"THE FEW,
THE PROUD,
THE COOTIES"
MONTHLY SCRATCH
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OFFICERS 2008-2009
"SEAM SQUIRREL"
"BLANKET BUM"     
"HIDE GIMLET"
"CUSTODIAN OF THE
CRUMMY DUFFEL BAG"
"HUNGRY COOTIE"
"SKY PILOT"
"SHYSTER"
"PILL PUSHER"
"TIGHTWAD # 1"
"TIGHTWAD # 2"
"TIGHTWAD # 3"
NICK DEVITO
SQUEAKS FROM THE SEAM
SQUIRREL

    NO NEW SQUEAKS     
MESSAGE FROM SKY PILOT
ALL'S WELL NOBODY KNOCKIN'
COOTIE
NEWSSTAND
HISTORY
Consider the official uniform of the VFW's Military Order of the Cootie (MOC): red pants
with a white stripe running down each side; ruffled white shirt; lace-trimmed red vest
emblazoned on the back with a gold-outlined, bug-like creature with flashing light bulb
eyes; red, overseas-style cap worn sideways so that the tassels dangle beside the
wearer's ears. Surely whoever designed this outfit must have had in mind the old
saying that "clothes make the man." After all, one of the principle objectives of the
Cootie is for its members to have and provide fun for themselves and others.

The MOC can trace its ancestry to the Imperial Order of the Dragon - a similar
fun-loving organization that was affiliated with the United Spanish American War
Veterans (USAWV). After World War I, two veterans who were members of both the
USAWV and the VFW thought that the VFW might be able to attract more members if it
formed an organization modeled on the Imperial Order of the Dragon. These men, Fred
Madden and F.L. Gransbury, began recruiting members for the new organization on
September 17, 1920, at the VFW National Encampment in Washington, D.C. By the end
of the encampment, nearly 300 members had been enrolled, and Fred Madden had
become the first Seam Squirrel (commander). Later that year, a complete slate of
officers was assembled and ratified at a special meeting held in Cavalry Baptist Church
in New York City. Madden developed a constitution and by-laws while Gransbury
authored the ritual. (Together with the official uniform, these were approved in 1924.)
MILITARY ORDER OF THE COOTIE
SNAFU THIRTY PUP TENT 35         
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