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ORGANIZATION
As part of a National Organization, there are
several different levels to the VFW and the
Auxiliary.
Local VFW Post and Auxiliary
Auxiliaries are established as a subordinate
organization to the local VFW Post. One
business meeting must be held each month (some
Auxiliaries and Post hold more than one).
Local officers are elected every April, and are
installed later on (usually in May). The new
officers assume their duties after the
installation of the State (Department) President
at the Department Convention (usually in June).
County Council
The National Bylaws allow for a level called the
County Council, made up of all Auxiliaries and
Post within the County. Texas does not have any
County Councils, although some states do.
District
Each state may be broken up into Districts. Most
States have Districts (but not all). Districts
meet Semi-Annually (Spring and Fall), with the
location rotating to different Posts in the
District.
Districts are formed to act as a school of
instruction to members. The District
Commander and President acts as the liaison
between the State Officers and the Local
members. They visits each Auxiliary and
Post in there District each year, and insures
that they carry out the business in a proper
manner. But they also brings information
from State, and carries the concerns of the
members to the attention of the State Officers.
Each District Commander and President are also
considered a State Officer, since they
represents there District on the State level.
They sit on the State Council of Administration,
which votes on the business of the State.
Any member in good standing of any Post or
Auxiliary in the District may attend the
District meetings and may be a District Officer.
District officers are elected at a District
Convention at the spring meeting each year. The
District Officers are installed at that same
meeting, and assume office when the State
Commander or President is installed.
State (Department)
The Department holds three meetings each year, a
Fall Council meeting, a Winter Council Meeting,
and the State Convention in June, where the
State Officers are elected and installed.
The Department Convention is the governing body
of the State organization. However,
between the Conventions, the Council of
Administration conducts the business of the
State. Members of the Council of
Administration are the State Officers, the
District Commanders/Presidents, and the four
most recent Past Department
Commanders/Presidents.
Any member in good standing of any Post or
Auxiliary in the State may attend the State
meetings and may run for Department Officer.
Conference
The National Organization is broken down into
four different Conferences. Each
Conference holds two meetings per year, one in
the Fall (location rotates to each state in
order within that specific Conference) and one
held in conjunction with the National Convention
each summer one held within the National
Convention. Conference Officers are
elected and installed at the summer meeting.
Elected Officers of the Conference are the
President, Vice President, Chaplain and
Treasurer. The President appoints all other
officers. The Conference rotates to each state
in order, so each state in that Conference has a
Conference Commander/President only once in 14
years.
National
To ensure that National Officers are not all
from the same part of the country, each year, a
Conference takes a turn in submitting candidates
for National office. Therefore, once each
4 years, the National Guard will be selected
from candidates from that Conference. Any
member in good standing of a Post/Auxiliary in
that Conference may run for National Guard.
Once elected as Guard, it is customary that they
proceed up through the chairs until they serve
as VFW Commander or National President.
However, according to the Bylaws, any member in
good standing of an Post or Auxiliary may run
for any elected office.
Twice each year, members from all over the
nation gather. Just like at the State
level, the delegates to the National
organization meet to promote programs, give
awards and elect National officers. But in
addition, they vote on proposed changes to the
National Bylaws, and see special people being
honored as outstanding achievers. The VFW
Commander and National President hold the Mid
Year Conferences in the spring each year in a
location selected. The VFW and Auxiliary
National Conventions are held in August each
year, with the location being selected by the
VFW Headquarters.
The National Convention is the governing body of
the National organization. However,
between the Conventions, the National Council of
Administration conducts the business of the
organization. Members of the Council of
Administration are the National Officers, the
National Council Members that represent each
National District, and the most recent four Past
National Presidents.
The Auxiliary National Headquarters is
located in Kansas City, MO, in the same building
as the VFW National Headquarters. The VFW and
Auxiliary National Secretaries/Treasurers are
located in that Headquarters building, along
with a support staff and the Supply Departments.
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