To our members,
The below statement is from the National PGR. While the situation that prompted this email didn't happen here in Minnesota, it is something to be taken seriously. The MN PG is also a 501c3 and participation in political/partisan activities could jeopardize our status. We raise, recieve donations, and our store sales allow us to donate about 85K every year, right here in Minnesota, for our military and/or veterans - something we don't want to lose! If you are going to attend a political/partisan activity, please refrain wearing anything that identifies you as a MN PG or PGR member or stating that you are a member.
“Use of the Patriot Guard Riders, Inc., (PGR) name or logo while participating in political / partisan activities is strictly prohibited. It places our status as an IRS approved 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit organization at risk. If documented evidence is provided to any level of PGR Leadership, failure to comply will result in immediate revocation of PGR Membership and removal from any position of Leadership within the PGR.” "This info has also been uploaded to the FAQ and the Communications Announcements Forum in the National Communications and Announcements section. "
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Thank
you for all you do!
Mission Report:
We have been busy! Figures are from 1 January
thru 30 September each year. Our Vet
Home visits and other official events are included in the overall mission
totals:
2011 2012
KIA/MIA 31 7
Active Duty 14 15Veteran Mission 133 169
Welcome Homes 17 40
Deployments 48 8
Overall Mission Totals: 341 329
Financials:
Everything is on plan and to budget. So far this year we have brought in $67,000
and donated/spent $60,000. Our expenses
for Veterans Home and Hunts is about $11,000 and donations and grants are about
$42,000. The rest of our expenses are
operating needs such as insurance and Mission needs.
The majority of our income is from the
Patriot Ride. Without the Patriot Ride
income of $48,000 we can’t run the programs we support today.
State Leadership Meeting
Several topics were discussed at the State
leader meeting on 27 Oct:
-
Mission reports will be added to the end of mission calendar
postings. To read the mission reports,
go to the date of the mission, find your mission and scroll to the bottom of
that specific mission to find the mission report.
- Leadership voted to retain the Non-MN PG
calendar. We will be re-naming the
calendar to avoid any potential confusion.
The Non-MN PG calendar is only for events that support our military
and/or veterans, but have no official MN PG participation. It is strictly for member use if they wish to
attend on their own as a private citizen.
Events that could violate our 501c3 status will not be posted on the
calendar.
- Safety of our military is priority. Mission postings should not show number of
military member movement, flight numbers, family arrival times, etc. Information may come from the press, but it
should never come from us.
- Mission safety - RCIC needs to consider
safety factors for members, i.e., bad weather, high traffic, heat/cold weather
related injuries
- George Winslow, National PGR President
briefed us on the current trademark issue.
There has been no change since Dec 2011.
Still in waiting mode.
- The MN Patriot Guard, Inc (MNPG) and
Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) are two different groups. The MN PG/Board of Directors deals with the
money that Minnesota raises, deals with financial risks, and if state policies
are needed to protect us from those risks.
The PGR is national and is responsible for doing the missions. The State Captain is part of the National
PGR’s leadership team and is held accountable by the National PGR for missions.
- Open discussions were held:
-
Northern Region SRC Rick Johnson led the discussion on the current mission scope. It seems to be the consensus of leaders that
the mission scope remain the way it is (no additions/deletions).
-
SRC Craig Ugland led discussion on the Non MN PG calendar on whether to keep it
or remove it. It was determined to have
a Leadership Advisory Council (LAC) vote, which was accomplished by Survey
Monkey, with a vote of 22 to2 in favor of keeping the Non MN PG calendar.
-
Metro Region SRC Ernie Johnson led discussion on engaging members.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Purchasing PGR & MN PG Goods
This is a reprint of a email sent to members in January 2012. As of now, the trademark dispute is still ongoing. Patriot Guard Riders are waiting for a ruling from USPTO on our motion. Normally that would take about 2 weeks, it's been since Dec 2011. We have no way to push the USPTO to make that ruling. We are at their mercy and have to wait until they rending the decision. Once that is made we have 30 days to respond to the opposers filing, then the opposer has 15 days to rebut our filing. At that point it goes to the USPTO to make the final determination on who owns the name Patriot Guard Riders, the logo and service marks, one of which is: "People standing in the cemetery holding the American flag at a military funeral."
A great many of you are probably not aware of an ongoing lawsuit between the National Patriot Guard Riders and the first PGR Executive Director Jeff "Twister" Brown.
As a background... Jeff Brown took national the concept of the PGR after attending Missions run by our founders, the Kansas Patriot Guard. For that we owe him thanks.
What he did right before incorporating the PGR is incorporate his own for-profit store selling PGR Merchandise attached to the national website. People, like myself, bought merchandise from that store and had no idea the profits were going to him personally and not the PGR.
