Anita Loando-Acohido
2019-2020 National Historian/Media Relations Ambassador
Record Your Auxiliary’s History; Share Your Auxiliary’s Story
The Auxiliary Historian/Media Relations Chairman is the keeper of the history and memories of events that the Auxiliary hosts and/or participates in. As Historian, you help write the history of your own Auxiliary by compiling the five Ws (the who-what-where-when and-why) of each event for the Auxiliary and its members.
The following is a list of historical questions for which each Auxiliary should have the answer:
- Who is the Post namesake?
- When was the Auxiliary instituted?
- How are its members eligible?
The Auxiliary Historian/Media Relations Chairman reaches out to Auxiliary members and media representatives in the community to share the happenings of your Auxiliary.
- Auxiliary news could be distributed in an emailed or printed newsletter.
- Encourage each Program chair in the Auxiliary to provide information and ideas in the newsletter.
- Share the newsletter with your community newspaper and local radio station; ask them to add public events to their community calendars.
- Be sure to post events on your Auxiliary Facebook page and ask members to share events with their social network.
Take a lot of pictures at your Auxiliary functions and share them in the newsletter, in the community newspaper and on social media. Be sure the photos you’re sharing and submitting do not contain the following photo faux paus:
- Foreign objects behind a person’s head (e.g. bunny ears, trees growing out of someone’s head, etc.)
- Eyes closed.
- Mouths open.
- Offensive language on articles of clothing.
Go to http://www.vfwauxiliary.org/resources for these publicity tools:
- VFW Auxiliary Publicity Guide
- How to Share Your Local Auxiliary Story Ideas and Events with Local Media
- Communications Award/Certificate of Recognition for Local Media
Please share your stories and the recent activities your Auxiliary has been involved with and keep “Serving Our Veterans with Aloha!”
