Happy New Year - Newsletter

To all, I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays as much as possible and wish you all good health and much happiness in 2020! Recently, a meeting of CO PGR Leadership was held and I wanted to pass along necessary information. First of all, Jim Herstein will be contacting all RC's with flags in order to keep track of how many are distributed and where. If you still have flags in a location where they are rarely in use, they will be redistributed to areas in greater need. There is a new group in the Durango area now forming which is one of the areas that will need their own supply. If you have tattered, worn, or damaged flags, please let Jim or I know and we will take them from you for honorable retirement. We will replace them as needed. Also with all due respect to everyone's personal issues, Ride Captains are held to a higher standard in the PGR and it was discussed at length the fact that many of us are in need of attending a few more missions within a year's time. Many of us work full-time and are still able to manage 3 missions a year...no steadfast rules here, just passing along the concerns. Let's all just try to do a better job for all those we serve. Also discussed was our "mode of dress" while in attendance at Funeral and Interment Services. While there isn't, and never will be, a specific "dress code," please keep in mind that we should all dress respectfully. If we can stick to T-shirts with sleeves instead of sleeveless, it would be appreciated. We ride in jeans and not suits and ties...totally understood. But let's leave the shredded ones for times other than missions, please. Assist. State Captain Bob Aholt, Rich Blackaby and Jim Balcerovich have made a new contact at Peterson AFB in the Springs and they working diligently on our renewed relationship there as well as passes for Ft. Carson and our participation there. Should you have questions regarding these issues, please contact them directly. Their numbers and email info appear on the Leadership list. If any information needs to be passed on to membership, I will make sure it is taken care of. Once again, the issue of personal messages being posted under our mission postings was brought up. This has been mentioned numerous times and is not to continue. Please use the personal message option at the top right of the page (under your log-in info) to send messages regarding anything other than your condolence notice, availability to RC, and intent to stand in honor. Please post that and only that. Whether or not you are able to stand the particular mission, ALL PGR's are asked to write a condolence note to the family for any and all funeral or interment missions regardless of location in the state. This is so little to ask of all of us and means so much to the Hero's family. These notices are a huge part of what we present to the family at the service. If you can't attend, you can't attend. Please don't post that you can't or the reason why. If you need to share that, please do so in a private message. This website is open to the pubic and that information doesn't need to be shared. It was a unanimous vote to donate the amount of $500.00 to Run For The Wall for the bracelets engraved for the Gold Star Family Presentations along the route. Thanks, Ken Nicholas, for your suggestion. It is discussed by HOTH at varying times throughout the year the bank account information for the CO PGR (501C-3), but should you have questions regarding how much was donated, added due to wreath sales, etc., please ask Jim Herstein. There have been varying "falling out times" at missions and questions from many as to exactly when the RC should dismiss us. What was decided was that while every mission is different and there are always varying circumstances...generally speaking, we are part of the Honors Team. As soon as we have made our presentation to the family, and after the flag has been presented, the Honor Bell has tolled (if also participating) , we will dismiss. As RC of the day, discussing what you plan to do with the All Vets Honor Guard, The Honor Bell, the Funeral Director prior to the service really assists in accomplishing this. It is not necessary to stay beyond that time. Again, the RC in charge of that mission has the final say and will make that call. Another topic discussed was the taking of pictures during bi-monthly memorial and other events. It was decided that all pictures are to be taken before and after, but no longer during the service. Also, there are members who do not wish to have pictures of themselves posted on social media at any time. There are a number of us who feel this makes the mission more about "us" than those we serve. We need to respect those wishes and not share pictures without asking permission to do so of everyone involved. If this means doing so on an individual basis, please do so. Much of what we discussed was suggested agenda by other PGR membership. Should you have any other concerns, issues, questions, etc., please make sure you let one of the RC's know, or bring it directly to the attention of one of the Assistant State Captains or to me. We will do our best to address these issues in a timely manner. Finally, we all realized how blessed we are to be able to do what we do, for as long as we can, and also to have the honor and pleasure of working with you all. We are most definitely a family of many who believe in something greater than ourselves. Thank you for all that you continue to do! Rat -- Kathy "Rat" Goldstein State Captain ratkatgold@comcast.net Cell - 720-244-0594 To those whose duty it is to protect and preserve the freedom of the people of this country, I most humbly thank you...