VFW POST 2557 Rutledge GA “Team Rutledge”

11/12/2025

🇺🇸 VFW Post 2557 Proudly Honors Morgan County Student & Teacher Winners! 🇺🇸

VFW Post 2557 is proud to recognize the outstanding Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy winners from Morgan County Schools! 🏅

These students demonstrated remarkable patriotism, creativity, and leadership through their essays and speeches—showing that the future of America is bright. 👏

We are also honored to present Teacher Awards to several dedicated educators who go above and beyond to instill love of country and civic responsibility in their students. Your support and encouragement make all the difference! 🍎🇺🇸

Congratulations to all our student and teacher award recipients—you make Morgan County and VFW Post 2557 proud! ❤️🤍💙

11/12/2025

🇺🇸 Mini Poppy Drive SUCCESS! 🌺
VFW Post 2557 and our dedicated veterans were at Chop House in Madison, GA this Veterans Day for a heartfelt Mini Poppy Drive.
A huge THANK YOU to Mr. Pete, Mr. Johnny, and Mr. Hugh — you guys were AWESOME! Your smiles and stories made it unforgettable.
Every poppy handed out honors our fallen and supports our living heroes. Grateful for the community’s generosity!

11/10/2025

Congratulations to these amazing students and our wonderful teacher Mrs. Heather Jackson on winning the VFW Competition.

11/08/2025

🏆🇺🇸 VFW Post 2557 Named an All-American Post for 2024–2025! 🇺🇸🏆

We are proud to announce that VFW Post 2557 in Rutledge, Georgia has been recognized as an All-American Post for 2024–2025! 🎉

This prestigious honor reflects the hard work, dedication, and service of our entire membership — and a special thank you to Neal Fitzgerald for his outstanding leadership and commitment in helping our Post achieve this award.

Together, we continue to honor our veterans, serve our community, and uphold the proud traditions of the VFW.

Great job, Team Rutledge and congratulations, Neal! 👏🇺🇸

11/08/2025

🇺🇸 Thank You, Team Rutledge! 🇺🇸

A big thank you to everyone who came out today for our VFW Post 2557 Poppy Drive at Ingles in Madison! Your support and dedication help us continue honoring and assisting our veterans and their families.

You all made us proud — well done, Team Rutledge! 💪🌺

10/31/2025

🌟 The Memorial Crosses are up! 🇺🇸
Our heartfelt thanks to Tim Odum, Marilyn Odum, Judy Malcom, Vince Skidmore, Ben Jenkins, Ted Dudley, Melvin Bone, and Neal Fitzgerald of VFW Post 2557 for your dedication in honoring our fallen Veterans.
Your hard work and support mean the world to the Rutledge Georgia Garden Club and our entire community.

10/27/2025

10/25/2025

Dear Comrades,

🎖️ Rutledge VFW Post 2557 – November Newsletter

📅 Next Post Meeting – Wednesday, November 20th
📍 Rutledge VFW Post – 214 Fairplay St, Rutledge, GA 30663
🍽 Lunch at 11:30 AM | 🕛 Meeting begins at 12:00 Noon

Please note the new meeting time! We’re meeting at noon this month. Come early for lunch provided by The Caboose — there will be a $5 meal charge to help cover the cost.

📝 October 23rd Meeting Notes

We had a great turnout with 24 members in attendance!
We welcomed two new members, Eric and Casey Hutcheson, to Team Rutledge — we’re thrilled to have you both on board!

Our guest speaker was Jon Segars from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), Director of the Tate Student Center, who shared valuable insights about veteran support and engagement at UGA.

Pete Shockley spoke about America 250, the nationwide celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary, and shared ideas for future community events involving our post.

Pete also surprised the post with awesome new shirts featuring our Post 2557 logo on the front and an excellent veteran graphic design on the back!
👉 Shirts are available for $10 each, with all proceeds going directly to support our post.
If you received a shirt, please wear it proudly at our upcoming Buddy Poppy Drive on November 8th, along with your military branch hat!