After this was discovered Jeff Brown resigned his position in the PGR and quickly the PGR established its own store so the profits would come to them and not to an individual.
In 2007 Jeff Brown brought legal action against the PGR through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is trying to own the Patriot Guard Riders logos and name so he can continue to profit from them by forcing all of us to buy from or through him.
I don't know how much the legal bills have been for the PGR as they don't tell us. I would guess in excess of $400,000 but again, that is only a guess. I know they are hoping that it will be settled once and for all this year but there are avenues for appeal as well.
Which brings me to the point of this email....
When you buy Patriot Guard Riders or MN Patriot Guard merchandise there are only two places to go that fully support our cause. We ask you shop only at http://patriot-guard-riders.hostedbywebstore.com/ for Patriot Guard Riders gear and http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/gear.asp for MN Patriot Guard gear. Buying from anywhere else is putting profit in the pockets of someone who is not supporting our cause.
If you buy from Twisters Store you are helping him in his pursuit of having the PGR become a for-profit store for him by his profits paying his legal bills.
If you buy from eBay or Craigslist there is a good chance they are counterfeit goods. I have found counterfeit MN Patriot Guard patches on eBay and forced the seller to pull them off.
As always we don't tell people where to shop or what to buy. As far as I'm concerned you don't have to wear a vest with patches or pins at all. It is an individual choice as to what you buy and wear. We only want to make sure you are making an informed choice about where you shop.
Doug Bley
Former Minnesota State Captain
President, Board of Directors
Minnesota Patriot Guard
Karla Richardson
Minnesota State Captain
A great many of you are probably not aware of an ongoing lawsuit between the National Patriot Guard Riders and the first PGR Executive Director Jeff "Twister" Brown.
As a background... Jeff Brown took national the concept of the PGR after attending Missions run by our founders, the Kansas Patriot Guard. For that we owe him thanks.
What he did right before incorporating the PGR is incorporate his own for-profit store selling PGR Merchandise attached to the national website. People, like myself, bought merchandise from that store and had no idea the profits were going to him personally and not the PGR.
After this was discovered Jeff Brown resigned his position in the PGR and quickly the PGR established its own store so the profits would come to them and not to an individual.
In 2007 Jeff Brown brought legal action against the PGR through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is trying to own the Patriot Guard Riders logos and name so he can continue to profit from them by forcing all of us to buy from or through him.
I don't know how much the legal bills have been for the PGR as they don't tell us. I would guess in excess of $400,000 but again, that is only a guess. I know they are hoping that it will be settled once and for all this year but there are avenues for appeal as well.
Which brings me to the point of this email....
When you buy Patriot Guard Riders or MN Patriot Guard merchandise there are only two places to go that fully support our cause. We ask you shop only at http://patriot-guard-riders.hostedbywebstore.com/ for Patriot Guard Riders gear and http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/gear.asp for MN Patriot Guard gear. Buying from anywhere else is putting profit in the pockets of someone who is not supporting our cause.
If you buy from Twisters Store you are helping him in his pursuit of having the PGR become a for-profit store for him by his profits paying his legal bills.
If you buy from eBay or Craigslist there is a good chance they are counterfeit goods. I have found counterfeit MN Patriot Guard patches on eBay and forced the seller to pull them off.
As always we don't tell people where to shop or what to buy. As far as I'm concerned you don't have to wear a vest with patches or pins at all. It is an individual choice as to what you buy and wear. We only want to make sure you are making an informed choice about where you shop.
Doug Bley
Former Minnesota State Captain
President, Board of Directors
Minnesota Patriot Guard
Karla Richardson
Minnesota State Captain
Friday, November 2, 2012
Veterans Day
With Veterans Day quickly approaching, we would like to take the opportunity, on behalf of the Minnesota Patriot Guard to say "THANK YOU" to all who have served. We are grateful for your service.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Hi MN Patriot Guard... we have a request of our PGR friends in MN even though it might not be popular.
There are many cool things to do in support not just of our military and but also of our country and other patriots. You should show your support for what your heart tells you to do, please just do it as a citizen and not a representive of the Patriot Guard.
If you are going to attend an event such as the Flag Rally recently held in Brooklyn Park.... please don't wear your MN Patriot Guard gear. It is very important that we be non political and wearing the gear to it makes us look like we are lobbying or protesting a decision made by the government. We are not a protest nor a counter-protest group.
Also...there are many events people hold that aren't Patriot Guard related though in support of our military. Please be very careful to not give the impression it is Patriot Guard related. We don't attend events where we are the "bunting on the stage", we are not honor guards, nor are we a "Flag Line" for hire.
