Now that the VFW Convention is over, the new officers are preparing some updates to current activities of the all VFW Auxiliary Units. One very interesting contest coming up is the incoming President’s special project and the Auxiliary’s newest art scholarship contest which is called the 3-Dimensional Patriotic Art Contest. More details for the contest will be forthcoming.

The current Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest entries are all now 2 dimensional while 3-Dimensional Patriotic Art Contests are exclusively 3-dimensional art pieces. The money which is contributed to the incoming President’s special project will establish an escrow fund to provide 3-Dimensional Patriotic Art Contest scholarships to students in the years to come. Both contests will share an entry form, but if a student enters both contests, two separate forms must be completed.

The Fund the Future goal from last year was to support more scholarships for more students by growing the Young American Creative Patriotic Art and Continuing Education funds. A whopping $100,000-plus has been contributed to this endeavor from the generosity of Auxiliary members.

As always, new officers put forth proposed resolutions to the National Bylaws, and even make name changes to different programs. The Auxiliary Community Outreach is one of the programs which has undergone a new title and will just be called Auxiliary Outreach.

Auxiliary Outreach is still a donation strictly of time. The goal is for members to volunteer with another organization and be visible in the community doing the type of work the Auxiliary has participated in for many years. Involvement in the community helps build awareness of the Unit and builds goodwill.

Members are encouraged to attend Auxiliary meetings, which occur the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. The location is 25 Homestead Road in Lehigh Acres and we would be happy to have you stop in. Many of the improvements to any and all programs stem from these meetings and the continual cooperation of our unit has been an asset, not just to our Post, but to the community we serve.

For more information on any upcoming projects or programs, call the VFW Post at 239-369-5100 and talk to an Auxiliary member. You’ll be glad you did!