We will be remembered for what we do.

The Auxiliary reached an historic milestone last year when our members elected to allow males meeting eligibility requirements to become DAV Auxiliary members for the first time. It became official the day after Valentine's Day, in 2005.

This decision was a monumental event for our Auxiliary--one we took very seriously at every level of the organization. But, when it was done, we knew we had made the right decision.

Now, more than a year later, I look at what should have been a fantastic year of membership growth and find it very disappointing that we have recruited very few of the eligible males who should now be Auxiliary members.

How tough can it be to recruit the spouse, surviving spouse, parents, siblings, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of any person eligible for membership in the Disabled American Veterans--male or female? Where are the sons, brothers and fathers of our disabled veterans now that they are eligible for Auxiliary membership? Where are all of the new Auxiliary members? What happened?

I hate to say it, but I think we happened. I don't think the majority of Auxiliary members are doing all they can to actively recruit, welcome and proactively involve our male counterparts as active Auxiliary members.

It's time we got to work to make membership happen. We have a nearly untapped reservoir of eligible members providing us an opportunity for the greatest potential membership growth since the Auxiliary was formed in 1922. All we need to do is reach out and make it happen. And that is the only way it will happen. We--you and I--must reach out and recruit these new members.

It takes individual effort to make membership happen. Ask any good recruiter and they will tell you recruiting will require enthusiasm, steadfast effort and a lot of hard work and a good deal of innovative thinking. It doesn't always come easy, but it is always worth the effort.

A bigger, stronger Auxiliary membership affords us an opportunity, as never before, to meet the challenges facing disabled veterans and their families today and in the future.

We need half a million, a million or even more Auxiliary members standing firm and calling on local, state and national leaders to support legislation providing fair and equitable treatment of America's disabled veterans and their families. We need them standing firm alongside DAV members to protect against seemingly constant attempts to erode benefits and programs for our disabled loved ones. And I have no doubt you and I and a strong Auxiliary membership can make it happen.

Remember, there are eligible Auxiliary members nearly everywhere people gather. When you are meeting and speaking with others, be sure to ask if they have a relative who is a disabled veteran. If they do, tell them about the Auxiliary and invite them to become a member. And remember, there is no better way of convincing people about what a great organization the Auxiliary is than by sharing your story about why you joined and why you continue to be an active member.

Try my suggestion, and I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at the number of people who say yes.

Membership is at the heart of everything the Auxiliary does. That is why building our membership is so important--it builds everything else.

This is a new era of opportunity for the DAV Auxiliary. It is an opportunity to grow bigger, better and stronger than ever before, and right now, not tomorrow or next week, is the time to recruit potential new members.

When all is said and done, it will not be the things we talked about accomplishing, that will be our legacy--it will be our accomplishments. Let's make sure a bigger, stronger, more active membership is among our greatest accomplishments.