Northern Virginia Fools News

Archive for October 2008

Letter From Your Chapter President

without comments

Members,

      It’s already October, and it has been a very busy summer for most of our chapter members.  Most have been kept busy with work, volunteer time, kids, and even some lucky few have taken that well deserved break from it all, and went on a vacation.  This, as some of you have asked, is why we haven’t had a chapter membership meeting in a few months. 

      Although our chapter did not attend this year’s Fools Convention in Seattle, our chapter will be affected by what went on there.  For the first time, part of the convention was dedicated to hands-on training and by order of the Fools International Executive Board, this shall be the standard for all future conventions.  Many good things came out of this years’ convention.  The passing on of the ‘torch’ from the original Founding Fools to the new Executive Board; the mandate of hands-on training at future conventions; the establishment of a Health and Wellness component to our philosophy; the establishment of guidelines for local chapters, like ours, to become non-profit organizations; the re-establishment of friendships and the networking of new friends during that week.  The International has added a new position to our organization.  Captain Mike Dugan, L123 FDNY, has taken on the task of overseeing the Fools training program.  Mike will be responsible for all HOT training as well as the training content on the International’s web site.  This is a great addition to the International, and we look forward to working with Mike in the future.

      One item that will directly affect our chapter is the establishment of annual dues to be collected from each chapter paid to the International.  This idea has been in the works for almost two years to help offset the International’s operational costs.  The International was not being supported enough by the one-time membership fees of $10 per person for new applicants.  We will be paying these yearly dues to the International no later than January 1st of each year starting in 2009. 

      That brings me to my next topic.  Dues.  As all of you know, our chapter’s membership dues are only $20 per year and are due every April 1st.  We currently have approximately 100 members listed in our records, but only have 30 members who are up to date.  Some members, despite the April 1st deadline, finally paid their dues as late as last month.  I understand the hard economic times that our country is in, and I don’t know each member’s financial status.  If you are unable to pay your dues on time, that’s fine; contact me and let me know.  I keep everything, to that nature, 100% private.  We can work through your issue.  On that note, I have no choice but to drop those members who haven’t paid this year’s dues.  If you are dropped, you will still retain your status with Fools International, and will have the option to re-join at any time with a new application.  By doing this, we keep our chapter full of those firefighters who remain dedicated to what Fools stands for.  It will also determine how much our chapter has to pay to the International because the amount we owe is based on how many active members our chapter has.  Please pay your dues on time each year.  The money we collect from dues, and chapter events throughout the year, go directly back to you by offsetting money for training, trips, meetings, and our involvement with upcoming conventions.  The web site will be updated soon with a page dedicated to a list of current, active members.  Once published, please feel free to contact me if your name is not on the list.

      Meetings this year have been few and far between.  With everyone’s busy schedules it is very hard to hold meetings on days where everyone can attend.  I do remember, however, that we would pack the back room at O’Meara’s full when we first started.  I’m not sure if some of you lost interest, were upset that we don’t go to O’Meara’s anymore, or just don’t check your emails or the website.  The few meetings that we have held recently have only yielded between 3 and 7 people at the most.  Even the announcement of free beer at meetings didn’t bring anyone out.  We have tried to move meetings around within the different jurisdictions to make sure meetings were being held at various locations so more folks could attend.  The membership voted to do that.  The very first meeting after that only the usual crowd of members, mostly the EBoard, showed up.  All we ask from each member is that you attend at least a few meetings a year so we can keep things up and running.  If you are not at the meetings, then you miss out on your say in how we operate, where we spend our money, and more importantly how and when we conduct our training.  Please feel free to email me with any ideas you have to help make our meetings more convenient for you, the membership, to attend.  Please make every effort to attend the next few meetings.  We need to continue to show our pride at our meetings by bringing our lids.  We will be discussing how to make our chapter better, and how we can start being more involved within the International.  The website gets updated with meeting times and location.

      It was unfortunate that we had to cancel our Engine and Truck Company Operations training weekend back in April.  Due to an asbestos issue at the facility, we had no choice but to cancel by orders of the facility’s manager.  The facility is back open for us to use with a list of a few areas that are still off-limits.  The Brotherhood Bash that was held at Mackey’s Pub in Manassas went well despite the cancelling of the training.  A good time was had by all, including a lot of new faces.  Since then, however, there doesn’t seem to be much interest in chapter happenings lately.  We have made the decision to cancel our annual Saving Our Own training weekend due to lack of interest.  Last year we had an overwhelming showing of over forty firefighters from all over attend.  As I write this letter, only four people have signed up.  The members of your EBoard have made the decision to cut our losses and cancel yet another great opportunity to get together and train.  I would like to thank Brothers Kevin Franzello, Tony Carroll, John Bryant, Jared Goff, and Jeremy Pope for all of their ongoing hard work and dedication to our chapter’s training.  Again, if we as a chapter can do things differently, or hold better training, please let us know.  We have had members in the past raise their hands and volunteer for committees, but to be honest, I can’t seem to remember any of their names anymore.  Our chapter’s training is held for its members.  Some seem to think that we host training events to raise money and see how many out-of-area departments we can get to attend.  These training events, no matter how big or how small, are here for you; the membership.  Please try to get more involved with the training aspect of our chapter as well.  I recently talked with our International’s new President, firefighter Eric DePoto from Charlotte, North Carolina.  He is going to be in our area and was going to pay us a visit during our Saving Our Own weekend.  I had to contact him and let him know that it was cancelled.  He just recently returned from training out in Wichita where the Fools of OZ, Wheat State Fools, and the Mid-America Fools put on a two day event where there were over 300 participants.  I guess I’m a little disappointed that we only have 4 people interested in our two day event.

