Is this a "thing" this year?
The info on the NHQ page is from last year and I haven't heard much of anything about it this year,
and it's only about a month away (17 Dec).
http://www.capmembers.com/cap_national_hq/fundraising/wreaths/
Not something I've participated in but just got asked about it and realized "mum" had been the word.
We have started our WAA efforts in addition to another local unit organization the actual wreath-laying ceremony for us to partake in. So yes, it has commenced.
Same for my Squadron. We started efforts for WAA about 3 weeks or so ago.
I'd be more than fine if this went away. It was never "our" program and there were some aspects I just didn't care for.
I certainly like the sentiment behind placing wreaths on gravesites of our veterans but we should be able to develop our own program with a similar sentiment.
Quote from: A.Member on November 09, 2016, 04:24:29 AM
I'd be more than fine if this went away. It was never "our" program and there were some aspects I just didn't care for.
This, to some extent.
That said, we've been underway for a couple of weeks, although the overall support from the Veteran organizations has been slow, very slow.
There is a real possibility that there will be very few wreaths this year for our local cemetery.
Being a wing that is close the Arlington, we also get bombarded with email asking us to support the mission at ANC. Can't do everything!
Quote from: A.Member on November 09, 2016, 04:24:29 AM
I'd be more than fine if this went away.
+1
I would personally much prefer something that wasn't ultimately a fundraiser / revenue generator.
I also don't really "get" cemeteries as a concept, so there's that, but that's my personal issue.
I'm in favor of honoring our living and deceased veterans; I just don't like making a buck off of doing so, and I don't like what that does morally to our cadets in terms of learning to profit from the service and sacrifice of others.
So, every year when I hear a couple of our sister units gleefully relating how many thousands they've raised by hawking wreaths, it confirms my conviction that this is wrong for us.
V/r
Spam
Quote from: Spam on November 09, 2016, 04:09:08 PM
I'm in favor of honoring our living and deceased veterans; I just don't like making a buck off of doing so, and I don't like what that does morally to our cadets in terms of learning to profit from the service and sacrifice of others.
So, every year when I hear a couple of our sister units gleefully relating how many thousands they've raised by hawking wreaths, it confirms my conviction that this is wrong for us.
V/r
Spam
+1. We - my squadron - get very little from WAA - we don't "hawk" the wreaths, and the veteran's organizations do most of the fund raising and purchase in bulk directly from WAA. I'd prefer it if we were doing something round veteran's day itself, or the nearest w/e as most people don't get Veteran's Day as a holiday. Being from the UK, I always found Remembrance Sunday a very moving and appropriate activity, especially at the local level.
At our scheduled meeting last night, the training focus was Leadership, and we discussed among other things Armistice Day, Veterans Day, the wearing of the poppy (curse you FIFA) and we rounded out the evening by playing a video of this years Birthday Message from the Commandant (of the USMC) and had a USMC birthday cake.
Happy Birthday USMC!
S/F
Spam