Becoming the All-State Captain is one of the most respected honors a Post Commander and his or her Post can earn in the Veterans of Foreign Wars. But behind every VFW All-State Program cap lies a calculated mission, one that requires leadership, teamwork, and a deep understanding of what success looks like in our organization. This is especially true for the VFW Post within a Department that earns top honors – All-State Captain status!
In today’s VFW, this isn’t about chasing titles for vanity’s sake. It’s about doing the mission and raising the bar. When a Post achieves All-State, it means its leadership has built a system that works – a system for members, for the community, and for the mission.
All-State status is achievable for ALL VFW Posts, and I encourage you to challenge you and your Post to work hard to achieve this distinction. With some knowledge, motivation, and a great team that is ALL IN on the mission, achieving this distinction is VERY possible. Is your Post and its leadership ALL IN?
Okay, but now what? Your VFW Post wants to be the best of the best, but it does not know how to earn Captain honors. Guess what? This is a challenge that you can game. When I say game, I do not mean cutting corners or merely checking some boxes – NO! Instead, the roadmap for your VFW Post to be in the running for Captain is out there, and you can battle for this recognition by working smarter, planning better, and leading stronger.
This article explores the mindset, strategy, and tactical steps needed to transform the VFW All-State Program checklist into a Post-wide campaign for excellence. The path is crystal clear, and the mission is yours to lead. With the right information and the support of your mission-driven comrades, your Post can confidently pursue this prestigious honor. By understanding the VFW All-State Program, aligning your calendar, avoiding common missteps, and pushing through to the finish, you set your VFW Post up to compete for one of the most distinguished achievements in our organization. Here is Strategic Playbook for achieving VFW All-State Program Captain honors.
Know the Battlefield: Understand the VFW All-State Program
Every Department’s VFW All-State Program is different, and the difference is ultimately in the details! With that said, the framework is almost always the same: hit the benchmarks that matter most to the VFW and hit the benchmarks in a timely manner.
Typically, the VFW All-State Program criteria includes:
- Membership growth or retention (usually 105%+)
- Timely submission of required reports (i.e. QM bonds, quarterly Trustee audits, and a VFW Post Election Report)
- Participation in core programs (i.e. Voice of Democracy, Patriot’s Pen, Buddy Poppy)
- Leadership Training and Service Officer Training attendance
- Community service reports
- Post inspections (and timely repair of any deficiencies)
- Support for Veterans & Military Support programs
- Donations to Department and National initiatives
Don’t wait to study the rules and criteria. Review the VFW All-State Program requirements immediately at the start of the year – that means June and early July. Break it down like a campaign map. If you don’t know what counts, how can you plan to win? Have questions, concerns, or issues? ASK and ask EARLY! For the VFW Department of Georgia, a reference sheet that outlines the bonus point structure from which the Awards Committee heavily bases their Post judging and recommendation to the State Commander on is available in the Georgia VFW Members Only website on the Commander’s Book webpage.
Game Your VFW Calendar: Create a Timeline of Wins
Once you’ve got the requirements in hand, build your VFW All-State Program timeline and begin tracking every aspect. Start from the end (April 30th) and work backwards. Remember that in the VFW Department of Georgia and many others, the cut off to have everything in to be considered for Captain of the All-State Team of Posts is the last day of April. By planning it out, breaking requirements into intentional and defined actions, and tracking progress, success can be yours. Take the VFW All-State Program, and break it into manageable pieces! Here is an example of how you might want to map out your chase of the Captain designation.
VFW All-State Program Milestone Planning
For simplicity and as an example, let’s use Georgia VFW All-State Program for 2025-26. If you’re in a different Department, make any appropriate adjustments within your Post task calendar.
- July–August: Review program guide; assign chairs; hold planning session. Get buy in from your VFW Post leadership and be transparent in the goal to be the best Post in the Department with your fellow comrades within your Post. PRO TIPS are as follows:
- Encourage At-Large Life Members to join your Post (BEFORE September 1)
- Conduct the first quarterly Buddy Check with your current members in good standing
- Reach out to previous members of your Post and invite them to a family-friendly Post event; reengage them NOW!
- Order your Buddy Poppies and schedule some Poppy events!
- Plan, market, and host a Voice of Democracy / Patriot’s Pen workshop for students – answering all questions about the program, sharing ideas, highlighting tips on crafting a winning entry, and more. Remember that you’re not doing the work for these students, but the
- If you get VFW All-State Program bonus points or consideration for hitting VFW Membership goals early in the fall, have a plan in place to achieve that BEFORE the fall arrives!
