Tooele Transcript Bulletin – News in Tooele, Utah
image From left are James Yale, membership steering committee chairman appointed and sponsored by DAV Chapter 8 and DAV life member; Ronald Hutchins, Moose Lodge #2031 governor 2012-13 and DAV Chapter 20 charter member candidate; Steven Bevan, DAV life member and Moose Lodge 2031 veteran’s committee chairman; and Francis (Les) Peterson, DAV Chapter 8 senior vice commander, appointed assistant membership drive chairman by Chapter 8 and DAV life member.

March 14, 2013
Members sought to create local DAV chapter

Tooele Eagles Aeries F.O.E Lodge 164, Tooele Elks B.P.O.E. Lodge 1673, and the Tooele Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 2031 provided sponsorship and a generous donation of $1,200 to the Disabled American Veterans from a tri-lodge combined effort golf scramble tournament held at the Oquirrh Hills Golf Course in Tooele last September.

We want to thank members, guests and volunteers from all three lodges who participated and made this event possible. The donation was made to the membership steering committee and membership drive team who are actively seeking new membership to establish a DAV chapter in Tooele County. The team has been working on building a new membership roster of 25 for some time and needs the community’s help with recruiting new veterans.

The DAV national headquarters has waived its criteria from the normal 50 new membership roster to just 25 new members because of the critical need for a DAV in Tooele County. New members can qualify if they have never applied before to the DAV for membership, have served during the time of war or action and have a VA disability rating. A 0 percent rating is still acceptable.

The mission statement of the DAV is “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.

The DAV also works to provide 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 and other agencies of government, provide outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally and to disabled veterans and their families specifically, represent 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, extend 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, and provide a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.

Our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much deserve the best our nation can offer them. The goal of this new chapter is to assist all veterans and their families with information and assistance to help them apply for well-earned veterans medical and post discharge benefits. The new chapter will be named Jordan M. Byrd DAV Chapter 20 Tooele County. We are asking the community help to get the word out that we need to recruit a roster of 25 new DAV members before we can apply, establish and accept a new DAV charter from DAV national.

All donations are held in escrow until we have received our charter from DAV headquarters to establish Tooele County’s local chapter. The escrow account is at the Mountain America Credit Union under Jordan M. Byrd DAV Chapter 20 Tooele County. Sponsorship to establish the new chapter is under DAV Chapter 8 in Salt Lake City.

For more information, contact James Yale at 882-7626 or Les Peterson at 830-7812.

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