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2021 NATIONAL FOP BIENNIAL CONFERENCE REPORT
Retired Lodge 7 member Steven March- field has attended many national confer- ences, and he had praise for the amount of information available for officers at this year’s edition. Marchfield also observed what the National FOP can do to really help members.
“I think the effort is improving on the national level, but it’s only just started to move,” he suggested. “I think that they have to be in front of the narrative now more than following it. And that’s the prob- lem. I think the union follows the narrative and responds to it. We have to have our story out there. If we’re not being proactive, we’re going to get lost in the shouting.”
The business of the conference includ- ed reports from officers, past presidents, national trustees, general counsel and the more than 30 committees that work year- round on behalf of members and filled 350 pages of the conference program. Those included labor services, officer wellness, legal defense, border safety, critical inci- dent media response, cold case, pension and safety and technology, among others.
There were also some heartwarming
and rousing moments, including Florida Governor DeSantis appearing on behalf of the Miami FOP Lodge’s bid to host the 2025 conference. DeSantis was not on the agen- da, and when he was introduced, delegates erupted in a chant of “U-S-A, U-S-A,” a treatment last heard for the previous Re- publican to occupy the Oval Office.
The words from and about Chica- go Lodge 7 did pump up the volume on messages of inspiration and action from the podium. When national officers had a chance to make statements, there were some thoughts that the National FOP must live up to during the coming years.
As President Yoes commented, “United, no one can stop us from speaking with one voice for America’s law enforcement.”
National Vice President Gamaldi added, “As long as we are up here, as sure as you were born and as long as we are breathing, we will make sure that we defend the hard work of the men and women of law en- forcement. We are going to continue to de- fend and kick ass at the appropriate times.”
And then National Secretary Jimmy Hol- derfeld seemed to speak directly to the Illi-
nois delegation when he offered a closing remark: “Let’s get down to business. Let’s knock out all this bull crap. Let’s fight the wars.”
Chicago Lodge 7 members join the Illinois Delegation in standing for the opening cere- monies.
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2021 47
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