WMA Liaison Report
October 18, 2007
PDD Katherine Van Gorder
http://wmapa2.org
PA-2 Liberty Belles Chapter meets every other month, generally at the Chester County Detachment home in Downingtown. As noted in previous reports, this chapter draws its membership from a very wide geographic area and supports several different Marine Corps League Detachments in the South East Division. We actively participate in most League activities and welcome support from the League in our efforts.
Activities and accomplishments by PA-2 during the first quarter of 2007-8 include:
July: Trip to Wellsboro to meet with a new member of PA-2 Liberty Belles and to sign her up with the MCL
Still looking for a Detachment within reasonable distance to Wellsboro for her to attach to, and to include her
husband as an associate member.
Aug: Shipped another large box of items to our "adopted Marines" in Iraq. Currently collecting empty medicine containers to be sent to Iraq and Afghanistan troops. We have been told that when their medicines are dispensed, they have to be distributed in paper cups due to a shortage of these containers. Anybody who can help with this project, the containers can be sent to me, or delivered to another member of our chapter at one of your League meetings. They should be washed, labels removed and lids in tact.
Sept: Lent support with our presence as MCL and WMA members to the "A Hero’s Welcome" organization to welcome two Marines from our area home on leave from Iraq. These two young men were on the high school football teams for Boyertown and Pottsgrove, and their teams faced each other in a game on Sept.28 at Pottsgrove. With State Representatives and Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews on the scene, a moving presentation was witnessed by an overflow crowd of local citizens. "A Hero’s Welcome" is a new organization founded by the oldest granddaughter of George "Reds" Hyland, a former Commandant of the Valley Forge Detachment. Marine Sharon Hyland is also the daughter of a Marine and the sister of a Marine.
She has set up a website for this program: www.aheros-welcome.org and invites the Marine Corps League to log in to keep abreast of other welcomes as they are planned and welcomes an opportunity to introduce reciprocal links to other MCL websites. (Don’t forget to check our PA-2 website, http://wmapa2.org also.)
PA-1 is more or less "missing in action", and efforts are underway to make personal contact to see what can be done to help them get back on their feet after an impressive beginning floundered.
PA-2 has been asked to host and research a sight for the WMA National Convention in 2012. We are currently looking at Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Erie, Scranton and Philadelphia. Never having served on a convention committee before, I would really appreciate any assistance or advice from more experienced committee members, and look for ways to integrate MCL presence and activities into the program. Last year’s convention in Louisville, KY involved the local MCL Detachment with a color guard to open and close the convention. Very impressive.
We will be supporting the Pottstown Joint Veterans Council at their 24th Veterans Day Dinner on Nov 3 at the Pottstown American Legion hall. For a few more days they are still accepting advertising spots for the program book and hope the League members will support this event with their presence, at $17.50 per dinner guest. Contact Ed Clark, Pres. at
610-323-8905 for information.
PA-3 continues to actively participate in supporting the MCL with projects and events at the Gino Merli Veterans Center, and the annual Armed Forces Day parade. They continually look for ways to increase visibility for the WMA and the MCL. Like so many of our veterans organizations, a few members are extremely active and the majority do what they can to support the efforts of the few, the biggest hurdle being the ageing of our memberships and the inability to be independently mobile. If anybody in the League is heading for Washington on November 10 as a group and needs a few seats on the bus filled, there are members of PA-3 and PA-2 WMA who are interested in attending the 10th Anniversary of the Women in Military Service to America ceremony at the WIMSA Monument site. Contact Ginny Swartz, Secretary PA-3, (ginnys75@epix.net) or me, Treasurer PA-2 (VanGorders2@aol.com) and mention WIMSA in the subject line to avoid being deleted as an unknown.
The Fewer, The Prouder, The Women Marines.
Respectfully Submitted, PDD Kathy Van Gorder