Steve Blanton presented our post with a Bronze Sponsor Award in recognition of our sponsorship of the Ty Reed Legacy Golf Outing — a great event that supports local veterans and their families.

York Griscom shared exciting updates about our upcoming Spring Pickleball Tournament and announced the Grand Opening of the new Silo Walking Park in Rutledge on October 25th from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

Neal Fitzgerald updated the post about the Rutledge Garden Club’s Memorial Cross Placement, scheduled for October 28th at 10 AM at Rutledge City Hall, to honor our local veterans.

🇺🇸 Upcoming Events

Buddy Poppy Drive – Saturday, November 8th
📍 Ingles Parking Lot, Downtown Madison
🕘 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Help support our annual Poppy Drive! Funds raised go directly to assist veterans and their families. Volunteers are still welcome — even an hour or two makes a big difference.

Veterans Cross Placement – Wednesday, October 29th
📍 Rutledge City Hall
🕙 10:00 AM
Join us as we place memorial crosses in remembrance of our fallen heroes.

🦃 A Season of Gratitude

As Thanksgiving approaches, we’re reminded of how thankful we are for each of our members — for your service, dedication, and the fellowship that defines Team Rutledge.

May your holiday season be filled with peace, gratitude, and time well spent with family and friends. Together, we honor our past, serve in the present, and look forward to the future.

Go Team Rutledge! 🇺🇸

Respectfully,
Vince Skidmore
Commander, VFW Post 2557
Rutledge, Georgia

10/25/2025

VFW Post 2557 had a spooktacular time at the Trunk n Treat in Rutledge, Georgia! 🎃 Our crew brought the Halloween spirit, decking out trunks and passing out treats to all the ghouls and goblins. So much fun connecting with our community and seeing all those creative costumes! Thanks to everyone who made it a night to remember!

10/02/2025

What an absolute blast at the Pickleball Tournament in Rutledge, Georgia! 🏓 VFW Post 2557 had a paddle-smashing good time rallying for a great cause—supporting Rescue Ranch’s life-saving work for animals in need. Laughter, friendly rivalries, and a whole lot of heart. Grateful for our vets and community who showed up strong! Who’s ready for round two?

10/02/2025

🎖️ Rutledge VFW Post 2557 – October Newsletter

📅 Next Post Meeting – Thursday, October 23rd
📍 The Chop House, 202 S Main St, Madison, GA 30650
🍽 Dinner at 6:30 PM | 🕖 Meeting starts at 7:00 PM
We’re excited to announce that our next Post meeting will be held at The Chop House in Madison. Come enjoy a good meal, fellowship, and another great evening with Team Rutledge. Hope to see you there!
⸻
✨ Highlights from the September 25th Meeting
• 📣 Community Events:
• Our Post will attend the Pickleball Tournament at Veterans Park in Rutledge on Saturday, September 27th, 9 AM – 1 PM to recruit new members and support the community.
• We are signed up for Trunk or Treat in Rutledge on Saturday, October 18th, 6 PM – 9 PM. We’ll be giving out candy and popcorn — still need two volunteers to help out!
• Our next Buddy Poppy Drive is scheduled at Ingles in Madison on November 8th. Two volunteer slots are still open.
• 🍽 Meal: We enjoyed another great dinner provided by The Caboose Restaurant — thank you for supporting us!
• 🙌 New Faces: We were pleased to welcome a potential new member, Robert Pace, who visited our Post.
• 🏅 Awards & Recognition:
• Certificates were presented to Neal Fitzgerald for his outstanding work with the All-American and Members Awards.
⸻
Let’s keep building momentum as we move into fall! Thank you to all members and volunteers who continue to make our Post strong.

For God and Country,
🇺🇸 Vince Skidmore
Post Commander
🎖️ Rutledge VFW Post 2557