Commander's Corner: The Road Ahead
Post 43 Commander Dennis Kee
TO MY FELLOW MEMBERS,
As you prepare for July 4th and the important birth of our nation, remember it is also the birthday of our Post. Our Post officially opened its doors on July 4th, 1929.
MANDATE & MISSION
As you know, the incoming leadership team won by a significant vote demonstrating the mandate for change.
I promised to tackle the financial issues that have so severely impacted our Post this last decade since the inception of the Theater. One of our goals is to create financial stability so members can enjoy member programs using our beautiful building and reasonable access to the Theater.
As a reminder, it took a decade to put us in this dire financial position. And while it won’t take years to pull ourselves out, it will take some time. To that end, I want to set expectations — even moving swiftly, it will take a continuous dedicated effort to get us on solid ground. The issues are complex, and we are a volunteer-run group. Finding and pulling together the right people to address these complexities- people with the time, skillset, and knowledge- requires work.
But we are doing it. And we will accomplish our goals step-by-step.
NEW OFFICERS COMING OUT OF THE GATE
The new board members have jumped in feet first. Some work full-time, some are in-between jobs, and some are retired, but all are committed. This volunteer work is time-consuming, but they are forging ahead in good, and sometimes, fiery spirits.
Since the election, incoming officers and new board members have met over 10 times. The meetings before installation were for the new board to get to know each other better so we could hit the ground running.
After installation, and over the past three weeks of June, we have met many times officially to fully understand and address financial operations and some outstanding issues. We have had some bumps during this time, but we are getting in synch.
GOVERNING CHALLENGES
This new board faces the usual challenges every Post has, with strong personalities holding different views on business and membership matters.
For all those pouring in massive volunteer time — this should be fun or at least somewhat fun. We should be about problem-solving, not people-bashing when we are outvoted or have to concede a position. Every legion member has to decide how they will participate and conduct themselves. While I don’t expect everyone to agree on every issue in perfect harmony. I do expect civility during debates.
A few weeks ago, Jerry Romano, our Jr. Past State Commander, told us that toxicity infects many Posts throughout California. It’s a sad commentary on veterans leading themselves. None of us want Post 43 to keep going down this toxic path. But the truth is if we don’t stay focused on the most critical mission— understanding our financial situation and staying financially solvent so our doors remain open to our members— all the other issues on how many bar nights we should have or access to the Theater are moot. It may not seem we are moving fast enough to correct these issues, but I can assure you we are making critical course corrections.
CODE OF CONDUCT ISSUES
Another challenge has been addressing the recent Code of Conduct issues of the last few months. They have taken a great deal of time including sessions with legal counsel, deep discussions on policies and fairness, and waiting on a past board member to hand over information/records to the incoming officers to move forward. This will take more time to work out. But not much more. Thank you for your patience.
FINANCIAL STATUS
The reality is that before the building of the Theater, Post 43 was solvent. We earned funds by renting the El Centro building to LA Fitness, charging for Hollywood Bowl Parking, and earning interest on funds we had in the bank.
The Theater is/was a bold risk. We can all be proud of it, but we must figure out a way to pay for it. For a small group, the push has been to sell El Centro. For others, selling El Centro is unacceptable, especially in light that we can’t even clearly manage our current financial situation. This must be addressed.
It costs money to run the Post. For example:
Daily costs include paying for heating, air, water, routine maintenance, taxes, insurance, etc.
Membership costs and benefits: meals, bar nights, band nights all can be expensive, especially if only a handful show up. I was at the Post on Friday for a bar night and 0 people showed up.
Theater costs - while occasional rentals can bring in $100,000 to even $200,000 a month; the operational costs and dark days leave us in the negative nearly every month for the last few years. It is a mistake to say it is just a revenue issue.
All of these pieces need to be reviewed and understood so that they can be managed effectively and for the benefit of our members. We also need to continue to adopt common approved business practices. We have operated without a transparent business model for the last five years in the hopes that if we build it, they will come. We are responsible for our own fate and the previous model of outsourcing everything because we aren’t smart enough to understand it is over. We must understand our revenues and expenses to survive. Again, this is our most immediate task.
BOARD ASSIGNMENTS
True to my campaign promise, I’ve been working to bring new board members up to speed, including understanding the complexities of the by-laws. This has held me up on some appointments like Finance Officer and Theater Committee Chair, and I’m sorry about that. I will address that soon.
I’ve also been working on specific leadership roles for the EC members instead of just attending meetings and voting, which I’ve outlined below. I began with 1st & 2nd vice position responsibilities that are mandated in the by-laws.
1st Vice Monica Nichelson - her focus is on recruiting and maintaining membership. She is also stepping up to help with events. She is also making great inroads with our veteran community partners.
2nd Vice Tim Shaner - his role is to plan our monthly events and serve as the Events Committee Chairman. Monica is assisting him, given her vast experience in this area. We are leaning into Tim with some of his past Commander experience in other areas like the Jim Welch Fund guidelines.
Aaron Carew – oversaw and completed the project to remove the outdoor theater screen. He is now focused on getting the conex storage containers off our lot and figuring out our exact storage needs.
Arnold Strong – is using his communication skills to help carve and streamline our messaging as a team. He has been vital in overseeing recent work parties to help restore immediate luster to our Post.
Ed Saulny – is focused on developing a strategic plan that we are missing. He will also focus on our business models and help fine-tune our financial strategies.
Joe Oliveri - is reviewing Post security measures, rewriting Post operating procedures, and maximizing Hollywood Bowl Parking.
COMMITTEES
I want to thank all the members who have stood up for office positions and those who put their hats in the ring for committees. All of the committee survey results have been handed out to the committee chairs, and if you haven’t been contacted, you should be contacted soon.
FEEDBACK
Please email directly with any thoughts, suggestions, and feedback: dennis@post43.org
Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do.
Commander Kee
dennis@post43.org
714.328.8115