DAV chapter looks for new meeting place

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004 | 8:49 a.m.

A local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, a national organization that receives no money from the federal government, is searching for a new, central location to host its monthly meetings.

The group, the Thunderbirds Chapter 34 of the DAV, needs a centrally located meeting spot to accommodate about 40 members. The group meets on the first Thursday evening of every month, said Judith Lance, 88, a World War II veteran and a member of the chapter.

According to Lance, the group cannot afford to pay for renting a room. The small amount of money the group collects from dues and member donations pays for charitable events, such as the Christmas party the group organizes every year for local children.

As it stands now, many members of the chapter who would like to attend meetings cannot because the group is forced to gather at far-flung locations that do not charge for the use of the room, Lance said.

In past years the group would meet at hotels, such as Palace Station and the defunct Showboat, which offered meeting rooms to the group for free.

Lance, who was a technical corporal with the Army's Special Services, "the morale department," would like her own boost of morale -- in the form of an offer of a free venue, she said.