Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting October 26, 2006

The Executive Committee [ExCom] of the Military Officers Association of America [MOAA], California Council of Chapters [CAL-MOAA] met at the Strada Pasta & Grill, 3427 Orange Grove Ave., North Highlands, CA 95660.

Voting Members Present:
Lt. Col. Lawrence Stumpf, USAF [Ret.], President; Proxy for Capt. Gregory Horn USNR, Director Area Four, San Joaquin Valley & Proxy for Cmdr. Gene Talmadge, USN [Ret.], Director Area Five, Mission Trail Area
Col. Warren Enos, USAR [Ret.], Director Area Two, Bay Area & Proxy for Cmdr. John Sammons, USPHS [Ret.], Vice President
Capt. Al Ashurst, USN [Ret.], Director Area Six, Southwest Area
Capt. William Sturman USN [Ret.], Proxy for Chief Warrant Off. Herbert Zimmerman, USN [Ret.], Director Area Seven, Inland Empire Area & Convention Chairman
Capt. James Cahill, USNR [Ret.], Director Area Eight, San Diego Area
Lt. Col. Sam Carpenter USA [Ret.], Proxy for Cmdr. David C. Faul, USN [Ret.], Director Area Three, Central Coast Area
Lt. Col. David Van Pelt Acting Director Area One, Northern Counties

Non-Voting Members Present:
Col. Arthur Isensee, USMC [Ret.], Treasurer/Budget and Finance Chair
Cmdr. Earl Gustafson, USN [Ret.], Secretary
Col. William Gavitt, USAF [Ret.], State Legislative Chair/MOAA Board of Directors

Others:
Ann Patton, MOAA Auxiliary Member Advisory Committee

The meeting was called to order by the president at 8:45 p.m. Stumpf followed with his opening remarks and declared a quorum was present.

Treasurer's Report: [Attachments A, B and C] Isensee stated that the report had not been reviewed by a certified public accountant. There was discussion regarding legislative support. Sturman stated the budget did not reflect the true situation. Enos moved and Sturman seconded acceptance of the treasurer's report and budget. Motion passed with one abstention.

Old Business:
The chair called for approval of the Strategic Plan for submission to the Council of Chapters for its consideration. Enos moved and Van Pelt seconded approval. Motion passed with one abstention.

The chair reviewed the agenda for the Council of Chapters annual meeting.

New Business:
The chair announced the resignation of John Sammons and appointment of Warren Enos as vice president of CAL-MOAA.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,

Earl F. Gustafson, CDR, USN Ret. Secretary, CAL-MOAA

Attachment D

CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF CHAPTERS, MOAA FINAL STRATEGIC PLAN 2006-2009

INTRODUCTION

The California Council of Chapters Military Officers Association of America [CAL-MOAA] includes all chartered Chapters throughout California who are in good standing with the Military Officers Association of America and who desire to belong to the Council.

MISSION

The mission of CAL-MOAA is to:
Support directly and through our affiliated chapters, the military community. This 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; Support the mission of MOAA.

VISION

CAL-MOAA will accomplish its mission by being one of the leading professional military organizations in the State of California. CAL-MOAA will organize itself with strong local chapters to support key political issues in California that impact the membership.

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Strengths

1. 1. CAL-MOAA is a statewide organization with 45 Chapters and 5 subchapters
2. 2. CAL-MOAA is affiliated with a professional uniformed services association with sufficient clout to directly affect outcomes of items affecting the pay, benefits and quality of life of its members
3. 3. CAL-MOAA has the potential and capability through its website and the use of electronic mail to develop internal and external communications capability to support our chapters and inform appropriate legislative, political and community organizations.

Weaknesses and Limitations

1. 1. Decreasing population from which to recruit new members with concomitant decline in membership
2. 2. Inability at all levels to attract enough vital and effective individuals to fill leadership positions
3. 3. Communications-internal and external
4. 4. Leadership in failing or troubled chapters are not provided sufficient support and information to allow them to embrace the concept of a sub-chapter to lessen the management requirements
5. 5. Inability of Council to implement decisions, obtain chapter participation and affect change where required.

Attachment C

Opportunities

1. 1. Reach out to prospective membership from the Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard components utilizing National MOAA's proven record as basis for contact to include former officers and the widows/widowers of deceased officers
2. 2. Increased cooperation and/or integration with similar organizations
3. 3. Increased opportunity for coalition building
4. 4. Identification of and/or initiation of "relevant" state issues
5. 5. Become a more relevant and responsive professional organization
6. 6. Develop a communications capability that utilizes the electronic media as well as supporting those members who choose not to become Internet capable

Challenges

1. 1. Regenerate and sustain membership
2. 2. Prevent the loss of Chapters
3. 3. Inability of Council to engage its member chapters in any affective way
4. 4. Institutional complacency within CAL-MOAA and its member chapters
5. 5. Continued increase of the generation gap between current and eligible members
6. 6. Increased competition with similar organizations for eligible members
7. 7. Continued loss of political power
8. 8. The expansion of the internet that has resulted in the exponential increase of information that might serve to diffuse or dilute targeted information
9. 9. Overload of volunteer officers in meeting the challenge of the information age

STRATEGIC GOALS 2006 - 2009

1. 1. Develop Strategic Planning Initiatives
2. 2. Revise the Council Bylaws to reflect the strategic planning initiatives
3. 3. Develop and implement specific operations plans to implement the strategic planning initiatives
4. 4. Actively seek fully qualified leaders for current and future Council positions
5. 5. Establish a form of governance that fully engages the member chapters in all aspects of Council management and encourages them to be active participants in the decision making process. Each chapter should have a vote with the right of authorizing proxy votes
6. 6. Assist chapters with personnel issues, including membership recruitment and leader succession planning
7. 7. Implement a comprehensive public/community relations & publicity program
8. 8. Develop the current CAL-MOAA website into a statewide newsletter and information sharing site
9. 9. Work with veterans and other groups throughout the state to advance mutual interests
10. 10. Establish a legislative center to monitor and influence state level legislation in the interest of members

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. 1. Adopt the Strategic Plan as a working document towards the revitalization effort
2. 2. Adopt new by-laws tailored specifically towards California and its unique problems
3. 3. Reorganize CAL-MOAA into an active and responsive organization
4. 4. Develop CAL-MOAA's outstanding website into a statewide newsletter and information sharing site to help unite the various chapters as well as encourage the participation of MOAA members who are not Chapter members

For viewing the Financial Reports, please download the PDF file.