ESHLEMAN PANKAKE WOLF

VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE US

NEWSLETTER
Shellsville Post 9639 - 8926 Jonestown Road Grantville Pa 17028-8654 - Phone: (717) 469-2195

COMMANDER - Daniel Stefanowich Jr

Winter 2011

LADIES AUX. PRES. - Linda Smith

COMMANDERS COMMENTS
Dear Members,

PRESIDENTS DESK
Dear Sisters, Join us in celebrating the Holiday Season at our December 15th meeting at 6 pm. The Auxiliary will provide an entre and non-alcoholic beverages. We ask that you bring a favorite covered dish and allow approximately 2 hours for the meal and meeting. This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow Sisters and enjoy the friendship. Our Auxiliary is honored to be able to contribute to the Wreathes Across America program again this year. If you ordered wreaths for personal placement on a gravesite, please be sure to reimburse our Treasurer and pick up your wreath(s). The prestigious ceremony held at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery will be held December 10th starting at Noon. IMPORTANT: As of January 1, 2012 our National Auxiliary dues has increased $1.50 per member. You need to pay your dues before Christmas so that they can be recorded at Department before December 31, 2011. Any dues received at Department after December 31st will need to include the additional $1.50. January is National Blood Donor month. If you havent donated lately, please consider doing so. We also want to collect items and cash donations for the January 1315th Homeless Veterans Stand-down (coats, long johns, Serving the District, Post Veterans need white socks, toiletries, etc.) Theseand Community and deGlen J. Hoffer, Post Commander 2009-2010 serve our respect and help. At our January 19th meeting we will be collecting Valentines (signed and unsigned) to distribute to our Veterans (at the Lebanon VA Hospital or overseas) and children at National Home for Valentines Day. We will also start consideration of an Auxiliary dues increase next year to help us maintain expenses. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Friendship and Support

Many articles throughout this newsletter are about fundraising activities such as the Posts 15-week Raffle, and Buddy Poppy distribution. While fundraising is important to the financial survival of our VFW Post and Post Canteen, it is equally important that we share friendships as VFW Post and Canteen members. Please support as many of our activities as possible. The funds raised enable our VFW Post, Ladies Auxiliary and Post Canteen to provide the many programs for our Veterans and deployed service members, community, and youth. During the past three months our VFW Post has supported the Youth through the Lower Dauphin Youth Football Association, and the VFW National Home for Children. We have supported our Community through the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, our Community holiday parade, and the Grantville Fire Company. We have supported our Veterans through the VFW Homeless Veterans Fund, as well as sending care packages to our deployed service members. During the next three months, we will be supporting our Veterans at the Lebanon VA Medical Center, the VFW National Military Service Fund, Grantville Food Pantry, and Boy Scout Troop #201. Please continue to support our fundraisers and our many worthwhile programs that benefit others, and Thank You for all that you do in the name of Shellsville VFW, our All-American Post.

Respectfully Yours
Daniel Stefanowich Jr, Post Commander

Linda Smith, President

VFW Post 9639 in service to God, Country and Community for over 60 years

QUARTERMASTERS REPORT
Throughout this past year Shellsville VFW Post 9639 has grown in membership and its great to see all the new members in the Post Canteen and becoming active in Post activities. The Canteen has been flourishing, providing quality meals and beverages at reasonable prices with good service. Remember, our VFW Post and Canteen are non-profit organizations which means every cent above our costs go towards the maintenance of the Post Home facilities, programs for the veterans, support of deployed service members, community programs and youth programs. Please continue to enjoy the use of our Post Canteen and support our many programs. This brings me to the primary fund-raiser of the Post, the annual 15-week Raffle. The 15-week raffle tickets are on sale now, at the bar or from many of our members. The raffle ticket cost only $15 and provides you 173 chances to win from $25 to $2500 as well as admission to the Raffle picnic on Sunday, June 3, 2012. The picnic alone is a great time. The prizes of the raffle total $18,000 and only 2500 tickets are sold. The first drawing is held on February 22, 2012 and each Wednesday for 14 weeks up to the final drawings at the Picnic. This is our primary fundraiser to support our many programs. Please buy 15-week raffle tickets. They make great holiday gifts too!

SERVICE OFFICERS REPORT

Gulf War Veterans Benefits Expiration Dates

Several websites are flashing headlines that Gulf War Benefits will end by the end of the year. These are RUMORS, not fact. The misunderstanding arose from language and dates found in Title 38 USC. Those dates DO NOT affect eligibility of Gulf War Veterans to receive benefits nor will they result in the termination of any current benefits received by Gulf War Veterans. However, there is an important expiration date applicable to VA benefits for Gulf War veterans. CFR 3.317(a)(1)(i) establishes the period of time that the VA determines is appropriate for providing benefits for diseases determined to be associated with service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. The current expiration date is December 31, 2011. The VA has proposed an extension through 2018 but it has not been approved yet. All Gulf War Veterans should file a claim for any and all illnesses that started after their service in the Gulf, especially the Persian Gulf War. Contact a VFW Department Service Officer or your Post service Officer to file your claim.

