MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF CHAPTERS
AGENDA

Executive Committee
8:30 p.m., Oct 26, 2006 (after dinner)
Lions Gate Hotel & Conference Center
Sacramento, CA

Call to Order
Invocation/Pledge of Allegiance
Welcome
Quorum (w/Present Directors)
Approval of Minutes
Treasurer’s Report
Area Directors Reports
Old Business
Annual Meeting Agenda Review
New Business
Adjourn

Annual Council of Chapters Meeting
9:00 A.M. Friday, October 27, 2006
Lion Gate Hotel & Conference Center
Sacramento, CA

Subject to revision (incl. times)

Executive Committee
9:00 a.m., Oct 28, 2006
Lions Gate hotel & Conference Center
Sacramento , CA

Adjourn

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WEBSITE BRIEFING UNAVAILABLE

Cdr Robert Burke, USN-Ret, and along with webmaster Gloria the creator of the Council’s website, was on hand 26 April and ready to present a multi-media website presentation on the features of a new and greatly expanded site. However, the hotel meeting room did not provide access to the internet and it was not possible to do the presentation.

The new site is going to provide useful informtion, bios and photos of Council leaders, links to chapters and newsletters, opportunities for chapters to have their own weblogs, as well as free e-mail accounts and much more. You can access the site at http://www.cal-moaa.org/.

The website continues under development and will be greatly improved over time. You are encouraged to check the site for late breaking news.

In addition, there is a link to the weblog, a wonderful technology for interpersonal and interorganizational communication. You will contribute to the Council’s success if you will post late chapter news, your ideas and opinions, and of course suggestions for better CAL-MOAA management.

More than 150 items have been posted to the weblog in advance of the 26 April EXCOM meeting, all designed to clarify opportunities, challenges, and the issues. There is likely to be a period of time before the Council’s new strategic plan is implemented in full force, so it is unlikely the earlier pace of item posting will be sustained. Late news will be posted as it becomes available.

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NO EXCOM VOTE ON STRATEGIC PLAN

This item has been edited to conform to the EXCOM meeting minutes distributed 5 May 2006.

The Oakland Executive Inn and Suites meeting room was filled to capacity April 26th when the EXCOM, with the assistance of chapter presidents and others, debated the merits of a proposed strategic plan; however, Council President Lt. Col. Larry Stumpf, USAF-Ret, declared there would be no vote taken on the plan.

However, there was discussion about the vision and mission statements, both of which were considered for adoption.

The Council’s vision is to be one of the leading professional military organizations in the State of California, organizing itself with strong local chapters to support key political issues in California that might impact the membership. The vision statement was approved without objection.

The mission is to support, directly and through our affiliated chapters, the military community, which includes active, retired, former commissioned and warrant officers of all seven uniformed services including the National Guard and reserve components and their surviving spouses; support the membership in any way possible to preserve and enhance their rights, benefits, and entitlements, and quality of life; and, support the mission of MOAA. The mission statement was approved without objection.

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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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BOLD LEADERSHIP NEEDED

In the coming week we will participate in the EXCOM meeting in Oakland, right on the fringe of the world famous Silicon Valley, and it will be a meeting in part to determine the Council’s future.

Over four decades ago President Kennedy proclaimed the United States would land a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. In speeches across the country he called it a vital national interest because “no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race.” The success of the space program fueled a generation of innovation and technological advances.

Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers said recently, “Silicon Valley understands the idea that innovation and competitiveness are about leadership.” To make CAL-MOAA’s future viable, we need innovation. And for innovation we need bold leadership.

The Reserve Officer’s Association, Association of the United States Army, the Air Force Association, the Navy League, and other such groups are all appealing to the military officer. The competition is stiff.

It’s becoming more and more difficult to influence our nation’s leaders on national security issues, and protect our earned entitlements.

What’s our big statewide concern? Take a look at these chapter membership numbers:

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Santa Maria/Lompoc
189 181 164 143 142 140 144
Bakersfield
117 119 122 114 114 114 83
Conejo/Simi Valley
130 132 127 127 133 103 106
Mojave Desert
233 243 238 228 206 143 159
Orange Empire
178 138 126 135 164 137 152
Heartland
174 126 105 93 77 84 53

We face both opportunities and problems.

President Bush has been going around the country lately talking about the need for technological innovation as being at the center of our national interest. He is trying to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers. While it may not seem as dramatic as going to the moon, the outcome will determine if the United States remains “a leader of other nations.”

We’re in a struggle to find a Council purpose appropriate for these changing times.

What innovations will be needed to move the Council forward into a new and exciting era and success? What do we have to do to inspire the membership?

CDR John Sammons, USPHS-Ret, Council vice president, has outlined a vision in the new strategic plan and he’s been trying hard to communicate why this vision needs to be acted upon right now.

Change almost always faces resistence. But look at the membership numbers again. Ordinarily, by the time change becomes obvious it is usually too late. Will we be willing, bold enough, to make the needed changes?

The degree to which we are willing to change will determine in large part the Council’s future.

It is time to take some aggressive steps leading to planned change. We need to be creative when crafting vision and mission statements. Some have already been vocal about these concerns. Again, are the statements offered creative enough? Can we get the job done? Do we have the capabilities and resources to implement the strategic plan effectively?

Change is hard for all of us, but not to change will be doing a disservice to the Council, affiliated chapters, and membership.

