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SUNNY Temp: 41 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 28, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend October 1, 2002 VFW reopens with volunteer staff By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Veterans of Foreign Wars Crater Lake Post 1833 in Medford, which closed for financial reorganization in May, reopens today. A Medford landmark at 42 N. Front St. since Feb. 1, 1947, the post has replaced its paid staff with volunteers in an effort to make itself solvent. "We had between 10 and 12 employees — we were paying out more in wages and salaries than we were bringing in," said Keith Newcomb, the post’s senior vice commander. "We had to shut down, let everybody go and reorganize with all volunteers. "We are now on solid financial ground well into the foreseeable future," he added, citing the work of the post’s members. The club will be much like it has always been, said the Marine Corps veteran. "We’ll be doing everything we were doing in the past," he said, noting that veterans will still be able to get together for a cold drink, pool, shuffleboard and bingo. However, smoking will now be restricted to the lounge, he said. Although the club is not open to the public, all members of the VFW are welcome. Membership criteria require that members have earned a ribbon or campaign medal during overseas duty. "We’re a little bit fluid in times we’ll be open," he said, adding that will be settled as volunteer schedules gel. The post will be open weekdays and weekends, he said. "It took a lot of hard work and commitment from our members, but now it’s a reality," Newcomb said. The post, whose original charter was signed on Dec. 1, 1930, has been represented by veterans who have participated in every war the nation has fought for nearly a century. It had roughly 1,000 members in the years immediately following World War II. But, like other posts across the nation, its membership dwindled and became less active. It now has some 560 members. Nationally, the organization, which is a little over 100 years old, has battled declining membership like most national veteran groups. The membership of the American Legion dropped 150,000 last year. The VFW, which had some 2.2 million members in the mid-1990s, now has a little under 2 million. World War II veterans who once swelled the VFW’s ranks are dying at the rate of about 1,100 a day, according to projections by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S