COUNCIL OF CHAPTER PRESIDENTS MEETING AN UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS

The annual meeting was a success. The Council has a carefully designed plan for 2008, some wonderful and committed people, and an approved budget. More than 85 members and guests attended the Saturday evening banquet.

The secretary will distribute updated EXCOM member and chapter presidents rosters as well as minutes of the EXCOM meeting and the Council of Chapter Presidents Annual Meeting.

Legislation
The most important federal issue discussed was the Medicare reimbursement rate coming in January 2008. Following a comprehensive briefing by Palm Springs Chapter representatives, plans were made to implement a legislative alert . Members were asked to join in a unified action to cause change by contacting and influencing legislators prior to a scheduled late December 2007 decision.

We could be headed for a crisis at the state level. There’s danger ahead—a lack of funding threatens a lobbying system that has been in place for some years. There are signs that the nineteen (19) veterans organizations making up the California State Commanders Veterans Council, a client of the Sacramento lobbying firm of Pete Conaty & Associates, either cannot or will not provide funds to cover a required $6K retainer. CAL-MOAA, a CSCVC member, will provide up to $1500; the other organizations will be expected to contribute the additional $4,500. What happens if the funding is not provided is yet to be determined. continue reading

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RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ISSUES OF CRITICAL CONCERN
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Note: This officer wants to have a dialogue with members interested in meeting contemporary challenges and solving chapter problems. Please log in and write/post a comment sharing your opinions and views on the issues. It’s a chance for you to make a difference.
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This is a report that I promised to send upon attending the meeting at SLO.

First, the meeting was a helpful reminder that there are several dedicated MOAA members working to solve some of our salient common problems. That is both disturbing and reassuring. Nobody has solved the problem of current in-flesh immortality and we all seem to have declining membership although talking with Earl Gustafson was helpful in finding what a successful chapter has done to minimize the threat.

As I thought about the issues surrounding declining membership, I was reminded of my own chapter as well as the common dilemmas we all face. We have essentially 3 choices with a few variants:
1) Increase membership
2) Increase income sources
3) Decrease the mission

Increasing the membership means we need to understand the needs of the officers following us and that we need to be prepared to compromise our personal preferences for the good of larger numbers. This, in turn, means several things are possible. We can survey and probe and question our younger members and eligibles for information, for example, but we may already know that those coming behind us are not joiners and their lives are more complex than our own were at a comparable period in our lives. continue reading

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ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER PRESIDENT’S BRIEFING

Here are a few of my observations gained while representing our chapter at the Dec 1, 2007 CAL-MOAA Council meeting held in San Luis Obispo. Be advised these are my opinions etc. and may not represent those of the management so to speak.

In general I thought it was one ofthe best Council meetings that I have attended to date.

AL ASHURST, CAPT, USN (RET)
President, Orange County Chapter

December 3, 2007
Re: Observations re 2007 CAL-MOAA Council Meeting December 1, 2007

BACKGROUND
The CAL-MOAA Council of Presidents is made up of the presidents of 44 of the 48 California MOAA chapters. The Council is the governing body of CAL-MOAA. There is also an EXCOMM committee made up of the CAL-MOAA president and vice president (elected by the Council) plus the Directors of the 8 geographical areas. The EXCOMM is responsible for day to day operations and implementation of Council decisions. continue reading

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MARIN PRESIDENT BRIEFS MANAGEMENT TEAM

You know that I represented our chapter at the meeting of CA chapter presidents in San Louis Obispo on Fri 30 Nov and Sat 1 Dec. Dulce and I had to leave at 1530 Sat due to a 2000 commitment in Oakland. On Fri evening the Area 2 presidents met for dinner and we appreciate that COL Lee Lange, Dir Chapter Affairs from headquarters, picked up the tab. Six of the seven Area 2 chapters were represented.

The main meeting started at 0800 Sat when Warren Enos was elected President for the state Council of Presidents (CAL-MOAA). The proposed 2008 budget was cut from $12,750 to $9000, mainly to reflect reduced dues revenue as the result of reduced membership. Lee Lange reported that of the 360,000 MOAA members, CA has about 40,000 but only 6800 are members of chapters.

That is one of our challenges, i.e., to persuade local MOAA members to join our chapter; we have been doing a pretty good job of it with 22 new chapter members. During the past year our Membership Committee posted many letters of invitation to this group. Another recruiting challenge nationally, is to contact Guard and Reserve officers to join and in our case we are also focusing on locally resident USCG. Our chapter is one of the few that actually increased membership in 2007. continue reading

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PROFIT AND FUN PLANNED FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO

CAPT Bill Sturman, USN (RET), Director, Inland Empire Area 7, constantly urges the EXCOM to plan some fun times for Council meetings.

The upcoming Council of Chapter Presidents Annual Meeting set for November 30-December 2, 2007 in San Luis Obispo is a time when EXCOM members and chapter presidents will gather to do the Council’s business. And have some fun, too!

What do members get for their $0.75 annual Council dues?

They get a chance to undertake initiatives, programs, and projects at the state level designed to make a difference to the wider military community.

And they get a chance to celebrate with real joy. Have a great travel experience. In this case enjoy the Central Coast, the gorgeous city of San Luis Obispo, the ocean vistas, and associate with others with common interests, experiences, and objectives. They get a chance to have a whole lot of fun in a structured environment. continue reading

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MEETING PROGRAM CHANGED TO ACCOMMODATE MORE SPEAKERS

MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF CHAPTERS
ANNUAL MEETING
PROGRAM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007

1730 - 1815 Hotel Manager Hosts Atrium Reception for Registered Guests.

1830 - 1915 No Host Area Dinner Local Restaurant

2000 - 2130 Executive Committee Meeting
See separate agenda. Chapter presidents and other interested persons are invited.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2007

Complimentary Breakfast for Registered Guests

0800 Annual Meeting Convenes

Call to Order
Invocation
Pledge of Allegiance
Welcome address – Mayor of San Luis Obispo
Roll Call/Determination of Quorum
Introduction of Guests continue reading

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2008 BUDGET UP FOR APPROVAL

Early in the Friday evening November 30th EXCOM meeting Col Arthur “Ike” Isensee, USMC-Ret, the Council’s treasurer, will deliver the bylaws mandated financial report.

As part of his presentation he will offer a proposed budget for 2008 and EXCOM members will be asked to discuss, debate, and ultimately approve the document.

The new budget will show an income forecast as well as recommendations for expenditures. How much money does the Council have and how much does it intend to spend in 2008? Specifically, what will be funded and what will not be funded.

Once the budget is in place, theoretically monies will be spent only for those things that are a line item with approved funding. continue reading

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HOW SHOULD THE COUNCIL COMMUNICATE WITH CHAPTERS?

At the time of Rally 2006 in Sacramento COL Pete Peterka, USA (RET), president of Redwood Empire Chapter, presented the Council with a mandate: The Council must communicate more effectively with its affiliated chapters.

With Pete Peterka’s admonition, a greater effort was made to communicate using the Council’s web site and its web log technology. To date more than 1,255 items have been posted to the web log.

There is still widespread concern that the Council is still not reaching all its chapters effectively, that more apparently needs to be done.

CDR Bob Burke, USN (RET), will explain the Council’s electronic capabilities and lead a discussion at San Luis Obispo designed find ways the Council can communicate more effectively. continue reading

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