Roscoe VFW Post 2955 & VFW Auxiliary
MARCH, 2025 - Monthly Newsletter
Notes from the Editor
Important Announcement!! Attention all VFW members – starting this month on March 4th, the monthly Post meeting will begin at
6:00 PM! This was announced in the newsletter last month – 6:00 PM meeting start time!
It was nice to have warmer weather this past week, after the below zero weather of the previous week!
We will be losing an hour of sleep this month! Daylight Savings Time begins March 9th. Turn your clock AHEAD one hour before you go to bed Saturday night!
There will be a Chili Cook-Off on March 1st between 5:00 and 7:00 PM, at the Roscoe VFW. Call 815-742-4605 or 815-871-9307 to register and participate in the Chili Cook-Off. Good Luck and Happy Tasting to everyone!
I want to remind everyone that the annual Corned Beef & Cabbage dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 19th, from 4:30 until the food is gone. Cost of this dinner is $18.00 per person. Help will be needed from both VFW and Auxiliary members. If you can’t help, at least come to eat, and celebrate! More information on this later in the newsletter. Come on down and support your VFW and Auxiliary!
‑Tom Cleland, Editor
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Interesting signs from Vince the Sign Guy:
Why does Vitamin B have to be so complex?
The chicken went to the séance to cross to the other side.
Never ridicule your wife’s decisions – you were one of them.
When attorneys sleep, they take turns lying on both sides.
Lego stores closes – folks lined up for blocks.
The cashiers around here are always checking me out.
Would a 200-year-old buffalo be considered a bison-tennial?
Pretzels are knot bread!
Beer does not make you smarter Budweiser.
A zebra is 25 sizes larger than an “A” bra.
What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A stick.
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VFW and Auxiliary Monthly Meetings
The VFW holds its monthly meeting on the first Tuesday of each month; this month it is March 4th at 6:00 PM at the Post Home, 11385 2nd Street.
The Auxiliary will hold its monthly meeting on the first Monday of each month; this month it is March 3rd at 6:00 PM at the Post Home.
At this month’s VFW meeting, nominations for officers will be accepted from the floor. The nominations will remain open until the elections are held at the April 1st Post meeting. If you are interested in being elected as a Post officer, be sure you attend either (preferably both) the March and April Post meetings.
The Auxiliary will hold its election of officers at its April 7th meeting. If you are interested in becoming an Auxiliary officer, be sure to attend the meeting!
All VFW and Auxiliary members are invited to attend their respective meetings.
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VFW Post 2955/Auxiliary In-House and Community Activities
Blood Drive every quarter Honor Guard Memorial Day Parade
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony Saturday Meat Raffles
Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Drives Community Easter Egg Hunt
Participation in the Roscoe Fall Festival and Parade Corn Boil
Children’s School Supply Grants School Activities Sponsorship
Veterans’ Day School participation Red Shirt Friday
VFW Member Sponsorship in Horseshoe League Support Vets Roll
VFW and Auxiliary Membership Drives St. Patrick’s Day Dinner
Support Jaimie Cox Motorcycle Run Veterans’ Relief Fund
VFW Home for Children in Eaton Rapids, MI Host Firemen’s Dinner
Recognize Past District Commanders and Past District Auxiliary Presidents
Host Veterans’ Day Dinner Support Cancer Aid and Research
New Years’ Eve Toast to Veterans and Active-Duty Personnel
Voice of Democracy/Patriot’s Pen Contests and Awards Pizza Party
Auxiliary sends Christmas Cards/Valentines to Veterans Homes & Nursing Homes
Provides Support and Treats for Roscoe VFW Members Monthly Newsletter
Support for “Braveheart” Veteran Riding facility
Cookie Decorating with Santa
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Joint Statement From Commander Bill Graves/Auxiliary President JoAnn Cleland:
We are, and should be, very proud of what we, the Post and Auxiliary members, do here at Roscoe VFW Post 2955. We should be blowing our own horns every month because we have some very dedicated people who make this Post and Auxiliary outstanding examples of what we should be, and what we should do. We do not give ourselves enough credit where and when credit is due.
Everybody who participates, no matter how much or how little, is needed to make all the above activities successful. We know we may have missed some activity that is worth mentioning; but we tried not to! Please forgive us if we did.
We have more than 220 VFW members and over 120 Auxiliary members. If you would like to help in any of the above activities or programs, don’t be shy – you are welcomed and encouraged to get involved and participate!
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From Auxiliary President JoAnn Cleland:
I’m hoping everyone has their crockpots warmed up and ready for the Chili Cook-Off on March 1st. between 5:00 and 7:00 PM, at the Roscoe VFW. Be sure to call 815-742-4605 or 815-871-9307 to register and participate in the Chili Cook-Off. Good Luck and Happy Tasting to everyone!
