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 potential members can learn who we are and
what we're about? Do our national,
state and local political representatives 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 chapter. 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 effort 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 functions as possible. Join a committee.
We have several membership, charitable, 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 members, but this not the million-dollar
answer. We first need our current
members to participate at our functions
and meetings. Commitment to the chapter 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 directors. 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.