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WEBLOG TECHNOLOGY NOT BEING USED

Years ago, crooner Sam Cooke was very successful with his “Twistin’ The Night Away”, a song high on the popular music charts for many months. Some of us feel like we’re out there twistin’ and turnin’ in the breeze, all alone, trying to make a difference.

CDR Robert Burke, USN-Ret, working closely with webmaster Gloria, has created this weblog feature as part of the Council’s website.

This issue will come up for discussion at the upcoming 26 April EXCOM meeting. Following CDR Burke’s briefing, talk will center on the website and its content as well as the blog feature. We may determine that there is not enough interest to continue the weblog as it exists now.

The technology, for whatever reasons, obviously is not being utilized by the Council’s officers and directors or chapter presidents, officers, directors and members.

This technology gives us a capability to communicate up and down the state, almost in real time, and in an interactive way. We can share our ideas, state our positions, tell others what we think and feel. Then, others almost instantly can post comments, reacting to what the writer has said. The intent is to provide an opportunity for both casual conversation and more serious discussion of the issues.

For many weeks, in preparation for the EXCOM meeting and its discussions, we could have been using the blog to present what’s on our minds, identify the issues, have some online discussion, and even reach some tentative conclusions in advance, saving time and effort in Oakland. But it didn’t happen.

As of this date, more than 140 items have been posted to the weblog, with all but two by the same officer. Two postings were announcements only. There have been only three or four comments posted, and by only two individuals.

Again, the weblog is not designed to be a simple newsletter with an editor selecting and writing content, only one person involved. It is an interactive technology, with the intent that there will be many writers, many who choose to post comments, with the general membership participating fully.

Be prepared to consider CDR Burke’s ideas about the new website and, in particular, the future of this weblog technology. No sense having it if we’re not going to use it.

Still out there twistin’!

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FAR-REACHING VISION NEEDED

According to the 26 April EXCOM meeting agenda efforts will be made to fashion an appropriate vision statement.

We need to come up with something creative and in line with a changing world.

Yes, the world is changing.

Recently an Amtrak train stopped at the Olympia-Lacy station, WA, northbound to Seattle and two young women boarded, one carrying a desert camo rucksack. It turned out she was a Fort Lewis soldier on her way home to Shelby, Montana, having earned a three week leave. During conversation she said she had three horses; someone suggested she’d probably be very glad to get home and ride them. “Oh, no,” she said, “the horses are at Fort Lewis. I take them every place I go.”

Now there’s the modern Army for you, a dramatic change from the Army some of us knew years ago.

A California chapter president, one with extensive consulting experience to non-profits, explained that we must determine where we are today and then visualize where we want to be tomorrow. Perhaps he was referring to the kind of organization we want to have, the nature of it, with a focus on culture.

According to the new strategic plan draft, the vision statement is “To accomplish our mission CAL-MOAA will become the leading professional military organization in the State of California by becoming a financially solvent inclusive organization that embraces all active duty and retired officers of all services, active and retired Guard and reserve officers and former officers as well as their families and surviving spouses. CAL-MOAA will be comprised of strong local chapters and will ge the key political influence regarding military issues in the State of California.”

Is this the kind of statement that will sustain the Council through, say, the year 2010?

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NEED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS

The cartoon strip “Dilbert”, created by Scott Adams, appears in hundreds of newspapers worldwide. It is the premier cartoon dealing with workplace issues. The characters include the pointy-haired boss, a supervisor with tufts of hair rising on each side of his head, and often incompetent; Dilbert, an engineer; Alice, an engineer; Asok, an intern; and others.

In one recent strip, Dilbert approaches the pointy-haired boss and asks, “What will the company’s future be like?” The boss responds, “It depends on the plan.” With that, Dilbert says, “We’re doomed, aren’t we?” The pointy-haired boss answers, “I don’t know, I haven’t seen the plan.”

If CAL-MOAA , the EXCOM specifically, is going to be successful 26 April presenting and approving a new strategic plan, we need to see a huge amount of member participation between now and then. Recently we asked participants to give us a chop, approval or disapproval of the plan draft, and by simply posting a comment to the request. To date, only one comment has been offered.

Some won’t write or comment because it’s just plain hard. Why? Some just don’t like to tell others what they think, or fear rejection or criticism, even intimacy, and are concerned that someday something they wrote will come back to haunt them.

For effective communication, we need emotional openness, and that means self-disclosure. This is the act of telling others what you think or feel about the plan, actually sharing how you are reacting to the other person and current situation. It is telling the truth, not just presenting your good side or your social mask.

Why tell others?

In the larger scheme of things, there is a wholesome cycle involving self-disclosure, friendships, and self-acceptance. First, it is usually helpful to tell the person you are interacting with how he/she is affecting you because sharing your feeling and thoughts usually deepens friendships. Secondly, acceptance by friends and others increases your self-acceptance. Thirdly, as you feel better about yourself, you can self-disclose even more of yourself, leading to closer, more enjoyable relationships. Fourthly, with more feedback, greater security and self-acceptance, you are able to look deeper into yourself and solve more problems.

We should be using this interactive technology to present the planning issues, discuss them, get feedback from many others, and together begin to set some directions, all well in advance of the EXCOM meeting. We are trying to be open with the issues, disclosing to others, hoping that in turn others will choose to let us know what they think and feel.

“To like me, to trust me, to be committed to our relationships, to facilitate my personal growth and self-understanding, and to be my friend, you must know me.” David Johnson, Reaching Out

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