Women are no longer the only ones eligible for membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary.
Men related to someone who served in overseas combat are now welcome to join, too, thanks to a recent change in the VFW’s national bylaws.
‘We’re gender-free,? said Kathy Hubbard, president of VFW Auxiliary No. 334 based in Oxford. ‘I think we all need to embrace change because that’s what life is all about. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.?
Hubbard, a resident of Orion Township, believes it’s a much-needed change given that women now comprise nearly 20 percent of the U.S. military and many of them have served or continue to serve in combat zones around the world.
‘Why shouldn’t their husbands be able to join the Auxiliary? Sometimes you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes,? she said. ‘If I was a female veteran who had (gone overseas) and sacrificed, and my husband wanted to be part of the Auxiliary so we could do things together as a family, that would only be right.?
‘Our whole base is family-oriented,? noted Hubbard, whose husband Jim is a highly-decorated Vietnam veteran and commander of VFW Post 334. ‘Our veterans, their spouses and their children ? that’s what we’re all about.?
The door is now open to husbands, fathers, grandfathers, sons, grandsons and brothers of both male and female veterans, living or deceased, who served honorably in overseas combat and are (or were) eligible for VFW membership. Members must also be U.S. citizens and at least 16 years old.
‘It’s a privilege to be eligible (for auxiliary membership) and honor that veteran in your life that made so many sacrifices,? Hubbard said.
As a result of this change, VFW Auxiliary No. 334, chartered in September 2013, now consists of 120 female members and four male members.
‘Our first male members were my sons,? Hubbard said. ‘All three of my sons became life members.?
The fourth is Joe Kent, of Addison Twp.
‘I look forward to many men stepping up and being a part of the Auxiliary,? Hubbard said.
The mission of the VFW Auxiliary includes assisting veterans and bettering the lives of their spouses and children; promoting Americanism in the community; teaching children proper etiquette regarding the American flag; and helping support the VFW National Home for Children in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.
One of the Auxiliary’s primary goals is to make sure young people are well-versed in patriotism and their duties as citizens. This is accomplished through scholarships and programs like the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy contests, which are open to students in grades 6-8 and 9-12, respectively.
For more information, please visit www.vfwauxiliary.org
VFW Auxiliary No. 334 meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at Oxford American Legion Post 108 (130 E. Drahner Rd.).
To join, call Hubbard at (248) 693-6759.