NATO Veterans Organization of Canada
Organisation canadienne des vétérans de l’OTAN
A Voice for today’s Veterans ~ Une voix pour les vétérans d’aujourd’hui
President's News
Updated - July 06 2013
NATO Monthly Status Newsletter - December 2011
December 14, 2011
NATO Vets Newsletter The NATO Vets Newsletter will because of workload , sickness and holiday season will have to be put off for a couple of months- probably end of January or early Feb 2012.-i,e. with HQ and Regional input but finding someone with the time has bit us back till probably the beginning of our new year 2012. The Presidents Letter will continue until then - and probably after as well.
So I will continue to try to bring you up to date in summary form. I ask all Regional heads to please pass down to members.
You will be receiving or received in the mail shortly our 2012 membership package and dues request. We- at HQ - have been focusing on first of all surviving -then getting organized - to the expense of not keeping our members informed on what we are going at HQ and Regional Offices.
Membership is the priority for this year and advocacy- our main two items. Jarrott Holzhaeur will be sending out a plan on the steps and timing mid or end of January see Doug Brunson's Status below'.
Advocacy - Tud Kaulbach and his working Group are or I can say have positioned our veteran's organization to speak on behalf of the Modern Day with our allies. The Advocacy is so important as our “reason for being” - see Tuds portion below.
This is where we are right now - we have moved from “organizing and building up our forces”
-to making NATO Veterans Organization felt as a voice for the Modern Day Veteran “a bridgehead” in veterans community
Working with or Membership WG and Advocacy WG -Jarrott Holzhaeur our Policy and Planning VP is now finishing up our Plan for the “breakout” in 2012. The plan will be aimed at a 1 Feb 2012 startup date on a 1 Feb 2012 with realistic plans/Terms of Reference and report dates.
So have a great holiday break and get all rested up!
Merry Christmas
Gordon Jenkins President President on behalf of
Your NATO Vet Org Exec www.NATOVeterans.Org
Email: gordjenkins@sympatico.ca
Twitter: @gordjenkins
Membership Status
from Doug Brunton VP Regions
- With the work of Membership WG
- ,the NATO Vet membership list has been brought up to date,
- a letter was sent out to all members with a package
- and when our current membership has been brought up to date -both address and what we have been doing at HQ, we will then go on a membership recruiting drive.
We are truly indebted to our entire Membership Working Group under the able chairmanship of Gerry Bryan that has been working tirelessly in the updating of our membership lists and getting out renewal notices. The group includes the following dedicated volunteer members of Membership Working Group: Betty Goodison Membership Director; Cal Bellamy who we welcome back from the MIR; John Coulombe; Mike Bryan our Web Master; Jack Shapka; Jean Oostrom;(welcome Jean) Norbert Lemieux and John Profit. Your efforts are very important to the future success of our organization.
Advocacy Status
from Tud Kaulbach -VP Advocacy
During the past six months the NATO Veterans Organization of Canada has had a regular exchange of communications with Veterans Affairs Canada on the subject of the lack of Long Term Care for Post Korea or Modern Day Veterans.
A very informative meeting was held with the staff of VAC in Charlottetown in early August at which time the issue of eligibility for Modern Day Veterans was clarified. Under the current Government policy Modern Day Veterans, who are not in receipt of a disability pension, have no entitlement to admission to any long term care facility sponsored by the Federal Government. Modern Day Veterans may, however, qualify for some of the benefits under the Veterans Independence Program.
The Advocacy goal of the NATO Vets is focused on the single issue of the lack of LONG TERM CARE (LTC) FOR POST KOREA VETERANS. This issue contains two aspects; first is the aspect of Eligibility for Long Term Care and secondly, the aspect of Federal Government's responsibility for the provision of such care.
All government policy is controlled by the elected government of the day. Elected members within that government are the authors of policy. The Department of Veterans Affairs is an instrument of the Federal Government and as such merely implements Government policy; VAC is not empowered to make policy changes without government approval. Therefore, in order to have any influence on the development or modification of policy it is necessary to convince individual members of the government in power that change is necessary. Coupled with this is the vital tool of good and effective media coverage and support.
The ultimate goal of the NATO Vets organization is to change the existing government policies governing the Eligibility and Provision of Long Term Care (LTC) for all veterans. This will involve a major undertaking of contacting and convincing all MPs and MPPs throughout the country of the necessity for this change. Coupled with this must be an aggressive, factual and well-orchestrated media plan. Much of the burden of this plan will fall on the shoulders of the Regional Directors who will be required to coordinate, within their membership, contact with MPs and MPPs in their respective areas.
The development of talking points for these political encounters and the development of a solid media plan will be the responsibility of the National Headquarters in conjunction and consultation with the Regional Directors. Those areas outlined in our Advocacy Paper should form the basis of our Talking Points. Others will certainly arise in consultation with Regional Directors since there are obviously many variations throughout the country.
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Last modified
July 06 2013