      We will be hosting another firefighter auction sometime this spring.  The committee decided that due to the hard economic times, holidays, and the potential for inclimate weather, that we will no longer hold the auction during the winter months.  Hopefully we will be able to raise some more money for the DC Firefighter Burn Foundation by moving it to April or May.  Please keep an eye out for more information on our web site.  Brother Dan Keyes has been working hard on this year’s auction and has even gone as far as creating a dedicated web site for our auction.  Thank you Brother Keyes for doing this; as well as your company’s donation to keep the site up and running.  If anyone is interested in helping with our upcoming firefighter auction, please contact Brother Dan Keyes.

     Well, we will be re-organizing our chapter over the next few months to hopefully give our great organization a new jump start into the New Year.  I have been in touch with the Central Maryland Fools recently who have expressed interest in working with each other when it comes to hosting upcoming training and events.  It is also my goal, as your chapter president, to see to it that we become much more involved with the International.  This includes sending a delegation of members to Maine to attend the 2009 Fools International Convention, to be hosted by our brothers from New England.  We will try to see what the chapter can pay for to minimize the cost to our members. 

     Please remember that we are here for each other, as well as to continue the traditions of the fire service through brotherhood and training.  Remember why you joined Fools?  If anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  Stay safe.

 

Fraternally,

Keith Bresnahan

President

Northern Virginia Fools

FTM-PTB-RFB

Written by northernvirginiafools

October 16, 2008 at 1:46 pm

Posted in Chapter News

Open Letter From Jersey Fools President

without comments

By: Bill Hobson
teacher_ocfa@juno.com
President
Jersey FOOLS

 

 

