Transcript THE DAV MISSION STATEMENT

CHAPTER AND COMMAND
STRUCTURE
Who are the people in your chapter and what job do they
perform?
Department of Alabama
THE DAV MISSION STATEMENT
Fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served.
We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives
with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families
can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of
America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great
sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
•Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining
benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government.
•Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally,
and to disabled veterans and their families specifically.
•Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses
and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as
state and local government.
•Extending DAV’s mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their
families live through a network of state-level Departments and local chapters.
•Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for
their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.
Department of Alabama
COMMANDER
 Adhere to the DAV Mission Statement in all things
 Live by your oath
 Be an ambassador of the DAV in your community
 Know your Nat’l, Dept., and Chapter C&BLs
 Know Robert’s Rules of Order
Department of Alabama
SENIOR VICE COMMANDER
 Second in command
 Ready to act in commander’s absence
 Responsible for knowing pulse of chapter as well as
commander
 In charge of membership and chairing the committee
 Has access through DAV Nat’l to reports
Department of Alabama
JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER
 Third in the chain
 Ready to conduct business during commander and senior vice
absence
 In charge of Americanism and chairs that committee
 Involved in community events pertaining to veterans
Department of Alabama
TREASURER
 Handles the financial aspects of the chapter
 Supervised by the commander, chapter, audit committee or
trustees
 Pays bills, makes disbursements, deposits and tracks every
penny
 Submits annual financial statement in by 30 September each
year and sends 990 to IRS
 MUST be trustworthy and trusted by all
Department of Alabama
CHAPLAIN
 Administers to spiritual affairs of chapter
 Visits or calls sick members
 Makes hospital calls on those members in the hospital
 Presents “sympathies” to families of recently deceased chapter
members
 Submits reports of deaths to the Department Chaplain
Department of Alabama
ADJUTANT
 The heartbeat of the chapter
 Administrator/Secretary of all things chapter meetings related
 Manages correspondence and mailings
 Submits Chapter Officers Report within 10 days of installation
or change
 Records, types and reads minutes of chapter related meetings
Department of Alabama
CHIEF OF STAFF
 Recommended in larger chapters
 Central connection between the commander and chapter
officers and committee chairs
 Tracks and manages all projects being handled by the chapter
Department of Alabama
JUDGE ADVOCATE
 The commander’s go to person on matters requiring
interpretation concerning
 Nat’l, Department and Chapter C&BLs
 Roberts Rules of Order
 Responsible to render rulings on grieves and conflicts
 Offers support to the Grievance Committee on complicated
issues
Department of Alabama
CHAPTER SERVICE OFFICER
 Membership magnet
 Helps veterans in the filing of claims, supplemental claims and
notice of disagreement
 Must attend annual certification or recertification conducted by
National Service Officers
 Chapter’s SME on VA issues and programs
Department of Alabama
OFFICER OF THE DAY
 Escorts and introduces visitors in meeting
 Conducts new members to receive oaths of obligation
 Conducts elected/ appointed officers to receive oaths of office
 Helps set up and prepares meeting room for business meetings
Department of Alabama
SERGEANT AT ARMS
 The enforcer of the commander’s will
 Checks member’s membership cards against current
membership roster before meetings
 Supervises the chapter color guard if installed
 Works with Judge Advocate to maintain decorum and
procedure
 At the commander’s order escorts hostile members from
meetings
Department of Alabama
LOCAL VETERANS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
COORDINATOR
 The tracker of all volunteerism
 Receives hours of members participating in fundraisers, Forget-
me-Nots, community activities, hospital visits, etc.,…
 Reports the chapter volunteer hours to the Department LVAP
coordinator
Department of Alabama
VAN DRIVERS COORDINATOR
 Necessary for chapters with vans in the VA Van Transportation
Network
 Sets schedule of van drivers for the month
