Military Officer - September 2006 - (Page 45) chapteractivities and was distributed to other organizations, such as the state’s chamber of commerce, in an effort to enlist support. MRVTF and MOAA members throughout the state also wrote letlosing members steadily, and recruiting new members had become difficult following the closure of the Naval Training Center in Orlando. Despite these obstacles, the 455member chapter is thriving again, thanks to a successful recruiting effort, renewed interest in community service projects, and the infusion of younger officers. One of those younger officers, Lt. Col. David Michael Patterson, USA-Ret., spearheaded a recruiting drive that has resulted in 86 new members joining the chapter just since March 1. Patterson used the mailing list provided by national MOAA to contact officers in the area who were eligible to join the Central Florida Chapter. He was surprised to discover that many of the officers he contacted — particularly Guard and Reserve members — didn’t know there was an MOAA chapter in their area. Get More with The Affiliate Looking for ideas on how you can improve your chapter or council? Take a minute to read The Affiliate online. This monthly publication, which goes to chapter and council leaders, contains insightful articles and advice about how you can improve your chapter, recruiting tips, news of upcoming events, and guest editorials written by members of the Chapter and Council Affairs and Auxiliary Member Advisory committees. To access The Affiliate, go to MOAA’s Web Base, www.moaa.org, and click on the Community tab. Select Chapters and Councils from the drop-down menu, then follow the link for The Affiliate, which is in the right-hand column of the Chapters and Councils page. Lt. Edward Kreiner Sr., USN-Ret., left, chair of the task force that helped win a veterans’ tax deduction, meets Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. (R). ters, called legislators, and sent faxes, e-mails, and cards to their respective legislators to support the effort. In addition, members traveled to Annapolis, visited with their legislators, and participated in a veterans’ rally. “The MRVTF has been approached by legislators to come back to the table next year and build upon this year’s success,” says Kreiner. “MRVTF has voted to again lead the effort in the forthcoming legislative session.” Central Florida Chapter Revitalizes O nly a year ago, the Central Florida Chapter was struggling to stay afloat. The average age of chapter members was 83, and people were reluctant to take leadership roles. The chapter was ON THE WEB ■ Want to join an MOAA chapter but don’t know where to find one? Go to www.moaa.org/chapters/locator.asp to find the chapter nearest you. The Central Florida Chapter gave Cadet of the Year awards to JROTC cadets from left, Christopher Clawson, George Nakoa, and Abraham Beates. “I’ve visited a lot of reserve units, and I’ve discovered a lot of their officers just don’t know about MOAA,” says Patterson. Chapter members also have stepped up their community involvement. Currently, the Central Florida Chapter supports 25 Junior ROTC (JROTC) and two ROTC units in the Orlando area. In addition to awarding MOAA medals and certificates to cadets in these units, the chapter holds a “Cadet of the Year” competition for JROTC students. Earlier this year, chapter members presented a total of $3,000 in cash prizes to three outstanding JROTC cadets. The winners were selected based on evaluations of their contributions to their unit and community, extracurricular activities, academic excellence, and interviews conducted by chapter members. A grant from Lockheed Martin Corp. provides two-thirds of the funding for the awards. Donations from individual chapter members pay SEPTEMBER 2006 MILITARY OFFICER 45 http://www.moaa.org/chapters/locator.asp
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