Thomas Gordon, Quartermaster

Audrey M. Bergstresser, Service Officer PH: 717.234.7927 Fax: 717.909.7817 abergstresser@vfwpahq.org

BUDDY POPPY DISTRIBUTION

100% Veteran Membership Goal for 2012
As of June 30, 2011, our VFW Post had 687 Veteran members. While we voted in 77 new Veteran members, 8 of our Veteran members passed away in 2010. We continually need to recruit new Veteran members in order to achieve the goal of 100% VFW membership each year. If we achieved 100% membership for 2012, by December 22, 2011, VFW Department Headquarters will award our Post with $687. These funds will go a long way towards providing programs and benefits for our Veterans, Community, and Youth. Post Veteran members; please ensure your 2012 dues are paid by December 15, 2011 at the latest. Additionally, if you know of a service member who is not a VFW Post member, and has been deployed during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, or Afghanistan, please contact one of our Post officers. Veteran memberships make fine holiday presents too.
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During this past Veterans Day weekend, 16 of our Post members volunteered a total of 144 hours of their time to distributed approximately 3,500 Buddy Poppies to the public at K-mart, Wal-Mart, Karns Foods and Sams Club. During the Veterans Day weekend the distribution of Buddy Poppies to the adults and American flags to the children brought in more that $3,500 in donations. The distribution of Buddy Poppies, during the Memorial Day weekend and Veterans Day weekend, is the Posts second largest source of income to support our Veterans programs. Please consider volunteering a few hours next Memorial Day weekend to help distribute Buddy Poppies. Thank You to the 16 Post members who volunteered their time during the Veterans Day weekend, and Thank You to all who donated and wore the Buddy Poppies in remembrance of our Veterans.

KITCHEN UPDATE

l a Hil anad Inn, Inc. M

The

CANTEEN UPDATE
Dear Members: As this newsletter was being prepared, interviews for a new Canteen Manager were on going. We would like to be able to give you an introduction to the new manager in this newsletter but the process of hiring a person for this position is not easy. We hope to have a new person on board by the Holidays. Once on board, stop by and introduce yourself. Fred Hechler, Chairman, Board of Directors

To our valued members; It seems we just got done with picnics, golf outings and weddings and its already time for Turkeys and Santa. Time flies when you're having fun! Let's hope the amount of rain we experienced doesn't translate into feet of the white stuff (no 4 letter words here). We are looking forward to a busy Christmas season with plenty of parties and good normal business. We need a good year end to carry through the impending winter doldrums. We are fortunate to have a very loyal group that frequents the canteen even during those in clemencies. Our All You Can Eat Oyster nights have morphed into monthly Oyster Festivals. We will schedule a Thursday, Friday and Saturday each month for our famous Oyster extravaganzas. Check the special insert for the upcoming dates. Also, look for info concerning our Thanksgiving Buffet, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day celebrations. We plan on making them better than ever. If you haven't visited us on Sunday mornings recently, rest assured that the food is still the best and the price and Mike's omelets can't be beat. So, come in out of the cold and enjoy what the canteen has to offer. We are always glad to see your smiling faces. We will warm you up. Promise!
Sincerely and in service, Grant Kyler and Mike Lawyer The Manada Hill Inn, Inc.

CANTEEN MEMBERSHIPS
Every month, the Veteran members of Shellsville VFW vote to accept new Social and Associate members into our VFW Canteen. In order to make our VFW Canteen the kind of private club you are proud to be a member of, we encourage each member to invite friends and neighbors to become members. If you have any questions concerning Post or Canteen membership requirements, please call the Canteens Administrative Assistant Randy Eckert at 469-2195.

DATES TO REMEMBER
12/7 - Pearl Harbor Day - Fly your Flag 12/15 - POST Auxiliary Meeting Dinner 6 PM, Meeting 7 PM 12/17 - Childrens Christmas Party - 12-1 PM 12-22 - Winter Begins 12/22 - POST Active Meeting - 7:30 PM 12/22 - Canteen Meeting - Following Post Meeting 12/24 - Christmas Eve Canteen open 11AM - 6 PM 12/25 - Christmas - Canteen Closed 12/28 - VAMC Patient Birthday Party - 2 PM 1/1 - Happy New Year - Canteen Closed Peace, Good Health and Much Happiness 1/19 - POST Auxiliary Meeting -7:00 PM 1/22 - 18th District Meeting - 2 PM - Carlisle 1/25 - VAMC Patient Birthday Party - 2 PM 1/26 - POST Active Meeting - 7:30 PM 1/26 - Canteen Meeting - Following Post Meeting 1/27-28 - Mid Winter Conference - Harrisburg 2/12 - 18th District VOD Banquet - Hummelstown 2PM 2/14 - Valentines Day 2/16 - POST Auxiliary Meeting - 7:00 PM 2/22 - First 15 Week Drawing - 7:30 PM 2/22 - VAMC Patient Birthday Party - 2 PM 2/23 - POST Active Meeting - 7:30 PM 2/23 - Canteen Meeting - Following Post Meeting
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15-WEEK RAFFLE / FUNDRAISER

This raffle is the Posts biggest fundraiser. We are gearing up for a big start. Tickets should be available beginning around Thanksgiving, just in time to use for Christmas presents. Drawings will be starting February 22nd and will be held every Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM. The final drawing will be on Sunday June 3 rd at our picnic grounds. Come out to the drawings and try to punch out your own number. Come to the final drawing and enjoy the food and entertainment. The final drawing is for ticket holders only. Food will be served from Noon until 5 PM, but not during the raffle drawing. We ask that you take all you can eat, BUT eat all you take. Please, No Tables Reserved unless you stay with the table.

