EXCOM PREPARATIONS NEARING COMPLETION

Welcome to Oakland and the California Council of Chapters (CAL-MOAA) Executive Committee meeting. The location offers promise for both business and pleasure.

There’s reason for hope, both for effective accomplishment of our business affairs 26 April and for the future of the Council.

Early indications are attendance will be very good. Admiral Ryan will be on site April 27th. National Directors Col. John Loughran, USAF-Ret, Col Bill Gavitt, USAF-Ret, and CAPT Warren McDonald, USCG-Ret will be present. All voting officers and a number of the non-voting officers will be on hand, as will be just about all area state directors or their representatives. In addition, many of the chapters from Areas 1 and 2 are sending presidents or representatives, and in some cases two or three per chapter. Finally, there will probably be a number of potential East Bay Chapter startup members with us both days.

If you’re lonely, don’t be concerned. There’s going to be a lot of good conversation and discussion in the daytime formal sessions and evening informal social gatherings as well.

There’s a full agenda and we’ll be discussing a number of issues with approval of a strategic plan high on the list. In the past, we found writing vision and mission statements complex and difficult, but a lot of smart people have been working on the plan and we think the final draft is a good one. Some chapters have been quick to give an ok; others think the plan is unwieldy and probably can’t be implemented effectively.

If you’re afraid things aren’t going to go well, don’t be concerned. There’s no need to be troubled or have last minute doubts. We’ve been talking about the issues for a long time and chances are we’re moving to a swift conclusion. We might even find that the current bylaws allow us to do everything needed to meet the requirements of the future.

We’re really at a point where we need to fish or cut bait. The strategic plan issue was up for consideration briefly at the November 2005 San Luis Obispo annual meeting and tabled. A task force was formed to research all issues and return next week with a workable draft, and the draft has been in widespread distribution for weeks. We really have high hopes the work will be accepted and a plan approved without delay.

We might drop the ball again. But if we do, we’ll just pick up our bootstraps and go back to the drawing board. We didn’t get the job done in the past and there’s a chance we could mess up again. But in the Council there is no penalty for failure. Everything will be ok. We’ll still have a bright future.

It seems the Council is now on the leading edge of a new life, perhaps with an innovative strategic plan appropriate to the 21st century.

Again, welcome to the city and proceedings. May your travels be pleasant.

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