State Commander’s Column

A successful Mid-Winter Convention has come to pass

Firstly, I would like to thank AQ Dan West and the Austin staff for a fantastic Mid-Winter. To be able to put this event together on such short notice was amazing. A lot of the prep work was done at home due to the Travis County guidelines. Except for the room problems, which the AQ had no control over, everything ran very smoothly. The Voice of Democracy banquet was the best one I’ve been to in over twenty years — and everything associated with the USS Lexington and the banquet went on without a problem. Again, thanks to Dan and the Staff for a great Mid-Winter!

The Commander in Chief stated in his remarks that the 2019-2020 team was blindsided by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and weren’t prepared for it. The 2020-2021 team knew about the virus, knew what we were getting into, and we still accepted the positions that we were elected or appointed to. However, some of us are using COVID-19 as an excuse not to do the work that needs to be done.

In the by-laws it reads that we are to “Preserve and Strengthen Comradeship among its member,” “To Assist Worthy Comrades,” “To Perpetuate the Memory and History of our Dead” and to Assist their Surviving Spouses.” How may I ask are we going to do this when we are hiding behind the COVID-19 virus?

The Commander in Chief asked a question at the Council of Administration meeting and it was “who are you held accountable to?” It’s not me as your State Commander or the Line Officers, nor is it the District Commanders. The answer is: you are accountable to yourself. We need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves “Am I doing the best that I am capable of doing?”

As for me, I know I’m not doing the best I can do and that will change over the next 5 months. COVID-19 will no longer be used as an excuse not to do the work we need to do. I know that there are still hot spots in the state of Texas but what are we doing to help them? Are we making phone calls to our Veterans and checking up on them and helping when needed? It’s time to start thinking outside the box and adapt and overcome.

Comrades let’s start moving forward, working “Together as One” and show the world that “No One Does More for Veterans than the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars.”

May God Bless each and every one of you, May God Bless our Troops, especially those in harm’s way, and May God Bless the United States of America.

Yours in comradeship, Dick Shawver

Commander’s and President’s Reception at the Omni Hotel, Corpus Christi, held Thursday, January 21, 2021. Commander Shawver (center) poses with his line officers: Sr. Vice Commander Norm Macey (left) and Jr. Vice Commander Lynn Toomer (right).