Veterans of Foreign War Motorcycle Group of Texas
“Steps to Starting a Unit”
1. Go to the web site www.vfwmgtx.com and print out a copy of the current By-Laws.
2. Have everyone interested read them and then get the commitment of 10 VFW members in good standing with dues current, and that has an M endorsement for Motorcycle on their Drivers License.
3. Go to a Post or District meeting for a membership vote to sponsor a Unit through them.
4. Go back to the Web Site www.vfwmgtx.com and print out a blank application for VFWMG membership and run at least 25 copies. Have everyone fill one out completely and pay dues of $20.00 for the first year of annual dues. (It is best to have them pay the initial amount in cash as you do not have a bank account to process checks as of yet.) Now make a copy of their Current VFW Card and their Current Drivers License with the M endorsement for the initial 10 Charter Members.
5. Submit a COPY (Always keep a copy for your Unit files) of the membership application, VFW card and drivers license along with the meeting minutes or a letter from your Post or District Commander or Quartermaster stating that it had been passed on the floor by the general membership to sponsor a Unit. Also get a money order for $50.00 which is $5.00 for each member. All of this should be sent to the Council of Units Secretary for the proper approval. His or Her address will be on the web site. If the paper is not in order the Unit will not be approved, so carefully check that everything is in the package.
6. Now, while you are waiting for the paperwork to be processed, get applications and $20.00 dues for any other VFW and Auxiliary members that want to join the Unit. Remember any VFW member that has an M endorsement will be a rider member even if he or she does not currently have a bike. Any VFW member without an M will be considered a support member even if he or she has a bike and rides. All Ladies and Men’s Auxiliary members, no matter if they ride or not, are considered an Auxiliary member and not VFWMG Riding or Support/Unit member and at present time do not have an official vote.
7. Even though you have not officially received your Unit number as of yet, go ahead and get things in place to start as soon as you do. It should not be more than two weeks or so. Have a meeting of all new members and elect and appoint interim officers. See the By-Laws for guidelines of who can hold offices.
8. Once you have received your welcome letter giving you your official Unit number, which will usually be the next number in line with your host Post or District number behind it, you can now proceed to go to the bank and open a bank account. You will need a copy of the minutes of your Unit meeting showing the officers elected, a copy of the IRS paperwork for the host Post or District. We do not have an IRS number at this time for the Units, we exist under the VFW Post and District numbers and it is a good idea to take the letter or minutes from the Post or District. You might find it easier to open the account if you go to the same bank that the host Post or District banks at. That way they already have a working relationship with the VFW. Once that is done you are official.
9. Now have your first official meeting. These things need to be covered:
a. Officially electing your officers for the up coming year. The President will make His or Her official appointments.
b. Have a vote on how long to keep open the charter. It can be just the initial 10 that joined, or all that joined up to the date of the first meeting, or any that join for the first 30, 60 or 90 days. (Keeping in mind that more than 21 names makes it a little difficult to read the printing of the names on the charter.)
c. Vote on the time, place and frequency of membership meetings. Also will there be rides afterwards weather permitting?
d. Vote on membership dues. Decide if you will stay with the $20.00 initial amount or go up. (By-Laws state a minimum of $20.00) Also vote on if you will initiate a Life Membership at this time or wait until later to make that decision. It can be any amount that your Unit decides on.
10. Now there is one more step to complete you getting started.
a. Make a listing of all memberships and state if they are charter members.
b. Make a copy of all applications that you collected after the initial 10 Charter members.
c. Make a check out for $5.00 for each member less the initial 10 as you have already paid for them.
d. Make a listing of all officers and include phone numbers and e-mail addresses that they want published on the web site.
e. Make up a list of who is to get the membership applications and vest orders. This should include name, address and phone numbers to be put on your Unit forms.
f. Now package everything above up and send it off to the Council of Units Secretary. This will allow her to make your Membership cards, Unit Application, Unit Vest Order Form and tell her what to send to the Web Master your Unit information to put on the web site.
11. Now you can either print out a vest order form from the Web Site or you can wait for your Unit form to be sent to you. Either way print them out have your membership fill them out completely. Please make sure everything can be read! Remember you know the member so while you may understand John’s hand writing to read John, the vest processor does not know that it says John unless He or She can read John. So then follow the instructions for the amounts of the vest or vest patch kit orders and send one Unit check or Money Order for the total amount made out to the name on the web site along with a Copy of the vest order form to the address listed on the web site. The vest order will be processed and will be shipped out once the membership numbers have been assigned. Remember that all VFW Riders with an M Endorsement will get a Charter Bottom Rocker on the back of their vest if He or She is a charter member. All VFW Support or Auxiliary members who joined during the charter period get a small charter patch on the front of their vest below their Unit Patch. They will get the bottom rocker on the back that is appropriate for their type of membership. Be sure to note on the order that those members are eligible for charter patch.
CHARTER PROCESS
