One Powerful Voice

Maj. Jeffrey L. Goodall , USAF-Ret., 1st Vice President of the Broward County (Fla.) Chapter, wrote this for Officer's Call. Although his comments are directed at members of his chapter, his message applies to us all. Goodall 's text has been edited for space. Article from The Affiliate, MOAA June 2003.

I thought I'd use the MOAA motto to bring into focus what I feel we truly are all about –- one powerful voice. Not field grade officer and company grade officer. Not sailor and airman. Not soldier and Marine, and especially not young and old. But rather one voice, and one that is powerful, but only if and when we speak in unison.

Are we using our one powerful voice in the manner our national organization intends? It's a good question for chapter members to ponder.

Are we striving for new members to ensure our one voice remains powerful? Are we represented in local military and veterans' events? Do we visit elementary schools, high schools, and colleges to provide a positive image of military service and mentor our youth? Do we visit our local armed forces recruiting offices to ensure their efforts do not go unnoticed? Are we involved in veterans/ affairs issues? Do we have a visible presence in our community? Are we even listed in the Yellow Pages?

Do we have a chapter spokesperson? Do we have a chapter Web site so poten tial members can learn who we are and what we're about? Do our national, state and local political representa tives even know who we are? They should, and if they don't, shame on us for keeping our one powerful voice silent.

It is up to each of us to contribute to MOAA's one powerful voice. I ask for your involvement in our MOAA chap ter. Without it, our chapter will eventually dry up and fail. It's as simple as that. No one person, or even a dozen or so board members, can keep our chapter alive and thriving.

Let's face it. Anyone can have a monthly social club, but it takes ef fort and commitment to be an active member of a truly involved, dedicated, and robust chapter.

How can we contribute? Start off by really reading the chapter newsletter and MOAA's national magazine, Military Officer, and becoming aware of the issues and congressional battles facing us. See the numerous advancements we've made as national MOAA members utilizing our one powerful voice. Visit the fantastic Web site national MOAA has developed (www.moaa.org), and attend as many monthly chapter func tions as possible. Join a committee. We have several – membership, charita ble, personal affairs, legislative, and publicity, to name a few. Each of these committees yearns to hear from you and begs for your participation so we can make our chapter the best it can be. Provide constructive feed back, and voice your opinion to improve our chapter's one powerful voice. The bottom line is, get involved.

I often hear we need younger mem
bers, but this not the million-dollar answer. We first need our current members to participate at our functions and meetings. Commitment to the chap ter is a matter of attitude, not age.

This is our chapter. We can make its voice as powerful as we want, or we can simply have it whisper. The future of the chapter does not rest solely on the shoulders of the board of direc tors. It depends on the commitment and involvement of each and every chapter member. We need to hear from you and use your talents and ideas.

I've shared my vision with you. Can we get there? I think so, but it's up to you.