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

Volunteers from the posts to take people home after they have been drinking.

I work with a federal agency, any charge such as reckless driving, DUI, DWI, etc., will trigger a personnel action equivalent to a GOMOR and dismissal following review. Most businesses also take a very dim view of these offenses.

I am the current commander of my local post. It’s a Catch 22 situation. At 68 I’m one of the younger members that attends meetings. I would love to do all the things that younger Veterans would like a post to do, but without the younger members to make it happen, it’s status quo. I am very welcoming to new, younger, more diverse members, I just can’t seem to get a foothold in new membership. We are a large post of about 300 members. Most are Vietnam Vets, but we still have 5 from World War II still with us. If we have 15 - 25 at any meeting, we’re lucky. What can I do to attract younger members?

The strictness of the entrance criteria for the VFW is also an obstacle. I retired from the army after more than 36 years of service. My bullets had me performing humanitarian missions overseas but I was not deployed in combat assignments on foreign soil. I am then not eligible for membership.

The ones I belonged to in Key West, FL were both great! I highly recommend going to them when you make it down there.

I'm interested in the American Legion. Served with the B Battery, 7th Battalion 115th Artillery.

As a long time member of the legion in several posts where I've served on their executive committees I assure you this IS NOT how it's suppose to be done. Not all posts have that frame of mind but sadly it's not new. Believe it or not the WW2 vets faced the same 'you aren't wanted here'.
When we see this it's most often a smaller post with an older long time membership. Those kinds of posts with the attitudes you describe exist but are far outnumbered by posts that welcome all veterans. I hope you find one but if you don't let me know, we welcome ALL eligible service members/veterans.
As to the reception for female veterans, I didn't realize how bad it was until I married a female veteran. We met through the legion and have watched as it has gotten far better.
All VSO's are losing members because our younger vets aren't looking for a beer joint and bingo hall. They want family related events. They also are looking for exactly what VSO stands for. Veterans Service Organization.
Do events for all veterans, member or not. Do things like have a VA enrollment officer come to your post to enroll people in the VA system. Host a VA certified service officer every few months to help all area veterans file or check on claims.

Legion is easy as far as membership, but VFW has always been confusing as to eligibility criteria for submariners. Some posts would only allow SSBN sailors to join up, some allowed SSBN and SSN sailors to join as long as the SSN guys had an Expeditionary Medal.

Stopped going to my local VFW in NH. I’m a retired Marine and found it not very family oriented. Older group that were clickish and nothing but video poker and drinking than actually doing anything in the community. The Legion post I joined never had more than 3-4 people in the place smelled like an ashtray; everyone smoked there.

When I’d bring up trying to attract younger vets and families at the VFW it didn’t appear anyone was interested. The post commander was basically an absentee commander.

I am a member of AMVETS and DAV. They are both very active and do things for veterans and others in need. Don’t really see an incentive to join the others. Seems like they don’t do a whole lot outside of their own clubs.

They have to get rid of the smoke fillled stinky bar. That's a huge turnoff. Get rid of smoking inside and cater to more than just old guys sitting at the bar telling war stories. That's what I remember when I walked into 3 of them. But, that was a few years ago. I never went inside one again.