AMVETS Riders and Supporters,
 
I am honored to serve as National Riders Treasurer for the past 5½ years, we are almost half way through another year and Riders have a lot going on across the Nation as usual.

First I would like to remind everyone to make sure to file their 990 for their Chapter and Department if you haven’t already.

At National Riders we have a $250- death benefit, plus we have 3 $1,000- Scholarships and you can find the applications for both on the website under the publications tab.

​This year our new National Riders 2nd Vice John Reando has developed a great gun raffle to raise money for National Riders, PLEASE PARTICIPATE!! This fund raiser is what helps us from increasing dues and also allows us to have the Death Benefit and Scholarship funds, both of these funds were developed to give back to the Membership.

At National we have worked very hard at cutting expenses in order to maintain these benefits and still be able to do everything else needed to support the Riders Organization and we need this fund raiser to succeed in order to balance our budget.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Mid-Year in Florida.
 
LRB,
Dan Macdonald
AMVETS Riders
National Treasurer  
dnmacdonald@aol.com
(319) 415-2822        

​Riders Nation,

Thank you for electing me to serve as your National 2nd Vice during the Norfolk convention.  

For those of you that don't know me, I am a life member of AMVETS Post 48 in De Soto, Missouri and an Army National Guard Veteran.  I enlisted in 1984 and served six years, including two trips overseas.

I joined the AMVETS in 2008 and became a charter member of Riders Chapter 48 in 2009.  In 2013 I took office as the Chapter 1st Vice, and was elected Chapter President the following year.  Since that time, I have held the offices of Department 2nd Vice, 1st Vice, and for the past two years I have served as Riders President of the Department of Missouri.

Since 2013, I have attended all National Mid-Years and Conventions.  I have served on the Programs, Membership, Bylaws, and Mid-Year committees.
 
I am looking forward to this coming year, working with all of you on your programs, reporting and continuing Tom McNamara's work with the Long Range Plan.

LRB/LRS,
John Reando, RN2V
jreando5@gmail.com
(314) 277-1038

1st place -  Alan Smith, Ohio
2nd place - Amy McDowell, GA
3rd place -  John Hardy, GA 
​
LRB,

Tom McNamara
National 1st Vice
AMVETS Riders

Tickets will be available at the AMVETS National Convention, or can be purchased directly from Tom McNamara:

Tom McNamara, RN2V
Phone: (678) 463-2987
E-mail: hueycchief@yahoo.com

Drawing to be held August 12th, 2017 during the Convention Meeting​

​NATIONAL AMVETS RIDERS
Fund Raiser Lottery Cards
 
The purpose of the fund raiser is for the Chapters and Departments to be involved in helping the National Riders keep membership dues down at their current level. The fund raiser cards are available to your Department and Chapters to aid in fundraising for the National AMVETS Riders and your Chapter. This is a year-round fund raiser and cards can be requested from this point forward. Cards are valid for play on the 1st day of the following month after received and processed at National.
 
Your Riders National Officers are committed to donating to charities, scholarships, and death benefits for our members. Our obligation to the Chapters and Departments is creating and developing training aids that instruct and clarify membership, program reporting issues, and resolve CBL issues. Sometimes this requires National Officer travel. So, to offset the cost, the fundraisers were created. Participation in this fundraiser also fulfils one requirement for a Chapter to qualify for the National “Quality Chapter” award.
 
Instructions are included on the card for the participant. The participant can pick their own three digit numbers. The intent is for the Chapter to request a donation of $20 per card BUT the Chapters keep $5 of that donation, so both National and Chapters benefit from the fund raiser. When you remit the card you only send $15 per card to National. The gaming will be played seven (7) days a week and use the “PICK 3” numbers from the Ohio Lottery drawn at 7:30 pm EST. Pay outs are $25 per winner, per day. You may win as many times through the year as your number is drawn. Please make sure the name, address, and phone number are LEGIBLE, or we cannot mail the check to the winner, at which time it then becomes a donation to the National organization.
 
To request the cards, contact the Riders National 2nd Vice, Tom McNamara via email; hueycchief@yahoo.com or request online.
 
Please submit participant card AND $15 per entry to the National AMVETS Riders;
RNT Dan Macdonald
1422 Iowa St.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
 
Thank you for your participation.
 
 LRB/LRS,
    National fund raising Committee
    National AMVETS Riders

General:
Sharing information is critical to the continued success and future development of AMVETS and AMVETS Riders Programs. Your reports become the basis of our report card as a Veteran Service Organization to Congress and the public at large as we work on behalf of veterans and this nation’s citizens. AMVETS is a Congressionally Chartered Veteran service organization and as such we as an organization must report to Congress on our participation in our communities. The “Values” reported are utilized to give AMVETS a stronger voice on the congressional floor and add to the clout given to the National Commander to be heard on important issues concerning Veterans today.
It also fulfills an IRS accountability requirement we must meet as a tax-exempt organization at all levels.  If a Chapter were to get audited, you must be able to show what you have done with your time and money to keep your tax exempt status.
 
