Military Officer - April 2007 - (Page 48) chapteractivities Team MOAA A pril is an especially important month this year, as MOAA welcomes council and chapter presidents from all 50 states and Puerto Rico to Washington, D.C., for the annual Council Presidents’ Seminar and Storming the Hill events. These members constitute the “first team,” ready to take the fight directly to Congress on MOAA’s key legislative goals. For more than 10 years, chapter leaders have teamed up with board members and MOAA staff members to walk the halls of Congress, seeing their representatives and senators about our top issues and getting support for legislative fixes. Their ability to gain access to members of Con- gress is amazing and their relationships based on friendships we can’t duplicate. They get results: Storming the Hill always results in a spike in cosponsorship of key legislation and reinforces our positions — and creates opportunities for the Government Relations team to schedule follow-up meetings with and answer questions from congressional offices. 48 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2007 T former chair of the Empty Stocking Fund. “That’s why we took this project on — because it was something we figured we could do to help the community.” Curl estimates the number of Every time we ask council and families helped by the Empty Stockchapter leaders to help on the leging Fund has almost doubled in the islative front, they come through. past eight years, with more than Now they’ll do in Washington 900 families receiving what they do in their assistance in 2006. hometowns and states Increased publicity across the country — [Chapter also has helped the make things happen. leaders’] program build a broad This year we’re ability to base of community fighting higher health care fees for retirees gain access support, with area under age 65, opposto members sponsors contributing ing higher copayments of Congress more than $170,000 in gifts and food last for prescription drugs, is amazing. year, and donors conpressing to end two tributing an additionmajor Survivor Benefit al $32,000 in cash. Plan inequities, and Approximately 30 calling for a higher pay volunteers from the Sandhills Chapraise for our troops. For more about ter helped in 2006. Members began these issues and how you can help, work in August and didn’t stop until stay tuned to “Washington Scene.” the end of December, when all of the After Storming, we’ll continue training our leaders and get their feed- Christmas gifts and food were delivered to the county’s neediest families. back. After all, teamwork gets it done. — Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret. Chapter members worked closely Director, Council and Chapter Affairs with the county’s Department of Social Services to screen families who wanted to participate in the program. “The families served are at or below the poverty level on total household income,” says former Sandhills Members Fill “Empty Stockings” Navy Lt. Stephen Leggett, who cochaired this year’s effort along with fellow chapter members Lt. Col. Dick he Empty Stocking Fund Meadows, USAR-Ret., and former assists hundreds of needy Navy Lt. Keith Junk. “Each family families in Moore County, is thoroughly briefed during the inN.C., each year during the holidays, terview process, so they understand but it was on the verge of folding in that what MOAA is providing is a gift 1999. Luckily, members of the Sandhills (N.C.) Chapter decided to step in. and not a government entitlement.” National MOAA President Vice “Military officers are good at orAdm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., ganizing and getting things done,” commended chapter members says Col. Dick Curl, USA-Ret., Field Reports PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.