Why YOU Should Join the VVAA
I have been asked this question many times, and I still think
that it’s an important issue. Some Vietnam veterans need help,
others can give it. Some have no interest in the politics of
legislation, others have a point of view they need to get across.
Some are able to articulate their problems and suggest solutions
but others cannot. Some like the social contact it provides, and
the opportunity to find out what’s going on in the veterans’
community. Some are interested in the day-to-day administration
of the organisation while others just want to get the
newsletters. Still others have business skills and contacts which
will enable the organisation to spread its message and conduct
fund-raising in a more professional manner.
There’s a place for everyone, and jobs for those who wish to
do them. No matter what the particular reason you decide to
join, you will find that you will extend your horizons as you
learn more about the organisation and what it is doing for
veterans. It's not unusual for someone to join because they
want to help, and end up receiving it - and it is just as common
for someone to join because they need help, and end up giving it!
To my mind, the broader the membership of the VVAA and the
more points of view it encompasses, the less opportunity there is
for one group or another to take the organisation in a direction
which damages the interests or image of Vietnam veterans as a
whole. Should this occur, all the work which has been done will
be wasted, all the lines of communication with government and
other organisations lost.
Regimental, ship and squadron associations are great, but they
aren’t going to give you the information which is critical to
your continued well-being, and that of your family. The R&SL
has a much broader constituency, and it isn’t focussed in on
quite the same issues that the VVAA is. The great thing about it,
however, is that you can be a member of all these
organisations, and there is no conflict of interest, they are
simply filling different roles. Even better, there is a
multiplier effect as the various organisations lobby government!
Clive Mitchell-Taylor
Past National President
|
