EFFECTIVE PLATFORM FOR SERVING WIDER MILITARY COMMUNITY
(October 16, 2008)

CAL-MOAA continues to be an ideal platform for serving the wider military community. There is evidence of vision, action planning, and available resources characteristic of a military professional association with members determined to learn, promote national security policy issues, protect earned entitlements, and enjoy the social aspects of events and activities designed for people with common interests. The structure provides unique opportunities for all who choose to operate beyond the local chapter level, opportunities to make a real difference.

At the same time, the Council faces significant challenges in 2008, everything from providing more value to chapters and supporting chapters directly. And there is a wide range of perceptions between chapter presidents when it comes to value and assistance. We have to continue to rely on the affiliated chapters to express their needs and wants, something most presidents generally have not done in the past.

There are a number of cultural, economic, and social forces in play causing significant change. Chapters have severe membership recruitment and leadership succession problems. Forty four (44) chapters with a total of 5,338 members made a Council dues payment of $4,003 in 2007; Thirty five (35) chapters with a total of 4,635 members have paid a total of $3549 Council dues so far in 2008, an 11% membership decrease. As the financial support decreases the Council finds it more and more difficult to achieve its purposes.

We are trying to achieve specific purposes with perhaps the most important of those being legislative action and chapter assistance . Greater success will come when affiliated chapter presidents participate actively and support the Council financially.

Management
The Council’s strategic and operations plans, organization structure, and control systems are in place. Financial statements and the 2009 budget show the impact of declining chapter memberships, lower dues income, aggressive cost control, and a positive balance sheet. EXCOM and chapter presidents rosters provide accurate contact information. E-mail and the web log have been used for statewide communications. Important messages where a specific action or immediate reply is needed or time is of the essence are sent by e-mail. Late news, information, opinion, viewpoints, and commentary are all posted to the web log; more than 1,750 items have been posted in the last two and a half years.

Promote MOAA Aims
We have been in constant contact with the MOAA Council and Chapter Affairs Department, Col Lee Lange and his professional and administrative staffs specifically, coordinating California support to national. We have been responding promptly for requests for assistance. Some members will participate in the upcoming 16-18 October, 2008 Western Chapter Presidents Symposium, Lake Tahoe. Throughout 2008 we have been using the web log to provide information about opportunities for service, stimulate love of country, defend the government and Constitution, protect earned entitlements, assist active and retired members, and foster fraternal relations between members of the services, everything MOAA wants us to do.

Further MOAA Legislative Objectives
We participated in the April 2008 Washington, D.C. “Storming the Hill” event with four teams going from one legislative office to another meeting with more than 24 California legislators and their staffs, making presentations in support of specific pieces of legislation, and leaving resource materials. An after-action report was distributed. Throughout the year we used the web log to broadcast legislative alerts, provide detailed information about specific legislation, and encourage everyone to take appropriate action.
Robert Ramirez and Judy Tilt of Palm Springs Chapter initiated and implemented a special effort in support of the Medicare physicians reimbursement issue.

Further California State Legislation
We have been working throughout the year with the California State Commanders Veterans Council (CSCVC) and its Sacramento legislative advocate, Pete Conaty & Associates, to identify key legislation, provide advice and council, and help move new bills through the legislative process. Chapter presidents seem unwilling or unable to tell what they would like to see happen with legislation. And finally, we are facing a very sensitive and serious issue about how to provide for the lobbyist’s $6K retainer fee.

Provide Assistance to Affiliated Chapters
We have been on the road visiting chapters, making presentations, providing encouragement and resources, and in some cases working hard on specific issues such as chapter viability and success. Information about “best practices” has been posted to the web log. Bill Reals spent many hours assisting the now inactive San Gabriel Valley Chapter. John Sammons has been working for a very long time trying to create a new Alameda County Chapter. A MOAA DAY ON THE HORNET event was a spectacular success, attracting more than 375 attendees. An extraordinary effort has been made to save certain JROTC programs in San Francisco, Novato, and Los Angeles which were in the interests of local chapters; meetings were held, a resolution was created and passed, and e-mails and other communications were sent to school boards, State directors have been driving sometimes great distances to provide management consulting services.

Liaison with Other Veterans Organizations
We have been participating fully with the California State Commanders Veterans Council (CSCVC) and its 19 military organization members, the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA). After-action reports of meetings and events have been posted to the web log.

During 2008 the Council was awarded its 25 year Silver Anniversary recognition from National MOAA. In addition, the Council’s web site was judged best among the 38 councils nationwide and the web log was given special recognition for innovative communications systems, all a part of MOAA’s nationwide communications competition.

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