- September–November: Focus on youth contests, community service reporting, early recruiting push. Make sure that your District has conducted its Inspection of your Post during this time. Your VFW Post likely has an organized inspection binder in place by now, so get that inspection done. This also allows your Post more time to correct any inspection issues. PRO TIPS during this period include:
- Work with local schools to determine which teachers are teaching patriotism and Americanism in the classroom and ensure that nominations for teacher of the year for all three levels (Elementary, Middle, and High School) are completed and into the Post for judging by the end of October.
- Link up with your Adopted Military Units and schedule an event; use the VFW’s MAP grant to help offset the cost of the food for the event.
- Link up with your closest college or university and schedule a luncheon for student veterans in the lead up to the Veterans Day holiday. Leverage the Student Veterans Assistance grant from VFW National to help offset the costs.
- If you have not done so already, get a head start on First Responder entries that are due on January 1st. Be sure to have a complete packet that is thorough and that highlights the great work of the First Responder. Be sure to target all FIVE categories – Law Enforcement, Firefighter, EMT, 911 Dispatcher, and EOD.
- December–February: Submit audits, ensure donations are tracked, check progress on reporting. Double check your Post Report Card! PRO TIPS for this time period of the VFW year include:
- Ensure all First Responder entries are submitted timely.
- Double check your progress – how many VFW All-State Program bonus points have you attained thus far? What low-hanging opportunities remain?
- Make sure your Post has received credit for all submissions thus far (DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE END OF APRIL TO START TRACKING AND EMAILING ABOUT THIS CRITICAL ELEMENT).
- Connect with various Scouting organizations to remind them of the Scout of the Year program and entry deadline.
- Review membership goals and push Legacy Life program.
- Recon the competition. Ultimately, you are working to be the best your Post can be, but it does not hurt to see where other high-achieving Posts are. Using the Post Report Card on Georgia VFW and analyzing reports available on VFW.org, you can get a sense of which other Posts within your Department are in the running for Captain honors within the VFW All-State Program. Furthermore, you can look at their numbers and, using the information available, guesstimate what their current Post scorecard looks like. What opportunities do they still have left to get points, and what opportunities does your Post have? Which VFW Posts took top honors in the various youth and first responder award programs?
- March–April: Final membership push, program wrap-ups, and confirmation that the Post received credit for all its hard work across the entirety of the VFW All-State Program. Turn in the final quarterly audit of the Trustees, clean up any outstanding reporting, and confirm additional benchmarks. PRO TIPS include:
- Maximize membership push. This may include the need to hold a special meeting at the end of April [or have an approved motion or standing rule to authorize the Post’s membership committee to approve and the Quartermaster] to process any outstanding membership applications before the end of the month to ensure the membership criteria is met and additional bonus points are achieved.
- Double check how many points your Post should have achieved – reference the tracking spreadsheet that was created early in the VFW year for consideration of where the Post stands.
- Final competition recon. Take one final peek at the competition and see how your Post measures up for this year’s Chase for Captain! Where do you stand within the VFW All-State Program?
This isn’t busy work; it’s momentum management. When your leadership team sees how each part fits the mission, it’s easier to stay focused, work ahead, and avoid burnout. Some words of wisdom – build a system that is sustainable. Sure, it is great to be recognized as the Captain Post, but don’t set your Post up for failure in the future.
Also, following each April, I’d encourage your leadership team to provide constructive criticism about how it did during the push to be its very best. Do a little after-action report. Include all Post leadership in this process, communicate with the Post membership, and talk with the newly-elected leaders for the following term. Enhance communication, processes, and continuity! Build upon the momentum gained.
Assemble the Squad: Build a Mission-Driven Team
The Post Commander isn’t supposed to do everything. Emergencies come up from time to time, so covering down and spreading the workload is an asset your Post should have. Success in the VFW All-State Program is a Post-level accomplishment, not a solo award. Building the team early on helps the Post succeed while also developing the pipeline of leadership for years to come!
Build with Intent
- Quartermaster: Crucial for financial transparency and audits
- Adjutant: Keeper of records and reports
- Program Chairs: VOD, Patriot’s Pen, Scouting, etc.
- Membership Chair: Drives retention and new member onboarding
- Buddy Poppy/Community Outreach Lead: Keeps your service work visible
Assign accountability and treat your chairs like mission leaders. Encourage them to create small teams, set deadlines, and report progress at meetings. Use a shared calendar, dashboard, or even a whiteboard in the Post. Delegate to these subject matter experts and develop the teamwork! Success comes when every comrade feels like they own part of the win.
Make It a Game: Track Progress Like a Scoreboard
To “game the challenge” means to turn it into something visual, trackable, and exciting. VFW All-State Program success can and should be motivating for the whole Post. In addition, let your community partners know about your goal to be the top VFW Post in the state. These community partners can be very helpful. They may help sponsor your internal or external efforts.
