Hello Brothers and Sisters,

It is hard to believe that Memorial Day and Convention are coming very quickly. I know you will all be busy doing Poppy distributions during Memorial Day weekend. This is how you make a lot of money for your relief fund to help our veterans and their families. This is the only place that the money can go to. It cannot go into your general fund.

Is your Auxiliary going to enter a Buddy Poppy display for Convention? We have been getting fewer entries every year. I am hoping that we get some this year. I know that we have many talented members in our Auxiliaries. Get the kids and Grandkids involved in designing one and have them help you put it together. That would be a report on Youth Activities.

Everyone that went to the Learning Academies that picked up my little packet had the information on this but not everyone went, or you may have misplaced the information, so here it is.

Category 1 Public Promotion of Poppy Campaign (window, booth, parade, poster displays, campaign promotions, etc.)

Displays must be designed for public exposure and must bear a message soliciting a donation for and wearing of the VFW "Buddy” Poppy

At least one of the Poppies used in the display must be in its original form and color with label Attached.

Category 2 Memorial or Inspirational Displays (wreaths, memorial plaques, tablets, patriotic or devotional themes)

Displays must be a display to honor the dead, to inspire devotion to God and country, or to dramatize the activities of the "Buddy” Poppy

At least one of the Poppies used in the display must be in its original form and color, with label attached.

Category 3 (Artistic or decorative use of Poppies (Post home displays, table centerpieces, corsages, pictures, plaques, models, scenes, hats, novelty pieces etc.)

Any display not meeting the qualifications for Categories 1 and 2 shall automatically be entered into Category 3

At least one of the poppies used in the display must be in its original form and color, with label attached.

Rest of the information is on the National website and MALTA under resources.

The displays brought to Department Convention in Salem must be brought Thursday so that we will be able to judge them on Friday so the winner can be announced on Saturday.

The winning display from each category will be taken to Reno, NV for the National Convention in July to be judged and displayed there.

Please keep track of the number of Poppies used on the display as that information will be needed when entering it at National.

I am hoping that we will have a large number of entries this year at Salem.

Thank you for all the Year End Reports. I know you all did a lot of work promoting the VFW National Home and distributing "Buddy” Poppies.