HONOR GUARD
Instructs School Students in Flag Protocol Post Honor Guard members instruct fourth grade students Flag Protocol in preparation for their additional duties as Fifth graders to rise, lower, and folding their schools US Flag. Spot checks have revealed they are doing a great job On WALK TO SCHOOL DAY, many parents brought the children to the Crossroads Restaurant parking lot and jointly walked to their school. Again this year the teachers will be teaching Safety, Citizenship, and Patriotism using materials supplied by your VFW Post.

HOMELESS VETERANS STAND DOWN

There will be a Stand Down in the Harrisburg Area in mid January to provide much needed assistance to our homeless veterans. To help our less fortunate veterans, we are collecting basic comfort and hygiene items. The following items have been requested and may be dropped off at our Post Canteen during the month of December. Mens T-shirts and Under-shorts Warm Socks (Due to health concerns only new packaged undergarments and socks may be accepted.) Mens Winter Coats (Gently Used) Winter Gloves L, XL Winter Hats (Gently Used) Work Shirts and Pants (Gently Used) Rain Parkas Soap, Toothbrushes and Toothpaste Combs and Shampoo Please give from the Heart, and help these veterans.

Grand Children of Past Active Life Member John Learn Honor Him
John and his wife Sally moved to Ohio about 2 years ago, but visit often. Last June while returning to attend the 15 Week Picnic, John died in a motel in PA. John and one daughter won money in the final drawings. The funds were given to his family at the viewing. John was very active and maintained his membership and friendships at our post after he and his wife had moved. Grandson Ian Sachel is entering the Voice of Democracy (VOD) contest. Granddaughter Nora Sachel has written an essay for Patriots Pen. We wish them success.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS 2011/2012

The Voice of Democracy (VOD), Patriots Pen and National Citizenship Education award (for Teachers) are under way.

CHILDRENS CHRISTMAS PARTY

December 17th
12 Noon to 1 PM Ages 10 and Under

All children attending the Christmas Party MUST be pre-registered by December 4th. See a bartender to register.

In our area, three High and Middle Schools are involved and participation is expected. Two of our winners last year were juniors in High School and are expected to do a great speech again this year. That theme is Is there pride in serving in our Military? Our chairman spent the day with over 100 (7th grade) students who are writing MANDATORY essays. Several 8th graders who participated last year are also writing for this years theme: Are you Proud of your country? These three programs are mandatory for the AllAmerican Post award. This is an excellent start toward our FOURTH consecutive award. All entries must be submitted by 1 NOV. Our winners are provided to District in mid November for their judging.

Raffle Tickets are available

For chances on a

Wagon Full of Toys

$1.00 per chance or $5.00 for six chances

3rd time All American Post

vfw9639.org
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vfw9639@verizon.net

Wreaths Across America

The call of duty a call to arms defending our country from foreign harm. These brave men and women who fought for the red white and blue, These soldiers deserve thanks from me, as well as you. The holidays they missed, Christmases they never had, The families they left behind, poor old mom and dad. They did all they did, because freedom isn't free. As a matter of fact it comes at a great cost. Some have died, others injured. Families devastated and hearts broken. All of this simply so you can say what you want to say, Pray how you want to pray and say who shall command this glorious country. So, tell me, how may we thank these honorable respectable glorious people? Whom we all inside express a universal love for.
This simple question gave birth to Wreaths Across America. A week of our time. A week to come together. Unity, patriotism, love. We all share these traits and create a poster child for "the lover of one's country". We come together with stars of gold and blue. souls of thankfulness and a common drive to pay respect to those with hearts of purple. Those of honor, those of valor, be they alive, passed on, or unknown. Because wethis convoyare a family. We travel, sleep and eat together. Our drive, love and respect for our soldiers, our rights freedoms and liberties we have today will pull us forward, to Arlington

Eshleman-Pankake-Wolf Shellsville VFW Post 9639 8926 Jonestown Road Grantville PA 17028-8654

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID GRANTVILLE PA 17028 PERMIT No. 8

Address service requested

Lest We Forget
Departed Comrades - Sisters - Post Members

Julius V. Fabiankovitz Melvin R. Gochenaur Roy W. Hinkle Livia Lutz Carol A. Molloy

America is number One thanks to our Veterans

Copyright 2011 VFW Post 9639 All Rights Reserved