FROM THE PRESIDENT VVAA VICTORIAN BRANCH - TO ALL SUB-BRANCH COMMITTEES
We have all been bombarded with advice from Governments and health authorities on how to protect ourselves from the virus. Frankly, if we haven’t got the message by now, we never will.
This email title may seem a bit melodramatic. However, we sit in State Council meetings and Sub-Branch meetings and tell ourselves how we do welfare better than anyone else, well COVID-19 will test that, and will test whether we just pay lip service to our motto or whether we are prepared to live it for our members.
By now, most of us, if not all of us have had our day to day life disrupted in so many different ways. What I want to focus on is what we as a Branch and you as Sub- Branch committees can do to make the lot of our fellow Vietnam veterans and their families just that little bit better. Make no mistake, Vietnam veterans are smack in the middle of one of the most vulnerable groups in society susceptible to the virus; our age, war service and our general health are major factors. I hate to say it, but there is a real possibility that a Vietnam veteran or partner will die as a result of contracting the virus, particularly those of us who already have pre-existing conditions which make us even more susceptible to a life threatening bout of the virus.
Many veterans are already self-isolating and have curtailed normal activities to protect themselves, but it is the very act of self-isolating that brings with it a raft of other issues that we all MUST be aware of and prepared to do something about collectively. Some Vietnam veterans will be self-reliant, some will cope well with support of family and partners, but some will not cope, some will be panicked, fearful, confused, feel isolated and alone. This is a time when our most vulnerable are at the most risk.
I want to challenge the committees of the Branch, and every Sub-Branch committee to ACT now. Every effort must be made to contact EVERY member, ON A REGULAR BASIS to make sure that they are coping. Not just for a couple of weeks, but for as long as it takes.
Do whatever you must do to make that happen: let your members know what you are going to do, make rosters of members to make calls, divvy up member names and contact details between committee members and members of your Sub-Branch who volunteer or are co-opted to help-this is a shared crisis and all members hopefully will be willing to help. Decide how often to call, keep a record of EVERY member contacted and when, follow up those who have not been contacted.
Use your welfare funds to pay for telephone calls if necessary.
This is not a time to be complacent, all of our members need support NOW and for as long as it takes. I was chatting to a fellow Vietnam veteran last night – at a very safe distance- about the current situation and almost simultaneously we said that we feared that a Vietnam veteran could become so overwhelmed by all of this that they might self-harm.
There is no excuse that I will accept for any Sub- Branch that does not get fair dinkum about this need. This is our top welfare priority right NOW and I expect every Sub-Branch to act right NOW, with everything closed down there is little else to do.
Each Sub-Branch is requested to provide details of their plans to the state secretary by NLT COB Friday next week. Each Sub-Branch Secretary will be phoned by either the State Secretary or State Assistant Secretary before then to ensure that this email has been received, and they will advise you of reporting responsibilities and report content. The State Membership Manager is on standby to assist with membership details.
And please, don’t come back with issues of privacy, your membership lists are known at all levels of the Branch.
Time for us all to FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THE LIVING.
