Military Officer - January 2007 - (Page 46)

chapteractivities My Goal: Growth T he first thing I’d like to do is thank former Council and Chapter Affairs Department Director Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret., and his former deputy, Col. Jim Pauls, USAF-Ret., for the terriﬁc job they did making MOAA’s chapter system what it is today. Their years of service to MOAA’s afﬁliated chapters and councils have done so much for both MOAA and the military community. Before coming to this department, I spent ﬁve years on the Government Relations team ﬁghting for hard-earned beneﬁts on behalf of our members. This experience in MOAA’s advocacy role will serve me well as I prepare to lead Council and Chapter Affairs, and I am excited about both the opportunities and the challenges ahead. In numerous visits to councils and chapters over the past six months, I’ve been impressed by our chapter members: They are all volunteers, and their dedication and accomplishments are amazing. So is the variety of community efforts 46 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2007 to us to adjust and keep moving forward. The “greatest generation” that has been the mainstay of chapters for so long is passing on, and new members are not joining chapters they support on behalf of active fast enough. My goal is to encourduty, retired, former, Guard, and Re- age you to ﬁnd out where your local serve servicemembers and survivors. chapter is and go to a meeting. You They also undertake a host of other might be surprised at the many acactivities that should tivities going on and make all of us proud. what you ﬁnd yourself What they do matters. interested in — people Chapter Just look at the “Field helping people and members Reports” in this issue giving something back to their communities. for examples. are amOur chapters’ conChapter members bassadors tributions are way out are the best ambassa— they tell of proportion to their dors for MOAA. They the MOAA numbers. The 73,000 tell the MOAA story story. and, through their acMOAA members in tions, positively affect 409 chapters and 36 the lives of thousands state councils across of people in their comthe country are only 20 percent of the association’s total munities. You can become a part of membership. Think what we could do this great effort by joining a chapter. if just 30 percent of MOAA members I hope to see you there. — Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret. got involved in their local chapters. Director, Council and Chapter Affairs Our councils and chapters truly are the “tip of the spear” for MOAA, and I intend to do what needs to be done to preserve and strengthen this vital part of our organization. To help me, MOAA has hired Col. Barry Wright, Tournament Highlight of State Convention USA-Ret., as the department’s new deputy director. Read more about him ore than 125 chapter in these pages next month. ofﬁcers and their spouses Together, Barry and I will conduct attended the Georgia an aggressive chapter visit program, MOAA Inc. state convention Oct. 5-7 emphasizing chapters that have not in Savannah. Chapter leaders plotbeen visited recently, and look at ted the future course of the council, everything we’re doing now to see if elected and swore in new ofﬁcers, it makes sense. We’ll study our “Give and learned more about MOAA’s Me 10!” experience to see what’s legislative objectives as well as pendnext in chapter recruiting, and we’ll ing legislation of interest to military look for ways to enhance chapters members and their families. even more for MOAA members. Pete Liakakis, chairman of the ChaOur chapters are changing, and so are the needs of our members. It’s up tham County (Ga.) Commissioners, Field Reports M PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - January 2007

Military Officer - January 2007 Contents From the Editor From the Chairman Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: Osprey Rising? Battlefields of the Great War I Resolve ... New Mission Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Member Services MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Member Books Encore

Military Officer - January 2007

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