- 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.
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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.
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- 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.
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