In March 2013, VVA
Chapter 1076 received its charter. Starting with a dozen, it has grown to over
100 new members. Reflecting on this journey and the past 30 years, I feel
obligated to share a few thoughts and experiences. Membership in various
veteran and military organizations has been a tertiary education for me. Not
all of the experience has been positive. I have seen a few things that leads me
to believe that in some ways, we veterans are our own worst enemies. I have
been reminded that many of us let our VA’s get into the corrupt conditions it
is in by sometimes sleeping with the enemy. My secondary training included
organizational behavior, development, and psychology. I think it has helped me
put my limited resources into a few worthwhile activities and avoiding (or
getting kicked out of) self-centered activities over the years.
While still on active duty, my installation had two
veterans’ organizations provided facilities for their activities by my
commander. Questionable behavior concerning funds led to them being asked to
leave military property. This also led to the major command recommending that
all of their installations not continue hosting veterans organizations on
military property and one organization had its charter revoked.
After retirement and eventual return to my hometown,
(greatly influenced by the cold winters and a hurricane in the northeast) I
began some work with several veteran organizations. Concurrently, I worked and
volunteered with the VA along with as doctoral studies. In those days, the VA
did not provide as many things for veterans in need as they do today so a few
veterans organizations raised funds and provided them to veterans on medical
need recommendations of their VA doctors In the VVA, we were mission oriented.
The California Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a big project and a lot of work.
They have since built their own local memorial to those lost in the war. We
worked closely with the Vet Center. We were their best recruiters. We helped
start veteran stand downs and got the VA involved. A Vietnam veteran client
started a project for homeless veterans that have been used as a model for
others and the VA supported it. The VA Secretary and deputy (Vietnam veteran)
visited to find why things were successful. It came down to Veterans Helping
Veterans. Where needed, they provided additional VA positions. Things were
functioning well. A new clinic was built. Life was good.
Then funds misuse showed its ugly head and bit the local
veteran community in the butt. It hurt us.
Not one, but three other large veteran organizations were in
receipt of significant funds that were used for other purposes than the
donators had in mind. The funds were handled for the benefit of a few. Those in
control were long term officers who controlled not only the veteran
organizations but also a few in the VA benefits system. Donations dropped like
a rock, legal investigations started; congressional and state offices stopped
returning calls; and the city took control of the Veterans Memorial Building,
under veteran control since 1926. Life was no longer rosy for veterans.
Amid this scandal,
the infamous BRAC, and suffering the aftermath of an accident, I set sail, left
the fray and moved to Las Vegas where there is very little cold and damp fog.
Along with me, thousands of other retirees and veterans moved here and the VA
has been growing fast since. Not always in the best manner. They don’t realize
that their customers are also their best allies. They do not really listen to
what their veteran customers want.2 I came here with the knowledge of several
veteran organizations and attempted to assist a little. It was apparent that
one of them had a less than glowing reputation outside the community and that
was easily recognized. It was apparent that “career” incumbents were in charge
and their biggest expense was sending the loyal to conventions and conferences.
Moving into a HOA governed community; I saw some of the same
behavior. A few, achieving some degree of power over others, controlled the
organization. It became more and more dictatorial and again funds from
construction defects lawsuits ended up benefitting a few and many defects still
remain uncorrected. I have read that there has been a lawyer suicide, some
fines and prison sentences around some of these HOA practices. Another escape
was needed. Again hoisting sail, we moved into a minimally governed community
in Henderson. It was a good move. Henderson has proven a good home port.
Many who seek leadership positions in nonprofit and
charitable organizations do so to help in the work and mission of the activity.
They have a self-imposed commitment to help others. There are a few, however,
either never having experienced positions of authority, exercise this new
power, become drunk on it, and only give up power when required by rules or
fund problems. I often wonder what their home life is like.
I have witnessed a
local and well-known part of a national veterans organization become one of
interest to the IRS and another losing their national charter for a while over
funds. Why will a few risk the reputation of the entire veteran community with
the public for a business interest or personal gain just for a few bucks? In an
organization subject to government auditing, this is plain stupidity. What these
people cannot see is that there are others they should be training and
mentoring to take their places. Some cannot fathom that others can do a good
job as well.
A few may fear that
the new kid on the block may do even better. Instead of fearing this, they
should look at it as a measure of their success.
Those who cannot give up power and control most often
maintain their positions by rewarding those who support them and those that do,
help keep challengers at bay by changing rules, and finding fault with new
paths. Buying loyalty perhaps, but it has worked well over the centuries for
dictators. Power and control may be more important than cash in pocket to them.
“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Lord Acton.
In researching and teaching at a service school, I learned
that a major point in leadership and management success is to always be
training our replacements. That is how the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps
survives in combat. In Vietnam, as well as previous conflicts there were
companies led by brand new lieutenants, platoons led by squad leaders and
squads led by PFCs and lance corporals. They survived and helped others survive
as their leaders gave them the basics of good skills and leadership.
A leader is one who
knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. John C. Maxwell
When one looks at the success of a corporation or business,
profits, money in the bank, and dividend checks are important things to look
at. But other, less easily measured things such as employee satisfaction,
turnover rates, and training programs are also important in the long term.3 It
is a bit different when it comes to nonprofit corporations or organizations.
Here one looks at the ratio of money raised minus operating expenses to money
disbursed.
The most highly rated organizations have no or very few paid
staff. They spend little on things like image. They simply do good work. There
are of course non-profits that must have salaried employees to do some of their
good work. One looks at the return (people helped and how well vs salaried
positions) to measure success.
In the organization that raises money for good causes, the
key to a good one is that they spend more than they make. That is, they have
only a small reserve, do not invest in IRA’s or notes, but commit and disburse
their raised funds with only a small reserve for emergencies.
There are several
charity watch organizations that rate the larger national non-profits. Some of
their rating criteria differ but a review of several gives an indication of the
good, the bad, and the ugly. You may conclude as I have that donating locally
is your best bet to support, even national organizations that keep funds raised
local.
VVA Chapter 1076 is one of these few good charitable veteran
organizations that lives by this golden rule of 501 c 3’s but is too small to
be rated by watch groups. So the amount of funds raised is generally dependent
on a locally built reputation of doing good work. I believe that is the basis
of the successful recruiting of over 100 new members, mostly in the last year.
Veterans Helping Veterans.
As I near retiring from most everything except travel and my
quest for Nirvana, it was nice to find an organization sailing in my direction.
It has been a breath of fresh air that has put a following wind in my sails.
Lou
The meaning of life is
to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. Pablo Picasso
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