The MN Patriot Guard has a Mission Scope which governs our group on what we do. All based on our mission statement on our webpage. We moderate when we have flaglines because we need to not let the meaning of them get so common they don't stand as honor, dignity, and respect for our fallen heroes any longer.
A few years somebody did a flag line for Lee Greenwood because he sings Patriotic Songs. Yes he does and he has made millions of dollars from them and he has never served in the military.
Somebody also did a flag line for Willie G Davidson because he is a patriot. Willie was an executive in a motorcycle company that still doesn't acknowledge the PGR and he never served in the military.
While we like and respect them for what they have accomplished professionally we don't think either of them has earned a PGR Flag Line.
Read our home page if you have any questions on our Mission Statement... http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/
The excitement and passion people feel for what we do is amazing and wonderful!! We just need to keep it tempered back to what we do while representing who we are.
Any and all of us are welcome to do whatever we choose as citizens.... we only request that you don't wear your PGR gear if it might create confusion or a question if we are involved in it.
Thanks!!!!
Karla Richardson
Minnesota PGR State Captain
Doug Bley
President, MN Patriot Guard
There are many cool things to do in support not just of our military and but also of our country and other patriots. You should show your support for what your heart tells you to do, please just do it as a citizen and not a representive of the Patriot Guard.
If you are going to attend an event such as the Flag Rally recently held in Brooklyn Park.... please don't wear your MN Patriot Guard gear. It is very important that we be non political and wearing the gear to it makes us look like we are lobbying or protesting a decision made by the government. We are not a protest nor a counter-protest group.
Also...there are many events people hold that aren't Patriot Guard related though in support of our military. Please be very careful to not give the impression it is Patriot Guard related. We don't attend events where we are the "bunting on the stage", we are not honor guards, nor are we a "Flag Line" for hire.
The MN Patriot Guard has a Mission Scope which governs our group on what we do. All based on our mission statement on our webpage. We moderate when we have flaglines because we need to not let the meaning of them get so common they don't stand as honor, dignity, and respect for our fallen heroes any longer.
A few years somebody did a flag line for Lee Greenwood because he sings Patriotic Songs. Yes he does and he has made millions of dollars from them and he has never served in the military.
Somebody also did a flag line for Willie G Davidson because he is a patriot. Willie was an executive in a motorcycle company that still doesn't acknowledge the PGR and he never served in the military.
While we like and respect them for what they have accomplished professionally we don't think either of them has earned a PGR Flag Line.
Read our home page if you have any questions on our Mission Statement... http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/
The excitement and passion people feel for what we do is amazing and wonderful!! We just need to keep it tempered back to what we do while representing who we are.
Any and all of us are welcome to do whatever we choose as citizens.... we only request that you don't wear your PGR gear if it might create confusion or a question if we are involved in it.
Thanks!!!!
Karla Richardson
Minnesota PGR State Captain
Doug Bley
President, MN Patriot Guard
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The Minnesota Patriot Guard continues to be busy as we answer the call of families to pay honor, dignity and respect to those who have served and those who are serving. Thank you to each of you who makes this happen!
The Patriot Ride was a great success again this year. Over 2,000 came together to make it a memorable day. Yes, we got poured on again - same place as last year leaving the half way stop, and we know with the storms rolling across MN, some of you were not able to make it. But it was a great day of remembrance and rejuvenation. Kudo's to the Patriot Ride committee, all the volunteers, and to Dennis Kirk - they put in countless hours making sure everything falls in place!
Summer is now upon us. Some things to remember regarding heat, heat indexes and our members. In a state close to ours over the past weekend, 9 flagline members fell out because of heat - this can not happen!! Our leaders and members are precious, and I can't even imagine how a family we are standing alongside would feel if members were not taking care of themselves or put themselves at risk to be on the flagline. We are told to be self-sufficient at missions with food and drinks, but it extends further than that - we need to know when we individually need to step into the shade or a cool space.
There are several things you can do to help:
- review the "Avoid Health Illness Tips" in the member documents area at the state website. This is a quick overview of what to look for and what to do.
- come to missions hydrated and continue to keep yourself hydrated. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink fluids that hydrate.
- watch out for yourself and each other at missions. If the person standing next to you needs to take a break, take their flag and tell them to go cool down. Keep in mind that if you are riding to a mission, some of your hydration will already be depleted before you even get on the flagline.
- if the RCIC asks you to seek shade or a cool space, don't argue and say you are fine. I've been "yes mom'd" more than once for telling people to come off the flagline to cool off. And that's OK - I'd rather that than have a member ill or worse. It would of course be preferrable if members identify themselves that they need to cool off, but our leaders will ask/demand if necessary.
