BEFORE WE START

PLEASE TEXT THE MESSAGE “POST1” (NO SPACES) TO THE NUMBER 33733 FOR IMPORTANT PRESENTATION

MATERIAL

REVITALIZING YOUR POST AND RECRUITING NEW

MEMBERS PRESENTED BY: VFW POST ONE

COMMANDER MICHAEL MITCHEL  QUARTERMASTER TONY ADAMS

SVC BRITTANY BARTGES

TODAYS TOPICS • GETTING TO KNOW POST 1? • BREAK OUT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• NETWORKING • FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TO BE MADE

• INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY • RETAINING YOUNGER VETERANS •  QUESTIONS AND IDEAS FROM THE

AUDIENCE

GETTING TO KNOW POST 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbktRoX-4fA

BREAK OUT QUESTIONS • HOW DO YOU REACH YOUNGER MEMBERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

• WHAT NONTRADITIONAL VFW PROGRAMS ARE YOU OFFERING IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

NETWORKING

NETWORKING: CONNECT WITH STUDENT VETERANS •  RECRUIT OFFICERS • CONNECT WITH VLC AND VETERAN SERVICE STAFF •  PARTNER WITH LOCAL SVO AND OTHER VSOS • GET INCLUDED ON SVO EMAILS

NETWORKING: ADOPT A DEPLOYED UNIT

• MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH AT LEAST 1 PERSON AND GET UPDATES/PHOTOS THAT YOU CAN POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

• PUT A FACE WITH THE UNIT TO ENGAGE FOLKS BACK HOME. (SEND USEFUL ITEMS AND A POST HAT FOR PHOTOS)

NETWORKING: HOST EVENTS • HOST VET ORGS IN YOUR POST FOR FREE. • PARTNER WITH LOCAL MOVIE THEATER, LOCAL COLLEGES FOR

VETERAN SPECIFIC EVENTS, AND VET RESOURCE FAIRS.

NETWORKING: INTEGRATING THE COMMUNITY • WHY DO THIS?

• EVERYONE KNOWS A VETERAN. • GROW YOUR NETWORK. • THE MILITARY IS THE BIGGEST

COMMUNITY SUPPORT ORGANIZATION.

• GREAT SOURCE OF FUNDING.

• HOW CAN I DO THIS •  DO A HEALTH FAIR

§  OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH THE MEDIA. §  OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH HEALTH PROVIDERS. §  OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH THE VA. §  OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH STUDENT VETERANS. §  OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH LARGE $$$ DONORS. §  OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH VETERAN SERVICE/SUPPORT

PROVIDERS. §  OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR WORTH TO THE COMMUNITY. §  OPPORTUNITY TO RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS. §  OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE YOU ARE A YOUNG, VIBRANT

ORGANIZATION THAT CARES.

NETWORKING QUESTIONS?

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TO BE MADE • SCHEDULING MEETINGS • ACTIVITIES THAT DRAW IN YOUNGER VETERANS

• THINGS THAT REPEL YOUNGER MEMBERS

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE: SCHEDULING

• WORKING AROUND A WORK SCHEDULE,  DAY CARE, & SCHOOL

BARRIERS OF ATTENDANCE

* 70% of participants stated something related to meeting time was an issue.

28%

38%

9%

17%

6% 2%

Location Work Children Time/Date School Other

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE: ACTIVITIES THAT DRAW IN YOUNGER VETERANS

•  YOGA, ART CLASSES, OUTDOOR

ACTIVITIES, MARTIAL ARTS, CLASSES OF DIFFERENT TOPICS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES,

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE: THINGS THAT REPEL YOUNGER MEMBERS • DEPRESSING DIVE BAR WITH SAD OLD

ALCOHOLICS. • OLD BOYS CLUB: MISOGYNISTIC AND

HOMOPHOBIC ENVIRONMENT

IMPROVE MEETING PARTICIPATION (SUGGESTIONS FROM SURVEY)

• HOST THE MEETING ONLINE • CHANGE MEETING DAY/TIME • HAVE MEALS AVAILABLE • EACH MEETING HAS A UNIQUE

THEME

• INCREASE SOCIAL TIME • MAKING VFW MORE OF A FAMILY PLACE • HAVE A DRAWING FOR SOMETHING AT THE

END OF EACH MEETING

QUESTIONS REGARDING THESE CHANGES?

BREAK OUT SESSION 2

• MAKE A CONNECTION WITH 3 PEOPLE USING SOCIAL MEDIA. • IF YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA ASK THREE

QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA. • TAKE A SHORT BREAK AND BE BACK IN 15 MINUTES

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO YOUR POST

THE WHY DO WE NEED IT, AND HOW DO WE DO IT?

WHY DOES A POST NEED TO BE TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY? • YOUNGER MEMBERS RELY ON TECHNOLOGY. • TECH ALLOWS YOU TO EFFICIENTLY REACH YOUR MEMBERS. • TECH ALLOWS YOU TO EFFICIENTLY REACH POTENTIAL MEMBERS. • TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS YOUR POST TO BE AVAILABLE 24/7/365/

WORLDWIDE.

TECHNOLOGY: SOCIAL MEDIA • START WITH SOCIAL MEDIA •  (EVENTS, NEWS, GET MEMBERS/DONATIONS),

• FACEBOOK • TWITTER • LINKED IN • GOOGLE +/GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

• VERY IMPORTANT

HOW DO I UPDATE MY POSTS TECHNOLOGY?

TECHNOLOGY: SOCIAL MEDIA • PROPER WAY TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA

• HASHTAGS(CAN BE USED IN THE MIDDLE OF SENTENCES) & WEBSITE IN EVERY POST

• ALWAYS ATTACH A PHOTO OR VIDEO. THIS HELPS GET MORE VIEWS.

TECHNOLOGY: EMAIL • COLLECT EMAIL ADDRESSES

• MAIL CHIMP (MAILCHIMP.COM)

• COLLECT CELL PHONE NUMBERS • EZ TEXTING (EZTEXTING.COM)

• ACCEPT NEW MEMBERS ONLINE AND ON FACEBOOK

•  JOT FORM (JOTFORM.COM)

TECHNOLOGY: PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• PROJECT/POST MANAGEMENT • TEAMWORK.COM • VOLUNTEERSPOT.COM

TECHNOLOGY: WEBSITE • NEEDS TO BE MOBILE RESPONSIVE • WORDPRESS.ORG (NOT.COM) IS A GREAT PLATFORM • THEMIFY.ME PROVIDES OUTSTANDING LOOKING THEMES • INMOTION HOSTING PROVIDES EXCEPTION WEB HOSTING • CLOUDFLARE.COM MAKES YOUR WEBSITE FAST AND PROTECTS IT • YOAST.COM IS A WORDPRESS PLUGIN THAT WILL HELP YOU GET FOUND.

TECHNOLOGY: WEBSITE

• HOW TO GET A WEBSITE • POST MEMBERS • STUDENT VETERAN PROJECT

TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS?

RETAINING YOUNGER VETERANS

HAVE A REASON FOR MEMBERS TO BE INVOLVED

• 1-2 MEMBERS TO MANAGED THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (FACEBOOK]

• SOMEONE TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A WEBSITE THAT IS USING CURRENT WEB DEV TOOLS

(WORDPRESS IS FREE AND EASY TO USE)

QUESTIONS ABOUT INFORMATION COVERED TODAY

NOW LET’S GET TO WORK!

It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be. - Isaac Asimov