A pen from Minuteman to raise funds for veterans?

Okay, I'll say this,

It does not surprise me that you can't find a watchmaker to hire.Lets face it, watch making is a fast dying thing. MOst young people today don't even own a watch, let alone wear one. The cell phone has taken over may roles, including pens. Why carry a pen when you text everyone. In another 15 to 20 years, watchmaking and pen making is going to be right up there with unicorn training and dragon hunting.

What vets need is real world jobs. You own a company, right? Okay, so your friends in the chamber of commerce in the town you live in also have businesses, right? Okay, so who may need service writer at a car dealership?, or a clerk at a grocery chain store, or office guy to handle incoming orders? If you live in a small town, and have fiends and business associates, then you are in a powerful position to really help homecoming vets in your town. Take some of that money and go to the local Food Lion or whatever, and buy a box of groceries for the vet. Or talk the local power company to give him a break on his utility payment. Or even better, talk to the Dean of the local community college about getting some vets into classes for job training. I'm sure the college can eat the tuition for some guy who just came home minus a leg in the service for their country? What's to loose by letting him sit in on some classes and get credit for it? That's a win-win for the local community right there. You'll get a educated grateful worker.

So you can't find an apprentice watch maker. So? You're looking through a 20 power spotting scope at something three feet away, and missing the whole big picture. There's all kinds of businesses in every small town across America. If people want to really help the vets, then do it on a local basis, starting with you local chamber of commerce getting some jobs out there that really mean something. That doesn't mean just your company, but do you know anyone with any kind of resturaunt? A disabled vet can take catering orders, handle reservations, anything! But they just need a chance to do it. Handle the front desk at a Jiffy lube if need be. Something to integrate them back into the community and get a paycheck coming in.

There's a TV character who has a list of rules for everything. I've got my own list, and number 2 on my list is; In the end, it's always about the money. So far in life, in 99.9% of the time, I haven't seen anything that has convinced me I'm wrong.

The heck with marketing a pen that few people will buy. INstead, sit down with your chamber of commerce buds and look at your own town and find a vet to help. He'll appreciate it a hand up. I know you have some business that could use a good worker. Even if it's not making watches for your company.
 
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I respect you but you and I are just not going to agree. My father has 100% disability and helped found our company. Believe me we know why you take issue with what we do and sadly many who have many lots of money on the backs of our veterans paved the road for that. But we are not them. Trouble us some don't believe that and I am sorry I am doing as much as I can and that's all I can do.
The suggestion is to just give quietly, but especially not to use your giving to veterans charities in your marketing. That's all.

I'm a veteran who served a couple of decades but never sought any VA disability rating. Didn't even apply to be rated, but that's a rarity. I work with several veterans rated with disabilities anywhere from 30% to 100%. I'm good friends with many others. Trust me, vets appreciate the giving, just not using that giving to vet charities in a business' everyday marketing to sell products. It just alienates those you want to help. That's really the entire point.
 
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