Our VFW and Auxiliary members will be preparing Corned Beef & Cabbage on Wednesday, March 19th for our annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner. We will be serving the traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage with all the fixings from 4:30 until the food is gone. Cost of the dinner is $18.00 per person. Remember, help with the dinner is always appreciated.
At our last meeting, the Auxiliary held a School of Instruction (learning a few rules of parliamentary procedure, as well as following our Auxiliary Ritual.) At this month’s meeting, we hopefully will be welcoming as many of our new members as possible.
At next month’s (April 7th) meeting, we will be electing officers, so if you are interested in becoming an Auxiliary officer, make sure you attend the meeting!
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Voice of Democracy/Patriot’s Pen Awards Ceremony/Pizza Party:
On Tuesday February 4th, there was an awards ceremony conducted to distribute the awards to the students who participated in and won the top prizes in the Post/Auxiliary Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen contests. There were about seventy people in attendance, which included students, family, and friends, along with Post and Auxiliary members. Following the pizza party, the winning Voice of Democracy speech and the winning Patriot’s Pen speech were read.
Thanks to those who attended this ceremony to show your support of these students and listen to their winning speeches!
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Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner
This month the VFW/Auxiliary will be preparing and serving a dinner to be held on Wednesday, March 19th from 4:30 until the food is gone. This will be our traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner, the entree being corned beef & cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and bread. The cost is $18.00
per person.
Help will be needed for preparation and serving of the meal, and clean-up after the meal. Contact Cathy Suchoski to volunteer, or for more information.
Come on down, wearing your green, and enjoy a great dinner!
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Sixth District Meeting, Memorial Service & Poppy Display Judging
The next Sixth District meeting will be held on Sunday, March 16, 2025 at Jerry Celletti Post #5418, 217 First Avenue, Rock Falls, IL 61071. There will be a lunch served at Noon, the Memorial service will begin at 1:00 PM, and the meeting will follow at 2:00 PM. Any Poppy Displays need to
be there and set up by Noon.
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VFW Blood Drive Report
Post Blood Director Terry Walker has reported the results of the Post’s Winter Blood Drive, held February 11th and 12th. The drive resulted in
80 people showing up to donate, 11 of those being deferred, with a total of 66 pints of blood being collected.
The Spring Blood Drive will be May 20th and 21st. Thank you for giving!
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Taco Tuesday/Wienie Wednesday/Italian Beef Thursday
Come in on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday for a great meal, served by our fantastic bartenders. There is food available each of those days from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. We also have pizzas, Nacho Chips with Cheese, and Nacho Chips Supreme anytime! Ask your friendly bartender for details!
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REMEMBER RED SHIRT FRIDAY!!
RED SHIRT FRIDAY continues every Friday in the Canteen. The purpose of wearing a Red Shirt on Friday is to Remember Everyone Deployed. We will strive to continue wearing Red Shirts on Friday until there are no more military personnel deployed!
If you wear a Red Shirt into the Canteen on any Friday, you will receive your second drink free, after purchasing your first drink. (One free drink per person each Friday!)
Remember, we are wearing Red Shirts to Remember Everyone Deployed – not just to get a free drink!
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National Vietnam War Veterans Day
Saturday, March 29, 2025, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The “Vietnam War Veterans Act” officially designated March 29th as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, marking the day the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam in 1973.
Vietnam Veterans represented nearly 10% of their generation. They fought under challenging conditions, and when their service ended, were not always welcomed when they returned home. President Obama highlighted how many in this country treated our service members who served in Vietnam. “You were often blamed for a war you didn’t start when you should have been commended for serving your country with valor. You came home and sometimes were denigrated when you should have been celebrated.”
To all my Vietnam veteran brothers and sisters – “WELCOME HOME!”
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A female visitor, returning to Kuwait for the first time since the Gulf War, was quite impressed by the many new sociological changes. For example, on previous visits, she noted that women were customarily forced to walk some 5 steps behind their husbands.
Now, she observed the men were walking some 20 steps BEHIND their wives! She approached one of the women for an explanation: "Tell me, what has enabled women here to achieve this marvelous reversal of roles?"
"Land mines," replied the Kuwaiti woman.
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Upcoming Events
April 1 - VFW Meeting - Election of Officers
April 7 - Auxiliary Meeting - Election of Officers
April 29 - VFW Board of Directors’ meeting
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Historical Happenings
March 3 - 1931- “Star Spangled Banner” designated as National Anthem
March 5 - Ash Wednesday
March 9 - Daylight Savings Time begins
March 12 - 1912 - Girl Scouts of the USA founded
March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day
March 19 - 2003 - Iraq War begins
March 20 - First Day of Spring
March 24 - 1999 - Kosovo Campaign begins
March 29 - National Vietnam War Veterans Day
.