2015 May Bulletin

 

May is Military Appreciation Month

The Butte Exchange Club has many members who are veterans or currently active in the military. Although we appreciate all you do every month of the year, please know that we take this special opportunity in the Month of May to sincerely thank you for your service to our country.

We are so proud of all you have done. You are wonderful representatives of the Butte Exchange Club.

Thank you and God bless you for your service to our country and our club.

 

The following is taken from http://www.military.com/military-appreciation-month

National Military Appreciation Month

Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to ensure the nation was given the opportunity to publically demonstrate their appreciation for the sacrifices and successes made by our service members – past and present. Each year the president makes a proclamation, reminding Americans of the important role the U.S. Armed Forces have played in the history and development of our country.

May was selected because it has most days set aside for celebrating and commemorating our military’s achievements. These days include Loyalty Day, which was established in 1921, Victory in Europe (VE) Day commemorating the end of WWII in Europe on May 8, 1945, Armed Forces Day created in 1949, Military Spouse Appreciation Day established in 1984, and of course the best known of the May holidays, Memorial Day.

Memorial Day, is the only federal holiday in May and is celebrated on the last Monday of the month. The day, dating from the Civil War era, traditionally has marked recognition of those who have died in service to the nation. Each year on Memorial Day, the White House Commission on Remembrance promotes one minute of silence at 3 p.m. local time to honor the military’s fallen comrades and to pay tribute to the sacrifices by the nation’s service members and veterans.

National Military Appreciation Month: What’s It All About?

National Military Appreciation Month started as a simple idea; to gather America around its military family to honor, remember, recognize and appreciate those who have served and those now serving and to know the history behind it all. Subsequent formal legislation informs our service members that their country has set aside an entire month to honor, remember and appreciate them.

In 1999, legislation passed in the U.S. Senate designating May as National Military Appreciation Month, with the support and sponsorship of Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) of San Diego and over 50 veteran service organizations. In April 2004 more comprehensive legislation was passed by unanimous consent of both Houses of Congress, H. Con. Res. 328 (see below) , that May is National Military Appreciation Month and urges the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the American people to recognize this special month of May through appropriate ceremonies and events.

Message from Mrs. Deborah Mullen, a Navy mom and wife of Admiral Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

I can personally attest to the inner strength military families develop through deployments, frequent moves and new cultural experiences. There is, of course, much to love about a military life and a lot to value about the richness and diversity it brings to our children’s perspectives.

But as I meet with military families across the country, it is clear to me that a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan has challenged them, stretched them, and tested their resilience and strength in unprecedented ways.

That reality isn’t always readily seen or understood by the rest of America.

My husband Michael speaks frequently on this topic. He notes that today, less than 1 percent of our nation’s population serves in uniform.

We are concerned that people who used to have day-to-day connections with military men and women and their families may not know much about them anymore, so they are simply unaware of the stress and challenges these families face ‘ a situation compounded by the fact that most military families bear their burdens quietly.

It is evident to me that people care and want to help. Often, they just don”t know what to do to support our military families in the ways they need it most, particularly as they transition back to their communities and to civilian life.

That’s why April’s Month of the Military Child and May’s Military Appreciation Month are important efforts that help us get moving in the right direction. They keep us talking. They offer avenues for appreciation and action. These things can only strengthen the connections between communities and our military. I also believe they can only strengthen our country.

There are many ways, big and small, to get involved. However people choose to support, the concept is straightforward. Our military men and women and their families do so much and sacrifice so much to take care of America. This is about doing everything we can to ‘ together ‘ take care of them ‘ not just in April or May but year round.

District Update

District President, Jim Stilwell, has provided updated schedule information for the Yellowstone District Convention. The convention will be held at Big Sky on June 26th and 27th. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Hold these dates open for an exciting District Convention. ( Exchange Club members only.)  For a complete agenda go to http://butteexchangeclub.org/wp-content/uploats/2015/03/Convention-Agenda.pdf.

Jim asks that you please make your reservations as soon as possible.

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Yellowstone District Convention will be held in Big Sky Montana June 26th and 27th. Please make your reservations as soon as possible.   
  • This year’s Field of Honor event will be held on September 10th through the 13th.   Please reserve these dates and be thinking of honorees and potential sponsors. If you would like to help, please attend the next committee meeting on June 3rd at noon in the conference room in the Hennessy Building.Your help and participation in greatly appreciated (butteexchangeclub.org) for the application and instructions.Please note: Organizations wishing to apply for a Field of Honor Grant must have their applications in by June 2nd. Please direct interested folks to the BEC website
  • July 4th – Give a Kid a Flag and 4th of July Parade.

Speakers

  • 6/2/15                   Mick Delaney                                       Coaching Reflections
  • 6/9/15                   Delores Cooney                                   Mining Museum
  • 6/16/15                 Shannon Temple                                 Youth and Government
  • 6/23/15                Tasha Whitefield                                 Butte Rescue Mission
  • 6/30/15                Jim Stilwell and Tom Daniel            Trip to Europe

Excel Club Update

Exchange Club President, Leo Prigge, reported that our new Excel Club is moving along nicely. The Board has discussed the need for an advisory committee to oversee the club and its activities. This committee will be fun, interesting, rewarding, and require a low time commitment.

So you all know what you are signing up for, here is the role of the committee as I see it:

  1. Send at least one Exchange member to each of the Excel Club’s main meetings, which have typically been at 7:45 – 8:25 at the High School.  The attending Exchange Club member merely needs to observe, take notes, provide advice/support if asked.  We just want to have a presence.  
  2. Facilitate communication between the two clubs.  The Excel Club should have an idea of what Exchange has going on and vice versa.
  3. Create an Excel Club budget for our club to help subsidize its dues, etc. as necessary (especially early on). 
  4. I don’t anticipate this committee meeting as a whole very much, if at all.  The internal committee operations can be done via email.

COMMUNICATIONS

Update and Reminder

The Communications Committee would like to remind you that we rely on committee chairmen and all club members to send us meeting announcements, stories and photos since we cannot be present at Club events. Please use your cell phones and capture some fun photos to send us.

Please send all details on upcoming events & speakers to:     info@butteexchangeclub.org

If you have taken photos at Club events that you want to share, please send them to:info@butteexchangeclub.org (cell phone shots are OK)

Need help? Call: Elyse Lewis –Public Relations Chairman – 565-0801

Bulletin Editor – Penny McElroy

Mobile: (406) 490-1946 Home: (406) 494-2731

E-mail: pamcelroy7@gmail.com