Our Warmest Wishes For The Holidays - Korean War Veterans ...

Korean War Veterans Association
Management Information System
KWVA Database Information and Statistics of Interest
Subject: Maintaining Accreditation
To: KVWA Department/Chapter Presidents and Members
From: Lou Dechert, President, KWVA/US
This is a revised reprint of my original article found on Page 38 of
the Jul/Aug, 2006 issue of The Graybeards concerning the printing of
articles, reports and pictures from you and/or your
Department/Chapter/Members in The Graybeards. After over a year
since its publication and several reprints in succeeding Graybeards, I
feel it necessary to update the article and provide wider distribution.
The Graybeards reports on the activities of accredited
Departments, Chapters, members, and affiliates of the Korean War
Veterans Association of the USA. Basically, it is about national members,
published by the national organization, and requires over 60%
of all the dues income received each year from national members to
publish and distribute.
The Secretary of the KWVA (there have been three) and his assistants
are concluding an intensive three year+ effort to assist each
Department/Chapter and their members to comply with the membership
accreditation requirements of the KWVA pertaining to active
National Membership, National data base corrections, and required
elections, per the Bylaws and Standard Procedure Manual. Required
elections, reports, and meeting of membership requirements are not
optiona1 and are required to maintain National accreditation.
In view of the lack of a specific definition of “Accredited” being
listed in the Bylaws or Standard Procedure Manual (though certainly
implied], after consultation with the Membership Chairman, two successive
National Secretaries, the VA, the General Counsel, and the
JA, I have stated the following to be in effect until further modified:
To be considered as accredited
1. Chapter maintains a minimum of 12 assigned regular members
who are current in their dues; and
2. Department/Chapter conducts election of officers each year or
two years, according to KWVA Bylaws; and
3. the results of the election/appointment of the required officers
will be reported to the KWVA Secretary within one month of the
election; and
4. the Department/Chapter president, vice president[s], secretary
and treasurer are to be regular KWVA members who are current in
their dues; and
5. Members who join(ed] the Chapter after October 4, 2005 are
required to become and maintain active KWVA membership while
being assigned to the chapter [unless deceased].
As there are always more news/articles/pictures being submitted
for publication in The Graybeards than there is room to include,
“Accredited” Chapters/Departments/
Individuals of the National KWVA are being afforded priority of
space. Exceptions will be made from time to time for a limited number
of articles from Korean War veterans organizations of nations
belonging to the International Federation of Koreans War Veterans
Associations, and for a limited number of articles from special
sources such as the Veterans Administration and various MIAJPOW
oriented organizations.
This procedure has been in effect for a year and has resulted in the
suspension of publication of various submissions for failure to maintain
the above requirements.
Departments/Chapters which cannot meet all of the requirements
should report their situation as soon as possible to The Secretary,
KWVA. He will discuss the matter with the Membership Committee
and get the approval of the President as to how to proceed.
The intent of our National efforts in this area is NOT to reduce
units; the intent is
to help units maintain the standards they attained to become chartered
status to begin with, as well as the application of all Bylaw
requirements.
Any questions on this matter should be addressed to the KWVA
Secretary at the address listed inside the front cover of the magazine.
Questions concerning your membership and election reports should
be directed to KWVA Supervisor of Management Information. That
contact information can be found inside the front cover of The
Graybeards or the KWVA website, www.kwva.org.
Lou Dechert, President, KWVA/US
To:
Attn:
BUSINESS
KWVA Department Chapter Presidents
KWVA Members
As this report is being written, we are nearing the end of calendar
year 2007. It is time to reflect on what has been happening in your
organization concerning the KWVA Website [www.kwva.org] and
the Department/Chapter/Membership Databases. Though some of
this information is a repeat of that found on Page 11 of the May/June
2006 issue of The Graybeards, other parts of it are an update.
The KWVA Management Information System is in full operation
and is able to provide data to the National, Department and Chapter
Staff on a “need to know basis.” It also provides information that is
available to individual KWVA members, prospective members, and
the public in general. Our very capable and knowledgeable webmaster
is constantly “tweaking” our Management Information System
[consisting of the website and the databases] to give you daily up-todate
information concerning the status of KWVA and its
Departments, Chapters and Membership.
To get this information easily and quickly requires access to the
internet via a computer. Each KWVA Board and Staff Member, as
well as each Department and Chapter President, is being encouraged
to become a part of the “Electronic Age” and utilize the available
resources provided by your Association to improve it and contribute
to its growth!
The past 3-1/2 years of operation have provided instant and more
accurate information concerning our Association than has ever been
available in the years past. If you have not visited our KWVA website
at www.kwva.org, you have been missing an important part of
what is available to you as a KWVA member. In fact, you should visit
it often, as it is constantly being updated with timely and “good to
Continued on page 71
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The Graybeards November-December 2007