For example, they may help double or triple your program donation amounts to give the Post additional points on the Post Scorecard. Those community partners may be willing to sponsor your Voice of Democracy or Patriot’s Pen programs, covering a substantial award amount for the winners. Imagine if your Voice of Democracy winner at the Post level got a $1,000 check. This could help motivate more and higher-quality entries. Lastly, these partnerships could help cover some internal incentives for those comrades going above and beyond to help make the Post the very best!
VFW All-State Program Tracking Tools & Recommendations
Make your life easier by activating available tools and resources to track progress within the VFW All-State Program and make informed decisions. Your Post may want to try the following:
- A wall tracker with VFW All-State Program benchmarks (color in each square as you complete)
- A shared Google Sheet where leadership can monitor status
- Internal task tracker system online (i.e. Asana, Trello)
- A scorecard handout at each meeting
- Friendly rivalries with nearby Posts
Gamification creates momentum. It gets members talking, motivates participation, and turns what might feel like paperwork into shared purpose. Gamification can make the goal or challenge more fun!
Lastly, don’t forget to celebrate the little wins! Did your Post gain a new member, get its first Voice of Democracy entry of the year, or turn in its first audit? While it may not be best to build the feeling of awarding basic participation, it is important to highlight milestones and encourage the momentum forward!
Watch the Roadblocks: Avoid the Common Pitfalls
Many Commanders start strong but falter in the middle. Building a pace that can be maintained is critical. Of course, this is also where enhanced communication and teamwork come into play! Here are some things to watch for:
Common Pitfalls Within VFW All-State Program Pursuit
Working together, your Post can avoid some of the most common pitfalls that often result in a Post stumbling unnecessarily and missing the mark within the VFW All-State Program.
- Delayed planning: Waiting until fall to assign chairs or review programs
- Membership stalling: Not building a renewal and recruiting rhythm can hurt your progress towards reaching your membership goals. Consistency is critical as is communication!
- Over-relying on one or two people: Burnout leads to drop-off; have you built a team to help, and have you empowered those comrades to take charge and be successful?
- Missing the fine print: Read the rules and criteria within the All-State program. Have a question? Ask it early! Don’t overlook key rules (i.e. donation deadlines, program submission formatting)
- Lack of follow-through: Whether it is a task that was delegated or a report turned in, make sure follow-through and follow-up elements are part of the process!
Stay proactive. At each meeting, consider spending five minutes to review the VFW All-State Program tracker. Adjust. Realign. Reassign if needed. Commanders who course-correct early in the game keep their Post on target.
Finish Like a Captain: Inspire the Final Push
As you approach the finish line, your leadership matters more than ever. Encourage your team to finish strong. Lead by example and ensure that your fellow comrades finish strong. The journey to becoming the top VFW Post for the year can be daunting, and the risk for a stumble here and there is increased, so keep the communication and the motivation strong, and your Post will finish strong!
Final Month Checklist
- Review every VFW All-State Program requirement line-by-line
- Verify all reports are submitted and confirmed
- Double-check your membership numbers; make one last push
- Submit inspection corrections or any additional end-of-year donations
- Thank your team publicly; recognize them in meetings or on social media
If your Post is recognized within the VFW All-State Program, celebrate loudly and proudly. Did your Post also get recognized as the Captain Post? Yell that from the highest mountains and use the great news to lean in on new opportunities within your community and within your VFW Mission today and for years to come!
Thank your community partners. Recognize your team. Let others know why it matters – success in the VFW All-State Program isn’t just some piece of paper with a bunch of check boxes that were checked; NO! Instead, it reflects your Post’s outstanding efforts to serve your fellow veterans and family members. It means that programs are being run, and it means that the VFW Mission is alive and is THRIVING!
If you fall short? You’ve still moved your Post forward. Document what worked. Debrief with your team. And prepare the next Commander with everything he or she needs to go even further.
Final Word: Your Leadership Sets the Tone
Becoming the All-State Captain is about far more than a title or a photo opportunity. Instead, it’s about leading with purpose and turning vision into motion.
When you “game the challenge,” you aren’t gaming the system; instead, you’re leveraging every resource, person, and planning tool to ensure your Post performs at its highest level.
And when your Post thrives, your fellow comrades benefit. Your nearby veterans and family members benefit. Your community benefits. The VFW’s legacy grows stronger.
The cap is earned. The mission is real. It’s your time to lead the charge. Which Post will succeed within the VFW All-State Program? Which will go above and beyond the call to achieve Captain?