10 Years Later…. Is your Chapter FOOLing the International?

At the completion of the initial decade for F.O.O.L.S. International, the movement which has become the F.O.O.L.S. has morphed from a collection of thoughts from five individuals, into a world wide organization which now encompasses more than 200 Chapters. Few, if any of the Founding Members, foresaw the organization we are privileged to be part of.  From its humble beginnings – to now, the creation of the F.O.O.L.S. has not only expanded the “Voice of the Brotherhood” but has perhaps, more importantly, strengthened the BOND by which true F.O.O.L.S. and their Chapters, exhibit today. Thus, 10 years later, it is only fair to ask if your Chapter still has True F.O.O.L.S. or has your Chapter morphed into the an organization which is FOOLing the International?  In a span of a single decade, the entire F.O.O.L.S. nation has witnessed incredible growth in new Chapters and an outright explosion in its total membership. What was originally intended for single Fire Departments to gather like minded members, the F.O.O.L.S. movement has united States, galvanized the cry for better training and has harnessed the passion, dedication and desire so many of us true F.O.O.L.S. believe.   While the growth of the Chapters has been a boom to the overall F.O.O.L.S. movement, the explosion of the entire International membership has come with a price. That price was the unintended inability for the Founding Members to firmly cement the Chapter charter process and to formulate a universal status for admitting Chapter members. In the beginning, it seemed as if all of the “good guys” either formed Chapters or became members of a local Chapter. In the beginning, it seemed all of the Chapters looked to the Founding Members as the Executive Board for the Brotherhood. In the beginning, it seemed ALL of the Chapters understood THEY served the International. In the beginning, it seemed the F.O.O.L.S. could have influence in where we were trained, how we were trained and why we should continue to train.   In the beginning, the growth of the F.O.O.L.S. seemed only matched by the enthusiasm for the F.O.O.L.S. In the beginning, it was RARE to find a Chapter who did not believe in an “all for one and the one is the International”.   Suddenly, before the F.O.O.L.S. were five years old, an International Convention was born. D.T.R.T. became part of the F.O.O.L.S. lexicon and Psalm trees and RV’s everywhere were under siege.  Suddenly, before the end of the first F.O.O.L.S. decade, something changed.  Perhaps the now noticeable change gained its roots during a very trying two year period where the character, integrity and allegiance of some of the earliest and most loyal F.O.O.L.S. members was called into question. Few Chapters, if any, want to re-visit that section of the International Guestbook. It seemed, for a time, individual Chapters (more importantly the International) witnessed the betrayal of supposed “loyal members” and watched as dedicated, passionate, F.O.O.L.S. members got crushed by the very entities which the spirit of the F.O.O.L.S. was designed to fight.  While many original F.O.O.L.S. are relieved that episode is ancient history, there is still the issue of individual Chapters who fail to realize the International is only as strong as the Chapters they charter.  During the 2007 International Convention in New Jersey, the F.O.O.L.S. executive Board laid out an agenda for the next decade of the F.O.O.L.S. Incorporated into that agenda was the need to address what had become of the Chapters who believe they no longer need the International and have become an “Independent” so to speak, who continues to carry the F.O.O.L.S. moniker.  As the International Executive Board explained “It is time to take some action”. That action is figuring out where your membership is. Has your Chapter remained true to its faith and completely followed the “mission” of the F.O.O.L.S.? Or has your Chapter allowed its membership to steer a course where the International Executive Board needs to remind you of how you got to be a Chapter in the first place.  The “Call to action” here is to remind those, who need reminding, that there seems to be (in the last part of the F.O.O.L.S. decade) two “types” of F.O.O.L.S. Chapters. Those who never forgot where they came from and those who cannot seem to find their INTERNATIONAL membership card.  Thus, it continues to be fair to ask: “Are you a F.O.O.L.S. Chapter or is your membership FOOLing the International”?  Perhaps we only need to remind ourselves that the “Brotherhood” has always been there. If you do not believe that, then you do not understand the history and tradition of the Fire Service. I doubt, there are many F.O.O.L.S. who do not believe those who served many generations before us felt the same way we do, they simply did not have the F.O.O.L.S. as a tool to unite them.  If there is any current F.O.O.L.S. member who still does not get that, they only need to look at the many Chapter coins which feature the phrase “I have but one ambition…..”  Over the last 24 months, it seems fair to put forth the notion that F.O.O.L.S. International, as we know it, has reached a cross roads. In the last two years, a record number of Chapters have become inactive; the number of new Chapters has dramatically decreased, yet, the applications for membership into the International has continued to climb. At the 2007 International Convention, the International Executive Board recognized this cross roads and proclaimed to the record number of attendees that steps were going to be taken to address those Chapters and those members, who have lost touch with D.T.R.T., KTF, EGH, RFB, PTB, FTM.  It is here, in this article, another “call to action” is WHY WAIT for the International to do – when all we really need to do, is look inside ourselves.  You do not have to be from the largest Chapter to understand that “quality, not quantity” will immediately fuel the plans for the next decade, which the International has suggested. We must never forget the entire F.O.O.L.S. universe was created by five individuals. They were, the “meeting point” so many of us had been waiting for.  This article is not to suggest the majority of the Chapters have “lost their way” and that every Chapter must have some “non-desirables”. Quite to contrary, this article is suggesting that the momentum and agenda, we witnessed birth to at the 2007 Convention can only BEGIN and SUCCEED, when we COLLECTIVELY clean our own houses and return to the original concept of “All for one and that one is the International”.  Every Chapter President and Chapter Executive Board is faced with this very situation. How they answer the “call to action” will say much about the “status” of their Chapter. If five people can create what we have today, then five people, in every Chapter can adjust, correct and control what is created from here.  How is it, we can create “F.O.O.L.S. International” Chapters, yet, the International continues to struggle? How is it every Chapter is NOT working on ways to have representation at the International Convention? Even if it is only a single Chapter member. How is it all the momentum from the 2007 Convention died a slow death? How is it we did not “collectively” censor individual Chapter members who clearly violated the very International “Oath” they proudly accepted, when they received their INTERNATIONAL membership card?  There is NO SINGLE, PERFECT Chapter, in the known F.O.O.L.S. organization. All of us (including the International) has shown our warts from time to time.  It is with great hope that those who have read this article understand the intent of this article is to inspire individual Chapters to accept the Internationals “call to action”. True F.O.O.L.S. should never complain about seeing the “same group of members” at either your Chapter gathering, Chapter events or at International events.  When you are with the “same group”, aren’t you really with the Chapter members who never left the F.O.O.L.S. in the first place?  So decide, 10 years later, are you a F.O.O.L.S. Chapter? Or, is your membership FOOLing the International by forgetting where we all came from? No single person should be greater than the organization they represent. Here’s to the notion that no single F.O.O.L.S. Chapter should be greater than the INTERNATIONAL they represent.  D.T.R.T. The next decade of the F.O.O.L.S. may very well determine the legacy of the F.O.O.L.S. Here’s hoping your INTERNATIONAL chapter pitches in and ensures there will be a next generation of the F.O.O.L.S.  KTF.

The above article is submitted by Bill Hopson to all F.O.O.L.S. members nationwide, President of the Jersey F.O.O.L.S. His International membership number is 1099.

Written by northernvirginiafools

October 16, 2008 at 8:12 am

Posted in Chapter News