Military Officer - January 2006 - (Page 48)

chapteractivities Renewed Year I t’s 2006 — and the new year brings a renewed emphasis on national MOAA’s legislative goals, our No. 1 priority every year. As much as chapter members enjoy the social aspects of afﬁliation, we do primarily serve as a large grassroots lobbying team sworn to do what is stated in the preamble to MOAA’s national bylaws: “To present rights and interests [of the active and retired personnel of the various services from which our members are drawn] when service matters are under consideration.” Year in and year out, regardless of which legislative goals MOAA pursues, those goals are focused on doing what is best for all members, and the overarching mission of taking care of our members, their dependents, and survivors must never waver. Because so much depends on the strength of our chapters, leadership and recruiting continue to be high priorities. Without a smooth transition to new leadership, many other chapter functions suffer. Take recruiting: Without leadership, who 48 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2006 T and newspaper reporters covered the event, which let the community know about the good work being done by members of the Northeast Arkansas Chapter. Former chapter President Col. leads the charge for new members? Tom Davis, USA-Ret., had the idea to Ensuring continuity of new leaderbring the traveling wall to Jonesboro ship and membership is vital and and led the fundraising effort. Anothdeserves a high priority in chapter er past president, Col. efforts. Without it, our Pete Long, ARNGchapters will stagnate and die. While being Ret., served as the on-site coordinator. Let’s not forget your a chapter Chapter memrole as chapter memmember bers assembled and bers, the lifeblood of disassembled the our organization. While is a great being a chapter member start, active traveling wall with the help of more than is a great start, active participaa dozen members participation is better. tion is of the Arkansas NaEven more helpful is tional Guard’s 875th volunteering to be a better. Engineer Battalion. chapter ofﬁcer, particiIn addition, National pate in an event-planGuard members ning session, or visit a provided 24-hour security for the local Guard or Reserve installation traveling wall, along with chapter to tell folks about what MOAA is members and members of a local doing for them. — Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret. chapter of The Retired Enlisted Director, Council and Chapter Affairs Association (TREA). Members of TREA, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and students from a local Junior ROTC unit served as guides, helping visitors ﬁnd their loved one’s name Traveling Memorial on the wall. Comes to Arkansas “The guardmembers were very sensitive to what was going on, and he Northeast Arkansas when they saw someone who was Chapter only has 107 memupset, they went over and comforted bers, but that didn’t stop it them,” says Davis. “They all were from raising more than $12,000 to wearing their uniforms, and the bring the Vietnam Veterans Memopeople they comforted knew immerial Foundation’s “The Wall That diately that they understood because Heals” to Arkansas State University they had been there.” in Jonesboro. During its four-day Chapter members say many stay, more than 10,000 people viewed who visited the traveling wall may the traveling wall, a half-scale replica never get the opportunity to see the of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Vietnam Veterans Memorial in our in Washington, D.C. Several local TV Field Reports PHOTO: RHODA BAER

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - January 2006

Contents Features Departments From the Editor Chairman's Page Board of Directors Nominations Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Member Books Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: On the Edge Storm Stories Our Brilliant, Bloody Future eXtreme Seniors Pages of History Information Exchange MOAA Scholarship Donors Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - January 2006

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