- our vests - while they identify who we are - they are a heat/sun magnet! If they need to come off to allow for air circulation and cooling - do it! The flagline shows who we are and why we are there.
Be safe out there! Be smart, take care of yourself and each other!
The Patriot Ride was a great success again this year. Over 2,000 came together to make it a memorable day. Yes, we got poured on again - same place as last year leaving the half way stop, and we know with the storms rolling across MN, some of you were not able to make it. But it was a great day of remembrance and rejuvenation. Kudo's to the Patriot Ride committee, all the volunteers, and to Dennis Kirk - they put in countless hours making sure everything falls in place!
Summer is now upon us. Some things to remember regarding heat, heat indexes and our members. In a state close to ours over the past weekend, 9 flagline members fell out because of heat - this can not happen!! Our leaders and members are precious, and I can't even imagine how a family we are standing alongside would feel if members were not taking care of themselves or put themselves at risk to be on the flagline. We are told to be self-sufficient at missions with food and drinks, but it extends further than that - we need to know when we individually need to step into the shade or a cool space.
There are several things you can do to help:
- review the "Avoid Health Illness Tips" in the member documents area at the state website. This is a quick overview of what to look for and what to do.
- come to missions hydrated and continue to keep yourself hydrated. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink fluids that hydrate.
- watch out for yourself and each other at missions. If the person standing next to you needs to take a break, take their flag and tell them to go cool down. Keep in mind that if you are riding to a mission, some of your hydration will already be depleted before you even get on the flagline.
- if the RCIC asks you to seek shade or a cool space, don't argue and say you are fine. I've been "yes mom'd" more than once for telling people to come off the flagline to cool off. And that's OK - I'd rather that than have a member ill or worse. It would of course be preferrable if members identify themselves that they need to cool off, but our leaders will ask/demand if necessary.
- our vests - while they identify who we are - they are a heat/sun magnet! If they need to come off to allow for air circulation and cooling - do it! The flagline shows who we are and why we are there.
Be safe out there! Be smart, take care of yourself and each other!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
MN Patriot Guard Members,
Whew - it's been a busy month! Almost 3,000 members of our MN National Guard were brought home and we continued to welcome them at the 30 Day MIRT's. We pay honor, dignity and respect to our military serving and veterans at missions, we just participated in Memorial Day events at our Veteran Homes, State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley, and the Ft Snelling Chapel Gold Star Service. We continue with our monthly visits to Veteran Homes. Thank you all for making this happen! Without your dedication and support we wouldn't be able to make sure all these things take place.
Speaking of missions, every now and then we get asked about where we can attend PGR missions, or what "no borders" means. Well ... it means that you are welcome to attend any MN PG (MN Patriot Guard) mission or MN PG event anywhere in the state (not just in your own sector). Expand that even further, you are welcome to attend any PGR mission across the nation. We have members who bring their flags on their vacations "just in case", and we have snowbirds who participate in missions in Florida, Texas, Arizona and other places south. Keep in mind that some states do some things differently and you will just follow the ride captain's direction just as in MN. Not all states do Veteran missions, but anything that is going on with the PGR, you are welcome to attend. For information in other states, the national site (www.patriotguard.org) is a good place to find out where missions are.
The Patriot Ride is almost upon us!! For those that haven't been able to attend in the past, it is an event that you will not regret attending. The pre and post ride programs remind us all of why we joined the Patriot Guard and do what we do. We get to spend the day with our Gold Star families and remember those from MN who have given all in the War on Terror, we have a special memorial for those fallen in the last year during the last mile to the mid-way stop. For those worried about the number of bikes - don't worry!! The ride heads out in waves, so you really don't realize there are so many bikes on the ride. It's a day of reflection, a day to never forget those who serve & have served, a day of celebration and a good re-charge of the batteries.
We have a special Guest Speaker - Rear Admiral Sean Pybus. RADM Pybus is responsible for Naval Special Warfare Command which he assumed on June 30, 2011. He is a career Naval Special Warfare (NSW) SEAL officer with multiple Joint Special Operations duty assignments.
We also have the honor of the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Association (CVVA) bringing their Memorial Wall to the Patriot Ride. Over 30,000 Canadians joined the US military branches, over 12,000 served in Vietnam as US military. 121 were lost with 7 POW/MIA's - those names are on this Memorial Wall. There will also be a special wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial Wall at 10:00 a.m. the morning of the ride, hosted by the Military Salute Project, and all are welcome to attend.
Our friends from the Minnesota Military Radio Hour (who feature the MN Patriot Guard once per month) are taping their Fathers Day special at the ride with many guests from the ride.
For more information please go to www.thepatriotride.org.
Thank you for all you do and be safe out there!
Karla Richardson, MNPG State Captain
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