Units encouraged to form parleys

By Donna Barbknecht

Units are encouraged to establish a Past Presidents Parley. (Like Veterans Day or Twins fans, is no apostrophe in the name.) This may be done on the district level also.

The parley is a group of past unit, district or department presidents. These parleys mentor and educate current or new members and officers, or members seeking offices. They help the meetings move toward a positive conclusion. They welcome new members, also.

Past Presidents Parley has an annual health care scholarship for the medical field. There are so many different avenues the medical field entails these days, so please review what all this scholarship may include as far as medical occupations. Rules and regulations for 2023-2024 as well as applications will be available on the department website.

Again, this year the Past Presidents Parley program will offer the Kienholz Walker Plaque Department Award. Award criteria is as follows: The unit submitting the best narrative on the activities the unit’s Past President Parley has done. These PPPs must be in existence prior to 2023. Award guidelines: Entry must be typewritten in narrative format, not to exceed 1,000 words. The entry may include no more than five pictures and news articles. Again, the parley must be in existence prior to 2023.

This year a new initiative is in place for units to organize a Past Presidents Parley. I have challenged the 10 district presidents to organize five new Past Presidents Parleys in their districts. A $50 gift card will be awarded at the Department Convention to the first district president to accomplish that.

Criteria for this is:

1. Phone number of the president of that unit with a new PPP must be provided to me so I can call and verify it is a new parley.

2. The new PPP must organize a clothing drive, a food drive or a school supply drive before the Department Convention. Pictures and results should be shared with me.

Please help your district president with this challenge. Please check the PPP page in the Unit Guidebook for tips on organizing these fun and useful organizations. Contribute to the PPP for the annual health care scholarship, also.