VFW and VFWA Post 3656 host district meeting

Every three months, Oklahoma’s District Eight Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary (VFWA) holds its quarterly meetings for unity in project planning, budgeting, and fundraising efforts. All of the district’s efforts support veterans, their families, and other organizations in support of veterans, including those working with legislators for the betterment of active-duty servicemen and women and veterans.

District Eight VFW and VFWA consists of six local posts: Blackwell, Bristow, Cushing, Ponca City, Sapulpa, and Stillwater. Each member post hosts the quarterly meeting on a rotational basis. Last Sunday, November 6, Bristow’s VFW and VFWA Post 3656 hosted the meeting. According to acting VFWA President Virginia Ray, an estimated forty members in total attended, including 21 VFWA members.

To help fund District Eight, the VFWA hosting the meeting and one other district VFWA member post each assembles and offers a mystery basket for raffle. For Sunday’s meeting, Bristow and Sapulpa VFWA organizations offered the baskets. Additionally, each of the six VFWA member posts offered a minimum of three small grab bags for sale to help raise funds. Like the VFWA, the VFW members held a 50/50 drawing in financial support of District Eight.

Quarterly meetings typically begin with a joint meeting of all VFW and VFWA members, who participate in the salute and pledge, discuss cooperative goals, and share insights of each organization’s activities. Immediately following the joint session, all members enjoyed lunch together. Members of Bristow’s VFWA and VFW units prepared Sunday’s lunch, which consisted of a full baked potato bar with an array of delicious toppings followed by dessert. During lunch, attendees mingled and shared stories.

Following lunch, members separated with VFW and VFWA members each holding their own meetings to discuss their goals and purposes. VFWA President Virginia Ray noted that as the meeting closed, members left more unified, saying “It was a very successful and informative, but also pleasant, meeting. We all felt like it went really well and continue to look forward to supporting veterans together now and in the future.”