A consortium of over 500 volunteer organizations relies on the formulas of the Independent Sector. The Dept. of Veterans Affairs also uses these criteria to account for and report VAVS hours. Currently the figure is $19.51 for volunteer hours. (Uncompensated workers.) And the mileage is determined by the IRS guidelines that authorize standard Volunteer Mileage Expense deductions, which is currently .14 cents and that is how we come up with the Programs Values.
 
Submission:
You have the capability of reporting online and submitting your records electronically. The
online system is very user friendly and may be accessed directly using the report programs tab on the bottom of any page the www.amvetsridersnational.org website or the AMVETS National Website: www.amvets.org/amvets-in-action/reporting-programs. Your Department and National leadership will receive your online report immediately when you hit the submit button. User instructions are incorporated on the pages, however, if you still have questions or need assistance in utilizing the online reporting program; please call the Riders National 2nd Vice President at (319) 382-2484, extension 3. You may also contact the AMVETS Programs Department toll free at 877-726-8387, extension 4031, or download the Programs Reporting Manual at: http://www.amvets.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Online-ReportingGuide.pdf.
 
What not to report:
•Chapter meetings (including set up, take down, buying food/drinks, etc.) Hanging out at the
   Post canteen for comradery
•Department/National conferences/SEC/NEC/Conventions
•Volunteer events for other organizations (i.e. if you volunteer at a Ladies Auxiliary event,
   because they claim it. We can’t double dip).
•Coaching a little league team / volunteer activity such as volunteer firefighter, not directly
   related to your Chapter or AMVETS.
•Attending a luncheon for another organization
•Any volunteer hours served in the VA Medical Center or VA related center (health care
   centers, outpatient centers, veteran’s homes, etc.) These hours are reported through the VA
 
Activities to Report (Just a sampling):
•Attending a school or Eagle Scout meeting to tell students about the Americanism contest
•Mileage and hours associated with any and all Military Funeral Honors
•Fundraising activities, including time, mileage and money spent buying supplies and setting up
    for the event
•Time spent taking a sick or hospitalized veteran to and from doctor’s appointments
•All the volunteers and their hours for your events, even if they are from other organizations (i.e. American Legion Riders riding in your Poker run can be reported under your programs)
•Riding in a parade for Memorial Day with your AMVETS Riders vest
•Supporting and attending local Stand Downs in your area
•Mileage and hours for visiting Veterans in a retirement home
•Conducting or supporting Troop Return celebrations
 
Deadlines:
Chapters are required to make a report to their respective Departments at a minimum of twice each year. The six-month calendar periods, January – June and July – December. However, with
online reporting, you may make your reports at any time and they will automatically be shared
with your Chapter, Department and National Officers immediately. They will also be automatically included in the bi-annual National reports without any additional action on your part.
 
This Programs Guide has been designed to help you set up, run, and report programs for your Chapters and for Department 2nd Vices to understand what is required of the Chapters. Department 2nd Vices should strive to become the product expert to be able to help your Chapters.
 
LRB/LRS,
 
Tom McNamara
National 2nd Vice
AMVETS Riders

The 2016 LRP will be discussed and finalized at the 2016 Convention in Reno.

LRP - Draft

INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPORTING YOUR PROGRAMS
​
Go to:  www.amvets.org    (This is the NATIONAL AMVETS site)
Scroll to the bottom (footer), click on:  Reporting Programs under ‘AMVETS in Action’
Click on the blue button: Login to Online Reporting
On the next page under NEW USER, enter your membership number.
Follow the prompts to get registered.
Once registered, go to RETURN USER SIGN IN
Enter your MEMBERSHIP # and your PASSWORD.
Click:  LOGIN
Click on:  ADD NEW PROGRAM DATA
On Post #:  put in your RIDERS CHAPTER #
Department is your STATE.
Under PROGRAM CATEGORY, click on the down arrow on the right.
Scroll down to * RIDERS CHAPTERS (only)
Tab over to COMMENT block.  Put in a brief explanation of your program.
Tab to VOLUNTEERS and enter the # of volunteers.
Do the same with the # of HOURS, # of MILES, the ACTIVITY COST, & CASH DONATION. 
The TOTAL VALUE OF PROGRAMS will populate.
When you are done entering all your programs, click on PREVIEW DATA (Step 1 of 2)
On the following page you will click SUBMIT DATA (step 2 of 2).

Please direct all questions to:

Tom McNamara, RN2V
National 2nd Vice
95 Cypress Place
Winder, GA 30680
Phone: (319) 382-2484 Ext. 3
E-mail: hueycchief@yahoo.com