NATIONAL MOAA WILL INCREASE SUPPORT TO CHAPTERS IN 2009

Col Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret, Director, MOAA Council and Chapter Affairs, briefed the October 2008 Lake Tahoe Western States Chapter Presidents Symposium delegates about the “Year of the Chapter” that spans 2008 and 2009.

In the February 2008 issue of Military Officer magazine, then-Chairman of the Board Gen. Michael P.C. Carns, USAF-Ret, announced MOAA would increase the support it provides to its chapters and councils during the “Year of the Chapter.”

Chapter members provide valuable grassroots support and serve as MOAA’s “ambassadors” at the local level. However, only 70,000 (19 percent) of MOAA’s 370,000 members belong to a local MOAA chapter. During the “Year of the Chapter,” MOAA will work to push more national members to join a local chapter. The national association also will dedicate more resources to help strengthen its chapters and councils.

To achieve these goals, several new membership initiatives will be undertaken during 2008-09. These initiatives include:

–Strengthening state councils;

–Targeting the 300,000 non-chapter members who are national MOAA members;

–Developing a new “Give Me 10! program for 2009 that will help draw more new members into chapters;

–Focusing on developing new chapters;

–Working with councils to identify chapters that are in need of revitalization; and

–Providing better tools to help chapters recruit more Guard and Reserve Servicemembers.

Other initiatives focus on increasing the support provided to councils and chapters. These initiatives include:

–Helping councils and chapters generate non-dues income;

–Revising the Council and Chapters Policy and Procedure Guide, which provides guidance and reference materials to council and chapter leaders;

–Enhancing the chapter visit program so every chapter receives a visit from a member of the board of directors or national staff every three years;

–Improving signature events (Council Presidents’ Seminar and Chapter Presidents’ Symposium);

–Finding ways to simplify chapter administration;

–Improving and refining the prospective member lists that are provided to chapters by national MOAA; and

–Completing the Chapter Web Template, which provides chapters with a free Web presence.

National MOAA also will recognize the contributions made by council and chapter members by presenting them with:

–MOAA’s Leadership Award; or

–a special “Year of the Chapter” coin.

National MOAA currently is considering giving cash awards to topnotch chapters that receive a Levels of Excellence Award. A special symposium will be held for council and chapter leaders October 21-24, 2009 in San Diego.

National MOAA will help chapters increease their grassroots influence by:

–Developing guidelines for sponsoring local sports teams/charities;

–Letting chapters know about local opportunities to support wounded warriors and deployed servicemembers’ families; and

–Working with state councils to encourage every chapter in their state to forge relationships with their congressional representatives.

Delegates also learned about a 2008 recruiting initiative that saw national MOAA push members toward chapters. The cover wrap on the October 2008 issue of Military Officer magazine offered national MOAA members a complimentary, one-year chapter membership. To cover the cost of these memberships, chapters will receive a $15 rebate for each new member once they complete the following steps:

–Contact new members by phone (by mail if phone contact cannot be made), and welcome them to your chapter;

–Add each new member’s information to the chapter’s roster, and submit a full roster update to MOAA after December 31, 2008;

–Add each new member to the mailing list for the chapter’s newsletter; and

–Invite new members to the next chapter meeting.

Chapter leaders should send an e-mail to chapters@moaa.org once these actions are complete.

Source: 2008 Chapter Presidents’ Symposium Report, Lake Tahoe, NV. Oct 16-18, 2008

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