From the Board Meeting — September 2026

This past Wednesday, the Board of Directors of The Veterans Club gathered at Jeff Snell’s home to discuss organizational business, upcoming activities, and plans for the months ahead. I want to share a few of the things that came out of the meeting and some important information members should know.

Jeff Snell Elected Vice President

One of the responsibilities of the board is planning for the future and making sure The Veterans Club has the leadership structure necessary to continue moving forward. As part of our succession and organizational continuity planning, the board elected Jeff Snell to serve as Vice President of The Veterans Club.

Jeff brings decades of service to this role, both as a United States Marine and through his career in law enforcement. He currently manages our Hayden Patriot Pour group and remains heavily involved in our local community. Most recently, Jeff gave a presentation on the history of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

So, what does the Vice President do?

In practical terms, Jeff will help support the leadership and operation of the organization. Should something happen that prevents me from fulfilling my responsibilities as President, Jeff will be the go-to guy to help keep things rolling.

The Veterans Club continues to grow, and developing leadership beyond any one individual is important to our long-term stability. I appreciate Jeff’s willingness to step into this role and continue serving our members.

A Big Thank You to Joan Rolland

The board also discussed our monthly dinner gatherings, and we owe a BIG thank you to Joan Rolland, Steve Rolland’s wife, who has stepped into the role of Monthly Dinner Coordinator.

Joan now handles communication with the restaurants and helps coordinate the details that make these gatherings possible. Having someone take ownership of those responsibilities makes a tremendous difference, and we appreciate Joan volunteering her time.

Members still need to RSVP for the dinners. You can RSVP through the calendar event on our website, by emailing info@theveteransclub.org, or by calling or texting (208) 209-7170.

Military Football Is Coming to The Veterans Club

The Veterans Club will be hosting gatherings for three of the big military football games this year:

• Navy vs. Air Force — October 3
• Army vs. Air Force — November 7
• Army vs. Navy — December 14

All three gatherings will be held at American Legion Post #143 on Poleline Avenue in Post Falls.

These games give us another opportunity to get together, enjoy some friendly rivalry, share some food, and spend time with other veterans, first responders, family members, and friends.

Please RSVP for the games you plan to attend so we can plan the food accordingly.

About Those RSVPs…

The subject of RSVPs generated quite a bit of discussion during the board meeting.

Not every Veterans Club activity requires an RSVP. If we are simply gathering somewhere with plenty of room and no food planning involved, knowing exactly how many people are coming isn’t always necessary. But when food is being purchased, meals are being catered, or space is limited, we need to know how many people are attending several days before the event.

We’ve tried passing paper signup sheets around during Patriot Pour meetings. In theory, that sounds simple. In practice, trying to pass a piece of paper around the room while everyone is eating, drinking coffee, talking, and participating in the meeting doesn’t work particularly well. By the time the sheet gets back to us, we sometimes can’t read the names anyway.

So we’ve tried to make RSVPing as easy as possible. You have three ways to do it: use the RSVP option on the event listing on our website calendar, email info@theveteransclub.org, or call or text (208) 209-7170.

Here’s something I recommend everyone do: create a contact in your cell phone called “The Veterans Club.” Add our email address and the phone number (208) 209-7170 to that contact.

Then, when you’re sitting at a Patriot Pour meeting and hear about an event you’d like to attend, pull out your phone and send us a text right then:

“Ed and Kay — Army vs. Navy — 2 attending.”

That’s it. You’re RSVP’d, and we have the information we need to plan properly.

Your RSVP may seem like a small thing, but when volunteers are trying to determine how much food to order or whether we have enough room for everyone, an accurate headcount makes a tremendous difference.

Winter Formal Is Getting Close

Karen also gave the board an update on planning for the Winter Formal, and we are VERY close to being able to announce the date, time, and location.

We’re not quite ready to release all the details yet, but there is one thing we can tell you:

Texas Roadhouse will be catering the food.

Karen and the activities team have been putting a lot of work into making this year’s event something special. As soon as the remaining details are finalized, we’ll get the information onto the website and out to everyone.

Interested in Becoming a Facilitator?

Our next Facilitator Training Session will be held November 3, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Pizza Factory in Coeur d’Alene, off Appleway Avenue.

You don’t have to already be committed to running a Patriot Pour group to participate. If you’re interested in learning more about how our meetings work, would like to become more involved, or think you might one day want to become a facilitator, we’d encourage you to attend.

Please talk with Ed Bejarana or Geoff Brooks if you’d like to participate.

As The Veterans Club grows, developing new facilitators is one of the most important things we can do. Our organization works because members are willing to step forward, welcome others to the table, and help create the Connection, Purpose, and Belonging that define what The Veterans Club is all about.

We Need a Few Tech and Social Media Volunteers

Growth also means there are more things happening behind the scenes, and the board is looking for a few members who might be willing to lend their skills.

We are currently seeking one tech-savvy individual to help with the website and two social media-savvy individuals to help with social marketing for The Veterans Club.

You don’t need to take over our technology or become responsible for everything we do online. We’re looking for people who are comfortable with technology or social media and would like to contribute some of their time and knowledge to help us communicate more effectively.

The website, calendar, email communications, and social media have become important tools for keeping members informed and helping veterans and first responders discover The Veterans Club. Having a few more people involved will help spread the workload and give us additional ideas and perspectives as we continue to grow.

If you have website experience, enjoy working with social media, or simply think this is an area where you could help, please talk with any board member or email info@theveteransclub.org.

Moving Forward Together

A board meeting involves plenty of organizational business, planning, calendars, schedules, and decisions. But behind all of it is a much simpler purpose.

We’re trying to make sure The Veterans Club is here for the long haul.

That means developing future leaders. It means supporting our facilitators. It means improving how we communicate. It means having volunteers like Joan step forward to take ownership of an activity. It means finding people willing to help with technology and social media. And sometimes it means something as simple as members remembering to RSVP so another volunteer knows how many meals to order.

The Veterans Club has always been built by people willing to contribute a little of themselves to something larger. As we continue to grow, we’re going to need more people willing to step forward, share their skills, and help carry some of the load.

Thank you to everyone who continues to make that possible.

No Dues. No Demands. Great Conversation.