11th ACVVC President
Frank T. Church, G Troop 2/11, 8/1969-8/1970 Frank T Church |
President's Message
By: Frank T. Church
2nd Quarter, 2024
It is said that the only constant in life is
change. Our age brings change to our bodies and our minds. It brings
change to our family life and social interactions. Change is brought
by world, national and regional events. The war we were placed in
during our youth, whether by our own choice or that of our
government of that time, changed us forever. We came home a changed
person and had to adapt to a changed world. Some of us were able to
resume our lives as we had originally planned but most of us had a
very difficult period of adjustment. Some of us are still not there.
Change is unavoidable and the acceptance of it is difficult but we
must to survive.
Any Trooper we lose saddens us and each one will have an impact on
the organization and the ones who were close to them. When we lose
part of our leadership team it can leave a huge gap in the
functioning of the 11ACVVC. Most changes are created by unexpected
events, and we must react to them. If we can anticipate a loss by an
officer choosing not to seek reelection or their health deteriates
to the point of not being able to serve we can act proactively and
minimize the impact.
Our organization started with a very small group and grew. With that
growth came necessary changes because of that growth, and we
adapted. That adaptation required us to take steps to conform to the
rules and norms that applied to a formal nonprofit military
organization. The rapid increase in membership required us to seek
larger venues to hold our reunions. For a few years we held reunions
in a city of a trooper who volunteered to organize it. That soon
became too much for one person to handle and was beginning to cost
more than it should. We had to modify our approach and went to a
professional organization to help with selecting reunion sites and
prices, that was very successful, so successful we still use them.
It was a very positive change. Our reunion attendance grew and
attracted a thousand troopers and their families regularly. With our
larger numbers we could secure a site in any city we chose and got
very affordable pricing.
About 5 years ago the rate of our decrease in numbers was becoming
very apparent. The 11th ACVVC Officers began to consider how to cope
with that. We had a basic plan on how to make changes to adjust.
Then the biggest change in our lives came with Covid. We lost many
members because of that. Our membership numbers declined at an even
more rapid rate. Our reunion attendance plummeted. So, we had to
rethink our long-range plans. Post Covid came with a huge increase
in costs of everything. We were not immune to that and again we had
to adjust.
It is the responsibility of the Officers of the 11thACVVC to manage
the organization and they willingly accept this. We do not have the
need for a large hotel nor can our members absorb the cost that
comes with them. We do not have the bargaining power that we once
had. We send out requests for proposals to all those favorite big
name and glamorous cities we have gone to in the past but our
opportunities with them are very limited or not there at all. This
is one of those changes our membership, and officers, are having
difficulty in adjusting to.
Change does not have to be a bad thing. There are many smaller
cities that are very much interested in hosting our reunions. They
do not have the allure of larger cities but can provide a very
comfortable and affordable site. Grand Rapids is one example and I
believe Omaha will also be rated on the same scale.
Our reunion requirements and the management of the 11th ACVVC will
continue to change but what will never change is our desire to meet
every year with our buddies we served with in Vietnam and the new
friends we make at the reunions. That is the constant behind the
decisions we make for the organization. We may not always get it
perfect but together we can make the impact of change easier for all
of us.
"We were, we are, and will always be “Blackhorse Troopers”!
Frank