Nicole Koutz
2022-2023 Historian & Media Relations National Ambassador
Think Outside the Box
This is a challenging time, and it can be particularly hard to capture what’s going on in your Auxiliary if events are being cancelled and/or rescheduled, or if the Post Home is closed. What are you supposed to do this year? We see the states opening up but COVID-19 isn’t going away – it has become the new norm.
Think outside the box!
Reach out to members in your Auxiliary and ask everyone to take pictures of the projects they are working on at home or in small groups. Piles of cards, trunks full of goodie bags, truck beds of school supplies, donations for food pantries, etc. all show that your Auxiliary is actively supporting your community during these trying times.
Once you have photos of these projects, post them to your Auxiliary’s Facebook page. If your Auxiliary doesn’t have a Facebook page, start one! It’s free and a great way to share photos of your Auxiliary in action in your community. Make sure to put your Auxiliary’s events and community activities on your Facebook page. Share these photos on your personal Facebook page and encourage other members to do the same. Everyone needs to know what your Auxiliary is about.
It is important to capture what our organization is doing in the present, as the present quickly becomes the past. Do you remember what happened 10, 20 or 30 years ago? I remember some things but I, like so many of you, need help to remember much of what happened years ago. I enjoy looking through scrapbooks, photo albums, and reading journals, letters and cards to jog my memory. Now, Facebook Memories helps me remember, too!
The who, what, when, where and why of an event is so important to the story and the history of the VFW Auxiliary. Take pictures (and record the names of the those in the pictures), keep newspaper articles or print out online news articles about activities in your community, your state, our country and the world.
Regardless of COVID-19, we must tell our story – the story of the VFW Auxiliary and the impact we have on our communities. I think 2022-2023 will definitely be a different story in history than we are used to. One that needs to be shared.
Are you capturing your Auxiliary’s history? If not, it is time to start.