The Wellsville VFW Post, 5647 located on Main Street in downtown Wellsville, could possibly close by the end of April. (Submitted photo)

WELLSVILLE — The Wellsville VFW Post 5647, located at 359 Main St., could face potential closing, according to Post Commander Don Clifford.

Clifford noted that the post could close as soon as the end of April. Reasons he attributed include negativity over rumors of the organization being racist; not enough business, technology; and nobody willing to step up and fill leadership roles.

Clifford noted this is an issue with the VFW organization across the country: with no new young members coming and none of the remaining older members wanting to take a leadership role, resulting in a loss of revenue.

He indicated that when the VFW was first established, it was during a time when men worked and women stayed at home. The VFW gave the couple a place to go when the man was home, But now everyone is working and raising families — there is no time for organizations.

Technology is also killing the VFW, Clifford said. People no longer come to the post for meetings. They stay home and Skype them instead.

One of the biggest reasons Clifford gave for the potential closing is the negativity in Wellsville toward the VFW on social media resulting in a loss of customers.

“With no one coming in, there is no profit to stay open with,” Clifford said. The only way the post will survive is for the people to get behind it so they can save it and keep it open, he added.

The VFW offers a kitchen for food service, chance machines, bingos, raffles, giveaways, drawings and a bar. Clifford said he has tried everything he can.

He also noted that the old folks love the Monday night bingo and many of them are there every Monday with some younger people. But many of the older ones drink soda instead of alcohol, which doesn’t do much for the profits. He feels it’s wrong to have to close and take the bingo away from them.

Clifford took over as the post commander approximately two-and-a-half years ago when, according to him, the state VFW commander sent him, his wife, Tina, who serves as the quartermaster, to the post to straighten it out.

He said at that time he felt the post had a 90% chance of shutting down within two months. Now he said the post has a 99% chance of closing by the end of the month. He also noted that he and Tina are leaving the post due to medical reasons and the state commanders have said if they leave, the state is done messing with the post.

He told the state commander that if Wellsville doesn’t want to keep the VFW, they will shut it down.

“Maybe I’m running the VFW wrong,” Clifford said. “I turned it from a bar back to a VFW and a lot of people don’t like that, but I don’t want it run any other way. My job is to run it as a VFW not Joe’s Corner Bar.”

The post, which was established 78 years ago, recently lost its auxiliary, which has been in place for 75 years, according to Clifford.

Clifford stressed the organization does a lot for the community with donations to the fire and police departments, library and schools, purchasing the flags for the village and placing approximately 1,600 flags at the cemetery each year.

He also noted that he is currently looking for charities and non-profits to help. The VFW has approximately $18,000 in its charitable accounts which come from the gambling machines and must be spent on charity. He loses access to the charity checkbook on April 15.

“We are doing good for the community and doing positive for the community. Wellsville is a dying community, so if we can’t get something going and keep positive things happening, they won’t make it,” Clifford said. “If something were able to turn this around, I think even with medical issues, me and my wife would stay, but the day in and day out, one thing after another, I can’t do that.”

Clifford said the VFW needs people they can help with the charity fund, and it also needs people in the seats, eating food, drinking, playing bingo and shuffleboard and socialization.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com