Auxiliary charter came in May 1925
Celebrating its 100th anniversary on Saturday, the auxiliary of the Brown-Bishop Post 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars, welcomed members to commemorate the occasion.
Judith Thompson, the VFW Auxiliary president, gave a brief address with history of the post.
“This post started out with 47 members and now we have 147,” Thompson said. “We had some good turnout. I wish we could’ve had more. But we had post members here as well. It was awesome.”
Saturday’s centennial celebration also included prayers given by Ann Bybee, who is 103 years old.
The VFW Auxiliary was formed on Sept. 14, 1914, and originally named Ladies Auxiliary VFW. Membership was offered exclusively to female spouses and relatives of the VFW.
The Brown-Bishop post was chartered on April 30, 1921, with the Auxiliary chartering four years later on May 11, 1925.
On July 20, 2015, at the VFW National Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, delegates voted to amend the Auxiliary’s bylaws to extend membership to male spouses and relatives.
The VFW Auxiliary is represented in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and several foreign locations including Panama, Germany and Guam.
Brown-Bishop is one of the oldest operating posts in Kansas. The post and the auxiliary post offer services and assistance to veterans and their families and communities, including scholarships, family support and youth activities.
