Frank Torres
Commander - Army
The Post Commander is the key officer of the Post. They, alone, represent the
judicial branch of the organization and also have some of the responsibilities of the
executive branch.
• They preside at all meetings, enforce the rules, appoint committees not otherwise
provided or, and make certain that the other officers and committees perform
their duties.
• Their authority extends to the Post Home or Club to the extent of enforcing the rules
of the Post and the National and Department VFW and public laws.
• They represent the authority of the Post between meetings, and their voice is that of
the Post membership.
• Their authority also is limited according to the rules of the organization and the
bounds of common sense. They are in no sense a dictator!
• They cannot order nor permit the breaking of laws nor can they supersede the
recognized authority of other officers or committees. They cannot, for instance, order
the Club Manager to keep the clubrooms open after hours, nor can they direct the
Post Quartermaster to pay an unauthorized bill.
• The Commander should be familiar with all activities of the Post.
• They should sit in with the Trustees at their audits or, at least, have a sufficient
knowledge of their procedure to know whether they are doing their job.
• They should attend the meetings of the House Committee, calling to their attention
any discrepancies he/she may have observed or complaints they may have received.
• The Commander is the arbitrator of arguments and the judge in disputes. As a general rule, their decisions are considered correct until over-ruled by the Post meeting, the District, Department Commander or Commander-in-Chief.
