopefully getting some new members. What would you really like
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  Speaker 1: to see?
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  Speaker 2: What I'd like to see is the resurgence of the
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  Speaker 2: public coming back to the VFW. There was a time,
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  Speaker 2: maybe ten years ago, there was one thousand people in
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  Speaker 2: their week. Now we're lucky if we might get thirty
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  Speaker 2: or forty. We understand that times are different, that's just
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  Speaker 2: the way life goes. But the resurgence would be to
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  Speaker 2: increase the patronage at our bar, the bunker, and increase
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  Speaker 2: the membership and get this resurgence going again, and then
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  Speaker 2: by the time that happens, it'll take over itself.
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  Speaker 1: What are some of the things that you wish people
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  Speaker 1: understood more about the VFW and what it does well.
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  Speaker 2: The VFW, I hate to say it, but there's that stigma.
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  Speaker 2: A lot of people think it's just a bar. For
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  Speaker 2: some old veterans to talk about their days flying around
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  Speaker 2: in Huey helicopters, But those days are gone. We don't
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  Speaker 2: talk about that stuff much anymore. We celebrate talk about
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  Speaker 2: the public and local government and who's doing what. It's
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  Speaker 2: just the same as any other place.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, okay. And what's some of the ways that the
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  Speaker 1: posts helped veterans that they might not expect to quite
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  Speaker 1: understand as well?
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  Speaker 2: So there's services through the state that are we can
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  Speaker 2: connect you with the services the Veterans Affairs Service officers.
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  Speaker 2: You've got questions about VA benefits, if you've got issues
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  Speaker 2: with VA, or you don't know what's going on about
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: your your service time, and yet any question about whatever
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  Speaker 2: it is military related, we can provide some assistance to
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  Speaker 2: you for those issues.
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  Speaker 1: Now, for you personally, what's the most rewarding part about
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  Speaker 1: being the post commander.
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  Speaker 2: Taking on the challenge? I'll admit taking on the challenge
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  Speaker 2: and trying to get this thing back up and running,
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  Speaker 2: try to get it stronger again, try to get it sustainable.
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  Speaker 2: And then I'll gladly hand over that torch to the
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  Speaker 2: next Spella, who I believe is going to be Ryan.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, And and what is it about Ryan that that
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  Speaker 1: you like so much? Because you've spoken with me about
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: that before and he has your utmost confidence.
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  Speaker 2: Ryan is one he is a member of the younger generation.
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  Speaker 2: In my mind, he's one of those younger vets. He's
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  Speaker 2: got a long known name of the rock Balls area.
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  Speaker 2: So you got the Celetti's, sell Me's and Ardinis and
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  Speaker 2: many other names in rock Balls that have been there forever,
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  Speaker 2: and Ardini's is one of them. So Ryan is stepping
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  Speaker 2: into the opportunity of being a community leader through the VFW,
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  Speaker 2: and I'm glad that he accepted that challenge. He's been
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  Speaker 2: my right hand person these last six seven months and
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  Speaker 2: I look forward to him continuing to grow and to
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: build on this effort and this opportunity.
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  Speaker 1: Well, I'm glad you've got such a strong right hand
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  Speaker 1: next to your side. I know you've certainly got your
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  Speaker 1: challenges ahead of you, but I've known you for a
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: while now, Jim, and if anybody's up for a challenge,
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  Speaker 1: it's certainly you, sir. So we're out of time today,
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  Speaker 1: but Jim, I want to thank you so much, not
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: just for coming on the show and sharing this important information,
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  Speaker 1: but for all you do and for having served. I
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: thank you.
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  Speaker 2: Sir, thank you Brandon, and thank you to Shaul Media
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: for this opportunity to have this talk with you.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely and I look forward to talking with you again
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: in the future and hoping to hear those those numbers
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: are up when we do. You're listening to the Waking
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: Crew here on AM fourteen sixty FM ninety five to
• 14:13
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• 14:18
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