What would make American Legions and Veteran of Foreign War posts more appealing to join for you?

I am a member of both the American Legion and VFW. Can't say for sure how the meetings go, as I never go to them. So it would not be fair for me to judge them. I know they work hard at what they do, and for that I am thankful. I was originally bitter at the Legion for saying I wasn't eligible. But they moved some timelines for eligibility (they were hurting for members) and I got in. I have asked so many of my friends to join, and they won't for that same reason. They tell me that the only reason they want them now is they need money. Their choice. With VFW I had no problem at all. I was not in a combat zone either.

As a Cold-Warrior, I never saw combat, so I would be excluded from the VFW regardless. Other such organizations sound to me like a bunch of other old farts sitting around telling tall tales while drinking themselves into a stupor. Sorry, can't show!

I am a legionnaire, I qualified because of my duties during beruit and Granada. I am a VFW auxiliary member. Most members I see at these clubs are social members non vets, they seem to be drinking clubs. Now I live in a very rural area. The clubs all look like old hunting camps. Not everyone looks all squared away. When we travel we will stop for lunch at a club most seem the same way, lots of bar flies. Good food usually. They have their qualifications for regular membership and social membership. But they seem to want all the dues paying members they can get. Anyway it is what it is.

Update them turn them into something other than the local diver bar with sticky floors and smoke filled places where the regulars look down upon anyone who was not their War, their Army you get the idea.

When I returned from Nam I went to the local VFW and was not welcomed. I don’t recall what they said to me but it was quite clear they didn’t want us as members that is until the WWII & Korea vets started to PCS(die) that I received an invite from the post cdr wanting to know why I hadn’t joined. I explained my encounter at the club. They used to have daily lunches and Friday fish fries, all that has disappeared.

Truthfully, I am an AMVETS member (Vice Commander). I am not inclined to join. I am a member of the local Honor Guard, and I am welcomed at all local posts. Personally, I wouldn't join the VFW, as I did not fight overseas. and the Legion, the atmosphere is not too welcoming. Membership is down, as well as everywhere else. As far as AMVETS is concerned, if you wore the uniform, you're more than welcome to join. And I'm not another "Fool on the Stool", or someone who joined just to drink at a reduced rate. I feel a relaxation of the guidelines would work, but only for so long.

Publicly "ie news cast radio appearances" denouncing how both the VFW and the Legion treated US Nam Vets when we tried to join when we got home. I was and I'm sure many other VN vets were told by ol ww2 vets that Nam was a conflict NOT a war .....

Guess what?
All the World War II vets told us Nam Vets we weren’t real vets when we tried to join as well so join the club.
Quite frankly that’s why I never had anything to do with either one of those organizations.

Stop centering everything around alcohol consumptions and make other activites available. I was ignored as a female when I volunteered for functions at a meeting so lost interest.

I tried to join and it was actually really complicated -- then when we tried to go to an event you could still smoke inside and that was challenging when we don't smoke and it was for dinner

More family oriented sounds great -- also making membership easier like the local chapter could send mailers by requesting the zip codes they have -- there just has to be a better way then the current method