 Reports number of trips, miles, veterans and mileage each
month to the VA and chapter
 Handles all coordination concerning the transporting of
veterans to VA appointments
Department of Alabama
HISTORIAN
 Optional but recommended
 Captures and preserves chapter accomplishments,
participation, events and volunteer efforts
 Works in conjunction with the adjutant and committee chairs
to record community involvement
Department of Alabama
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
 Made up of elected and appointed members IAW your Chapter
C&BL
 Handles the business of the chapter between meetings
 Motions and votes on issues to be presented to the chapter for
vote
 The commander in attendance is not in charge, committee
chair is in charge
Department of Alabama
GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE
 Addresses complaints or grieves brought by chapter members
 Works with judge advocate
 Works within scope of Nat’l, Department and Chapter C&BLs
and Robert’s Rules of Order
 Provides independent assessment precluding command
influence
Department of Alabama
AUDIT COMMITTEE
 Works with the treasurer
 At least three members of the chapter
 Certifies Annual Finance Reports sent to Department and DAV
Nat’l
 Audits the treasurer’s books as defined by Nat’l, Department
and Chapter C&BLs
 Chapters using trustees may not need a separate audit
committee
Department of Alabama
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
 Chaired by senior vice commander
 Handles all membership related issues
 Sets up recruitment drives and campaigns
 Recognizes top recruiters in the chapter
 Trains chapter members on how to recruit
Department of Alabama
AMERICANISM COMMITTEE
 Chaired by the junior vice commander
 Handles all aspects of participation in patriotic and community
events
 Coordinate events and dates in local community pertaining to
Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, etc.,…
 Works with publicity committee
 Recognition of veterans in community
Department of Alabama
VETERANS WELFARE COMMITTEE
 Lives the DAV Mission Statement
 Discerns the need of the veteran
 Reviews and verifies need of veteran requesting aid
 Makes report of findings and recommendations to the
executive committee and commander
 Recommends spending based on need
Department of Alabama
FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE
 The heart and soul of the chapter
 Seeks opportunities for and sets up fundraising events
 Recruits volunteers for fundraisers
 Approaches local vendors and business people for donations
 Contacts members the day prior to events to insure
volunteers show
Department of Alabama
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
 Keeps up with legal issues affecting veterans
 Makes calls to members to get them active on issues by calling
or writing representatives
 Sets up meetings with local officials
 Asks government officials to address membership during key
decision-making periods on key issues to veterans
Department of Alabama
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
 Contacts local media
 Announcements of chapter meetings
 Presents articles and photos of chapter events
 Invites media to events
 Works with Americanism committee for event coverage
 Acts as liaison between commander and media outlets
Department of Alabama
ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE
 Sets up entertainment for special events in the chapter
 Christmas
 Veterans Recognition
 Meetings
 Works with community and local entertainers to minimize cost
to chapter
Department of Alabama
COMMAND RESPONSIBILITIES
 Preside at all regular and special meetings of the chapter
 Maintain order
 Dispatch such business as may legally come before him or her
 Fulfill all duties and obligations of office in:
 DAV Rituals
 Nat’l, Department and Chapter C&BLs, mandates and
directives
Department of Alabama
COMMAND RESPONSIBILITIES
 Empowered to bind by his or her signature, the Chapter to
legal documents and or contractual obligations, with the
approval of the Chapter
 Shall fill all appointed offices
 Ensure vacancies of elected positions through death,
resignation or removal are conducted IAW the Nat’l,
Department and Chapter C&BLs
Department of Alabama
COMMAND RESPONSIBILITIES
 One of the most important responsibilities is to submit
your Chapter Officers Report within 10 days of your
installation. Accuracy is extremely important, and this
report must be submitted not only within 10 days after
your installation, but any time any elected officer or
your Adjutant changes
Department of Alabama
There is a great deal more to learn
these are the basics. The information
you will find in the Officers Guide from
National and from the Department
Chapter Officers Guide will be helpful.
Department of Alabama