Page 4 - Desert Oracle August 2019

President’s Corner

Happy July to all my Brothers and Sisters in the Arizona Chapter Paralyzed
Veterans of America.

We are starting a new fiscal year soon with our new Board of Directors. I
would like to thank all those who have volunteered and served this Chapter
in the past.

We have an old face back at the National Directors job; Vice-President
Gordon H. Moye. We feel Gordon will be the right person to train our next

Director. I say this because as the Board has grown again we still need to
find younger Veterans to learn our jobs. With that in mind we will be trying
to add new Veterans to our Chapter. If you’re interested in learning about
advocacy/legislature or the National Director’s job, please come forward.

One of our goals this year is to start working on rebuilding our membership.
Since the VA can’t advertise we need to get the state to help us find

Veterans who can use the SCI/D Clinic.

We had a light turnout for the Nation Veterans Wheelchair Games in
Louisville this year. Eight Veterans competed and I heard that one of our

long time coaches was doing her last year. We would like to thank Karen
Gialle for all her time and patience with our athletes over the last 20+

years. Hopefully new members and a willingness to follow the Chapter
games rules and we will be back up to 15+ going to Portland. Please call
the Chapter Office for the rules to follow if you want the Chapter to sponsor
you to the games.

Our loan closet has really been amazing. We have people delivering almost
every day and they are happy to do so. I haven’t checked but with the

activity of the office staff, I’d say we will easily top last year’s numbers.

I am looking forward to another great term as your Chapter President and
want you to feel free to contact me when you need to.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of summer.

Leonard Smith, President